DOCSLIB.ORG

Battle of Messines 7 - 14 June 2017

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Battle of Messines 7 - 14 June 2017 Anniversary of the Battle of Messines 7 - 14 June 2017 The battle of Messines – Contents 1 Introduction 3 1.1 Background: the Ypres Salient and Messines Ridge 3 1.2 Trench warfare 3 1.3 The Battle of the Mines 3 1.4 Prelude to the Battle of Passchendaele 4 2 The Irish in Messines 5 2.1 The Sixteenth (Irish) and Thirty-sixth (Ulster) Divisions 5 2.2 The Irish objectives 6 2.3 The Spanbroekmolen mine 6 2.4 The outcome of the attack 6 3 The Australians and New-Zealanders in Messines 7 3.1 War underground 7 3.2 The ANZAC objectives 7 3.3 The outcome of the attack 8 4 Individual stories 9 4.1 Fighting deep in the tunnels 9 4.2 General Herbert Plumer 10 4.3 Eyewitness accounts of the explosion 10 4.4 Congratulations from King George V 11 4.5 John and Willie Redmond 11 4.6 Samuel Frickleton is awarded the Victoria Cross 11 4.7 Pte Alan Mather 12 4.8 Audio stories 12 5 Things to see related to the battle of Messines 13 5.1 Sites 13 5.2 Cemeteries 15 5.3 Memorial ceremonies and events 16 5.4 Exhibition: Total War in Flanders 17 5.5 Guided tours/routes/itineraries 20 6 Further information 22 6.1 Websites 22 6.2 Pictures 22 6.3 Interviews 23 6.4 Visit Flanders contacts 23 6.5 Sources 24 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Pagina 2 van 24 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background: the Ypres Salient and Messines Ridge The course of the First World War in the Flanders sector was determined by the hilly landscape. The front line between the towns of Ypres and Messines took the form of an inverted S, with the city of Ypres and the village of Wijtschate as the two centres, from north to south. The Germans spoke of the Ypernbogen and the Wytschaetebogen, the British, for their part, of the Ypres Salient and the Messines Ridge. In the north of the Westhoek (Flanders Fields) district, from Drie Grachten to Nieuwpoort, the flooding of the Yser plain in 1914 held up the German advance. This meant that the ridge was the only way the Germans could reach the sea and the channel ports of Dunkirk and Calais. The Allies had to defend those hills, no matter what the cost. The struggle was grim and relentless. British and French troops succeeded in bringing the Germans to a halt. Worn out by the heavy fighting and with winter approaching, the enemy armies dug in. 1.2 Trench warfare The war of movement was replaced by trench warfare. In the Wijtschate salient (Messines Ridge), the German defences were concentrated around advanced positions on a number of natural heights that were difficult to take. For the Germans, Wijtschate was an important observation post. From the height, they had a bird’s-eye view, from a distance of seven kilometres, of all troop movements to the south of Ypres. The British lines were much lower down and were all within range of the German artillery. The Germans transformed Wijtschate into an impregnable fort. A succession of attacks came to grief on the reinforced ridge at Wijtschate and Messines. Failure above ground led both armies to try a new approach. Already in 1915, the war in the whole Ypres Salient slipped stealthily underground. British (Tunnellers or Sappers) and German (Mineure) miners dug a network of passageways and tunnels towards and under each other’s positions. They frequently blew them up and built new, reinforced positions in the resulting craters. In 1916 alone, the British exploded 750 mines and the Germans 696. At the start of 1917, there were more than 40 German and more than 20 British mine craters visible in the no-man’s-land between Hill 60 and Ploegsteert. 1.3 The Battle of the Mines What the British know as the Battle of the Mines or the Battle of Messines (Ridge) and the Germans as ‘der Schlacht am Wytschaetebogen’ began on 7 June and ended on 14 June 1917. The British, aiming to take the Germans by surprise, deployed special ‘Tunnelling Companies’. The aim was to approach the German positions unnoticed and to tunnel under them. The ultimate goal was the capture of the ports of Ostend and Zeebrugge, as the German submarines based there were a constant threat to Allied supply lines. It took a year of planning, starting in 1916. On the morning of 7 June 1917, at 4.10 am local time (Zero Hour), the British exploded 19 of the 24 deep mines, almost simultaneously, between Hill 60 (Zillebeke) and ‘The Birdcage’ (south-west of Warneton). The gigantic explosions destroyed the enemy positions and created huge craters in the landscape. One bunker was actually turned upside down. The explosions created the loudest man-made noise in history – until, that is, the detonation of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A student is reported to have heard it in Dublin. The ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Pagina 3 van 24 explosion was heard by the British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, who was working late in his Downing Street study. The surprise was total and the impact and the chaos among the Germans were enormous. In the fighting and the gigantic artillery bombardment that followed the mine explosions, British, Irish, Australian, and New Zealand units succeeded in taking the Wijtschate-Messines ridge. Their total losses came to 15,913 dead, 23,953 wounded, and 10,595 missing. On the morning of 7 June 1917, troops broke through at Messines, the totally devastated village of Wijtschate was taken by the Irish divisions, and British divisions occupied the Hollebeke ridge. It was the greatest British military success of the war up to that time. 1.4 Prelude to the Battle of Passchendaele Following the Battle of the Mines, the whole ‘Wytschaetebogen’ or Messines Ridge was occupied. Seven kilometres of territory had been gained. In the wake of the disasters of the previous year, 1916, the British were euphoric. Both civilians and the military needed a boost. But there was a sequel to come, and soon. The second phase was the Battle of Passchendaele, which did not begin until 31 July, nearly eight weeks later. Some say that the commander-in-chief, Douglas Haig, waited too long, thereby giving the Germans time to repair and improve their defences. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Pagina 4 van 24 2 THE IRISH IN MESSINES 2.1 The Sixteenth (Irish) and Thirty-sixth (Ulster) Divisions Three divisions raised in Ireland There were three divisions raised in Ireland during the Great War. The first to be raised was the Tenth (Irish) Division, which fought at Gallipoli in August 1915 and later at Salonika and in Palestine. The second division formed was the Sixteenth (Irish) Division, whose volunteer recruits were mainly southern Irish Catholics. The final division raised was the Thirty-sixth (Ulster) Division, which was raised mainly from the Ulster Volunteer Force, a predominantly Protestant body. All three divisions included what were called Service Engineers, Pioneers, Medics, Intelligence, and Transport units. The Sixteenth (Irish) and Thirty-sixth (Ulster) Divisions fraternising The two Irish divisions (Sixteenth and Thirty-sixth) retained their separate identities, although they came close to amalgamating in early 1917, following the dreadful losses at the Somme and the precipitous reduction in recruitment numbers in Ireland. Nothing came of this, mainly because no political compromise could be found that would make it acceptable at home. The aftermath of the Easter (1916) Rising and the new militant nationalist sentiment had contributed to an even more febrile atmosphere back in Ireland. Nationalists and unionists were even further apart. But, in this uncharacteristically hilly part of Flanders, both divisions had a common cause, even if they had diametrically different views of Ireland’s place within the British Empire. The divisions fraternised with each other behind the lines in Bailleul and played football matches against other. One match was watched by between 2,000 and 3,000 spectators, making it a tempting target for the Germans had they known about it. The Sixteenth (Irish) and Thirty-sixth (Ulster) fighting side by side The Thirty-sixth (Ulster) Division was positioned at Kruisstraat, just to the right of where the huge Spanbroekmolen mine was due to explode. They were to be the very first to go up the hill in the advance guard of the first wave of infantry. To their left was the Sixteenth (Irish) Division. The regiments from Ulster and from the south of Ireland would fight side by side. The Revd John Redmond, a Church of Ireland chaplain with the 9th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, commented on the friendly relations between the two divisions. ‘It was impressive to see what a feeling of security before the battle the Ulster Division had in having the 16th Irish on our left flank and that the 16th Division had in having the Ulster Division on their right flank. This feeling of goodwill and confidence between the two divisions had been growing for some time. I wish the entire North and South that they represent, could participate in the same Spirit.’ The Times observed on Friday 8 June 1917: In the capture of the ridge, both north and south Irishmen have their share.. Northerners and Southerners, Protestand and Catholic troops, fought alongside of one another and, whatever may be party feeling at home, it is as well to know that the feeling between the two bodies here is most cordial. The Southern Irishmen recently presented a cup for competition between various companies of ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Pagina 5 van 24 the Northern force, and of late there has been swearing of the utmost rivalry as to which would get to the top of the Messines Ridge first.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Night Operation on the Passchendaele Ridge, 2Nd December 1917
    Centre for First World War Studies A Moonlight Massacre: The Night Operation on the Passchendaele Ridge, 2nd December 1917 by Michael Stephen LoCicero Thesis submitted to The University of Birmingham for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY School of History and Cultures College of Arts & Law June 2011 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. Abstract The Third Battle of Ypres was officially terminated by Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig with the opening of the Battle of Cambrai on 20 November 1917. Nevertheless, a comparatively unknown set-piece attack – the only large-scale night operation carried out on the Flanders front during the campaign – was launched twelve days later on 2 December. This thesis, a necessary corrective to published campaign narratives of what has become popularly known as „Passchendaele‟, examines the course of events from the mid-November decision to sanction further offensive activity in the vicinity of Passchendaele village to the barren operational outcome that forced British GHQ to halt the attack within ten hours of Zero. A litany of unfortunate decisions and circumstances contributed to the profitless result.
