YPRES SALIENT - Messines Ridge - The Battle of Messines - 4 Mine Craters

Five German Divisions of the “Gruppe Wijtschate” of the 4th Army under General Friedrich Sixt von Armin defended the front sector on the heights, later reinforced by a division from the “Gruppe Ypern”. The "Gruppe Wijtschate" comprised units of the IX Reserve Corps, the 204th, 35th, 2nd, 3rd Bavarian and 4th Bavarian divisions, supported by the 7th Division and 1st Guards Reserve Division.

The objectives of the attack at Messines were to capture the high ground south of Ypres from the German defences on Messines Ridge and to shorten the allied front line, and so to gain a better starting position for the follow-up of the Third Battle of Ypres.

Preliminary Artillery Bombardment

On 8 May 1917, a month before the mine detonation, the British preliminary artillery bombardment had already started on the front between Hill 60 in the north and Ploegsteert in the south. From 23 May the bombardment intensified. During the week before the attack, 2,230 British guns and howitzers bombarded the German trenches, cut wire, destroyed strongholds and conducted counter-battery fire against 630 German artillery guns, using 3,561,530 shells.

On 7 June at 2:50 AM, the preliminary artillery bombardment ceased. The German defenders left their dug-outs and returned to their forward trenches, awaiting a customary follow-up of an infantry attack.

At 3:10 AM the mines exploded, killing some 10,000 German soldiers and paralysing the astonished survivors.

Creeping Barrage - Infantry Attack - Tanks - Air Support

Members of both Divisions captured the German lines hardly without resistance and occupied the village of Wijtschate.

II Anzac Corps

On 14 June, after the battle, the British had 24,582 casualties. The Germans counted about 35,000 casualties, including 10,000 soldiers Missing In Action or made Prisoner Of War (7,200).

Military historians do not agree on the strategic significance of the battle. Although the casualty numbers of wounded and killed soldiers of both parties are roughly in balance, after all the British operation was a success. The British divisions reached almost all their battle objectives and gained terrain on strategic heights. The operation shortened the allied font line to facilitate the next battle in the area. The Battle of Messines was a rather short prelude to the much longer offensive of a month later, the Third Battle of Ypres of July 1917.

In the centre of the village of Mesen we visit first on the "Markt" two 2014 statues.

Island of Ireland Peace Park

"The Island of Ireland Peace Park is dedicated to the soldiers of Ireland, of all political and religious beliefs, who died, were wounded or missing in the Great War of 1914-1918. Irish men and women served with the Armies of Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States.

The memorial site is also known as the “Irish Peace Park” or the “Irish Peace Tower”.

The tower was built as a symbol of reconciliation by An All-Ireland Journey of Reconciliation Trust and the support of the people of Messines (now called by its Flemish name Mesen). The design is that of a traditional Irish round tower dating back to the 8th century. It is 33.5 metres (110 feet) high. As part of the design the inside of the tower is lit up by the sun only on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. This is the time at which the Armistice was declared and the guns fell silent on the Western Front after four years of fighting."

Source: http://www.greatwar.co.uk.

From these hills and valley the soldiers had to climb and fight up this steep slope ...

MESSINES RIDGE BRITISH CEMETERY was made after the Armistice when buried remains were brought in from the battlefield around Messines and from small burial grounds.

There are now 1,534 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery. Of these burials, 957 are unidentified, but special memorials commemorate a number of casualties known or believed to be buried among them, or who were buried in other cemeteries where their graves were destroyed by shell fire. The New Zealand Division Memorial belongs to this cemetery.

The dates of death of those buried here range from October 1914 to October 1918, but the majority died in the fighting of 1917.

Source and more details: Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Before 1917 there were constantly raids and attacks along the front sector of Messines Ridge; e.g., on La Petite Douve Farm, south-west of Mesen, which used to be a German stronghold with machine gun posts.

About 1,2 km south of the village we visit a modest bridge over the Douve brook, which forms an example of these fights, a site of action in November 1915.