Atlas of Battles

battle, notable, interwar and Second World War

Battle of the Lys

Battle of the Lys was a battle fought on 23 May 1940 at Kortrijk, in what is now Belgium; it lasted 5 days. It was part of the German invasion of Belgium. The recorded result: German victory; Vinkt massacre; Belgian surrender on 28 May.

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Northwest France, 1940. Situation on 4 June, with operations since 21 May.
Northwest France, 1940. Situation on 4 June, with operations since 21 May.. History Department of United States Military Academy at West Point, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought23 May 1940lasted 5 days
WhereKortrijk, Belgium51.055N, 3.734E
OutcomeGerman victory; Vinkt massacre; Belgian surrender on 28 May
BelligerentsBelgium; French Third Republic; BritainagainstNazi Germany
Part ofGerman invasion of Belgium1940

Where it sits in the German invasion of Belgium

Battle of Fort Eben-Emael, 1940Battle of Bree and Bocholt, 1940Battle of the Lys, 1940Battle of Gijzenzele, 194019401940Battle of the Lys, 1940
4 placed engagements of the German invasion of Belgium in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date23 May 1940
to 28 May 1940
PlaceKortrijk, Belgium
51.055N, 3.734E
KindBattle, interwar and Second World War
Commanders
  • Leopold III of Belgium
  • Oscar Michiels
Battle of the LysBattle of the LysSiege of GhentFall of GhentSiege of GhentBattle of MelleBattle of GavereBattle of GavereBrusselsThe HagueLilleRotterdamAntwerpenCharleroiBruggeIpswich100 km51.055N, 3.734E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 4 times between 1583 and 1940.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1940

Battle of the Lys is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 243 in present-day Belgium.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q1581815, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of the Lys (1940), revision 1370600886, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.