Ypres Salient

The lowlands west of the ridge were a mixture of meadow and fields with high hedgerows dotted with trees, cut by streams and ditches emptying into the canals.

A salient in military terms is a battlefield feature that projects into an opponent's territory and is surrounded on three sides, making the occupying troops vulnerable.

[3] German and British units conducted operations, made advancements, captured territory and attacked using mines and underground warfare at locations like Broodseinde and Sint Elooi.

Obtaining control of the few hills and ridges became the objective of this battle in which poisonous gas as a weapon was first deployed and the widespread destruction and evacuation of Ypres came about.

During this battle, the Allied units were forced to draw back from Zonnebeke and St Julien to a line of trenches closer to Ypres as German troops held the village of Hooge on Bellewaerde Ridge.

Although many craters have been covered, built over, destroyed, or remodelled, some are still visible and can be preserved, such as The Bluff, a key location in the First Battle of Ypres and now a well-studied historical reserve at which artefacts were found.

Using Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS), remote sensing and aerial photographs, more recent research and archaeological work have provided insight into the landscape, battle zones and tactics employed in the Ypres Salient.