Battle of Polygon Wood in the Great War

Battle of Polygon Wood, 26 September - 3 October 1917 Battle of Polygon Wood the I ANZAC component of a larger British and dominion operation staged as part of the Third Battle of Ypres (Second Battle of Passchendaele. This operation the second of the "Plumer battles", a series of well-planned, limited advances supported by large volumes of artillery, masterminded by the British general Herbert Plumer. The name "Polygon Wood" derived from a young plantation forest that lay along I ANZAC's axis of advance. Scheduled to begin on 26 September 1917, the attack almost derailed by a German attack on the British X Corps to the south of I ANZAC. A day earlier, Australian troops of the 15th Brigade, preparing for their attack, took part in fending off the Germans; however, their advance the next day began with continuing uncertainty as to the security of their flank. The British and dominion advance began on schedule at 5.50 am on the 26th, with the 4th and 5th Divisions, on the left and right respectively, taking the lead in the I ANZAC sector. The infantry advanced behind a heavy artillery barrage - the noise of this compared to a roaring bushfire - and they secured most of their objectives without difficulty. To the south, the 15th Brigade, which after its efforts the previous day had been reinforced by two battalions from the 8th, secured not only its own objectives but those allocated to the neighbouring 98th British Brigade. The Germans launched several counter-attacks but these were thwarted by the heavy defensive artillery barrages used to protect the infantry consolidating on their objectives; this a feature of the Plumer battles. The battle cost 5,770 Australian casualties. 7 FACTS ABOUT THE BATTLE OF POLYGON WOOD The Battle of Polygon Wood the fifth major battle by the British Army during the Third Battle of Ypres, later known as Passchendaele. A highly significant battle for Australian forces. Polygon Wood a significant landmark in the Ypres Salient battlefields. It had been fought over throughout the war and the trees had been all but destroyed by shellfire. The Germans recognised its importance and in 1916/1917 fortified the wood with multiple concrete block houses and thick tangles of barbed wire. The Battle of Polygon Wood began at 5.50am on 26 September. Seven divisions took part, including the 4th and 5th Australian Divisions, who attacked the German lines from just south of the village of Zonnebeke to Polygon Wood. At the centre of Polygon Wood a dominating mound called the ‘Butte’. Built by the Belgian military as a firing range before the war, it had been fortified by the Germans and used as an observation post. Resistance heavy but Australian soldiers took the Butte and had successfully secured the wood by the end of the day. Fighting continued until 3 October, with German forces launching numerous unsuccessful counter-attacks. An important factor in the success the clear weather which allowed the Royal Flying Corps to provide support. British fighter aircraft fought with their German counterparts above no-man’s land, providing cover for observation aircraft to direct artillery and support soldiers on the ground. Although the Battle of Polygon Wood is regarded as a victory for the British Army, its forces suffered more than 20,000 casualties, killed and wounded. German losses are contested, with estimates being some 13,500 casualties. After the war the 5th Australian Division built its divisional memorial on the Butte in Polygon Wood. The towering obelisk overlooks CWGC Buttes New British Cemetery where more than 650 Australian soldiers are commemorated, the majority unknown. On the CWGC Menin Gate Memorial are commemorated more than 950 members of Australian forces who died during the Battle of Polygon Wood and have no known grave. CEFRG (Canadian Expeditionary Force Research Group) https://cefrg.ca