Battle of Messines
Part of the Western Front of World War I
Map of the battle, depicting the front on 7 June and subsequent action until 14 June. Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914 the German army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All
Date 7 June 1917 - 14 June 1917 Location Flanders, Belgium Result Decisive British victory
Belligerents
British Empire • United Kingdom • Australia • New Zealand	German Empire
Commanders
Herbert Plumer Alexander Godley Alexander Hamilton-Gordon Thomas Morland	Sixt von Armin
Strength
12 divisions 216,000 men total[1]	5 divisions 126,000 men total
Casualties and losses
23,749[2]	25,000

The Battle of Messines was a battle of the western front of World War I. Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 1276 - While taking exile in Fuzhou in southern China, away from the advancing Mongol invaders, the remnants of the Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 When World War I broke out in 1914 all of the Commonwealth nations including Australia were called to defend Great Britain. The Dominion of New Zealand is the former name of the Realm of New Zealand. The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification Field Marshal Herbert Charles Onslow Plumer 1st Viscount Plumer, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE ( 13 March 1857 &ndash General Sir Alexander John Godley GCB, KCMG (1867-1957 was a First World War general best known for his role as commander of the Alexander Hamilton-Gordon may refer to Alexander Hamilton-Gordon (1817-1890, soldier and MP Alexander Hamilton-Gordon (1859-1939, soldier Thomas Lethbridge Napier Morland ( 9 August 1865 - 21 May 1925) was a British General during World War I. Friedrich Bertram Sixt von Armin ( 27 November 1851 &ndash 30 September 1936) was a German General during the Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914 the German army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All It was launched on 7 June 1917 near the village of Mesen (Messines) by the British Second Army under the command of General Herbert Plumer. Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Mesen ( Messines in French, mostly used in English is a Municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The British Second Army existed in both the First and Second World Wars World War I During World War I, the army was formed on Field Marshal Herbert Charles Onslow Plumer 1st Viscount Plumer, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE ( 13 March 1857 &ndash The target of the offensive was a ridge running north from Messines village past Wytschaete village which created a natural stronghold southeast of Ypres. Ypres ( French, generally used in English French ipʁ English ˈiːprə Ieper (official name in Dutch, pronounced /ˈiːpər/ or Ypern One of the key features of the battle was the detonation of 19 mines immediately prior to the infantry assault, a tactic which disrupted German defences and allowed the advancing troops to secure their objectives in rapid fashion. Sapping is a term used in siege operations Any trench excavated under defensive musket or artillery fire that was intended to advance a besieging army's position in relation to the works The attack was also a prelude to the much larger Third Battle of Ypres, known as Passchendaele, which began on 31 July 1917. "Passchendaele" redirects here For the 2008 film by that name see Passchendaele (film The 1917 Battle of Passchendaele, also known as Events 30 BC - Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian 's forces but most of his army subsequently Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year

Contents 1 Background 1.1 Mining operations 1.2 Opposing forces 2 The battle 2.1 Detonation of the mines 2.2 Assault 2.3 German counterattacks 3 Aftermath 4 Notes 5 References 6 External links

Background

The assault on Messines ridge was initially conceived in early 1916, as Plumer sought ways to break German control of important strategic locations in the Ypres area. ^[3] When it became apparent that the French offensive on the River Aisne would not succeed, General Haig reconceived the Messines operation as a precursor to a larger assault in the Ypres sector and ordered Plumer to proceed with the attack as soon as possible. This article is about the 1917 battle For other battles of the Aisne see Field Marshal Douglas Haig 1st Earl Haig, KT, GCB, OM, GCVO, ^[3] Not only would capturing Messines Ridge give the British control of important strategic ground, it would also flatten out the southern flank of the Ypres Salient. The Ypres Salient is the area around Ypres in Belgium which was the scene of some of the biggest battles in World War I. This would both reduce the manpower needed to maintain the front, and reduce the German strategic and tactical advantages in the area. ^[4]

Mining operations

Over a period beginning more than a year before the attack, Canadian, Australian, and British engineers had tunneled under the German trenches and laid 21 mines totaling 455 tonnes of ammonal^[1]. The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification Trench warfare is a form of warfare where both combatants have fortified positions and fighting lines are static To solve the problem of wet soil, the tunnels were made in the layer of "blue clay", 80 to 120 feet (25 to 30 m) below the surface. The galleries dug in order to lay these mines totalled over 8,000 yards (7,300 m) in length, and had been constructed in the face of tenacious German counter-mining efforts. ^[5] On several occasions, German tunnelers were within metres of large British mine "chambers". One mine was found by the Germans, and the chamber was wrecked by a countermine. It is likely that this is one of the two unexploded mines. ^[1]

