The Second Battle of Ypres comprised the only major attack launched by the German forces on the Western Front in 1915, Eric von Falkenhayn preferring to concentrate German efforts against the Russians on the Eastern Front. The second battle of Ypres, 22 April-25 May 1915, was a rare German offensive on the Western Front during 1915. [34] In 2012, Sheldon gave similar figures and in 2014, Greenhalgh wrote that French casualties had been exaggerated by propaganda against German "frightfulness" and that in 1998, Olivier Lepick had estimated that 800–1,400 men were killed by gas in April out of 2,000–3,000 French casualties.[35]. Within days the British were advised by John Scott Haldane to counter the effects of the gas by urinating into a cloth and breathing through it. [38], Canadian participation in the Battle of Gravenstafel is commemorated on the Saint Julien Memorial in the village. [1] The gas would be released by siphoning liquid chlorine out of cylinders; the gas could not be released directly because the valves would freeze; wind would carry the gas to the enemy lines. It is estimated that about 135,000 Germans were killed or badly wounded during this offensive. Some of the Germans were protected by miner's oxygen breathing apparatus. The 1st Battle of Ypres took place between 15th October and 22nd November, 1914. Release date: 24 Jun 2015. Casualties were especially heavy for the 13th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), which was enveloped on three sides and had over-extended its left flank after the Algerian Division broke.[8]. Later the Germans threw up red lights over their trench, which would signal a gas release.[23]. Engaged by small-arms fire from the wood, they began an impromptu bayonet charge. It targeted a 4-mile stretch of the Allied line on the north side of the salient, held by French and Algerian troops. This battle was the only major offensive of the German army on the Western Front. However, from the outset of the fighting the Germans tactically concentrated these already coordinated battalion teams into batteries and thus gave the appearance, and effect, of having even more machine guns than they actually did. 3. Capture of Hill 60, 17th to 22nd April 1915. Although poison gas had been used on the Eastern Front, it surprised the Allies and about 7,000 gas casualties were transported in field ambulances and treated in casualty clearing stations. The eminent German chemist Walther Nernst, who was in the army in 1914 as a volunteer driver, saw how trenches produced deadlock. [citation needed], The German commander Erich von Falkenhayn agreed to try the new weapon, but intended to use it in a diversionary attack by his 4th Army. This latter attack had been ordered by French Gen. Ferdinand Foch at about 8:00 pm on April 22 to regain the ground lost to the gas attack. The battle marked the Germans’ first use of poison gas as a weapon. It was the first time that Germany successfully used chemical weapons on a large scale on the Western Front. This new technology provided an initial advantage, but the Germans were ultimately stopped after heavy … The Second Battle of Ypres, as it is known in British military history, encompassed four battles in the northern sector of the Ypres Salient. The offensive was to begin on the night of April 15–16 or with the next favourable wind thereafter. The Germans were prevented from advancing further by Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI)'s counter-attacks and a night move by the 10th Brigade. Shortly after 3:00 am on April 23, conditions were further improved by the arrival of the bulk of the Canadian 7th Battalion, which moved westward to dig a north-south line some 700 yards (0.6 km) long. Britain, Canada, Germany, Second Battle of Ypres, trenches, Ypres. I shall never forget the look in his eyes as he turned to me and gasped: I can’t die! [9] The British press were confused by the attack: The Germans set fire to a chemical product of sulphur chloride which they had placed in front of their own trenches, causing a thick yellow cloud to be blown towards the trenches of the French and Belgians. [31] Canadian casualties from 22 April to 3 May were 5,975, of whom about 1,000 men were killed. The Battle of Frezenberg: 8–13 May 1915 4. The Allies had actually more casualties than the Germans (70000 vs 35000). Without reconnaissance, the battalions ran into obstacles halfway to their objective. [20] By July 1915, soldiers received efficient gas masks and anti-asphyxiation respirators. The Second Battle of Ypres. But with shellfire and the aid from the 9th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders they managed to hold their trenches to the end.