Battle of Hill 60 (Western Front) facts for kids

Hill 60 was a special hill near Ypres in Belgium. It wasn't a natural hill. It was made by people in the 1860s from dirt dug out for a railway line. This hill was about 150 feet tall. Because it was so high, it gave anyone who controlled it a big advantage during World War I.

The Importance of Hill 60

A Key Position

In December 1914, German soldiers captured Hill 60. This was a problem for the British and their allies. From the top of Hill 60, the Germans could see far across the battlefield. This gave them a great view of enemy movements. It was a very important spot to control.

The British Plan

The British Army wanted Hill 60 back. In April 1915, they started a secret plan. They decided to dig tunnels under the hill. This was called "offensive mining." The goal was to place powerful bombs, called mines, deep under the German positions.

The Tunnelling Companies

Digging Under the Enemy

The men who joined the Tunnelling Companies were very skilled. Many came from coal mines in Northumberland. Others were from the sewers in Manchester or the underground train tunnels in London. Most of these miners had been digging since they were about 10 years old. They often came from families who had mined for generations. They were also sometimes shorter than regular soldiers, which helped them in tight tunnels.

A Dangerous Job

Life for these miners was incredibly dangerous. They worked in secret, deep underground. They faced cave-ins, enemy counter-tunnels, and the constant threat of being buried alive. The Tunnelling Companies had one of the highest death rates in the war.

The Battle for Hill 60

Blowing Up the Hill

The British miners worked hard. They dug five tunnels under Hill 60. They placed huge mines filled with explosives at the end of each tunnel. When these mines were set off, they literally blew the top off Hill 60. This massive explosion allowed the British soldiers to attack and take back this crucial position.

The Second Battle of Ypres

Sadly, the fighting for Hill 60 did not end the battles in the area. Almost immediately after the British recaptured the hill, the Second Battle of Ypres began. In this battle, the Germans used a new and terrifying weapon: chlorine gas. This was the first time such a deadly gas was used on a large scale in the war. By the end of this battle, the Germans had moved about two miles closer to Ypres.

Images for kids

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  Hill 60, 1915
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  A Mine Crater, Hill 60 Art.IWMART1601
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  A bunker on Hill 60
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  Avro 504, Hood Aerodrome, Masterton, New Zealand, 2009
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  Map Showing Progress in the Ypres Area