The largest of the 21 Messines mines was at Spanbroekmolen; the "Lone Tree Crater" formed by the blast was approximately 250 feet (80 m) in diameter, and 40 feet (12 m) deep. The mine consisted of 41 tons of ammonal explosive, located in a chamber dug 88 feet (27 m) below ground. ^[6]

Opposing forces

The assault was conducted almost entirely by troops of the British Second Army. Arranged from north-west to south-east, the formations used in the assault were: X Corps (23rd, 47th and 41st Divisions), under the command of General Thomas Morland, IX Corps (19th, 16th and 36th Divisions), under the command of General Alexander Hamilton-Gordon and II Anzac Corps (25th, New Zealand and 3rd Australian Divisions) under the command of general Alexander Godley. The X Corps was a British Army formation in World War I and was later reformed in 1942 during the North African campaign of World War II The British 23rd Division was a New Army division that was sent to France in August 1915. The British 47th (1/2nd London Division was a first-line Territorial Force division. The British 41st Division is a New Army division formed in September 1915 as part of the K5 Army Thomas Lethbridge Napier Morland ( 9 August 1865 - 21 May 1925) was a British General during World War I. The British IX Corps was an army Corps formation that existed during World War I and World War II. The British 19th (Western Division was a New Army division formed in September 1914 as part of the K2 Army Group The 36th (Ulster Division was a division of Lord Kitchener's New Army formed in September 1914 Alexander Hamilton-Gordon may refer to Alexander Hamilton-Gordon (1817-1890, soldier and MP Alexander Hamilton-Gordon (1859-1939, soldier The II Anzac Corps was an Australian and New Zealand First World War army Corps formed in Egypt in February 1916 as part of the The 25th Division of the British Army was raised for the Third New Army during September 1914 The New Zealand Division was a World War I division formed in Egypt in January 1916 following the evacuation of Gallipoli. The Australian 3rd Division was a first formed in World War I, as part of the Australian Imperial Force. General Sir Alexander John Godley GCB, KCMG (1867-1957 was a First World War general best known for his role as commander of the They were opposed by German troops from Fourth Army, under the command of Sixt von Armin. Friedrich Bertram Sixt von Armin ( 27 November 1851 &ndash 30 September 1936) was a German General during the ^[7]

The battle

The plan called for a sustained bombardment of German positions, beginning on 21 May, and continuing almost to zero hour. Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. Shelling was briefly halted at approximately three AM, and the mines were detonated. Nine infantry divisions then advanced under a creeping barrage to secure the ridge. A barrage' is a line or barrier of exploding Artillery shells, created by the co-ordinated targeting of a large number of Guns firing continuously ^[8] A further three divisions were held in reserve. ^[8]

Detonation of the mines

The preliminary bombardment actually ceased at 2:50am on 7 June. Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins At this time, many German defenders left their bunkers and returned to their defensive positions, expecting an immediate assault. ^[9] At 3:10am, the mines were detonated, killing approximately 10,000 German soldiers and destroying much of the fortifications on the ridge, as well as the town of Messines itself. ^[9] Reports were made that the explosion was heard as far away as London and Dublin, and it was also possibly the loudest man-made noise made up to that date. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. ^[10] To make matters worse for the Germans, the explosions occurred while the front line troops were being relieved, meaning both groups (relieving and relieved) were caught in the blasts.

Assault

Following the explosions, British, Australian and New Zealand troops from three corps (II ANZAC, IX and X) advanced on the Messines salient from three sides. The II Anzac Corps was an Australian and New Zealand First World War army Corps formed in Egypt in February 1916 as part of the The British IX Corps was an army Corps formation that existed during World War I and World War II. The X Corps was a British Army formation in World War I and was later reformed in 1942 during the North African campaign of World War II ^[7] The front lines were overrun without opposition. German troops surrendered "in droves",^[1] and the first series of objectives had been secured almost entirely within three hours. ^[7]

Advancing on the southern flank, the New Zealand Division captured the village of Messines proper, despite intricate layers of fortifications beyond the front line. The New Zealand Division was a World War I division formed in Egypt in January 1916 following the evacuation of Gallipoli. ^[7] In the center, the 36th (Ulster) Division and 16th (Irish) Division advanced in tandem, capturing the village of Wytschaete and pushing forward to secure their objectives. The 36th (Ulster Division was a division of Lord Kitchener's New Army formed in September 1914 ^[7] Many considered this joint effort to be of considerable significance, given the turmoil in Ireland at the time. ^[7]. The Irish Nationalist Member of Parliament Major William Hoey Kearney Redmond was fatally wounded in this action. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. William Hoey Kearney Redmond ( 15 April, 1861 &ndash 9 June, 1917) (commonly known as Willie Redmond) was an Irish ^[11]