    [Show full text]
  • American Armies and Battlefields in Europe
    Chapter v1 THE AMERICAN BATTLEFIELDS NORTH OF PARIS chapter gives brief accounts of areas and to all of the American ceme- all American fighting whi ch oc- teries and monuments. This route is Thiscurred on the battle front north of recommended for those who desire to Paris and complete information concern- make an extended automobile tour in the ing the American military cemeteries and region. Starting from Paris, it can be monuments in that general region. The completely covered in four days, allowing military operations which are treated are plenty of time to stop on the way. those of the American lst, 27th, 30th, The accounts of the different operations 33d, 37th, 80th and 91st Divisions and and the descriptions of the American the 6th and 11 th Engineer Regiments. cemeteries and monuments are given in Because of the great distances apart of the order they are reached when following So uthern Encr ance to cb e St. Quentin Can al Tunnel, Near Bellicourc, October 1, 1918 the areas where this fighting occurred no the suggested route. For tbis reason they itinerary is given. Every operation is do not appear in chronological order. described, however, by a brief account Many American units otber tban those illustrated by a sketch. The account and mentioned in this chapter, sucb as avia- sketch together give sufficient information tion, tank, medical, engineer and infantry, to enable the tourist to plan a trip through served behind this part of the front. Their any particular American combat area. services have not been recorded, however, The general map on the next page as the space limitations of tbis chapter indicates a route wbich takes the tourist required that it be limited to those Amer- either int o or cl ose to all of tbese combat ican organizations which actually engaged (371) 372 THE AMERICAN B ATTLEFIELD S NO R TH O F PARIS Suggested Tour of American Battlefields North of Paris __ Miles Ghent ( î 37th and 91st Divisions, Ypres-Lys '"offensive, October 30-November 11, 1918 \ ( N \ 1 80th Division, Somme 1918 Albert 33d Division.
    [Show full text]
  • THE WESTERN FRONT World War
    INTRODUCTORY NOTES movement in their efforts to win. Also there is the opportunity to examine other aspects of life on the By 1907 Europe was divided into two armed camps Western Front which affected the life of the ordinary that involved all the major European powers, the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente. While the alliances soldier, such as living conditions, food, medical problems, army routine, discipline and humour. were meant to increase the security of each country, instead they ensured that a war that involved any of these powers would probably involve all of them. WAR PLANS Between the Anglo-French Cordiale of 1904 and the outbreak of war in 1914, there were a number of There had not been major war in Europe since 1870. Teacher's Notes crises in Morocco and the Balkans, any of which Much had changed since then. Population growth meant could have sparked a war. more men were available to be conscripted, industrial advancements meant armies could be equipped with It was the assassination of the Austrian heir to the more devastating weapons, railways meant armies could throne, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, be more easily moved and supplied. Every army had a 1914, that finally ignited the European powder keg. general staff, whose job it was to ensure their nations THE WESTERN Following the declaration of war on Serbia by Austria- army was properly equipped and organised for war and to Hungary on July 28, 1914, the Russian Government prepare plans to cover the most likely scenario. ordered its army to mobilise.
