Battle of Passchendaele
Passchendaele, Ypres Salient, Belgium
What happened
British commanders Douglas Haig, Hubert Gough and Herbert Plumer, with Canadian, French and other Allied troops, fought the German army led by Erich Ludendorff, Crown Prince Rupprecht and Friedrich Sixt von Armin. In the summer of 1917 the Allies attacked from the town of Ypres in Belgium, aiming to capture the ridges around it and reach the Belgian coast, where German submarines were based. Early gains were slowed by exceptionally heavy rain, which turned the battlefield into deep mud. After months of fighting in rain and mud, Canadian troops finally captured the village of Passchendaele on 6 November.
Why it matters
Result: See Analysis section. Leaders: Douglas Haig / Hubert Gough against Erich Ludendorff / Rupprecht of Bavaria. Why it matters: The Allies did not reach the coast. The name Passchendaele became a symbol of the misery and mud of World War I.
What came next
The battle ended on 10 November 1917. At the Menin Gate in Ypres, unveiled in 1927, the Last Post is played every evening.
Did you know?
Every evening at 8 pm, buglers play the Last Post at the Menin Gate in Ypres to remember the soldiers who died there.
Timeline
- 31 July 1917The Allied attack around Ypres begins.
- November 1917Canadian troops capture Passchendaele.
- 10 November 1917The battle ends.
- 24 July 1927The Menin Gate memorial is unveiled.