About the Battle of Passchendaele:
Arguments over strategy, heavy rains, and mud marked the controversial three-month Battle of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres.
Pictures of the Battle of Passchendaele:
War:
Battle Dates:
July 31 - mid-November, 1917. The Canadian Corps began their attack on October 26, 1917.
Location of Battle:
Village of Passchendaele, Belgium, near Ypres.
Canadian Troops at Battle of Passchendaele:
20,000 members of the Canadian Corps
Canadian Casualties at the Battle of Passchendaele:
Over 15,000 Canadians dead and wounded
Canadian Honours at the Battle of Passchendaele:
Nine Canadian soldiers received the Victoria Cross in recognition of their efforts at Passchendaele:
- Colin Fraser Barron
- Thomas William Holmes
- Cecil John Kinross
- Hugh McKenzie
- George Harry Mullin
- Christopher Patrick John O'Kelly
- George Randolph Pearkes
- James Peter Robertson
- Robert Shankland
Battle of Passchendaele Summary:
- This offensive in Flanders was launched by British commander Sir Douglas Haig to break through the front and destroy the German submarine bases on the coast of Belgium.
- The initial barrage of Allied artillery warned the Germans and created a mass of craters, potholes and dust in the battlefield. Heavy rains turned the field into a bog of thick mud that severely limited mobility.
- British, Australian and New Zealand forces fought for months with few advances and 100,000 casualties.
- When the Canadian Corps was ordered to relieve the Anzac forces in October, Canadian Lieutenant-General Arthur Currie objected but was overruled.
- The Canadians began a series of attacks on October 26.
- On October 30, with two British divisions, the Canadians began the attack on Passchendaele itself. By November 6 when reinforcements arrived, the village of Passchendaele was taken.
