With the agreement of the French Commander-in-Chief (General Joffre), the British Commander-in-Chief (Field-Marshal Sir John French) withdrew British forces of the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.) This resulted in the First Battle of Ypres (19 October-22 November 1914). The variation, though, has allowed subsequent historians to pick and choose numbers that fit their arguments. Despite the intensity of fighting, the Christmas truces show to us that each side still viewed the […], […] December 1914, British government was faced with difficult choice. Bad weather in October led to the battlefield becoming an impossible quagmire. The ratio of casualties also suggested how the relatively small BEF faced an enemy superior in numbers, if not in quality. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. In August, Haig replaced Gough with Plumer, who directed the battle until its close in November. Worst affected was the German army which had suffered 134,000 casualties and - in Falkenhayn’s words - was now ‘a broken instrument’. More French reinforcements arrived in the latter part of April, after the Germans had suffered many casualties, especially among the stoßtruppen. Ypres; Battles; Trench Warfare; Gas; Commemoration, Australian soldiers walking through the devastated Chateau Wood, near Ypres, British Field Ambulance Corps Ypres Salient, 1917, German gun emplacement destroyed by British artillery, Ypres Salient, 1917, The Menin Gate Memorial Arch, Ypres, 1930, La bête puante (“The Stinky Beast”), caricature, The stablized Western Front and major offensives in 1915, Lloyd George, David: War Memoirs of David Lloyd George, Volume 2, London 1938, p. 1325. In some units, lightly wounded that remained with the unit were counted as wounded, in other units they were not. Gough’s aggressive approach gained some ground but only at a high cost in British lives. The death of so many young ‘volunteers’ further symbolized the sacrifices ordinary Germans were willing to make for the Fatherland. I Corps (Lieutenant-General Douglas Haig) was due to arrive with orders to attack on 21 October. Edmonds, James: Military Operations France & Belgium, 1917, Volume 2, London 1948, p. xiii. Having seemingly inflicted twice the number of casualties, the BEF could be seen to have performed to the highest standards. On 21 October, it had been cloudy and attempts to reconnoitre the German positi… This made the BEF’s destruction all the more heroic. The scale of success achieved by the initial attack apparently surprised the Germans, who swiftly captured their limited objectives but missed a rare opportunity to press further forward. Haig’s offensive cost the British Army 244,897 men and failed to eliminate the U-boat threat. Nevertheless, in its first battle the untested division had helped stave off a major Allied disaster. The battle was part of the First Battle of Flanders, in which German, French and Belgian armies and the British Expeditionary Force fought from Arras in France to Nieuport on the Belgian coast, from 10 October to mid-November. French and British troops were left occupying an exposed salient at the end of the First Battle of Ypres. At first glance, the differences in numbers might not seem a particularly significant thing, but the discrepancies in these statistics are important for several reasons. The first forces to arrive at Ypres were a German cavalry patrol on October 13, 1914. Ypres is a name synonymous with the First World War, and over its course three separate battles were fought there.The first began in 1914, as German forces attempted to punch through Franco-British lines. In response, German forces largely abandoned the occupation of linear trench lines and placed renewed emphasis on elastic defence that occupied shell craters and concrete bunkers. The Second Battle of Ypres is … The next day, the British 7 th Division and 3 rd Cavalry Division arrived. Second Army (Plumer) X Corps (Morland) When the battle was over, the Allied lines around Ypres formed a salient-that is to say, a bulge, surrounded on 3 sides by the Germans. The Germans lost around 35,000 men in the offensive compared to 69,000 Entente troops. ( Log Out / Although the German official history’s figures cover a period a week shorter than that of the British official history, this alone cannot explain the 30,815 difference – Major fighting in Flanders, if not local attacks, was all but over by 18 November. In other words, fighting around the Ypres salient was only a relatively small part of a broader German offensive during this period – hence the German term for the battle, the battle of Flanders. The French suffered around 50,000 casualties during the battle. The Battles of Ypres were a series of five major military engagements along the Western Front, some of which were among the largest and deadliest battles of the First World War. The severe casualties suffered in the area made Ypres a focus for post-war remembrance. Rapid rifle, machine gun and artillery fire took a heavy toll on advancing German infantry and their attacks were frequently repulsed with heavy losses. Battles, battlefields and campaigns, Western Front, Ypern / Schlacht [1915] ; Ypern / Schlacht [1917] ; Ypern / Schlacht [1914], Ypres, 2nd Battle of, Ieper, Belgium, 1915 ; Ypres, 3rd Battle of, Ieper, Belgium, 1917 ; Ypres, 1st Battle of, Ieper, Belgium, 1914, Ypres, 1re bataille d' (1914) ; Ypres, 2e bataille d' (1915) ; Ypres, 3e bataille d' (1917) ; Lys, Bataille de la (avril 1918). Recent studies have emphasised the multi-national nature of the battles, which at various times involved Australian, Belgian, Canadian, Indian, New Zealand, North African, South African and West African soldiers. In telling the tale of the outcome of the First World War all too often ideology has trumped historical accuracy. Thus, how these men were listed as statistics varied across different casualty reporting periods. The Ypres campaign was the culmination of the first year of the Great War. In August, the Imperial German Army implemented the Schlieffen Plan. Germany lost approximately 130,000 men compared to Entente losses of around 100,000 soldiers. After the effort against Bellewaarde Ridge, the Germans brought the battle to a close due to a lack of supplies and manpower. In December, the British Admiralty began discussions with the War Office , for a combined operation to re-occupy the Belgian coast but were obliged to conform to French strategy and participate in offensives further south. April 9–April 12, 1917: For the first time, all four Canadian divisions attack together, with tremendous results. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The sheer number of casualties suffered at Ypres made the city a centre for post-war remembrance. The task may have been easier for the smaller, more cohesive BEF, but undoubtedly gaps would have arose in the chaos of the initial months of the war. Although later historians, not least Karl Unruh, have systematically dismantled this myth, it was used during and after the war, particularly by the Nazis, to rally support for the war and to show the unity of a federal Germany. In other words, almost two-thirds of the casualties suffered by the BEF in the 1914 campaign had occurred during the battles around Ypres. By the mid-stage of the battle, British methods had changed to emphasise a short advance covered by overwhelming artillery support. The narrative of remembrance contrasted the medieval city with the modern, industrial battles that had raged around it. Individual Canadian battalions continued to be engaged supporting British troops in the Ypres sector. Indeed, the Schwerpunkt of the 4th Army’s attacks for much of October was around Dixmuide, where the III Reserve Corps attempted to break through the Belgian and French defensive line along the Iser. The rain and mud severely hindered the movement of men and materials. During Georgette, the Germans managed to penetrate Allied lines to a depth of 9.3 mi (15 km). This could create large differences in casualty figures within armies, let alone between armies. One striking aspect of my research into the fighting was the disparity between the German casualty numbers cited by different sources. From the German side, the so-called ‘Kindermord bei Ypren,’ or ‘slaughter of the innocents at Ypres,’ quickly entered the social and cultural consciousness. Volume 2 of the British official history of the war puts German casualties from 15 October to 24 November at 134, 315. Nevertheless, the battle revealed the great difficulties of assaulting entrenched defenders. Some had been killed and might be identified later. This resulted in the “Race to the Sea” as Entente and German forces simultaneously sought to turn the northern flank of their opponent. Ypres gave its name to three major battles: First Ypres (19 October - 22 November 1914), Second Ypres (21 April - 25 May 1915) and Third Ypres (31 July - 10 November 1917). The battle represented the destruction of the old British army, which the British official history stated as being ‘gone beyond recall’ by the end of November 1914. By the end of the battle German forces had gained around two and a half miles of important ground which further constricted the salient, but Entente forces retained control of Ypres. Another challenge we can see in comparing statistics for the battle of Ypres/Flanders applies equally to all battles during the First World War: How casualties were recorded differed greatly between armies, within armies, and across time. The British calculated that the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) had suffered 58,155 killed, wounded, and missing between 14 October and 30 November. Britain was suffering at the hands of a renewed U-boat campaign that was operating, in part, from ports on the Belgian coast. from their positions on the Aisne battlefield. The Battle of Langemarck took place from 21–24 October, after an advance by the German 4th and 6th armies which began on 19 October, as the left flank of the BEF began advancing towards Menin and Roulers. The modern historiography of the Battles of Ypres remains firmly grounded in the official histories produced by Britain, France and Germany soon after the war. The casualty figures for Passchendaele are highly contested but it is generally agreeed that each side lost a minimum of 200,000 men and likely as many as twice that. In these twin myths of German sacrifice and of British bravery, the numbers of casualties mattered. Ypres was one of few Belgian towns that remained unoccupied and it had become an important symbol of Allied resistance since the First Battle of Ypres in 1914. In 1917 Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig (1861-1928) decided that the British Army would launch a major attack in the Ypres sector. This resulted in the “Race to the Sea” as Entente and German forces simultaneously sought to turn the northern flank of their opponent. ( Log Out / A German General Staff appreciation of the battle noted that Germany had been brought to the brink of “certain destruction” due to the ruinous losses in Flanders.[2]. They moved to Ar… During the Race to the Sea. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Modern work emphasises the complexity of the battle but stands divided on whether the British Army conducted the offensive in an appropriate fashion. Again, several issues are apparent here. The newly won position would be consolidated and the incoming German counterattack would be beaten back by massed British firepower. The figures given by the British official history imply, if not state explicitly, that the German losses were inflicted during the battle around the Ypres salient, rather than the larger scale of the German offensive. After four months of heavy fighting and casualties (750,000 German and 995,000 French), the German and Allied armies attempted one more breakthrough operation to win a decisive victory in 1914. The German figures cover losses of the 4th and 6th Armies, and these two armies conducted offensives in October and November 1914 between Arras in the south and the Channel coast in the north. The destruction of the bulk of the Imperial German army archives in 1944 has made any later investigation impossible. From the British side, the 1 st battle of Ypres was also an iconic experience. The results of the battle remain controversial. Photo: Soldiers from the German, British, French, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, and Canadian armies salute the German fallen at Langemarck Cemetery, 8 September 2014, during Operation Reflect. The First Battle of Ypres resulted in many casualties. In this cartoon, the artist depicts a masked soldier alerting one of his comrades of an impending gas attack. After six weeks of fi ghting, combined British and Indian Army The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica The gradual eastwards advance from Ypres. The existing sources are simply too variable to allow an accurate picture. The second thing the difference in figures demonstrates is the challenges in comparing statistics between armies within battles, particularly in the First World War. Half its men, some 6,036, were casualties. A British breakthrough at Ypres would allow an advance to the coast that would eliminate these bases. In addition, the French incurred around 10,000. Circumstances favoured the operation. The 1st Canadian Division was engaged in the battle until relieved by British troops. The Menin Gate is the site of the unique Last Post Ceremony, a daily event where a small group of buglers sound “The Last Post” and lead the attendees in honouring a minute’s silence for the fallen. Advances were broken up by German strongpoints and then driven back by rapid counterattacks. It is often said that the pre-war professional army died at the first battle of Ypres. Following German defeat at the Battle of the Marne (6-12 September 1914) and the period of stalemate on the River Aisne, both sides sought to restore movement to the war. Aftermath. First Battle of Ypres (19 October – 22 November 1914). These losses […]. In October, German forces launched a major offensive that aimed to push forward to the Channel p… In October, German forces launched a major offensive that aimed to push forward to the Channel ports of Dunkirk and Calais. by Ute Daniel, Peter Gatrell, Oliver Janz, Heather Jones, Jennifer Keene, Alan Kramer, and Bill Nasson, issued by Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 2015-02-13. First, the battles in 1914 around what would become the Ypres salient developed into important myths for both the British and the Germans. The British