The Battle of Passchendaele

1. The Battle of Passchendaele 31 July 1917 – 10 November 1917 This battle was fought for control of the city of Passchendaele. The city was located on a ridge that sat above the rest of the land, offering whoever had control of the city a strategic advantage in the war. The plan was to drive through the German forces and reach the Belgium coast where they would capture the submarine bases located there. Also, by distracting the Germans there would be less pressure on the French, who were suffering from low morale.

2. Where oh where~ • Ypres, West Flanders, Belgium • Mud soaked, hell ridden, shell molested badlands!

3. When The battle of Passendale was apart of a campaign which is also known as the Third Battle of Ypres. • The campaign lasted from July 31st to November 10th, 1917 • There had been previous battles revolving around the district of Ypres in both 1915 and 1916.

4. Britain France Canada Australia New Zealand German Empire The sides!

5. Douglas Haig Hubert Gough Herbert Plumer Arthur Currie Max von Gallwitz Erich Ludendorff Alliance Commanders Entente Commanders

6. Douglas Haig,1st Earl Haig • He was a British soldier and senior commander during World War I. He was commander of the British Expeditionary Force during the Battle of the Somme and the 3rd Battle of Ypres. His tenure as commander of the BEF made Haig one of the most controversial military commanders in British history

7. Hubert GoughSir Hubert de la Poer Gough • Gough was a cavalryofficer who, as a favourite of the British Commander-in-Chief, General Sir Douglas Haig, experienced a meteoric rise through the ranks during the war.

8. Herbert Plumer, 1st Viscount Plumer • Plumer was an Infantry officer and as a result it could be argued that he understood somewhat better what could reasonably be expected of his troops bearing in mind the terrain, the weather conditions and morale. Plumer, a meticulous planner, would often express the plans of the his superiors as being too ambitous and more often than not, as seen at the third battle of Ypres, Passchendaele he would be proved to be right.

9. Arthur CurrieGeneral Sir Arthur William Currie • He made sure all troops were able to perform platoon responsibilities, briefing of the frontline troops, the use of counter-battery fire measures and constant patrolling of the enemy defenses all contributed to the effectiveness of the Canadian Corps at Vimy and for the rest of the War. • Currie and the Canadian Corps were successful again at Passchendaele (the Third Battle of Ypres) in November, but at the cost of 16,000 men. Currie had accurately predicted these high casualty figures when Haig ordered his troops to attack.

10. Max von GallwitzMax Karl Wilhelm von Gallwitz • Gallwitz began the war as a corps commander on the Western Front, but was almost immediately transferred east to join the Eighth Army under Hindenburg. In 1915 he took command of Army Group Gallwitz

11. Erich LudendorffGeneral Erich Ludendorff • In World War I Ludendorff was first appointed Deputy chief of staff to Germany's Second Army, under Karl von Bülow, as he was knowledgeable about capturing the forts of Liege. This was a crucial part of the Schlieffen Plan. This task accomplished, Ludendorff was sent to East Prussia where he worked with Paul von Hindenburg as his Chief of Staff. Hindenburg relied heavily upon Ludendorff and Hoffmann in crafting his victories in the battles of Tannenberg and the Masurian Lakes.

12. Weaponry • Mark IV Tanks were used by the British, mainly in the battle of Messiness Hill – just prior and South of the battle of Passchendaele (Third battle of Ypres)

13. Significance • The city of Passendale has strategic significance. You must pass through here in order to reach the coast. The ports located there are a key part shipping equipment and goods. • This battle was important to the Belgium people because it was the last city left free of German rule. FACT • Upon arriving at Passendale with Canadian Troops, Canada’s Commander-in-Chief General Sir Arthur Currie estimated that 16,000 would die in order to complete this task. • Passendale is the current spelling for the city of Passchendaele, and it’s old spelling is used specifically as a reference to the battle.

14. Weaponry Cont’.

15. Strategies • “Bite and Hold” : where the attackers were to gain a small portion of front, and hold it against counter-attacks. • 1,295 guns were concentrated in the area • Germans had artillery accurately aimed in No-Man’s Land.

16. Conditions • Ground conditions during the whole Ypres-Passendale action were atrocious. Continuous shelling destroyed drainage canals in the area, and unseasonable heavy rain turned the whole area into a sea of mud and water-filled shell-craters. The troops walked up to the front over paths made of duckboards laid across the mud, often carrying up to one hundred pounds (45 kg) of equipment. It was possible for them to slip off the path into the craters and drown before they could be rescued. The trees were reduced to blunted trunks, the branches and leaves torn away, and the bodies of men buried after previous actions were often uncovered by the rain or later shelling.

17. Casualties • First battle of Passchendaele produced 13,000 Allied casualties; which stacked on top of the 100,000 dead already. • Germans lost about 270,000 men. British Empire forces lost about 450,000, including 36,500 Australians and 16,000 Canadians - the latter of which were lost in the intense final assault between October 26 and November 10; 90,000 British and Australian bodies were never identified, and 42,000 never recovered.

18. "I died in Hell (they called it Passchendaele); my wound was slight and I was hobbling back; and then a shell burst slick upon the duckboards; so I fell into the bottomless mud, and lost the light" — Siegfried Sassoon The man beside him, who had been through the campaign, replied tonelessly, 'It's worse further on up.'" — Leon Wolff, In Flanders Fields "Passchendaele was just a terrible, terrible place. We used to walk along these wooden duckboards - something like ladders laid on the ground. The Germans would concentrate on these things. If a man was hit and wounded and fell off he could easily drown in the mud and never be seen again. You just did not want go off the duckboards." — Private Richard W. Mercer (911016) Quotations

20. Iron Maiden: Paschendale In a foreign field he laylonely soldier unknown graveon his dying words he praystell the WORLD of PaschendaleRelive all that he's been throughlast communion of his soulrust your bullets with his tearslet me tell you 'bout his yearsLaying low in a blood filled trenchkilling time 'til my very own deathon my face I can feel the falling rainnever see my friends againin the smoke, in the mud and leadsmell of fear and feeling of dreadsoon be time to go over the wallrapid fire and the end of us allWhistles, shouts and more gun firelifeless bodies hang on barbed wirebattlefield nothing but a bloody tombbe reunited with my dead friends soonmany soldiers eighteen yearsdrown in mud, no more tearssurely a war no one can win killing time about to beginHome, far away. From the war, a chance to live againHome, far away. But the war, no chance to live again Dodging shrapnel and barbed wirerunning straight at cannon firerunning blind as I hold my breathsay a prayer symphony of deathas we charge the enemy linesa burst of fire and we go downI choke a cry but no one hearsfeel the blood go down my throatHome, far away. From the war, a chance to live againHome, far away. But the war, no chance to live againHome, far away. From the war, a chance to live againHome, far away. But the war, no chance to live againSee my spirit on the windacross the lines beyond the hillfriend and foe will meet againthose who died at Paschendale The bodies of ours and our foesthe sea of death it overflowsin no man's land God only knowsinto jaws of death we go...Crucified as if on a crossallied troops, they mourn their lossGerman war propaganda machinesuch before has never been seenswear I heard the angels crypray to God no more may dieso that people know the truthtell the tale of PaschendaleCruelty has a human hearteveryman does play his partterror of the men we killthe human heart is hungry stillI stand my ground for the very last timegun is ready as I stand in linenervous wait for the whistle to blowrush of blood and over we go...Blood is falling like the rainits crimson cloak unveils againthe sound of guns can't hide their shameand so we die in Paschendale