This Day in History: October 12, 1917

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by Simonov

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On October 12, 1917, the First Battle of Passchendaele takes place. The battle was part of the larger Third Battle of Ypres, an attempt by the Allies to capture a number of ridges to the south and east of the Belgian city of Ypres. Passchendaele was locate approximately five miles from a major rail junction which provided a valuable means of resupply for the German forces and and its capture featured prominently in the Allied battle plans. The plan for the day was for multiple British divisions, particularly three Australian and one New Zealand division of the I and II Anzac (Australian & New Zealand Army Corps) Corps, to advance approximately 1,000 to 1,500 yards to reach their final objective; however, poor intelligence resulted in the actual distance being 2,000 to 2,500 yards, leaving the Australian and New Zealand troops stuck out in the open for a much greater distance.

The battle was ultimately a failure for the Anzac & British forces. Several days of rain left battlefield a muddy quagmire which, combined with barbed wire and German defensive fire, devastated the attacking forces. Supporting fire from British artillery positions was also heavily limited as the guns were rendered inoperable by the mud, many of the simply sinking into the ground. Rifles, mortars, and machine guns also saw similar fates due to the mud. By the end of the day, the lines had barely changed. By the end of the day, British and Anzac forces had suffered approximately 13,000 casualties. The New Zealand Division alone suffered 2,700 casualties including 845 dead, marking the darkest day in New Zealand's military history.

The offensive was halted on October 13 due to the complications of the weather. Further operations in the area would be conducted during late October and in November to aid French and British operations. II Anzac Corps was later relieved by the Canadian Corps on October 18 and the Second Battle of Passchendaele, which would see the Allies succeed in capturing the village, began on October 26.

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