Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele)

Field Marshal Haig launched a major offensive in the Ypres Salient aimed at capturing Passchendaele Ridge and the Belgian coast. Unprecedented rainfall turned the battlefield into a sea of mud in which men drowned in shell craters. The battle came to symbolize the futility and horror of trench warfare. After 100 days of fighting and 310,000 British casualties, Passchendaele village was captured—a gain of about 8 km. The village was abandoned within months in the German Spring Offensive.