Editing Battle of Passchendaele (section)

====Battle of Pilckem Ridge====

{{main|Battle of Pilckem Ridge}}

[[File:The Battle of Passchendaele, July-november 1917 Q5726.jpg|thumb|{{centre|German prisoners and British wounded cross the Yser Canal near Boesinghe, 31 July 1917. ([[Imperial War Museum|IWM]] Q5726)}}]]
The British attack began at {{nowrap|3:50&nbsp;a.m.}} on 31 July; the attack was to commence at dawn but a layer of unbroken low cloud meant that it was still dark when the infantry advanced.{{sfn|Prior|Wilson|1996|p=89}} The main attack, by [[II Corps (United Kingdom)|II Corps]] across the Ghelveult Plateau to the south, confronted the principal German defensive concentration of artillery, ground-holding divisions ({{lang|de|Stellungsdivisionen}}) and {{lang|de|Eingreif}} divisions. The attack had most success on the northern flank, on the fronts of [[XIV Corps (United Kingdom)|XIV Corps]] and the French First Army, both of which advanced {{cvt|2500|–|3000|yd|mi+km}} to the line of the Steenbeek river. In the centre, [[XVIII Corps (United Kingdom)|XVIII Corps]] and [[XIX Corps (United Kingdom)|XIX Corps]] pushed forward to the line of the Steenbeek (black line) to consolidate and sent fresh troops towards the green line and on the XIX Corps front to the red line, for an advance of about {{cvt|4000|yd}}. Group Ypres counter-attacked the flanks of the British break-in, supported by every artillery piece and aircraft within range, around noon. The Germans were able to drive the three British brigades back to the black line with {{nowrap|70 per cent}} casualties; the German advance was stopped at the black line by mud, artillery and machine-gun fire.{{sfn|Prior|Wilson|1996|pp=90–95}}