1. Trench Warfare S4

2. Battle of Ypres 1914-1917 German advance through Belgium in 1914 was halted at Ypres in Flanders. The territory became known as The Salient (part of the battlefield that has enemy on 3 sides) The Ypres Salient was formed by British, French, Canadian and Belgian defensive efforts against German incursion during the 1914 ‘Race to the Sea’ culminating in the battle of Yser and first Battle of Ypres These battles saved the Ypres Salient from occupation but also led to the beginning of trench warfare in the Salient as both sides ‘dug in’ around the line

3. First Battle of Ypres 19th Oct – 22 nd Oct German advance from the ridge was repulsed although they nearly broke through at Gheluvelt on the Menin Road Both sides suffered heavy losses

4. Second Battle of Ypres 22 nd April – 25 th May 1915 In renewed attack, Germans used poison gas for first time and almost achieved a breakthrough. Canadian and British reinforcements saved the situation Again, heavy losses Front line of Salient now reduced, making city more vulnerable to artillery fire

5. Third Battle of Ypres 31 st July – 10 th November 1917 Major battle of WWI fought for control of the village Passchendaele near Ypres. Objective was to wear out enemy Defining feature = mud Naturally swampy, after years of fighting in the area the land was largely destroyed. 1917 also year of particularly foul weather. Weather did much to hamper operations More than 1 million soldiers and civilians were killed, wounded or missing in the Ypres battles

6. Commemoration The Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing those of all Commonwealth nations who died in the Ypres Salient and have no known grave UK & New Zealand servicemen who died after 16 th Aug 1917 are commemorated at Tyne Cot Cemetery

7. Battle of the Somme Took place between 1st July & 17 th November 1916 Over 14 mile length of Western Front in Somme region of Picardy Planned as a French-led offensive against strongly entrenched German Imperial Forces led by General Falkenhayn British Empire forces under General Haig assumed main burden

8. Main thrust by British Army did not achieve surprise & there were only limited breakthroughs Territorial gains were also limited in proportion to the amount of losses sustained There were some strategic successes and some lessons were learned Tanks were used for the first time by the British When winter ended the battle, both sides were left exhausted in a sea of mud and shell holes

9. The first day Haig ordered troops ‘over the top’ at 7.30am, expecting the way forward to be relatively clear The reality was tragically different Moving forward in ‘waves’ the troops were cut down by the German machine-gunners emerging from deep trenches and dug-outs By days end, 58,000 British soldiers lost Remains a one day record & dubbed ‘blackest day in British military history’