Second Battle of Ypres - Overview

Overview

The Second Battle of Ypres consisted of Six engagements:

• The Battle of Gravenstafel: Thursday 22 April – Friday 23 April 1915
• The Battle of Saint Julien: Saturday 24 April – 4 May 1915.
• The Battle of Frezenberg: 8–13 May 1915
• The First Battle of Bellewaarde: 24–25 May 1915
• The Battle of Hooge 30th and 31st July 1915 -(First use of German Liquid Fire Attack-Flamethrowers)
• The Second Attack on Bellewaarde 25th September 1915

The scene of the battles was the Ypres salient on the Western Front, where the Allied line which followed the canal bulged eastward around the town of Ypres, Belgium. North of the salient were the Belgians; covering the northern part of the salient itself were two French divisions (one Metropolitan and one Algerian) The eastern part of the salient was defended by one Canadian division and two UK divisions.

In total during the battles, the British Commonwealth forces were the II and V Corps of the Second Army made up of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Cavalry divisions, and the 4th, 27th, 28th, 50th, Lahore and 1st Canadian Divisions.