Battle of Passchendaele facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Passchendaele Third Battle of Ypres
Part of the Western Front of the First World War
Australian soldiers on a duckboard track in Château Wood near Hooge, 29 October 1917. Photo by Frank Hurley.
Date 31 July – 6 November 1917 Location 50°54′1″N 3°1′16″E / 50.90028°N 3.02111°E / 50.90028; 3.02111
Belligerents
British Empire  United Kingdom  Canada  Australia  New Zealand  South Africa  India  Newfoundland Rhodesia  France  Belgium	German Empire
Commanders and leaders
Douglas Haig Hubert Gough Herbert Plumer Arthur Currie John Monash François Anthoine	Friedrich Sixt von Armin Erich Ludendorff
Casualties and losses
200,000 – 448,614	260,400 – 400,000

The Battle of Passchendaele was a very big battle during the First World War. It happened from July to November 1917. Soldiers from the Allied side attacked the German Army. The main leaders for the Allies were from Britain.

The battle was fought to control a small village called Passchendaele. This village is close to the town of Ypres in West Flanders, Belgium. The main goal was to "wear out" the German army. It also aimed to protect the Belgian coast. The British commander, Douglas Haig, planned the battle in three parts. These included taking Passchendaele Ridge and moving towards Roeselare.

The Battle's Challenges

The British front line and German defenses near Ypres in mid-1917

The British launched many huge attacks. They used artillery (big guns), airplanes, and sometimes tanks. But they faced strong German defenses. The German army had modern ways to fight back.

The battle used a tactic called 'bite and hold'. This meant capturing a small piece of land. Then, they would hold onto it against German counter-attacks. This strategy was meant to slowly weaken the German army. The fighting continued until Canadian soldiers captured Passchendaele village on November 6, 1917. The battle mostly ended on November 10.

The Allies gained about 5 miles (8 km) of land. This land was very well defended by the Germans. But the cost was very high. The Allies lost about 140,000 men. This means for every dead soldier, only about 2 inches (5 cm) of ground was gained. The Germans later took back some of this land in 1918.

Fighting in the Mud

Passchendaele is often remembered for its terrible mud. This type of fighting, called attrition warfare, meant slowly wearing down the enemy. It often happened in very muddy conditions. The area around Ypres had many streams and ditches. These were meant to drain the land.

The land was mostly flat and swampy. August 1917 was unusually cold and wet. Heavy artillery attacks also destroyed the ground. This made the drainage systems useless. The battlefield turned into a deep, thick mud.

Even when it was dry in September, mud was still a big problem. Tanks got stuck in the mud. Some soldiers and horses even drowned in it. The highest points in the area were ridges. These ridges were only about sixty meters high. But they had been fought over many times since 1914.

Different Views on the Battle

Many historians have different ideas about this battle. Most of this discussion happens in Britain. Some people say the battle was a waste of soldiers. They point to the huge number of deaths and injuries. They also note that only a small amount of land was gained.

However, other historians have a different view. They say the British Army actually did well. They argue that the British caused many casualties for the German Army. They also believe the battle helped the French army. These historians say the battle helped create new attack tactics. These tactics were important for winning the war in 1918.

The exact number of dead and injured soldiers is still debated. But everyone agrees that hundreds of thousands of soldiers on both sides were killed or hurt. The last soldier from the battle to survive, Harry Patch, died on July 25, 2009. He was also the last survivor of the Western Front in the United Kingdom.

Related pages

• Harry Patch
• Western Front (World War I)

Images for kids

• 

  The Eastern Front in 1917
• 

  The progression of the battle and the general disposition of troops
• 

  German trench destroyed by a mine explosion
• 

  British 18-pounder battery taking up new positions near Boesinghe, 31 July
• 

  German prisoners and British wounded cross the Yser Canal near Boesinghe, 31 July 1917. (Q5726)
• 

  German defensive system, Flanders, mid-1917
• 

  British anti-aircraft gun at Morbecque, 29 August 1917
• 

  Royal Field Artillery gunners hauling an 18-pounder field gun out of the mud near Zillebeke, 9 August 1917
• 

  Derelict tank used as the roof of a dug out, Zillebeke, 20 September 1917 (Q6416)
• 

  Wounded men at the side of a road after the Battle of Menin Road
• 

  Australian infantry with small box respirator gas masks, Ypres, September 1917
• 

  British soldiers moving forward during the Battle of Broodseinde. Photo by Ernest Brooks.
• 

  Aerial view of Passchendaele village before and after the battle
• 

  Terrain through which the Canadian Corps advanced at Passchendaele, in late 1917
• 

  Terrain at Passchendaele near where the Canadian Corps advanced, spring 2015
• 

  Tyne Cot Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery and Memorial to the Missing

See also

In Spanish: Tercera batalla de Ypres para niños