Passchendaele Flashcards
Why did General Haig launch the Passchendaele offensive?
To liberate Northern Belgium from the Germans, and seize its channel ports
What did intense shelling on the terrain result in?
Destroyed drainage system, turns terrain in to a sea of mud. Horses are useless and tanks can’t move. Soldiers would drown in it
What are sappers and what did they do?
Engineers who prepared the ground for battle
What motivated Haig to order General Currie to attack Passchendaele Ridge? Why didn’t Currie deem it worth capturing?
He had to justify the large amount of casualties he brought about with at least one victory. Currie knew it would cost too many men.
What Allied troops occupied Passchendaele before the Canadian attack? How are they described when the Canadians arrive to replace them?
ANZACs, looked “more like ghosts than men”
What did Currie do first to prepare for the attack? What were the dangers?
Build network of floating plank roads. Without cover, shells were being fired at them as well as air attacks
Why was creeping barrage ineffective during this attack?
The guns slipped in the mud and harmed our own troops because of the inaccuracy.
What is a pill box? Why were they dangerous for soldiers inside?
Concrete shelters to protect against grenades and gunfire. Craters opened up on the ground when shells hit near the pill boxes. It would then lean over and trap the soldiers inside.
Why couldn’t the Germans simply deepen their trenches for the troops during the attack?
High water levels underground–they would just fill up
What does the Flemish word “Passchendaele” mean?
Valley of Christ’s passion
What was the significance of Bellevue Spur in the attack?
One of the prongs used to get around the creek, attack the Germans, and take Passchendaele.
When the men finally reach Passchendaele village, what do they find?
Dust and rubble
What is the name of the largest Commonwealth cemetery in the world? What percent of names of soldiers are known in this graveyard?
Tyne Cot British Cemetery. 30% known
Who was Will Bird?
Member of the Canadian 42nd battalion, wrote memoirs about WWI
