Battle of Kitcheners' Wood

Part of the Western Front of World War I

Date	22 April – 25 April 1915
Location	{{{place}}}
Result	Decisive Canadian Victory

Belligerents

Canada

France

German Empire

Commanders and leaders

BGen Arthur Currie

LCol Russ Boyle

unknown

Strength

Elements of 2 French colonial divisions(initial)
2 Canadian battalions(final)

unknown

Casualties and losses

over 80% Canadian casualties

unknown

The Battle of Kitcheners' Wood was fought during World War I during the Second Battle of Ypres.

The name of this oak plantation derived from the French name, Bois-de-Cuisinères, where French troops housed their field kitchens, and not in reference, as is sometimes thought, to the British general officer of the same name. (Thus the name of the feature is "Kitcheners' " with the apostrophe after the "s", indicating the plural possessive.)

On the night of 22 April 1915, the Germans launched the first poison gas attack of the war on the western front. The object of their attack was the Ypres Salient, and they concentrated their initial attack on two French divisions, the 45th (Algerian) and 79th (Territorial). Attacking in the evening of the 21st, the two French divisions found themselves ill-prepared to cope with the chlorine gas and promptly broke, leaving a gap in the line four miles wide.

The 1st Canadian Division, which had been in France since February, was hastily pulled out of reserve and ordered to seal the line. In particular, a position known as Kitcheners' Wood was ordered reinforced, and two Canadian battalions were selected for the job - which in the event turned out to be a major counter-attack, and the first major offensive operation of Canadian troops in the war.

At Kitcheners' Wood, the 10th Battalion, CEF of the 2nd Canadian Brigade was ordered to counter-attack into the gap created by the gas attack; they formed up after 11:00pm on the night of 22 April. The 16th Battalion (Canadian Scottish) of the 3rd Canadian Brigade arrived as they were forming, tasked to support the advance. Both battalions had over 800 men, formed up in waves of two companies each. The order to advance was given at 11:46pm. The leading waves of the 10th Battalion covered half the distance from the start line to the Wood, running into a strong hedge interlaced with wire. No reconnaissance had been done prior and the battalion was forced to break through the obstacle with rifle butts, bringing down fire from German machineguns about 200 yards distant. Both battalions charged the last 200 yards to the wood, threw the Germans out, and suffered more than 75 percent casualties. Small parties of French troops, eager to reclaim the French guns that had been abandoned in the wood, had also participated in the battle.

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Wikipedia