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158:. The woods usually had undergrowth but fields in gaps between the woods were 800–1,000 yd (730–910 m) wide and devoid of cover. Roads in this area were usually unpaved, except for the main ones from Ypres, with occasional villages and houses. The lowlands west of the ridge were a mixture of meadow and fields with high hedgerows dotted with trees, cut by streams and ditches emptying into the canals. The Ypres–Comines Canal is about 18 ft (5.5 m) wide and the Yperlee about 36 ft (11 m); the main road to Ypres between
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357:(GIS) mapping, Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS), remote sensing and aerial photographs, more recent research and archaeological work have provided insight into the landscape, battle zones and tactics employed in the Ypres Salient. Analysis of craters at the site yielded information, confirming various historical accounts of counter-mines and hot spots and specifying when mining weapons were used in the
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in the salient. Both sides vied for control of tactically important areas along the line. Obtaining control of the few hills and ridges became the objective of this battle in which poisonous gas as a weapon was first deployed and the widespread destruction and evacuation of Ypres came about. During
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and converging artillery fire. An occupier of the ridges also has the advantage that artillery positions and the movement of reinforcements and supplies can be screened from view. The ridge had woods from
Wytschaete to Zonnebeke, giving good cover, some of notable size such as Polygon Wood and those
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the ridge is 4,000 yd (2.3 mi; 3.7 km) distant and recedes to 7,000 yd (4.0 mi; 6.4 km) at
Polygon Wood. Wytschaete is about 150 ft (46 m) above the plain; on the Ypres–Menin road at Hooge, the elevation is about 100 ft (30 m) and 70 ft
192:, troops engaged in mine warfare, using tunnelling and trench strategies without coordinating their attacks with one another. Soldiers used tunnels and dugouts to shelter themselves, make their way safely to the front lines, relay messages, and launch offensive attacks on their enemies.
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In the aftermath of trench warfare, mine explosions, extensive tunnelling, craters and archaeological landmarks remain. Although many craters have been covered, built over, destroyed, or remodelled, some are still visible and can be preserved, such as The Bluff, a key location in the
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Stichelbaut, Birger; Gheyle, Wouter; Saey, Timothy; Van
Eetvelde, Veerle; Van Meirvenne, Marc; Note, Nicolas; Van den Berghe, Hanne; Bourgeois, Jean (1 January 2016). "The First World War from Above and Below. Historical Aerial Photographs and Mine Craters in the Ypres Salient".
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heights are subtle but have the character of a saucer lip around Ypres. The main ridge has spurs sloping east and one is particularly noticeable at
Wytschaete, which runs 2 mi (3.2 km) south-east to Messines
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inside medieval earth ramparts faced with brick and a ditch on the east and south sides. Possession of the higher ground to the south and east of the city gives ample scope for ground observation,
240:, which lasted until 22 November. German and British units conducted operations, made advancements, captured territory and attacked using mines and underground warfare at locations like
138:) Spur; the Oosttaverne Spur, also parallel, is to the east. The general aspect south of Ypres is of low ridges and dips, gradually flattening to the north into a featureless plain.
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in military terms is a battlefield feature that projects into an opponent's territory and is surrounded on three sides, making the occupying troops vulnerable. Throughout
509:. History of the Great War Based on Official Documents by Direction of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence. Vol. II. London: Macmillan.
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308:(Passchendaele) from July to November. During these battles, tactics shifted from offensive tunnelling to maintaining shelters and constructing dugouts.
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By 29 December 1914, German troops dug in on higher ground to the east of Ypres and consequently, the Ypres
Salient was formed by
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lay in one of the easternmost sectors of the salient and was much contested. This situation changed little, despite extensive
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Military
Operations France and Belgium, 1914: Antwerp, La Bassée, Armentières, Messines and Ypres October–November 1914
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100:). The high point of the ridge is at Wytschaete, 7,000 yd (4.0 mi; 6.4 km) from Ypres, while at
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Map showing topography and locations in the Ypres district, detailing
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Association for World War
Archaeology; information about World War I excavations in the Ypres Salient
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in the south-west and from the east by low hills running south-west to north-east with
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A Storm in
Flanders: The Ypres Salient, 1914-1918—Tragedy and Triumph on the Western Front
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was important in changing the geography of the frontlines main conflicts occurred.
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and now a well-studied historical reserve at which artefacts were found. Using
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105:(21 m) at Passchendaele. The rises are slight, apart from the vicinity of
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threatened to overwhelm the area. This offensive was stopped at the point the
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to a line of trenches closer to Ypres as German troops held the village of
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were closest to being forced to abandon the salient. By August 1918, the
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occurred from 22 April to 25 May 1915, the British and French defending
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This line defined the Ypres Salient for over two years, during which
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to the west. Further south is the muddy valley of the Douve river,
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Ypres lies at the junction of the Ypres–Comines Canal and the
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Section of the Western Front of World War I in Ypres, Belgium
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Major and Mrs Holt's Battlefield Guide to the Ypres Salient
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42:, was the scene of several battles and a major part of the
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List of World War I memorials and cemeteries in Flanders
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Beneath Flanders Fields - The Tunnellers' War 1914–1918
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The Reconstruction of Ieper - A Walk Through History
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The Ypres Salient during the Second Battle of Ypres
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602:(Pen and Sword ed.). Leo Cooper.
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579:Dendooven, D; Dewilde, J. (1999).
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232:. This culminated in the
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326:German spring offensive
359:Second Battle of Ypres
338:Hundred Days Offensive
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289:on Bellewaerde Ridge.
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304:in June 1917 and the
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361:as well as how the
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302:Battle of Messines
298:British tunnelling
234:Battle of the Yser
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147:16,700 inhabitants
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624:FirstWorldWar.com
609:978-0-85052-551-9
590:978-90-76099-26-2
571:978-1-86227-237-8
525:Applied Geography
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316:After the
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188:along the
174:See also:
98:Passendale
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515:220044986
443:Footnotes
283:St Julien
279:Zonnebeke
160:Poperinge
119:1:75; the
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102:Hollebeke
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505:(1925).
369:See also
236:and the
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115:1:60 and
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54:Location
222:Belgian
210:British
182:salient
170:Battles
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275:Allied
266:Veurne
226:German
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294:Hooge
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124:Mesen
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36:Ypres
604:ISBN
585:ISBN
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431:Yser
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