[23]. Second Battle of Ypres During World War I, the Second Battle of Ypres was fought from 22 April – 25 May 1915 for control of the strategic Flemish town of Ypres in western Belgium after the First Battle of Ypres the previous autumn. It happened in the spring of 1915. This was the famed—or notorious—Ypres Salient, where the British and Allied line pushed into the German line in a concave bend. Synonyms for second battle of Ypres in Free Thesaurus. The Second Battle of Ypres followed the First Battle of Ypres which took place from October 30th to November 24th of 1914. The battle marked the Germans’ first use of poison gas as a weapon. Both sides found that, The battle was immortalized in a painting by, Another Canadian division joined the British Expeditionary Force in late 1915, joined eventually by two more in 1916. They made no prisoners. Firstly, it was the first time formerly-colonial forces defeated a European empire in major engagements in Europe. BRITISH ORDER OF BATTLE . Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. During the course of the battle, the Germans debuted the use of poison gas on the Western Front. The promised French attack did not materialize, however, and the survivors of the Middlesex Regiment, too few to hold their advanced position, were forced to fall back. By nightfall the XXIII Corps had crossed the Yser canal and the XXVI had advanced some 2 miles (3 km), capturing the high ground at Pilckem (later called Mauser) Ridge and approaching the town of St. Julien (now St. Juliaan), some 2.5 miles (4 km) northeast of Ypres. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade (Brigadier-General A W Currie, HQ at Pond … It was during this time that Canadian officer John McCrae penned the first lines of the poem “In Flanders Fields” as a tribute to a friend who had been killed in the fighting. The front line around Ypres had changed little since the end of the Second Battle of Ypres (22 April – 25 May 1915). Hedges and ditches made it difficult to keep order in the darkness, but the Canadians pressed on. In A record of the Engagements of the British Armies in France and Flanders, 1914–1918 (1923 [1990]) E. A. James used The Official Names of the Battles and Other Engagements Fought by the Military Forces of the British Empire during the Great War, 1914–1919, and the Third Afghan War, 1919: Report of the Battles Nomenclature Committee as approved by the Army Council (1921) to provide a summary of each engagement and the formations involved. This was a great legacy for the Canadian forces. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The Second Battle of Ypres was fought 100 years ago, April 22-25, 1915. Created by Canada’s History — Posted October 2, 2018 By the time the Canadians arrived in the Ypres Salient in the spring of 1915, the devastation brought on by the war was on full display. First Battle of Ypres (19 October – 22 November 1914). The 1st Canadian Division had just arrived on the Western Front and was moved to a bulge in the Allied line in front of the city of Ypres. The Canadians were employed offensively later in 1915 but not successfully. Both sides set about developing more effective gas masks. The Germans reported that they treated 200 gas casualties, 12 of whom died. The Germans detonated a mine at St. Éloi (now St. Eloois) on April 14, and three days later the British responded by blowing up most of Hill 60, a rise 3 miles (5 km) southeast of Ypres. Second Ypres proved to be the worst battle the 1st Canadian Division would fight in the course of the war, however its result was the starting point of the strong reputation Canadian troops developed during the war. It is essentially a day-by-day record of the Second Battle of Ypres which draws heavily upon personal accounts, regimental histories and war diaries to present a comprehensive study of the battle in which Germany became the first nation to use poisonous gas as a weapon. During the course of the battle, the Germans debuted the use of poison gas on the Western Front. The Allies won the first battle. [30][d], After the war, German casualties from 21 April to 30 May were recorded as 34,933 by the official historians of the Reichsarchiv. Second Battle of Ypres A commemoration of the battle’s 100th anniversary will take place April 24, 7:30 p.m., at the 48th Highlanders Memorial, at the north end of Queen’s Park. When we got to Ypres we found a lot of Canadians lying there dead from gas the day before, poor devils, and it was quite a horrible sight for us young men. On April 14 reliable and detailed information was received at British and French headquarters that the Germans intended to use a new weapon, asphyxiating gas discharged from cylinders, opposite the northern edge of the Ypres salient at Langemarck (now Langemark). Whenever they saw a soldier whom the fumes had not quite killed they snatched away his rifle and advised him to lie down "to die better. The Allies were not prepared for such an attack, hence the high casualty numbers. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/event/Second-Battle-of-Ypres, The Canadian Encyclopedia - Canada and the Second Battle of Ypres, Government of Canada - The Second Battle of Ypres (22 April-25 May 1915). Please select which sections you would like to print: While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The Second Attack on Bellewaarde 25 September 1915 The scene of the battles was the Ypres salient on th… The situation of the troops in the salient remained desperate, however. It followed the canal, bulging eastward around the town. This attack witnessed the first use of a new German weapon on the Western [7] They had taken 2,000 prisoners and 51 guns. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Australian soldiers wearing gas masks during the Second Battle of Ypres, 1915. The battle was fought during the German offensive of the Second Battle of Ypres (21 April – 25 May), which the Germans ended to reinforce the Artois front. It also marked the first time a former colonial force (the 1st Canadian Division ) defeated a European power (the German Empire ) in Europe (at the Battle of St. Julien and Battle of Kitcheners' Wood ). Conditions to the left of the Canadian front were precarious from the first, but some 200 Algerians, although gassed, took up a position near and parallel to the road between Ypres and the village of Poelcappelle (now Poelkapelle) to the northeast. In April 1915, the Second Battle of Ypres established the reputation of the Canadians as a fighting force. The effects are these – a splitting headache and terrific thirst (to drink water is instant death), a knife edge of pain in the lungs and the coughing up of a greenish froth off the stomach and the lungs, ending finally in insensibility and death. Shelling ceased but rifle and M.G. We heard them say it was gas. The Second Battle Ypres was fought April 22 to May 25, 1915, during World War I (1914-1918) and saw the Germans conduct a limited offensive around the strategic town of Ypres in Flanders. In this cartoon, the artist depicts a masked soldier alerting one of his comrades of an impending gas attack. This battle was fought between the German army and Allied troops from France, Canada, Britain, Africa, Belgium, India, and Newfoundland. The Germans released more chlorine gas at them the following day. Word was passed to the troops to urinate on their handkerchiefs and place them over their nose and mouth. The Germans' innovative use of gas set the trend for the rest of the war. The 10th Canadian Field Battery, by switching fire to the left rear, stopped the German advance in its sector before moving to a less-exposed position. In an action at Kitcheners' Wood, the 10th Battalion of the 2nd Canadian Brigade was ordered to counter-attack in the gap created by the gas attack. In 1914 a German Army battalion had six Maxim MG Model 1908 machine guns, while in contrast a British battalion initially had only two Vickers Mk Is or Maxims. Some got away in time, but many, alas! German gas cylinders : Basically the three main types used were - chlorine, phosgene and mustard gas. 2nd Ypres Order of Battle . The successive of Allied attacks collectively known as the Third Battle of Ypres began on July 31. of Guelph wrote "In Flanders Fields" in the voice of those who perished in the war. The first was to distract attention from the movement of German troops to the eastern front in preparation for the campaign that would lead to the victory of Gorlice-Tarnow. 5,730 gas cylinders, the larger weighing 40 kilograms (88 lb) each, were manhandled into the front line. The Germans were not prepared to exploit the opening, which gave the French and Algerians time to rush reinforcements…. The second battle of Ypres continued for another month, fought largely by British units — and by a battalion of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry — which re-established control of the salient. A word on poison gases used in the First World War. [37] The Third Battle of Ypres, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele, was fought from 31 July to 10 November 1917. Opposite the Allies was the German Fourth Army under Albrecht, duke of Württemberg. The British Fifth Army, supported by the Second Army on the southern flank and the French 1 re Armée (First Army) on the northern flank, attacked the German 4th Army, which defended the Western Front from Lille northwards to the Ypres Salient in Belgium and on to the North Sea coast. They ended in the rain and