On the 7th June 1917 the British Second Army, commanded by General Sir Herbert Plumer, launched an assault on the Messines Ridge. It was the first phase of a campaign which was aimed at breaking through German lines in the Ypres Salient and exploiting onwards to the Belgian Coast.
The Germans had commanded the high ground of the Messines Ridge since the opening Battles of Ypres in October / November 1914. In the centre of the Messines Ridge lay the village of Wytschaete.
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| German observers Wytschaete |
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| View over British front line near Wytschaete |
On the German right flank were the 204th (Wurternberg) and 35th (Prussian) Divisions, both assessed as being moderate troops. In the centre were the 2nd (Prussian) Division who had fought on the Easter Front and were thought be poor with little spirit. The German right flank was defended by the 40th (Saxon) Division, who were rated as a good division. During three years of occupation the Germans had built a series of defensive lines with barbed wire, bunkers, machine gun posts and fortified positions. German artillery positions were located on the reverse slopes of the Messines Ridge.
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| German Defences Bayernwald near Wytschaete WW1 |
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| German defences Bayernwald near Wytschaete 2020 |
Royal Engineer Tunnelling Companies had commenced mining operations in January 1915, digging towards the German lines to place explosives under strong points. There were 25 mines with 542,542 kg in place by the eve of the battle.
The British plan was to assautlt the Messines Ridge with three Corps; On the left were X Corps with an axis on an old Roman Road, the Dammstrasse. In the centre XI Corps would attack Wytschaete, and 2nd Anzac Corps on the right, Messines.
Phase 1 would be to capture the Messines Ridge (Black Line), Phase 2 to exploit to the Geman Oosttaverne Line (Green Line).
The attack would be preceded by a preliminary bombardment lasting from 26th May to 6th June. Tanks would also be in support of the attack.
The preliminary bombardment would target German defences, communications and logistics to which 416 guns were allocated. A counter battery (CB) program was aimed at neutralising the German artillery. Allocated to this task were 341 guns with 3 squadrons (63 aircraft) of the Royal Flying Corps to acquire targets, together with sound ranging and flash spotting units.
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| Messines Heavy Artillery |
Tasked with wire cutting and trench bombardment were 31 Divisional Artillery Brigades and 33 Army Brigades in a General Support Reinforcing role. Heavy and Medium Trench Mortar Batteries aided this effort. During the Battle, the Divisional Artillery and Army Brigades would fire creeping barrages in support of the infantry and tanks.
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| Messines Field Artillery |
Nearly 2 million rounds were allocated for the attack. The 18 pounders had 1,000 rounds per gun (RPG), 4.5 in howitzers 750 RPG , and the heavy guns 500 RPG. To handle the amount of artillery ammunition and other materiel, 185km of standard gauge railway track was laid, 93km of light railway track leading up to the guns, and a motor fleet of 9,500 vehicles employed.
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| Messines Artillery Logistics |
At Second Army HQ the General Officer Commanding Artillery (GOCRA), Major-General George Franks and his staff co-ordinated all of the artillery operations, particularly the counter bombardment program. A Report Centre at Locre Château was linked by buried cable to each corps report centre, corps heavy artillery headquarters, divisional artillery headquarters, RFC squadrons, balloon headquarters, survey stations and wireless stations.
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The heavily fortified village of Wyschaete lay at the centre of the Messines Ridge.
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| Wyschaete British and German Lines |
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| Wyschaete British and German Lines |
The British IX Corps was tasked with it’s capture. The assault would be executed by three divisions, 19th (Western) Division left, 16th (Irish) Division centre, and the 36th (Ulster) Division right.
Mines at Hollandscheschur Farm would assist the 19th Division, those at Petit Bois, Maedelstede Farm and Peckham House the 16th Division, and the 36th Division would be assisted by the Spanbroekmolen and Kruisstraat mines.
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| Wytschaete from position of British front line |
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| Assault on Wytschaete |
As dawn was breaking on 7th June 1917, Zero Hour at 03:10 resulted 19 mines exploded along the Messines Ridge, the mine at Petit Bois exploding 12 seconds late.
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Messines Ridge 7th June 1917
Explosion of Petit Bois Mines |
The creeping barrage commenced and the infantry advanced from their trenches. The effect of the preliminary bombardment had demoralised the German defenders and counter battery fire had neutralised the German artillery. The mines had destroyed defences and disorientating the defenders inducing panic, many surrendered, others ran away. The front line was quickly overcome.
