Atlas of Battles

contested ground, 30 engagements

Ypres: contested ground

The ground around Ypres was fought over 30 times between 1382 and 1918: 25 battles, 4 sieges and 1 naval action, in 6 different wars. All 30 recorded sites lie within a few kilometres of one another.

Battle of RoosebekeSiege of YpresSiege of YpresSiege of YpresSiege of YpresBattle of MessinesFirst Battle of YpresMyth of LangemarckSecond Battle of YpresBattle of Kitcheners' WoodBattle of Hill 60Actions of the Bluff, 1916Battle of Mont SorrelBattle of LangemarckBattle of MessinesBattle of Pilckem RidgeCapture of WesthoekAction of 22 August 1917Battle of the Menin Road RidgeCapture of Wurst FarmBattle of Polygon WoodBattle of BroodseindeBattle of PoelcappelleFirst Battle of PasschendaeleSecond Battle of PasschendaeleNight action of 1/2 December 1917Attack on the Polderhoek SpurBattle of MarkemFifth Battle of YpresThird Battle of YpresThird Battle of YpresThe HagueLilleCologneAntwerpenDüsseldorfBonnBrightonPortsmouth200 km50.874N, 2.940E
30 engagements within a few kilometres, coloured by era; the ringed mark is the most widely documented.

In time order

Battle of Roosebeke, 1382Siege of Ypres, 1383Siege of Ypres, 1658Siege of Ypres, 1678Siege of Ypres, 1794Battle of Messines, 1914First Battle of Ypres, 1914Myth of Langemarck, 1914Second Battle of Ypres, 1915Battle of Kitcheners' Wood, 1915Battle of Hill 60, 1915Actions of the Bluff, 1916, 1916Battle of Mont Sorrel, 1916Battle of Langemarck, 1917Battle of Messines, 1917Third Battle of Ypres, 1917Battle of Pilckem Ridge, 1917Capture of Westhoek, 1917Action of 22 August 1917, 1917Battle of the Menin Road Ridge, 1917Capture of Wurst Farm, 1917Battle of Polygon Wood, 1917Battle of Broodseinde, 1917Battle of Poelcappelle, 1917First Battle of Passchendaele, 1917Second Battle of Passchendaele, 1917Night action of 1/2 December 1917, 1917Attack on the Polderhoek Spur, 1917Battle of Markem, 1918Fifth Battle of Ypres, 191813821918
One tick per dated engagement; each tick is a link.

Engagements by date

DateEngagementPlaceWar
5 December 1382Battle of RoosebekeWestrozebekeHundred Years' War
8 August 1383Siege of YpresYpresDespenser's Crusade
24 July 1658Siege of YpresYpres
18 March 1678Siege of YpresYpresFranco-Dutch War
1 June 1794Siege of YpresYpresWar of the First Coalition
12 October 1914Battle of MessinesBikschoteWestern Front
19 October 1914First Battle of YpresYpresWestern Front
10 November 1914Myth of LangemarckLangemarkWorld War I
21 April 1915Second Battle of YpresYpresWestern Front
22 April 1915Battle of Kitcheners' WoodSaint JulienWestern Front
7 May 1915Battle of Hill 60Hill 60Western Front
1916Actions of the Bluff, 1916World War I
13 June 1916Battle of Mont SorrelYpres SalientWestern Front
1917Battle of LangemarckYpres SalientWestern Front
7 June 1917Battle of MessinesWest FlandersWestern Front
31 July 1917Third Battle of YpresYpres SalientWestern Front
31 July 1917Battle of Pilckem RidgeYpres SalientWestern Front
10 August 1917Capture of WesthoekWest FlandersWestern Front
22 August 1917Action of 22 August 1917West FlandersWestern Front
20 September 1917Battle of the Menin Road RidgeBelgiumWestern Front
20 September 1917Capture of Wurst FarmYpresWestern Front
3 October 1917Battle of Polygon WoodPolygon Wood, ZonnebekeWestern Front
4 October 1917Battle of BroodseindeZonnebekeWestern Front
9 October 1917Battle of PoelcappelleFlandersWestern Front
12 October 1917First Battle of PasschendaelePassendaleWestern Front
26 October 1917Second Battle of PasschendaelePassendaleWestern Front
2 December 1917Night action of 1/2 December 1917Western Front
3 December 1917Attack on the Polderhoek SpurWestern Front
17 April 1918Battle of MarkemMerkemWorld War I
28 September 1918Fifth Battle of YpresBelgiumWestern Front

Contested ground is computed: recorded sites within six kilometres of one another, three or more engagements, in more than one war or across more than fifty years. Coordinates are those recorded in Wikidata and can be approximate.