Editing Battle of Passchendaele (section)

====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}}