Editing Battle of Passchendaele (section)

===Subsequent operations===

====Winter 1917–1918====

The area to the east and south of the ruins of Passchendaele village was held by posts, those to the east being fairly habitable, unlike the southern ones; from Passchendaele as far back as Potijze, the ground was far worse. Each brigade spent four days in the front line, four in support and four in reserve. The area was quiet apart from artillery-fire and in December the weather turned cold and snowy, which entailed a great effort to prevent [[trench foot]]. In January, spells of freezing cold were followed by warmer periods, one beginning on 15 January with torrential rain and gale-force winds, washing away plank roads and [[duckboard]] tracks.{{sfn|Boraston|Bax|1999|pp=167–168}} Conditions in the salient improved with the completion of transport routes and the refurbishment of German pillboxes. Both sides raided and the British used night machine-gun fire and artillery barrages to great effect.{{sfn|Seton Hutchinson|2005|pp=79–80}} On the evening of 3 March 1918, two companies of the 8th Division raided Teal Cottage, supported by a smoke and shrapnel barrage, killed many of the garrison and took six prisoners for one man wounded.{{sfn|Boraston|Bax|1999|p=171}} A German attack on 11 March was repulsed; after that the Germans made no more attacks, keeping up frequent artillery bombardments and machine-gun fire instead.{{sfn|Gillon|2002|pp=180–183}} When the German armies further south began the [[German spring offensive|Spring Offensive]] on 21 March 1918, "good" divisions in Flanders were sent south; the 29th Division was withdrawn on 9 April and transferred to the Lys.{{sfnm|1a1=Seton Hutchinson|1y=2005|1p=80|2a1=Gillon|2y=2002|2p=186}}

====Retreat, 1918====

{{see also|German Spring Offensive|Operation Michael|Battle of the Lys (1918)}}

On 23 March, Haig ordered Plumer to make contingency plans to shorten the line and release troops for the other armies. Worn-out divisions from the south had been sent to Flanders to recuperate closer to the coast. On 11 April, Plumer authorised a withdrawal of the southern flank of the Second Army. On 12 April, the VIII Corps HQ ordered the infantry retirement to begin that night and the 59th Division was replaced by part of the 41st Division and transferred south. The II Corps had begun to withdraw its artillery at the same time as VIII Corps, on the night of 11/12 April and ordered the 36th (Ulster) and 30th divisions to conform to the VIII Corps retirement, which was complete by 13 April, with no German interference.{{sfn|Edmonds|Davies|Maxwell-Hyslop|1995|pp=113–114, 245, 275}} On 13 April, Plumer agreed to a retirement in the south side of the salient to a line from Mt Kemmel to Voormezeele [{{cvt|2.5|mi}} south of Ypres], White Château [{{cvt|1|mi}} east of Ypres] and Pilckem Ridge.{{sfn|Edmonds|Davies|Maxwell-Hyslop|1995|pp=299–300, 319, 316, 326}} The 4th Army diary recorded that the withdrawal was discovered at {{nowrap|4:40&nbsp;a.m.}} Next day, at the [[Battle of Merckem]], the Germans attacked from Houthulst Forest, north-east of Ypres and captured Kippe but were forced out by Belgian counter-attacks, supported by the II Corps artillery. On the afternoon of 27 April, the south end of the Second Army outpost line was driven in near Voormezeele and another British outpost line was established north-east of the village.{{sfn|Edmonds|Davies|Maxwell-Hyslop|1995|pp=337–338, 342, 443}}