the mud on November 10, 1917, having failed to make any significant gains. It was clear that the line on the left had broken, but the extent of the disaster was not realized at first. It was the first mass use by Germany of poison gas on the Western Front. We didn't know what the Hell gas was. [39][40], Ypres, a Belgian municipality in the Flemish province of West Flanders, Depiction of the German gas attack launched on French Territorial and soldiers of the. Illustration for John McCrae's “In Flanders Fields” from a limited-edition book (1921) containing the poem. Group photograph taken at the headquarters of the 1st Cavalry Brigade near Ypres, May 1915. In the British Official History, J. E. Edmonds and G. C. Wynne recorded British losses of 59,275 casualties, the French about 18,000 casualties on 22 April and another 3,973 from 26–29 April. Days passed without any noticeable augmentation of the German forces, already concentrated unseen in Houthulst Forest. Battle of Gravenstafel Ridge (22–23 April 1915). Reinforced by two platoons and a machine gun from the Canadian 13th Battalion, this force formed a short but effective flank. They too would die later – a slow and lingering death of agony unspeakable. Canadian troops defending the southern flank of the break-in identified chlorine because it smelled like their drinking water. This attack witnessed the first use of a new German weapon on the Western Front: a cloud of poisonous gas. The chlorine burned the eyes, nose and throat and destroyed the lungs. Arthur Nantel-7 AM APRIL 22ND 1915 (CWM 19710261-0501).jpeg 2,248 × 1,699; 1.31 MB. Fighting on the Eastern Front. [22][c], On 24 May the Germans released a gas attack that hit Shell Trap Farm and to the area around the north west, which was affected the most by the attack. The second battle of Ypres, 22 April-25 May 1915, was a rare German offensive on the Western Front during 1915. The First Attack on Bellewaarde was conducted by the 3rd Division of V Corps on 16 June 1915 and the Second Attack on Bellewaarde, a larger operation, was conducted from 25–26 September 1915 by the 3rd Division and the 14th Division of VI Corps. On the British front, the counterattacks of the morning had made it possible to build up the long exposed Canadian left flank, and, but for a gap of about 1,000 yards (0.9 km) north of St. Julien, a solid line of defense now existed from the original Canadian left to the canal. fire remained accurate and constant, whenever a target presented itself, until dusk. The first of these began on 22ndApril 1915 as a surprise attack by the German 4th Army on the French sector of the Allied Front Line. By 8:00 pm there were no formed bodies of French troops east of the canal, all their batteries in that sector had been captured, and the entire left flank of the 1st Canadian Division lay exposed to attack. On April 24, 1915 the Germans used chlorine gas against the Canadian First Division at the Second Battle of Ypres. The Second Battle of Ypres was a First World War battle fought for control of the strategic Flemish town of Ypres in western Belgium in the spring of 1915, following the First Battle of Ypres the previous autumn. [32] In 2002, Clayton wrote that thousands of men of the 45th and 87th divisions ran from the gas but that the number of casualties was low. Older posts. [17] Despite hundreds of casualties, the 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers participated without respite in the battles at Frezenberg and Bellewaarde. The battle was fought in Flanders in the Ypres Salient – a section of the front line that surrounded the town of Ypres, Belgium, and divided the Germans from the Allies. The First Battle of Ypres had been fought the previous autumn. The unusual noise of traffic behind the German lines caused so little alarm that three of the eight Canadian field batteries at Ypres would be caught while rotating troops from the front line to the rear. Military conflicts similar to or like Second Battle of Ypres Fought from 22 April – 25 May 1915 for control of the strategic Flemish town of Ypres in western Belgium. Flares soared upward, rifle fire flickered from the parapet, and the two battalions charged. On 22 April 1915 at about 5:00 p.m., the 4th Army released 171 t (168 long tons) of chlorine gas on a 6.5 km (4.0 mi) front between the hamlets of Langemark (50°55′N 02°55′E / 50.917°N 2.917°E / 50.917; 2.917) and Gravenstafel (50°53′28″N 2°58′44″E / 50.891°N 2.979°E / 50.891; 2.979) on the Allied line held by French Territorial and Troupes coloniales (Moroccan and Algerian troops) of the French 45th and 87th divisions. The Second Battle of Ypres is mainly known because of how deadly it was: during this battle, the German forces used chlorine gas for the first time, taking its enemies by surprise. 