The most successful Allied attack of the Third Battle of Ypres, forcing German commanders to plan withdrawals and causing a crisis in German morale on the Western Front.
Key Facts
- Date
- 4 October 1917
- Location
- Gheluvelt plateau, near Ypres, Belgium
- Allied forces
- British Second and Fifth Armies
- Enemy force
- German 4th Army
- Tactic employed
- Bite-and-hold, limited objectives
- Follow-on battle
- Battle of Poelcappelle, 9 October 1917
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) was the British strategic effort to break German lines in Flanders, capture the Belgian coast, and relieve pressure on French forces. After a period of drier weather in September, British commanders planned a bite-and-hold assault on the Gheluvelt plateau, limiting objectives to ground that could be defended against German counter-attacks.
On 4 October 1917, British Second and Fifth Armies attacked the German 4th Army at the east end of the Gheluvelt plateau near Ypres. The assault devastated German defences, prompted a command crisis, and severely damaged morale within the German 4th Army. Heavy rain resumed the same day, complicating subsequent British operations and limiting the exploitation of success.
The German high command began planning local and potentially larger withdrawals, including the possible abandonment of the Belgian coast. However, heavy autumn rains shifted advantage back to the German defenders. At the Battle of Poelcappelle on 9 October, German forces successfully held the approaches to Passchendaele village, checking further British advances and prolonging the campaign.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent