Battle of Mont Sorrel

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Battle of Mont Sorrel Part of Ypres Salient, World War I Battlefield map of the Battle of Mont Sorrel Date June 2 - June 14, 1916 Location Mont Sorrel, southern shoulder of the Ypres Salient Result Tactical German Victory Strategic Canadian Victory Belligerents British Empire • United Kingdom • Canada German Empire Commanders Julian Byng Arthur Currie Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria Strength 3 Canadian Divisions 1 British Division XIII (Royal Württemburg} Corps Casualties and losses approx. 8,000 5,765[1]

v • d • e Western Front Frontiers – Liège – Antwerp – Great Retreat – Race to the Sea – Neuve Chapelle – 2nd Ypres – 2nd Artois – Hill 70 – 3rd Artois – Loos – Verdun – Hulluch – Mont Sorrel – Somme – Arras – Vimy Ridge – 2nd Aisne – Messines – Passchendaele – Cambrai – Michael – Lys – 3rd Aisne – Belleau Wood – 2nd Marne – Château-Thierry – Hamel – Hundred Days

The Battle of Mont Sorrel (Battle of Mount Sorrel, Battle of Hill 62) was a conflict on the southern shoulder of the Ypres Salient, near Sanctuary Wood. The battle was fought between forces of the Canadian Corps, 20th Light Division of the United Kingdom, and the XIII (Royal Württemberg) Corps of Germany. The battle took place from June 2 to June 14, 1916. German forces were able to initially capture a majority of Mont Sorrel, also known as Hill 62, within the early portion of the battle. However, Canadian forces were eventually able to retake Hill 62, albeit with heavy casualties.

Contents 1 Background 2 German Offensive 3 Initial Counterattacks 4 British Re-enforcement & counteroffensive 5 Final Counterattack & Recapture 6 Notes 7 References 8 Sources

[edit] Background

Mont Sorrel formed part of the southern shoulder of the Ypres Salient, directly north of Messines Ridge, and near the town of Hooge. The Canadian Corps had spent fall and winter of 1915 stationed at Messines Ridge, where 2,692 casualties were incurred from September-December of that year. In late May of 1916, Major General M.S. Mercer's 3rd Canadian Division was transferred to the 2.5 mile front of Mont Sorrel, with the other two divisions of the newly-formed Canadian Corps to follow shortly. General Mercer were assigned to launch a series of "local attacks" to stabilize the southern sector of the Salient.^[2]

[edit] German Offensive

In mid-May, Aerial reconnaissance near Mont Sorrel indicated that German forces were preparing for an offensive against allied positions. On June 2, an assault by the XIII Corps began with a ferocious artillery bombardment. ^[3] General Mercer was among the first killed during the bombardment, as was Brigadier-General V.A.S. Williams of the Canadian 8th Brigade. The 4th Canadian (Mounted) Rifles suffered 626 casualties out of 702 men during the bombardment itself. ^[4] The entire forward reconnaissance battalion became casualties. ^[5] At 1:00PM, German pioneers detonated a series of small mines near the forward trenches. When German forces attacked, mainly against positions held by the 8th Brigade, resistance at the front lines was "minimal". ^[6] However, the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry was able to hold German forces in check in Sanctuary Wood. However, they took close to 400 casualties. ^[7] German forces were able to Capture Mont Sorrel and Hill 61. However, after advancing a significant gain of 1,200 yards, the XIII Corps dug in.^[8][9]

[edit] Initial Counterattacks

Within an hour of the German capture of Mont Sorrel, re-enforcements from the 6th & 7th Canadian Brigades began to form a defensive line where the 8th Brigade had taken the bulk of its casualties. At 4:25, Julian Byng ordered a counterattack by two brigades of the 1st Canadian Division, as well as the 6th Brigade of the 3rd Division, against Mont Sorrel, to take place on June 3, 1916.^[10] The attack was scheduled to begin at 2:00AM. However, the brigades were not yet in position, and being subjected to heavy German artillery fire, forcing Byng to postpone the offensive several hours. When the attack began at 7:10AM, forces of the 1st Division made an unorganized assault against Mont Sorrel. All three brigades moved from their starting lines at different times^[11], meaning the XIII Corps was able to concentrate their fire against one brigade at a time. Elements of all three brigades were able to penetrate German lines. However, too many casualties had been taken to allow for any further attacks, and all three brigades retreated to their start lines between noon and 1PM.

[edit] British Re-enforcement & counteroffensive

Upon hearing of the loss of Mont Sorrel, Field Marshal Douglas Haig, commander of British forces on the Western Front, ordered an immediate counterattack to retake Hill 62. Re-enforcements of four artillery batteries (three howitzer, one siege) were transferred from the British 2nd Army to the area, as was the 20th Light Division.^[12] On June 6, 1916, British forces counterattacked at Hill 60, directly southwest of Mont Sorrel itself. The counterattack, however, was defeated by heavy German resistance.^[13]. At the same time, the British counterattack managed to push forward the front lines to within several hundred yards of German positions.^[14]

[edit] Final Counterattack & Recapture

From June 9 onward, British artillery shelled Mont Sorrel for an average of 4 hours a day.^[15] By June 10, Arthur Currie, commander of the 1st Canadian Division, had devised a counteroffensive to retake Hil 62, after eight days of planning.^[16] At 8:30AM on June 12, three Canadian divisions counterattacked. Although German artillery prevented significant gain, Canadian forces managed to retake Mont Sorrel and Hill 61. Total Canadian casualties for the battle approached 8,000^[17]. German casualties were significantly lighter, at 5,765. However, the battle is generally considered a Canadian victory, as all territory lost in the initial assault was regained.

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Zuehlke, Mark Canadian Military Atlas. Toronto, Stoddart, 2001
• Berton, Pierre. Marching as to War. Pierre Berton Books, 2001

[edit] Sources

Library and Archives Canada, War Diaries of the First World War]]]