    [Show full text]
  • Revolution in Real Time: the Russian Provisional Government, 1917
    ODUMUNC 2020 Crisis Brief Revolution in Real Time: The Russian Provisional Government, 1917 ODU Model United Nations Society Introduction seventy-four years later. The legacy of the Russian Revolution continues to be keenly felt The Russian Revolution began on 8 March 1917 to this day. with a series of public protests in Petrograd, then the Winter Capital of Russia. These protests But could it have gone differently? Historians lasted for eight days and eventually resulted in emphasize the contingency of events. Although the collapse of the Russian monarchy, the rule of history often seems inventible afterwards, it Tsar Nicholas II. The number of killed and always was anything but certain. Changes in injured in clashes with the police and policy choices, in the outcome of events, government troops in the initial uprising in different players and different accidents, lead to Petrograd is estimated around 1,300 people. surprising outcomes. Something like the Russian Revolution was extremely likely in 1917—the The collapse of the Romanov dynasty ushered a Romanov Dynasty was unable to cope with the tumultuous and violent series of events, enormous stresses facing the country—but the culminating in the Bolshevik Party’s seizure of revolution itself could have ended very control in November 1917 and creation of the differently. Soviet Union. The revolution saw some of the most dramatic and dangerous political events the Major questions surround the Provisional world has ever known. It would affect much Government that struggled to manage the chaos more than Russia and the ethnic republics Russia after the Tsar’s abdication.
    [Show full text]
  • World War I Timeline C
    6.2.1 World War I Timeline c June 28, 1914 Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophia are killed by Serbian nationalists. July 26, 1914 Austria declares war on Serbia. Russia, an ally of Serbia, prepares to enter the war. July 29, 1914 Austria invades Serbia. August 1, 1914 Germany declares war on Russia. August 3, 1914 Germany declares war on France. August 4, 1914 German army invades neutral Belgium on its way to attack France. Great Britain declares war on Germany. As a colony of Britain, Canada is now at war. Prime Minister Robert Borden calls for a supreme national effort to support Britain, and offers assistance. Canadians rush to enlist in the military. August 6, 1914 Austria declares war on Russia. August 12, 1914 France and Britain declare war on Austria. October 1, 1914 The first Canadian troops leave to be trained in Britain. October – November 1914 First Battle of Ypres, France. Germany fails to reach the English Channel. 1914 – 1917 The two huge armies are deadlocked along a 600-mile front of Deadlock and growing trenches in Belgium and France. For four years, there is little change. death tolls Attack after attack fails to cross enemy lines, and the toll in human lives grows rapidly. Both sides seek help from other allies. By 1917, every continent and all the oceans of the world are involved in this war. February 1915 The first Canadian soldiers land in France to fight alongside British troops. April - May 1915 The Second Battle of Ypres. Germans use poison gas and break a hole through the long line of Allied trenches.
    [Show full text]
  • "Un Coup De Baguette De L'histoire Fait Naître Un Paysage", Julien Gracq
    11 novembre 2020 : Au-delà des champs de bataille La mémoire de la Grande Guerre à travers des paysages en guerre "Un coup de baguette de l'histoire fait naître un paysage", Julien Gracq. De 1914 à 1918, la Première Guerre mondiale fait rage aux quatre coins du globe. En Europe, elle oppose principalement les Alliés, la Russie, la France et le Royaume- Uni bientôt rejoints par l’Italie, à l’Allemagne et l’Autriche-Hongrie. En France, la zone des combats se concentre sur une bande de 800 km de long et d’une trentaine de kilomètres de large. Dans le monde entier, ce sont 70 millions de soldats mobilisés durant tout le conflit. Finalement, le lundi 11 novembre 1918, à 5 heures 45, l’arrêt des combats, ou armistice, est signé. Et, le même jour, à 11 heures, les hostilités sont suspendues. Les élèves de 3°3, en section internationale, se sont penchés sur le thème des paysages en guerre, ce qui les a amenés à étudier le moment où le conflit se déroule mais aussi à comprendre comment ces paysages sont devenus des lieux de mémoire. Des champs de bataille dévastés aux tranchées britanniques de la Somme vues du ciel, en passant par le cimetière de Tyne Cot à Ypres, de la « crête » de Messine en Belgique au Trou de mine de La Boisselle (appelé encore Lochnagar Crater), ils ont pu découvrir les lieux, les décrire puis réfléchir à la question de la mémoire du conflit à travers ces paysages de guerre, parfois au plus proche de l’expérience tragique des combats.
