8/8/2019 Battle Description

1/3

The Second Battle of Ypres took place over a span of justover two months in the small rural village of Ypres, Belgium. Itwas one of the bloodiest battles fought in the course of the warand one which saw many casualties. It remained in stalemate all

throughout the battle despite numerous attacks by the Germansas well as by the Allies including a substantial chlorine gas attackof over 5700 cylinders by the Germans. The Canadian troopswere recognized as the heroes of this battle after theysuccessfully and single-handedly fended off the advancingGermans after the gas attack.

One of the reasons why the war became so large was partlydue to the Alliances formed between various countries. Thesealliances stated that each country on the agreement, shall cometo the aid of the other if they are participating in a war. This iswhy why saw numerous different countries on the frontlines of

Ypres. Countries were literally forced to fight. On one side wehad Canada, France and Great Britain (along with any colonies ofthese nations) fighting against the Germans on the other side.

Throughout history, wars and battles were fought withswords, horses and hand to hand combat. A little more recentlyguns were invented. And during the Second Battle of Ypres, thefirst chemical weapon warfare had taken place. On the 22nd dayof April, the Germans had released a vast amount of chlorine gaswhich caused many deaths. This type of warfare had neverbefore been seen. It killed thousands of people in mere minutes,a lot less work that physically fighting with guns, bayonets andhands. After this had taken place, the other countries were hardat work finding new, more lethal gases which would be used onthe front lines. This was the beginning of modern warfare as weknow it today.

After the gas attack, there was a four mile gap where theFrench troops once occupied. The Germans were fastapproaching and it was up to the Canadians to defend the line.

They fought hard despite weapon malfunctions and largenumbers of German troops. Seeing no use in their Ross rifles,

8/8/2019 Battle Description

2/3

they grabbed their bayonets and fought tooth and nail until theGermans were forced to retreat. The Canadians received a largeamount of respect from the Allies, as well as the foe.

The Second Battle of Ypres is a historically significant event for a number of reasons. The

foremost reason is the usage of gas as a chemical weapon. It also was the time where, forthe first time, Canada was recognized as a nation and where many lives of soldiers, fromboth the allies and the germans, were lost. At around five oclock in the afternoon of April22nd, 1915, a cloud of uncanny greenish-yellow gas appeared over the trenches to the leftof the Canadians where the French troops were positioned. This would be the firstsuccessful use of chemical warfare ever recorded. The Germans had released over 5700cylinders of extremely dangerous chlorine gas. This event opened the eyes of the rest of theworld and made them aware of the power and devastation chemical weapons have thepotential to cause. It is a cowardly form of warfare which does not commend itself to me orother English soldiers.... We cannot win this war unless we kill or incapacitate more of ourenemies than they do of us, and if this can only be done by our copying the enemy in hischoice of weapons, we must not refuse to do so. (Kiester, Edwin; et al., 14). This was saidby a Canadian commander and it shows just how fast the development as well as the

advancement of chemical weapons was. Soon after, the allies had created a gas of theirown, mustard gas, which was far more lethal and would be used later on in the war. Initially,the canadian troops had to urinate on their handkerchiefs and press them against their facesbut advancements were later made and breathing masks were created. After the gasattack, the allies were vulnerable for a 4 mile spread along the frontline. The Germansbegan advancing towards the gap and it was up to the Canadian battalion to fend them off.

They fought hard despite being plagued with weapon malfunctions and having to cover theirfaces the best they could to prevent being killed by the gas. The Ross rifles they werecarrying jammed and they were forced to fight with only their bayonets. The Canadianssuccessfully defended the gap and gained a considerable amount of respect from both the

8/8/2019 Battle Description

3/3

allies, and the Germans (who did not counter-attack). They were finally recognized as anation apart from Mother England. In successfully stalemating the battle, the Germanscould not advance towards the river which would have cut off 50 000 british troops as wellas supplies. Ypres was a main transportation hub which no side could utilize. This historicbattle which saw much bloodshed and loss of life was one which saw the first usage ofchemical weapons and one that gave Canada and Canadians a tremendous amount of

respect as well as the occasion to be recognized as a nation. The second battle of Ypres wasthe worst battle fought by First Canadian Division throughout the war, yet was the startingpoint of a strong reputation of Canadian troops during the war. The British War Office oncesaid that, "The Canadians...undoubtedly saved the situation" (G.W. Larkin and J.P. Matresky,pg18).