The Second Battle of Ypres

April 22, 1915

It was 5:00 PM. The French Algerian and Moroccan territorial forces were stationed, defending the trenches, at the Ypres salient. All was silent. A yellowish-green cloud slowly appeared across no man's land, gradually gaining size. The French colonial troops watched as the cloud of unknown origin crept closer and closer to their position, leaving them wondering what it could be. As the mist descended into their trenches, their curiosity quickly turned to panic, and was soon replaced by sheer terror. They scattered in all directions, their ranks falling into utter chaos, the men driven mad by the effects of the toxic fumes filling their lungs. "...haggard, their overcoats thrown off, running like madmen, directionless, shouting for water, spitting blood, some even rolling on the ground making desperate efforts to breath." A massive 4 mile-wide gap was opened in the allied lines, and the eager German forces poured into it.

The toxic fumes that created so much chaos in the allied lines was known as chlorine gas. It was manufactured by German scientists to be a tool to turn the tide in Germany's favor. Their preparations for the gas attack at Ypres was slow and somewhat clumsy, however the allies were taken completely by surprise when the attack came. This was due to allied military intelligence not taking the testimonies from German prisoners and deserters seriously. When the gas was released on April 22, no one suspected a thing.

If not for allied reserves brought up to block the Germans from fully exploiting their new-found advantage, they most likely would have won then and there. Instead, they dug in after advancing as far as the villages of Langemarck and Pilkem. The British organized multiple counterattacks, but sustained heavy losses. The most notable of these was in Kitchener's Wood, when the 10th Battalion of the 2nd Canadian Brigade was ordered to counterattack the German forces who were advancing into the gap in the allied lines caused by the first gas attack. This being their first real experience with combat on the western front, they were unprepared, and suffered heavy casualties. In the end, they were able to complete their objective through sheer determination.

The Germans launched multiple gas attacks, and made some
breakthroughs, however just days after the battle had begun, the allies found an improvised way to ward off the effects of the poison gas: a wet pad, soaked with urine, placed over the mouth. Although disgusting, it offered some protection from the deadly gas.

The Germans continued to make gradual gains, and the salient began to shrink. Although the primitive protection the urine-soaked cloth provided was better than nothing, it was insufficient in stopping all the effects of the poison. It was all the allies could do not to simply retreat and leave Ypres to the attackers, but Sir John French would not let that happen. However, some necessary tactical withdrawals were made.

Fierce fighting continued for a following three more weeks, with the Germans inching their way closer to their target, until Ypres lay a mere two miles from them. Then, on May 25, the fighting once again bogged down, and the front stabilized. In the end, the allies were only pushed back three miles. The Germans had lost over 35,000 men, while the British had nearly 60,000 casualties. The French casualties are widely disputed, with it ranging from around 2,000, to tens of thousands. It was clear the poison gas the Germans used as a tool to hopefully break the deadlock only increased the horror of the war, a war that had no end in sight.

The Second Battle of Ypres (April 22 - May 25)