Battle of Hill 60 (Western Front)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Hill 60 was an Australian assault that was subsidiary to the Battle of Neuve Chapelle
.
and was named for the 60 metre contour which marked its bounds. Hill 60 was not a natural highpoint, but was created as a result of the digging of the nearby railway cutting. As such it was a strategically significant area of high ground. The hill had been captured by the Germans
on December 10, 1914 from the French army. After the Race for the Sea, it was obvious the Hill had to be retaken. A great deal of fighting around Hill 60 was underground.
In the first operation of its kind by the British, the Corps of Royal Engineers specialist tunnelling companies
laid six mines by April 10, 1915, planned by Major-General Bulfin
.. These mines (together with other unfinished mines) were filled with around 10000 lbs of explosives, with the resulting explosions ripped the heart out of the hill over a period of some 10 seconds. It flung debris almost 300 feet (91.4 m) into the air and scattered it for a further 300 yards (274.3 m) in all directions.
During a German attempt to recapture the hill on the night of 20–21 April, four VCs were won by Edward Dwyer
, B. Handley Geary
, George Roupell
and Geoffrey Woolley
.
Hill 60 was eventually taken by the Germans following a gas attack on 5 May 1915. The results were devastating. The front trenches were overrun when the forward companies were almost wiped out. Only 2 officers and 70 men from one battalion
remained.
It was due to a stout defense by a platoon of the Devon and Dorsets
and the Battalion Headquarter Staff of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment
that a breakthrough was prevented.
Tunnelling Company took over mining operations in November 1916, led in part by Captain Oliver Woodward
CMG
MC
.
At 03:10 on 7 June 1917, at the start of the Battle of Messines
, 19 mines filled with 450,000 kg of explosives, were detonated under the German lines, demolishing a large part of the hill and killing approximately 10,000 German soldiers occupying the trenches. Although only 19 of the 21 mines exploded, it created one of the largest explosions in history, reportedly able to be felt in London and Dublin.
A memorial to the Australian troops killed here during the course of the war was later placed at the site.
Other companies of 2/RSF held the railway line between hill 60 and the "Entrepot" at the canal bridge. To their right the Inniskillings and to their rear on the main road was D company in reserve. The 6/Seaforths held "the Dump", where Sgt. Stewart was to win the DCM for his actions after taking over command when all the officers had become casualties.
Though a defeat for the BEF, this and associated actions (including those to the west) kept the "Dunkirk corridor" open for about 24 hours longer, enabling the escape to the coast of thousands of retreating troops who would otherwise have "gone into the bag".
The memorial plate to the Australian miners involved in the First World War possibly bears the scars of this battle.
Battle of Neuve Chapelle
The Battles of Neuve Chapelle and Artois was a battle in the First World War. It was a British offensive in the Artois region and broke through at Neuve-Chapelle but they were unable to exploit the advantage.The battle began on 10 March 1915...
.
1914-15
Hill 60 was a low rise on the southern flank of the Ypres SalientYpres Salient
The Ypres Salient is the area around Ypres in Belgium which was the scene of some of the biggest battles in World War I.In military terms, a salient is a battlefield feature that projects into enemy territory. Therefore, the salient is surrounded by the enemy on three sides, making the troops...
and was named for the 60 metre contour which marked its bounds. Hill 60 was not a natural highpoint, but was created as a result of the digging of the nearby railway cutting. As such it was a strategically significant area of high ground. The hill had been captured by the Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on December 10, 1914 from the French army. After the Race for the Sea, it was obvious the Hill had to be retaken. A great deal of fighting around Hill 60 was underground.
In the first operation of its kind by the British, the Corps of Royal Engineers specialist tunnelling companies
Royal Engineer tunnelling companies
Royal Engineer tunnelling companies were specialist units of the Corps of Royal Engineers within the British Army, formed to dig attacking tunnels under enemy lines during the First World War....
laid six mines by April 10, 1915, planned by Major-General Bulfin
Edward Bulfin
Lieutenant General Sir Edward Stanislaus Bulfin KCB CVO was a British general during World War I, where he established a reputation as an excellent commander at the brigade, divisional and corps levels...
.. These mines (together with other unfinished mines) were filled with around 10000 lbs of explosives, with the resulting explosions ripped the heart out of the hill over a period of some 10 seconds. It flung debris almost 300 feet (91.4 m) into the air and scattered it for a further 300 yards (274.3 m) in all directions.