11 - May Flowers, 1915 - Old World In Ruins, Eastern Front. Some of them were sent on in advance, with masks over their heads, to ascertain if the air had become breathable. Artillery support for the counterattack was negligible, however, and casualties were so heavy that little ground was regained. One British force was to attack on the west side of the Ypres-Pilckem road that ran up Mauser Ridge, while another detachment consisting of a battalion each from the Buffs, the Middlesex, the 5th King’s Own, and the 1st York and Lancaster Regiments was to advance through the pinned-down Canadians on the east side of the road. The city of Ypres before (left), and after (right) the Second Battle of Ypres. The left flank of this line was in contact with the St. Julien garrison, whereas the right bent back some distance from the old front line. [16] On 26 April 4, 6 and 7 Battalions, the Northumberland Brigade, the first Territorial brigade to go into action, attacked and gained a foothold in the village but were forced back, having suffered 1,954 casualties. The Battle of Ypres was a series of engagements during the First World War, near the Belgian city of Ypres, between the German and the Allied armies (Belgian, French, British Expeditionary Force and Canadian Expeditionary Force).There were hundreds of thousands of casualties during the five engagements. Although the Belgian and Canadian hinges held firm, the gates to Ypres had been thrown open. Gas was not a new weapon in 1915 but the Second Battle of Ypres was the first time chlorine gas was used and the first time it was employed on such a scale. The battle also blooded many commanders, singling out some for praise, such as brigade commander, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, List of Canadian battles during World War I, "Jeremy Banning – Military Historian – First World War Research – School Workshops – Lectures", "The Action of Chlorine upon Urea Whereby a Dichloro Urea is Produced", "Supplement to the London Gazette: 10 May 1915", Historical film documents on the Battles of Ypres, 4th Territorial Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, Armistice between Russia and the Central Powers, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Second_Battle_of_Ypres&oldid=1014095010, Battles of World War I involving British India, Battles of World War I involving the United Kingdom, Battles of the Western Front (World War I), Military operations of World War I involving chemical weapons, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, British withdraw to a new line 3 miles closer to Ypres, This page was last edited on 25 March 2021, at 04:03. [33] In 2010, Humphries and Maker, in their translated edition of Der Weltkrieg recorded that by 9 May, there had been more than 35,000 German casualties, 59,275 British between 22 April and 31 May and very many French casualties, 18,000 on 22 April alone. The French 153rd Division was being brought up, but it took some time to gather fresh troops, and three Belgian battalions were lent for the attack. The village of St. Julien (now Sint-Juliaan; 50°53′24″N 2°56′13″E / 50.890°N 2.937°E / 50.890; 2.937) was in the rear of the 1st Canadian Division until the poison-gas attack of 22 April, when it became the front line. They formed up after 11:00 p.m. on 22 April, with the 16th Battalion (Canadian Scottish) of the 3rd Brigade arriving to support the advance. Omissions? However, by early October, 1914, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was able to recapture the town. The introduction of poison gas, however, would have great significance in World War I. The effect of the gas on the French was greater than the German infantry had anticipated. Two German corps were to follow through the gap made by the gas cloud. Dusk was falling when from the German trenches in front of the French line rose that strange green cloud of death. The attack cleared the former oak plantation of Germans at a 75-percent casualty rate. 16 October 1916 – Sanger’s War. Shortly before midnight, two Canadian reserve battalions, the 10th and the 16th, began their advance on the wood. Commander: Lieutenant-General E A H Alderson Headquarters: Chateau des Trois Tours near Brielen Front Line Position The front line was held by four Canadian battalions: 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade (Brigadier-General R E W Turner, V.C., HQ at Mouse Trap Farm) 1. Antonyms for second battle of Ypres. Other soldiers preferred to use a handkerchief, sock or flannel body-belt, dampened with a sodium-bicarbonate solution and tied across the mouth and nose, until the gas passed. 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