    [Show full text]
  • The Forgotten Fronts the First World War Battlefield Guide: World War Battlefield First the the Forgotten Fronts Forgotten The
    Ed 1 Nov 2016 1 Nov Ed The First World War Battlefield Guide: Volume 2 The Forgotten Fronts The First Battlefield War World Guide: The Forgotten Fronts Creative Media Design ADR005472 Edition 1 November 2016 THE FORGOTTEN FRONTS | i The First World War Battlefield Guide: Volume 2 The British Army Campaign Guide to the Forgotten Fronts of the First World War 1st Edition November 2016 Acknowledgement The publisher wishes to acknowledge the assistance of the following organisations in providing text, images, multimedia links and sketch maps for this volume: Defence Geographic Centre, Imperial War Museum, Army Historical Branch, Air Historical Branch, Army Records Society,National Portrait Gallery, Tank Museum, National Army Museum, Royal Green Jackets Museum,Shepard Trust, Royal Australian Navy, Australian Defence, Royal Artillery Historical Trust, National Archive, Canadian War Museum, National Archives of Canada, The Times, RAF Museum, Wikimedia Commons, USAF, US Library of Congress. The Cover Images Front Cover: (1) Wounded soldier of the 10th Battalion, Black Watch being carried out of a communication trench on the ‘Birdcage’ Line near Salonika, February 1916 © IWM; (2) The advance through Palestine and the Battle of Megiddo: A sergeant directs orders whilst standing on one of the wooden saddles of the Camel Transport Corps © IWM (3) Soldiers of the Royal Army Service Corps outside a Field Ambulance Station. © IWM Inside Front Cover: Helles Memorial, Gallipoli © Barbara Taylor Back Cover: ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ at the Tower of London © Julia Gavin ii | THE FORGOTTEN FRONTS THE FORGOTTEN FRONTS | iii ISBN: 978-1-874346-46-3 First published in November 2016 by Creative Media Designs, Army Headquarters, Andover.
    [Show full text]
  • Canadian Expeditionary Force 1914-1919
    OFFICIAL HISTORY OF THE CANADIAN ARMY IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR CANADIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE 1914-1919 By COLONEL G.W.L. NICHOLSON, C.D. Army Historical Section Published by Authority of the Minister of National Defence ROGER DUHAMEL, F.R.S.C. QUEEN'S PRINTER AND CONTROLLER OF STATIONERY OTTAWA, 1964 1 CHAPTER I CANADA AT WAR The Outbreak of War On 28 JUNE 1914 an assassin's bullet struck down the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. The incident, occurring at a time when a dangerous tension strained the relations between the two armed camps into which the great powers of Europe had grouped themselves, precipitated the devastating conflict which we have come to call the first World War. The slaying took place at Sarajevo, capital city of Bosnia, a Balkan province which Austria after thirty years of occupancy had formally annexed in 1908. The plotters were allegedly agents of a Serbian secret society, and on 23 July Austria, seizing the opportunity to end the "Greater Serbia" movement which she saw as a threat to the prestige, if not the very existence, of the Dual Monarchy, presented a harsh ultimatum whose demands Serbia could not possibly accept and retain her national sovereignty. Austria hoped to crush Serbia in a purely local war, but in view of Russia's known encouragement of Serbian ambitions, she had taken the precaution of obtaining Germany's assurance of support in the event of a wider conflict. With only forty-eight hours allowed for her answer Serbia immediately appealed to Russia for help, at the same time seeking advice from France, Britain and Italy.
    [Show full text]
  • The Battle of Messines
    CHAPTER XV THE BATTLE OF MESSINES-JUNE 7TH BEFOREmost great attacks on the Western Front, during that critical last night in which, generally, the infantry left its billets and made its way, first, in column of fours on dark roads beside moving wheel and motor traffic, then, usually in file, along tracks marked across the open, and finally into communication trenches to wind silently out in the small hours and line the “ jumping-off ” trenches or white tapes laid in the long wet grass of open No-Man’s Land, where for an hour or two it must await the signal to assault-during these critical hours one thought was usually uppermost in the men’s minds: does the enemy know? With the tactics of 1917,involving tremendous preparatory bombardments, which entailed months of preliminary railway and road construction, G.H.Q. had been forced to give up the notion of keeping an attack secret until it was delivered. Enemy airmen could not fail to observe these works and also the new camps, supply centres, casualty clearing stations, hangars for aeroplanes. Reference has been made to the Comniander-in-Chief’s desire to impart the impression, in April, of a serious attack, and,‘in May, of a feint. But the final week’s bombardment had given sure notice of the operation, and the most that could be hoped for was that the enemy might be deceived as to the main stroke that would come after, and might continue to expect it at Arras rather than at Ypres. As far as the Messines offensive went, the Germans must know that a great attack-whether feint or principal operation-was imminent ; indeed, German prisoners spoke with certainty of it.