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| German front line - Hollandscheschur Farm Craters |
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| German front line - Hollandscheschur Farm 2 Mine Crater |
The attack pressed on towards the first objective, the Red Line, which was secured with 35 minutes. On the flanks, X Corps and 2nd ANNZAC Corps had also achieved the first line objective. There was then a pause to allow fresh battalions to pass through and for the assault on the next objective, the Blue Line. A standing barrage with guns firing 1 round per minute protected the British line. The assault resumed and the barrage increased in intensity and started to move forward.
The combination of the preliminary bombardment and the creeping barrage had cut the wire, destroyed defences and demoralised the enemy. With a few exceptions, the Blue Line was secured by 05:00 when there was then a pause of two hours, once again, a standing barrage with guns firing 1 round per minute protected the British line.
The pause allowed fresh battalions to be brought forward and re-supply by mules.
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Mule re-supply during the Battle of Messines
Source: Imperial War Museum
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Preparations were made for the next stage in the attack, the assault on the village of Wystschaete and exploitation to the Black Line which lay on the top of the Messines Ridge.
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| Approaching Wytschaete from the Blue Line |
At 07:00 the guns lifted from the standing barrage to start rolling forward at three rounds a minute and the assault on Wytschaete commenced. The guns lifterd 100 yards every 3 minutes and the fresh battalions overran what was left of the enemy defences. The 8th Battalion Munster Regiment and 6th Royal Irish Regiment, with a tank in support swept through the destroyed village securing the Black Line, the Phase Objective by 08:00. The Official History of the Great War records "The German garrison had been defeated in detail."
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| Wytschaete ruins |
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| Wytschaete Church in ruins |
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| Wytschaete Church 2020 |
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| Wytschaete Black Line looking towards Oosttaverne |
On the left flank. the 41st Division had secured the Black Line with little difficulty, however, the 23rd Division on the extreme left was sustaining heavy casualties from machine guns from the area of Ypres, it would take early evening till they secured Mount Sorrel. The 47th Division was fighting heavily to seize the feature know as the Spoil Bank.
On the right, 2 Anzac Corps had secured the Black Line by 09:00, and the village of Messines had been taken by the New Zealand Division.
With most of the Phase 1 Objectives achieved, Phase 2, the capture of the German Oosttaverne Line (Green Line) was planned for the afternoon of the 7th June. The assault Divisions would consolidate positions on the Black Line, and prepare the line of departure for Phase 2.
The Royal Flying Corps conducted air observation for artillery, and carried out fighter ground attacks, all aimed at preventing German reinforcement.
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| Battle of Messines Heavy Artillery |
The anticipated counter attack from the German Eingrief Divisions failed to materialise. German troops were moving into the area, however, they were being used to reinforce the Oosttaverne Line, not in a counter attack role.
A pause of four hours was planed to in order for fresh troops from the division in each corps that was in reserve during Phase 1. On the left, the 24th Division of X Corps, on the right the 4th Australian Division of the ANZAC Corps, whilst in the centre, the 11th Division would attack with an axis on Oosttavenre Wood.
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| Troops moving through Wytschaete |
To support the attack, several heavy batteries and 40 field batteries were moved forward, and some guns previously masked during Phase 1 prepared for phase 2. The supporting fire was based upon the allocation of one 18 pounder for every 17 yards of front and 300 round per gun. Along the ridgeline, over 350 machine guns were positioned to provide a machine gun barrage.
The movement of troops, guns and materiel was slower than planned and the pause was extended another two hours. At 03:10, the guns began firing a creeping barrage launching phase 2. The infantry, supported by 24 tanks, moved forward behind the barrage which lifted 100 yards every 3 minutes.
The effect of the barrage and the previous weakening of the German defences resulted in the capture of most of the Green Line, the Phase 2 objective. The sector in front of the Anzac Corps had been reinforced, causing heavy casualties to 4th Australian Division as they advanced. Once the Aussies started infiltrating into the German defences and close fighting developed, the enemy started to surrender.
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| Storming the Oosttaverne line |
The Oosttaverne Line now marked the British forward positions.
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British Officers standing on captured bunker Oosttaverne Line
Source: IWM Q2310
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| Oosttaverne Line bunker 2020 |
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| Oosttaverne Line looking towards Wytschaete |
The Battle of Messines was a major tactical success for the British forces, advancing 2,000 metres and seizing the vital ground of the Messines Ridge. Casualties had been relatively light for a major WW1 Battle, though this still resulted in 25,000 men becoming casualties.
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Oosttaverne Wood Cemetery looking towards Wytschaete
Source: CWGC
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