Second Battle of Ypres – Battle of Frezenberg, 8th-13th May 1915

As of April 1915, many of the key positions across the Ypres salient were held by Allied forces. The Belgian army held the north of the River Yser, with two French divisions positioned on the northern end of the salient. The eastern defence was held by the Canadian Division and two British Divisions. These two British Divisions were the II and V Corps of the Second Army, comprised of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Cavalry Divisions, 4th, 27th, and 28th Northumbrian Divisions, the Lahore Division, and 1st Canadian Division.�

It was within the 3rd Cavalry Division that the 10th Hussars were positioned, as they belonged to the 6th Cavalry Brigade (with the 3rd CD being made up, initially, of the 6th & 7th bdes). The 3rd had been in Belgium since the first week of October 1914, acting as a mounted mobile force. During major actions, such as at the Second Battle of Ypres, the troops served dismounted as infantry.�

The area surrounding Ypres was important to hold – the hills encircling the town provided tacticallysignificant sightlines across the landscape.The ridges and woodland also provided cover for the movement of supplies and reinforcements. The necessity to gain this land, accompanied byits general layout, meant that the Germans chose it as the area to launch their first major attack using poison gas.�

At 5pm on 22nd April 1915 the German 4th Army released 171t of chlorine gas along a 6.5km front between Langemark andGravenstafel.This line, being held by the 45th and 87th French divisions, suffered 2,000-3,000casualties (800-1,400 fatalities) due to this first gas attack. The troops fled, leaving an undefended 6km gap in the French front. As the gas cloud progressed inwards, the German infantry advanced, occupying the villages of Langemark andPilkem, where they dug in trenches. This marked the first battle – ofGravenstagel Ridge (22nd-23rd April).�

The second battle, of St. Julien, began a day later on 24th April (lasting until 5th May). The village of St. Julien became the new front line following the first gas attack. A second was released on the morning of 24th, allowing the Germans to take the village. An hour after the gas attack began a 1.4km gap in the Allied line formed, but, due to German delays at pushing forward for fear of the gas, the gap was retaken by Canadian and British troops.�

Preliminary attempts at protection against the gas were already being issued by this second attack. Possibly on the advice of Lieutenant-Colonel George Gallie Nasmith of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, Allied soldiers were issued with cotton pads soaked in urine. The urea aided in neutralising the chlorine and would be worn over the face until the gas dispersed. Other soldiers wore handkerchiefs, socks, or flannels soaked in sodium bicarbonate solution. By July 1915 gas masks and anti-asphyxiation respirators were provided to soldiers, but this, unfortunately, did not help the men at Ypres.