What was the significance of the battle of Messines?
What was the significance of the battle of Messines?
The battle of Messines fought on 7 June 1917 was the first large-scale action involving Australian troops in Belgium and it also marked the entry of the 3rd Division into a major battle. Messines was an important success for the British Army leading up to the beginning of the Third Battle of Ypres several weeks later.
Who blew up Messines Ridge?
Several hours later, starting at 3:10 a.m. on June 7, British engineers detonated 19 enormous mines buried deep below German positions along a ridge outside Messines.
What blew up at Messines in 1917?
German trench destroyed by the explosion of a mine in the Battle of Messines. Approximately 10,000 German troops were killed when the mines were simultaneously detonated at 3.10 a.m. on 7 June 1917.
What happened at Hill 60 on the 7th June 1917?
At 3:10 a.m. on 7 June 1917, a mines filled with 443 long tons; 450 t (450 t) of explosives, were detonated under the German lines. The blasts created one of the largest explosions in history, reportedly heard in London and Dublin, demolishing a large part of the hill and killing c. 10,000 German soldiers.
What Battle does 1917 depict?
The fighting in the movie was inspired by (but unfolds prior to) the Battle of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres, which took place from July 31, 1917 to November 10, 1917. Both the British and the Germans suffered heavy casualties.
Where did the battle of Messines take place?
West Flanders, Belgium
The Battle of Messines (7–14 June 1917) was an attack by the British Second Army (General Sir Herbert Plumer), on the Western Front, near the village of Messines (now Mesen) in West Flanders, Belgium, during the First World War.
How did the battle of Messines end?
The British attack at Messines on 7 June opened with the explosion of the mines, causing a virtual earthquake that immediately killed as many as 10,000 German soldiers. A hurricane bombardment by 2,000 guns preceded the advance of nine British and Australian infantry divisions, which proved a complete success.
How long did the battle of Messines last?
The battle began with the detonation of 19 mines beneath the German front position, which devastated it and left 19 large craters….Battle of Messines (1917)
| Date | 7–14 June 1917 |
|---|---|
| Result | British victory |
| Territorial changes | Messines–Wytschaete Ridge re-captured |
What was significant about the Battle of the Somme?
The Battle of the Somme was one of the largest battles of World War I, and among the bloodiest in all of human history. A combination of a compact battlefield, destructive modern weaponry and several failures by British military leaders led to the unprecedented slaughter of wave after wave of young men.
Why is Hill 60 called Hill 60?
The WW1 battle area known as Hill 60 was so called on British military maps because the contoured height of the ground was marked at 60 metres above sea level. This high ground was man-made in the 1850s, having been created by the spoil from the cutting for the railway line between Ypres and Comines.
