Pilckem Ridge

Battle of Pilckem Ridge
Part of the Battle of Passchendaele on the Western Front of World War I
British stretcher bearers carrying a wounded man in deep mud near Boesinghe
Date 31 July – 2 August 1917 Location Ypres Salient, Belgium 50°55′N 02°55′E / 50.917°N 2.917°E / 50.917; 2.917Coordinates: 50°55′N 02°55′E / 50.917°N 2.917°E / 50.917; 2.917 Result Entente victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom France	German Empire
Commanders and leaders
Douglas Haig Hubert Gough Herbert Plumer François Anthoine	Erich Ludendorff Crown Prince Rupprecht Sixt von Armin
Strength
13 divisions	7 divisions
Casualties and losses
British: (31 July – 3 August): 31,820 French (31 July): 1,300	German (21–31 July): c. 30,000 31 July: 5,626 prisoners

The Battle of Pilckem Ridge, 31 July – 2 August 1917, was the opening attack of the Third Battle of Ypres in the First World War. The British Fifth Army, Second Army and the French First Army on the northern flank, attacked the German 4th Army which defended the Western Front from Lille, to the Ypres Salient in Belgium and on to the North Sea coast. On 31 July, the Anglo-French armies captured Pilckem (Flemish: Pilkem) Ridge and areas either side, the French attack being a great success. After several weeks of changeable weather, heavy rain fell during the afternoon of 31 July.

British observers in the XIX Corps area in the centre, lost sight of the troops that had advanced to the main objective at the green line and three reserve brigades pressing on towards the red line. The weather changed, just as German regiments from specialist counter-attack Eingreif divisions counter-attacked. The reserve brigades were forced back through the green line to the black line, which the British artillery-observers could still see and the German counter-attack was stopped by massed artillery and small-arms fire.

A substantial amount of ground was captured by the British and French, except on the Gheluvelt Plateau on the right flank, where only the blue line (first objective) and part of the black line (second objective) were captured. A large number of casualties were inflicted on the German defenders, 5,626 German prisoners were taken and the German Eingreif divisions managed to recapture some ground from the Ypres–Roulers railway, northwards to St Julien, forcing the British back to the black line. For the next few days, both sides made local attacks to improve their positions, much hampered by the wet weather. The rains had a serious effect on operations in August, causing more problems for the British and French, who were advancing into the area devastated by artillery fire and partly flooded by the unseasonable rain.

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