A Canadian Corps operation in the Ypres Salient that recaptured key high ground lost to a German diversionary assault in June 1916.
Key Facts
- Date range
- 2–13 June 1916
- German formation
- XIII (Royal Württemberg) Corps + 117th Infantry Division
- British/Canadian formation
- Canadian Corps + 20th Light Division, Second Army
- Objective
- Arc of high ground including Mount Sorrel and Tor Top
- German strategic aim
- Divert British resources from Somme build-up
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
German commanders sought to divert British resources away from the observable Allied build-up on the Somme. To achieve this, the XIII (Royal Württemberg) Corps and 117th Infantry Division were tasked with attacking the Canadian Corps positions on high ground in the Ypres Salient, threatening a strategically important ridge.
From 2 to 13 June 1916, three German divisions struck an arc of high ground held by the Canadian Corps near Ypres. The attackers captured Mount Sorrel and Tor Top, entrenching on the far slope. A series of attacks and counterattacks followed across the contested ridge positions in the salient.
Two divisions of the Canadian Corps, supported by the 20th Light Division and Second Army artillery, recaptured most of their former positions. The operation ended with limited net German gains, and the costly back-and-forth fighting underscored the attritional nature of combat in the Ypres Salient during 1916.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent