Successful British delaying action Luxembourg The Netherlands Belgium France Britain 1941–1943 1944–1945 Germany Strategic campaigns The Battle of the Ypres–Comines Canal was a battle of the Second World War fought between the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and German Army Group B during the BEF's retreat to Dunkirk in 1940.

[2] The origins of the battle lay in the decision by Colonel-General Gerd von Rundstedt, the commander of German Army Group A, on 23 May to halt his armoured forces.

[4] On 24 May Army Group B launched an attack on the Belgian forces stationed along the River Lys east of Menin.

This achieved rapid success and as a result Army Group B conceived the idea of changing the direction of attack from northwest to west, in order to cut off the British and French forces in the pocket from the coast.

[7][9] At about 18.00 hours Gort took the decision that 5th Division, which was to have participated in the attack southwards, should instead go north in order to defend the Ypres-Comines Canal running between those two towns.

[10][11] During the 25th the German 6th Army orders, issued on the 24th, concerning the attack westwards were captured by a British unit and made their way back to Gort.

[20][21][22][23] Later another counter-attack in the south was launched by the 2nd North Staffordshire Regiment and the 3rd Grenadier Guards, borrowed by Brooke from 1st Infantry Division.

[28][33] 5th Division's stand had been critical in allowing a substantial part of the fighting strength of the BEF to reach Dunkirk.

[34][35] Therefore, although total British casualties (including captured) exceeded those of the Germans, the battle was an important success for the BEF.