The Fifth Battle of Ypres, also called the Advance in Flanders and the Battle of the Peaks of Flanders (french: Bataille des Crêtes de Flandres) is an informal name used to identify a series of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
battles in northern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and southern
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
(
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...
) from late September to October 1918.
Background
After the
German spring offensive of 1918 failed to achieve a decisive victory, German
morale
Morale, also known as esprit de corps (), is the capacity of a group's members to maintain belief in an institution or goal, particularly in the face of opposition or hardship. Morale is often referenced by authority figures as a generic value ...
waned and the increasing numbers of
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
soldiers arriving on the
Western Front gave the Allies a growing numerical advantage over the western armies of the
German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
. To take advantage of this
Marshal of France
Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1 ...
Ferdinand Foch
Ferdinand Foch ( , ; 2 October 1851 – 20 March 1929) was a French general and military theorist who served as the Supreme Allied Commander during the First World War. An aggressive, even reckless commander at the First Marne, Flanders and Art ...
developed a strategy which became known as the
Grand Offensive
The Hundred Days Offensive (8 August to 11 November 1918) was a series of massive Allied offensives that ended the First World War. Beginning with the Battle of Amiens (8–12 August) on the Western Front, the Allies pushed the Central Powers ...
, in which attacks were made on the German lines over as wide a front as possible. Belgian, British and French forces around the
Ypres Salient
The Ypres Salient around Ypres in Belgium was the scene of several battles and an extremely important part of the Western front during the First World War.
Ypres district
Ypres lies at the junction of the Ypres–Comines Canal and the Ieperlee. ...
were to form the northern pincer of an offensive towards the Belgian city of
Liège
Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège.
The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...
. The British
Second Army had followed up some minor withdrawals and had fought the
action at Outtersteene Ridge
Action may refer to:
* Action (narrative), a literary mode
* Action fiction, a type of genre fiction
* Action game, a genre of video game
Film
* Action film, a genre of film
* ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford
* ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
on 18 August, after which there was a lull. Allied troops in the area were well rested by late September.
Battle
The (GAF, Flanders Army Group,
King of the Belgians
Belgium is a constitutional, hereditary, and popular monarchy. The monarch is titled king or queen of the Belgians ( nl, Koning(in) der Belgen, french: Roi / Reine des Belges}, german: König(in) der Belgier) and serves as the country's h ...
) attacked at on 28 September, after a three hour artillery preparation. The GAF attacked with divisions, divisions of the Second Army and divisions of the
Sixth Army. The British attacked on a front up to the Ypres–Zonnebeke road, from where the Belgian army attacked on a line north to Dixmude. The Allied attacks quickly penetrated the German defences and advanced up to . Much of the ground west of Passchendaele, abandoned during the withdrawal of early 1918, was recaptured. Rain began to fall but by the evening the British had taken Kortewilde, Zandvoorde, Kruiseecke and Becelaere; Belgian troops had captured Zonnebeke, Poelcappelle, Schaap Baillie and Houthulst Forest. On the southern flank, minor operations by three British divisions advanced to St. Yves, Messines and the ridge from Wytschaete to Hollebeke. The German front line ran from Diksmuide to Houthult, Becelare, Zandvoorde and Hollebeke.
Messines, Terhand and Dadizeele fell on 29 September and by the next day, despite the captured ground becoming another slough of mud, all of the high ground around Ypres was occupied by the Allies. By 1 October, the left bank of the
leie
The Lys () or Leie () is a river in France and Belgium, and a left-bank tributary of the Scheldt. Its source is in Pas-de-Calais, France, and it flows into the river Scheldt in Ghent, Belgium. Its total length is .
Historically a very pollute ...
(Lys) had been captured up to Comines and the Belgians were east of a line from Moorslede to Staden and Diksmuide. The advance continued until 2 October when German reinforcements arrived and the offensive outran its supplies. Due to the state of the ground, were delivered by parachute from and British aircraft.
Aftermath
Casualties
The British suffered the Belgians "
nett
Nett also written as Net, is one of the administrative divisions of Pohnpei State, Federated States of Micronesia. Description
Nett is one of the six municipalities located in the main island of Pohnpei. It corresponds to the north-central sect ...
" casualties from among and ill or wounded. The Allies advanced up to , with an average advance of and captured prisoners, and
Subsequent operations
The offensive was continued with the
Battle of Courtrai (14–19 October).
Order of battle
The Allied units of Army Group Flanders (King
Albert I of Belgium
Albert I (8 April 1875 – 17 February 1934) was King of the Belgians from 23 December 1909 until his death in 1934.
Born in Brussels as the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders and Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-S ...
), had the French General
Jean Degoutte
Jean Marie Joseph Degoutte (18 April 1866, Charnay, Rhône – 31 October 1938) was a French general active in the colonies and the First World War.
Colonial career
Degoutte joined the 31st Artillery Regiment on 7 March 1887 and then attended Sa ...
as Chief of Staff.
*
Second Army (General Herbert Plumer)
**
XV Corps 15th Corps, Fifteenth Corps, or XV Corps may refer to:
*XV Corps (British India)
* XV Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World War I
* 15th Army Corps (Russian Empire), a unit in World War I
*XV Royal Bav ...
(
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
Beauvoir De Lisle
General Sir Henry de Beauvoir De Lisle (27 July 1864 – 16 July 1955), known as Beauvoir De Lisle, was a British Army officer and sportsman. He served in both the Second Boer War and the First World War.
Military career
Born in Guernsey and edu ...
)
***
31st Division
**
X Corps 10th Corps, Tenth Corps, or X Corps may refer to:
France
* 10th Army Corps (France)
* X Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
Germany
* X Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army
* ...
(Lieutenant General
Reginald Stephens)
***
30th Division
***
34th Division
**
XIX Corps (Lieutenant General
Herbert Watts
Lieutenant-General Sir Herbert Edward Watts (14 February 1858 – 15 October 1934) was a British Army officer who commanded 7th Division and later XIX Corps during the First World War.
Early military career
Watts was born on 14 February 1858, ...
)
***
14th (Light) Division
The 14th (Light) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, one of the Kitchener's Army divisions raised from volunteers by Lord Kitchener during the First World War. All of its infantry regiments were originally of the fast marchin ...
***
35th Division
***
41st Division - in reserve
**
II Corps 2nd Corps, Second Corps, or II Corps may refer to:
France
* 2nd Army Corps (France)
* II Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* II Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French ...
(Lieutenant General
Claud Jacob
Field Marshal Sir Claud William Jacob, (21 November 1863 – 2 June 1948) was a British Indian Army officer. He served in the First World War as commander of the Dehra Dun Brigade, as General Officer Commanding 21st Division and as General Offi ...
)
***
9th (Scottish) Division
The 9th (Scottish) Division, was an infantry division of the British Army during the First World War, one of the Kitchener's Army divisions raised from volunteers by Lord Kitchener to serve on the Western Front during the First World War.
A ...
***
29th Division
***
36th (Ulster) Division
The 36th (Ulster) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, part of Lord Kitchener's New Army, formed in September 1914. Originally called the ''Ulster Division'', it was made up of mainly members of the Ulster Volunteer Force, wh ...
- in reserve
* Belgian Army (King Albert)
** South Group (Lieutenant General
Aloïs Biebuyck)
***
11th Division
***
8th Division 8th Division, 8th Infantry Division or 8th Armored Division may refer to:
Infantry divisions
* 8th Division (Australia)
* 8th Canadian Infantry Division
* 8th Air Division (People's Republic of China)
* 8th Division (1st Formation) (People's Rep ...
***
12th Division
***
6th Division
** Centre Group (Lieutenant General
Jules Jacques de Dixmude)
***
9th Division
***
3rd Division
*** French
128th Division - in the rear
** North Group (Lieutenant General
Louis Bernheim
Lieutenant-General Louis Bernheim (1 September 1861 – 13 February 1931) was a Belgian career soldier and general, best known for his service during World War I. He is also notable as one of Belgium's highest ranking soldiers of Jewish origin.
...
)
***
7th Division
***
1st Division
***
10th Division
** The remaining Belgian infantry divisions protected the inundated
Yser Front
The Yser Front (french: Front de l'Yser, nl, Front aan de IJzer or ), sometimes termed the West Flemish Front in British writing, was a section of the Western Front during World War I held by Belgian troops from October 1914 until 1918. The front ...
from Clercken to the sea
***
4th Division
***
2nd Division
***
5th Division In military terms, 5th Division may refer to:
Infantry divisions
*5th Division (Australia)
* 5th Division (People's Republic of China)
*5th Division (Colombia)
*Finnish 5th Division (Continuation War)
*5th Light Cavalry Division (France)
*5th Moto ...