offensive, launched by Fifth and Second Army against German Fourth Army, was greatly hampered by abnormally heavy rainfall. The inaccuracy in the sources means that debates over who ‘won’ or ‘lost’ a particular battle in the First World War based on numbers of relative casualties rates are statistically futile. Allied losses included 54,000 British soldiers, 50,000 French soldiers, and 20,000 Belgian soldiers either killed, wounded, or missing. ( Log Out / More than 250,000 casualties. Assuming that one fourth of the casualties were fatal, as in the case of the British, it seems safe to assume that around 75,000 soldiers lost their lives at the First Battle of Ypres. Entente troops were taken by surprise and suffered heavy losses due to their lack of protection against poison gas. Second, different units reported casualties differently as well. By 18 November, the First Battle of Ypres had also ended in failure, at a cost of 160,000 German casualties. The first large-scale gas attack occurred during the Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915. Planning for the campaign was hampered by news of the mutiny in the French army, political squabbles, disputes over precise strategy, and Haig’s controversial decision to reject the careful and methodical offensive proposed by General Sir Herbert Plumer (1857-1932) in favour of a more ambitious operation. Change ). The 1914 campaigns had been incredibly tough. The results of this engagement in the autumn of 1914-the First Battle of Ypres-would haunt the British and Commonwealth forces in France for the next 3 years. [1] However, although the German line had held, the defenders had suffered at least 217,194 casualties. In the fighting at Second Ypres, the British suffered around 59,275 casualties, while the Germans endured 34,933. Prime Minister David Lloyd George (1863-1945) condemned the operation as a “senseless campaign”. On the German side, Käthe Kollwitz’s (1867-1945) famous 1931 sculpture, The Grieving Parents, was inspired by the loss of her youngest son at First Ypres. However, Ypres had been brought into range of German artillery, which reduced the city to rubble. The British calculated that the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) had suffered 58,155 killed, wounded, and missing between 14 October and 30 November. The myth of the small, but plucky BEF holding off an enemy vastly superior in number, and at the same time inflicting a disproportionate number of casualties on their foe, is a powerful part of British memory of the battle. From the British side, the 1st battle of Ypres was also an iconic experience. Both sides attempted to tunnel under the enemy lines to plant enormous underground mines, an activity which reached its zenith during the Mine Battle of the Messines Ridge, in which fifteen enormous subterranean charges, typically consisting of approximately 16 tons of explosives, were detonated. The battle was extraordinarily costly in terms of casualties. DOI: 10.15463/ie1418.10552. The month-long First World War battle consisted of six engagements between April 22 and May 25, 1915 and was fought for control of a strategic town – Ypres – in western Belgium. Photographs courtesy of Photos of the Great War website A month of fighting at Ypres cost the Germans more than 130,000 casualties, a staggering total that would ultimately pale before later actions on the Western Front. Nevertheless, Ypres remained in Entente hands and the battle was celebrated as a victory in Britain. Volumes 5 and 6 of the German official history put total losses of the 4th and 6th Armies at 103,500 between 15 October and 18 November. The 2 nd Cavalry Division moved onto the Messines Ridge to the south. Strategically located along the roads leading to the Channel ports in Belgian Flanders, the Belgian city of Ypres had been the scene of numerous battles since the sixteenth century. The trenches employed by the Entente defenders were crude compared to the complex earthworks that would feature in the later years of the Western Front, providing cover against bullets but little protection against artillery. In subsequent days the battle degenerated into a see-saw pattern of attack and counterattack. New techniques by both sides led to agonisingly slow forward movement for the British, at enormous cost in casualties to both sides. On October 19, 1914, near the Belgian city of Ypres, Allied and German forces begin the first of what would be three battles to control the city and its advantageous positions on the north coast of Belgium during the First World War. Some might never be found. On 20 October, Langemarck, north-east of Ypres, was held by a French territorial unit and the British IV corps to the south. The heavy losses amongst Entente soldiers were primarily due to the initial lack of protection against poison gas. 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