Subsequent First World War attacks
A German counter-attack re-captured the hill but the British regained possession on April 18. Fighting continued until April 22.During a German attempt to recapture the hill on the night of 20–21 April, four VCs were won by Edward Dwyer
Edward Dwyer
Corporal Edward Dwyer VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, B. Handley Geary
Benjamin Handley Geary
Major Benjamin Handley Geary VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
, George Roupell
George Rowland Patrick Roupell
George Rowland Patrick Roupell VC CB was born in Tipperary and was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Early life and career:George Roupell was born into a...
and Geoffrey Woolley
Geoffrey Harold Woolley
Geoffrey Harold Woolley VC OBE MC was the first Territorial Army officer to be awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.Woolley was the son of a clergyman, Rev...
.
Hill 60 was eventually taken by the Germans following a gas attack on 5 May 1915. The results were devastating. The front trenches were overrun when the forward companies were almost wiped out. Only 2 officers and 70 men from one battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
remained.
It was due to a stout defense by a platoon of the Devon and Dorsets
Devonshire and Dorset Regiment
The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, usually just known as the Devon and Dorsets, was an infantry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1958 by the amalgamation of two county regiments:*The Devonshire Regiment*The Dorset Regiment...
and the Battalion Headquarter Staff of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment
The Duke of Wellington's Regiment
The Duke of Wellington's Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division.In 1702 Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he did in and around the city of Gloucester. As was the custom in those days...
that a breakthrough was prevented.
1st Australian Tunnelling Company
The 1st AustralianAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
Tunnelling Company took over mining operations in November 1916, led in part by Captain Oliver Woodward
Oliver Woodward
Oliver Holmes Woodward CMG, MC & Two Bars was an Australian metallurgist, mine manager and soldier noted for his tunneling activities at the Ypres Salient during the First World War....
CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
.
At 03:10 on 7 June 1917, at the start of the Battle of Messines
Battle of Messines
The Battle of Messines was a battle of the Western front of the First World War. It began on 7 June 1917 when the British Second Army under the command of General Herbert Plumer launched an offensive near the village of Mesen in West Flanders, Belgium...
, 19 mines filled with 450,000 kg of explosives, were detonated under the German lines, demolishing a large part of the hill and killing approximately 10,000 German soldiers occupying the trenches. Although only 19 of the 21 mines exploded, it created one of the largest explosions in history, reportedly able to be felt in London and Dublin.
A memorial to the Australian troops killed here during the course of the war was later placed at the site.
1940
Hill 60 was also the site of a desperate battle between the Germans and part of "A" company of the 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers on 27 May 1940, during the Second World War. Though the hill was the scene of a tremendous mortar and artillery barrage (Coy HQ being set up in and around the famous Anglo/German/Belgian pill-box) there was hand to hand action on the nearby Zwarteleen crossroads when a 2/RSF fighting patrol set off to destroy the German MG and mortar positions that had been set up there. The actions of this patrol enabled the evacuation of the defenses on the railway and allowed for a successful withdrawal to the canal line and a general withdrawal towards St.Eloi, Kemmel and Dikkebus.Other companies of 2/RSF held the railway line between hill 60 and the "Entrepot" at the canal bridge. To their right the Inniskillings and to their rear on the main road was D company in reserve. The 6/Seaforths held "the Dump", where Sgt. Stewart was to win the DCM for his actions after taking over command when all the officers had become casualties.
Though a defeat for the BEF, this and associated actions (including those to the west) kept the "Dunkirk corridor" open for about 24 hours longer, enabling the escape to the coast of thousands of retreating troops who would otherwise have "gone into the bag".
The memorial plate to the Australian miners involved in the First World War possibly bears the scars of this battle.
See also
- Sanctuary Wood Museum Hill 62Sanctuary Wood Museum Hill 62The Sanctuary Wood Museum Hill 62, east of Ypres, Belgium is located in the neighborhood of the Canadian Hill 62 Memorial and the Sanctuary Wood Cemetery...
- Beneath Hill 60Beneath Hill 60Beneath Hill 60 is a 2010 Australian war film directed by Jeremy Sims and written by David Roach.Set during World War I, the film tells the story of the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company’s effort to mine beneath a German bunker and detonate an explosive charge to aid the advance of British troops...
, an Australian film based on the mining operations of this battle