The Final Advance in Flanders

28 September-11 November 1918, the Final Advance in Flanders. The British Second Army and Belgian Army combine and finally break out of the Ypres salient. More ground is gained in a day that in the entire Passchendaele offensive of a year before. The offensive continues through fighting in the Courtrai area and eventually well across the Scheldt.

Extract from a map contained in the British Official History of Military Operations, France and Flanders, 1918, volume 5. Crown Copyright.
Extract from a map contained in the British Official History of Military Operations, France and Flanders, 1918, volume 5. Crown Copyright.

The map above illustrates the advance of the British Second Army from 28 September (the position being the solid red line at Ypres shown on the left of the map) to 11 November 1918 (the solid red line at Grammont on the right of the map), with phase-lines in between. The red line of crosses was the start position for operations on 14 October. Note how by that date the Allied forces were well clear of Ypres – the attack of 28 September achieved in 24 hours a deeper advance from Ypres than the entire Third Battle (Passchendaele) had achieved in 1917. North of Second Army came the Belgians, and in the latter stages the United States forces in the Audenarde (Oudenaarde) area; south of Second Army was the British Fifth Army.

Phase: the Battle of Ypres, 28 September – 2 October 1918

Second Army (Plumer)
II Corps (Jacob)
9th (Scottish) Division
29th Division
36th (Ulster) Division.
X Corps (Stephens)
30th Division
34th Division.
XV Corps (de Lisle)
31st Division
40th Division.
XIX Corps (Watts)
14th (Light) Division
35th Division
41st Division.

Phase: the Battle of Courtrai, 14 – 19 October 1918

Second Army (Plumer)
II Corps (Jacob)
9th (Scottish) Division
29th Division
36th (Ulster) Division.
X Corps (Stephens)
30th Division
34th Division.
XV Corps (de Lisle)
14th (Light) Division.
XIX Corps (Watts)
35th Division
41st Division.

Belgian refugee family in a British horse-drawn wagon. Courtrai, 18 October 1918. British soldier holding one of their children. Imperial War Museum image Q11395. The soldier has a wound stripe.
Belgian refugee family in a British horse-drawn wagon. Courtrai, 18 October 1918. British soldier holding one of their children. Imperial War Museum image Q11395. The soldier has a wound stripe.

Subsequent: the action of Ooteghem, 25 October 1918

Second Army (Plumer)
II Corps (Jacob)
9th (Scottish) Division
36th (Ulster) Division.
X Corps (Stephens)
34th Division.
XIX Corps (Watts)
41st Division.

Subsequent: the action of Tieghem, 31 October 1918

Second Army (Plumer)
II Corps (Jacob)
31st Division
34th Division.
XIX Corps (Watts)
35th Division.

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Battles of the Western Front in France and Flanders