Second Battle of Ypres

Event date

21st April 1915 to 25th May 1915

Classifications

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Source

wikipedia.org , 20th February 2014

Source Date

2014-02-20 00:00:00
Entity info.

The Second Battle of Ypres was a battle of the First World War fought from 21 April – 25 May 1915 for control of the strategic Flemish town of Ypres in western Belgium, following the First Battle of Ypres the previous autumn. It marked the first mass use by Germany of poison gas on the Western Front. For the first time a former colonial force (the 1st Canadian Division) defeated a European power (the German Empire) on European soil, in the Battle of St. Julien and the Battle of Kitcheners' Wood.

Date Thursday 21 April – 25 May 1915
Location Ypres, Belgium
Result Stalemate
Belligerents
France French Empire

 British Empire

 Belgium

 German Empire
Commanders and leaders
United Kingdom Horace Smith-Dorrien (replaced by)
United Kingdom Herbert Plumer (6 May 1915~)
Canada Arthur Currie
France Henri Gabriel Putz
Belgium Théophile Figeys
Belgium Armand De Ceuninck
German Empire Albrecht of Württemberg
Strength
2 French and 6 British divisions 7 divisions
Casualties and losses
70 000 killed, wounded or missing 35,000 killed, wounded or missing

Background

The Second Battle of consisted of six engagements:

  • The Battle of Gravenstafel: Thursday 22 April – Friday 23 April 1915
  • The Battle of Saint Julien: Saturday 24 April – 4 May
  • The Battle of Frezenberg: 8–13 May
  • The First Battle of Bellewaarde: 24–25 May
  • The Battle of Hooge 30–31 July 1915 (first German use of flamethrowers)
  • The Second Attack on Bellewaarde 25 September
  • The Ypres salient followed the canal and then bulged eastward around the town of Ypres, Belgium. North of the salient the Belgian army held the line of the Yser and the north end of the salient was held by two French divisions.The eastern part of the salient was defended by one Canadian division and two British divisions. The II Corps and V Corps of the Second Army comprised the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Cavalry divisions and the 4th Division, 27th Division, 28th Division, 50th Division, Lahore Division and 1st Canadian Division.

Event Place

Author: David

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