The most serious resistance was in the northern sector, where the 47th (1/2nd London) Division had to navigate across the Ypres-Comines canal. The British 47th (1/2nd London Division was a first-line Territorial Force division. This obstacle slowed the advance considerably, but the Londoners had secured all their objectives by mid-morning, and the goals of the first phase were achieved by 10:00am at all points on the line of attack. ^[7]

Once the first series of objectives was secured, more than forty batteries of artillery were brought forward to support the second phase of the attack. ^[7] Bombardment continued for several hours, and at approximately 3:00pm the reserve divisions, supported by tanks, advanced towards the second line of objectives. A tank is a tracked, Armoured fighting vehicle designed for Front-line combat which combines Operational mobility and tactical ^[7] In just over an hour, all these were secured^[7]

German counterattacks

On 9 and 10 June, German troops counterattacked at several points along the new British lines. Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem Although British troops had had very little time to consolidate their positions, the German attacks were easily repulsed and ultimately resulted in further territorial gains. ^[12]

Aftermath

The operation was almost totally successful. Meticulously planned, and well executed, the assault secured all its objectives in less than twelve hours, took more than 7,000 prisoners, and suffered a relatively modest 23,000 total casualties. The combination of tactics proven in other sectors - notably the use of mines, creeping barrages, and small-unit tactics - allowed for almost complete surprise and rapid advances. The offensive also secured the southern end of the Ypres salient in preparation for the subsequent offensive in that area.

Although the operation was successful, it had the effect of over-inflating expectations for the Passchendaele offensive. "Passchendaele" redirects here For the 2008 film by that name see Passchendaele (film The 1917 Battle of Passchendaele, also known as While Messines led Haig and other British commanders to believe that success could be had relatively cheaply in the main offensive as well, the circumstances of the operations were substantially different, and attempts to apply similar tactics would result in a general failure. ^[13]

Not all of the mines that had been laid were detonated. Two of the original 21 mines were not ignited because they were outside the area of the offensive. On 17 July 1955, a lightning strike set off one of the remaining mines. Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) There were no human casualties, but one cow was killed. The 21st mine - the mine abandoned due to its discovery by German counter-miners - is believed to have been found, but no attempt has been made to remove it. ^[9]

In 1930 one crater was purchased for preservation by Lord Wakefield, and is now owned by the Christian group Toc H. The title of Baron Wakefield was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom on 20 January 1930 for Charles Cheers Wakefield, (1859 Toc H is a Christian Service club that is committed to building a fairer society by working with communities to promote friendship and service confront prejudice The crater eventually filled with rainwater and was later dedicated as the Spanbroekmolen "Pool of Peace" in 1932.

A New Zealand War Monument and the Island of Ireland Peace Park War Memorial are located on the south side of the Messines village. The Island of Ireland Peace Park and its surrounding park (Páirc Síochána d'Oileán na h'Éireann also called the Irish Peace Park or Irish Peace Tower in

Today the New Zealand Army's Messines Army Centre, located near Trentham Military Camp in Upper Hutt, is named after the battle. New Zealand Army ( Maori: Ngāti Tumatauenga, "Tribe of the God of war" is the land Armed force of the New Zealand military Trentham Army Camp is a New Zealand Defence Force facility located in Trentham, Upper Hutt, near Wellington. Upper Hutt is New Zealand 's smallest city by population the second largest by land area

Notes

References

• Keegan, John; The First World War New York: Alfred A. Sir John Desmond Patrick Keegan OBE (born 15 May, 1934) is a British Military historian, lecturer and journalist Knopf, 1999
• Liddell Hart, B. H. The Real War 1914-1918. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1930
• Stokesbury, James L; A short history of World War I. New York: Perennial, 1981
• Strachan, Hew; The First World War. Professor Hew Francis Anthony Strachan, DL, FRSE is a Scottish Military historian, well known for his work on the administration of New York: Viking, 2003
• Wolff, Leon; In Flanders Fields, Passchendaele 1917.
• Tom Burke MBE; 'A Guide to the Battlefield of Wijtschate - June 1917', The Royal Dublin Fusiliers Associaton (pub June 2007); ISBN 0-9550418-1-3

External links

• The Battle for Messines Ridge
• First World War.com - A more detailed overview of the battle with links to present day pictures of the battlefield
• An account of the experiences of an ordinary soldier at Messines ridge, as recounted in his letters home
• Battle for Messines (NZHistory.net.nz) includes film and interactive showing the creeping barrage

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