Loos
25 September – 13 October 1915
WW1 - Battle of Loos
On 25th September 1915 the British Army attacked in the northern coalfields around the town of Loos, just as the French attacked Vimy Ridge, and began a major offensive in the Champagne.
The Facts
- Date: 25 September – 13 October 1915
- Location: Loos, France
| Countries Involved | |
|---|---|
| British Empire | German Empire |
| Countries Commanders | |
| John French Douglas Haig |
Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria Friedrich Bertram Sixt von Armin |
| Number of Casualties | |
| Nearly 60,000 | Around 26,000 |
Battle result: German Empire Victory
It was an important battle as it was the first time large numbers of wartime volunteers – men of the first 100,000 soldiers to enlist in Kitchener’s Army in 1914 – took part in a big battle. Successful in its early stages, it got bogged down in attrition and cost nearly 60,000 casualties by the time of the final phase of fighting here in October 1915. Among the dead were Charles Hamilton Sorley, war poet, and Jack Kipling, son of Rudyard Kipling, who was killed with the Irish Guards.
Infantry of the British Empire advance through gas at Loos, France