    [Show full text]
  • Centenary WW1 Victoria Cross Recipients from Overseas
    First World War Centenary WW1 Victoria Cross Recipients from Overseas www.1914.org WW1 Victoria Cross Recipients from Overseas - Foreword Foreword The Prime Minister, Rt Hon David Cameron MP The centenary of the First World War will be a truly national moment – a time when we will remember a generation that sacrificed so much for us. Those brave men and boys were not all British. Millions of Australians, Indians, South Africans, Canadians and others joined up and fought with Britain, helping to secure the freedom we enjoy today. It is our duty to remember them all. That is why this programme to honour the overseas winners of the Victoria Cross is so important. Every single name on these plaques represents a story of gallantry, embodying the values of courage, loyalty and compassion that we still hold so dear. By putting these memorials on display in these heroes’ home countries, we are sending out a clear message: that their sacrifice – and their bravery – will never be forgotten. 2 WW1 Victoria Cross Recipients from Overseas - Foreword Foreword FCO Senior Minister of State, Rt Hon Baroness Warsi I am delighted to be leading the commemorations of overseas Victoria Cross recipients from the First World War. It is important to remember this was a truly global war, one which pulled in people from every corner of the earth. Sacrifices were made not only by people in the United Kingdom but by many millions across the world: whether it was the large proportion of Australian men who volunteered to fight in a war far from home, the 1.2 million Indian troops who took part in the war, or the essential support which came from the islands of the West Indies.
    [Show full text]
  • Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial the U.S
    ENGLISH Counteroffensive, Counterattack, AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION and Final Offensive American Battle Monuments Commission This agency of the United States government operates and Luxembourg American maintains 26 American cemeteries and 30 memorials, monuments and markers in 17 countries. The Commission works to fulfill the KEY: Military Cemetery Cemetery and Memorial vision of its first chairman, General of the Armies John J. Pershing. Photo: The National Archives Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces during 82nd Airborne Division soldiers advance in World War I, promised that “time will not dim the glory of their deeds.” “Battle of the Bulge” Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial The U.S. 5th Armored Division liberated the site on September 10, 1944. A temporary military burial ground was established on December 29, 1944. Free use as a permanent burial ground was granted by the Grand Ducal government in perpetuity without charge or taxation. American Battle Monuments Commission 2300 Clarendon Boulevard Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 USA Luxembourg American Cemetery 50, Val du Scheid L-2517 Luxembourg TEL +352 43.17.27 GPS N49 36.771 E6 11.157 101st Airborne Division soldiers leave Bastogne, January 1945 German Military Cemetery Located approximately one mile from For more information on this site and other the Luxembourg American Cemetery, ABMC commemorative sites, please visit the German cemetery in Sandweiler was established by the US Army www.abmc.gov “Time will not dim the glory of their deeds.” Graves Registration Service. - General of the Armies John J. Pershing January 2019 Photo: The National Archives General Patton’s Grave The Mosaic in the Tablets of the Missing Visitor Building The grave of General George S.
    [Show full text]
  • The Western Offensives of Messines
    CHAPTER CCXXIV. THE WESTERN OFFENSIVES OF MESSINES. THE GERMAN RIGHT IN JUNE, 1917-THE BRITISH OnJECTIVE-f'REPARATIONS FROM YPRES TO THE LYS-THE FRONT OF ATTACK-'i\~YTSCHAETE-MESSINER RIDGE- SIXT VON ARMIX-GENERAL PLUMER-MINING OPERATIONS AT THE RIDGE-EXPLOSION OF THE MINES ON JUNE 7- THE ADVANCE-MAJOR W. REDMOND-CAPTTJRE OF THE RIDGE-THE BRITISH VICTORY. N earlier chapters we have seen the bulk of his available. forces north of the Lys sncce~ses gained by the French from and fight a third Battle of Ypres. I eraonne-Reims to MoronviIliers, described Now undoubtedly, from a stra.tegical point of the capture of the Vimy "Ridge, and view, the most favourable direction for the Allie::; observed the reasons why the Messines ridge - to deliver their main stroke was against the was 'to be the next objective of the British extreme German right in Belgium. For this Forces. The more advanced positions which it was a necessary preliminary to improve the had been gained by the French were better British position at Ypres, pushing back the suited for defence than those they had held German trenches from the location they held before, but still wel'e not favourable, fol' a tin1.e which completely dominated our own. at any rate, for a further forward movement The aim of J offre and French in 1914 at the in that region. first Battle of Ypres and at the Battle of the In front of the Vimy Ridge, ' which had Yser had been to move on Ghent, so as to turn resisted the attempts of Foch to take it in the right flank of the German Army.
    [Show full text]