**
Belgian Cavalry Division
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
* Ancient Belgian language, an extinct langua ...
* French Army - as reserves
** VII Army Corps (Gen André Joseph Emmanuel Massenet) - under Belgian Command
***
41st Division
***
164th Division
*** 128th Division - attached to the Belgian Army
** XXXIV Army Corps (Gen Alphonse Nudant) - still under the control of Foch
***
5th Division In military terms, 5th Division may refer to:
Infantry divisions
*5th Division (Australia)
* 5th Division (People's Republic of China)
*5th Division (Colombia)
*Finnish 5th Division (Continuation War)
*5th Light Cavalry Division (France)
*5th Moto ...
(
fr)
***
70th Division (
fr)
***
77th Division
** II Cavalry Corps (Gen Félix Adolphe Robillot) - bivouacked in the area of
Proven
Proven is a rural village in the Belgian province of West Flanders, and a "deelgemeente" of the municipality Poperinge. The village has about 1400 inhabitants.
The church and parish of Proven are named after Saint Victor. The Saint Victor Chur ...
-
Houtkerque
Houtkerque (; from ) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is located near the Belgian border, north of Steenvoorde, on the Steenvoorde/Hondschoote road. The river Yser crosses the border at Houtkerque.
Houtkerque saw much ...
-
Herzeele
***
2nd Cavalry Division (
fr)
***
4th Cavalry Division (
fr)
***
6th Cavalry Division (
fr)
German 4th Army
Army Group Rupprecht of Bavaria
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
(
Crown Prince Rupprecht
Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, Duke of Bavaria, Franconia and in Swabia, Count Palatine by (the) Rhine (''Rupprecht Maria Luitpold Ferdinand''; English: ''Robert Maria Leopold Ferdinand''; 18 May 1869 – 2 August 1955), was the last hei ...
of Bavaria), commanding the northern German army group, held Flanders with the 4th Army, which had less than five divisions in the area.
*
4th Army (
Sixt von Armin Sixt von Armin is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*Friedrich Sixt von Armin (1851–1936), German general
*Hans-Heinrich Sixt von Armin __NOTOC__
Hans-Heinrich Sixt von Armin (6 November 1890 – 1 April 1952) was a German ...
)
**
Naval Corps (Admiral
Ludwig von Schröder
Ludwig von Schröder (17 July 1854 Hintzenkamp near Eggesin – 23 July 1933 in Berlin-Halensee) was an Imperial German Navy officer and Admiral during the First World War and a recipient of the ''Pour le Mérite'' with Oak Leaves.
Schröder ent ...
)
**
Guard Corps
The Guards Corps/GK (german: Gardekorps) was a corps level command of the Prussian and then the Imperial German Armies from the 19th century to World War I.
The Corps was headquartered in Berlin, with its units garrisoned in the city and nea ...
(
Alfred von Böckmann
Alfred Hans Emil Friedrich von Böckmann (1859-1921) was a German general in World War I. He commanded several corps throughout the war and commanded the Guard Corps during the Fifth Battle of Ypres.
Early Military Career
Alfred von Böckmann w ...
)
**
X Reserve Corps (
Arthur von Gabain
Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more ...
)
See also
*
First Battle of Ypres
The First Battle of Ypres (french: Première Bataille des Flandres; german: Erste Flandernschlacht – was a battle of the First World War, fought on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front around Ypres, in West Flanders, Belgium. Th ...
, 1914
*
Second Battle of Ypres
During the First World War, the Second Battle of Ypres was fought from for control of the tactically important high ground to the east and south of the Flemish town of Ypres in western Belgium. The First Battle of Ypres had been fought the pre ...
, 1915
*
Battle of Passchendaele
The Third Battle of Ypres (german: link=no, Dritte Flandernschlacht; french: link=no, Troisième Bataille des Flandres; nl, Derde Slag om Ieper), also known as the Battle of Passchendaele (), was a campaign of the First World War, fought by t ...
, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres, 1917
*
Battle of the Lys, also known as the Fourth Battle of Ypres, 1918
Footnotes
References
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
Ypres and the Great War, Summary of EventsThe Battle of Ypres, 28 September – 2 October 1918
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ypres 5
Battles of the Western Front (World War I)
Battles of World War I involving Belgium
Battles of World War I involving France
Battles of World War I involving Germany
Battles of World War I involving the United Kingdom
Conflicts in 1918
1918 in France
Ypres Salient
1918 in Belgium
September 1918 events
October 1918 events