Flooding at Newport

[Cnock]

RIR 236

After 2nd Battle of Ypres

Translation :

Waterpump in the trenches,

free delivery to the British.

Cnock

[Cnock]

Previous pic :

Elevation German trenches ( near Shell Trap Farm : between 25 and 30 mtrs above sea level

British trenches : between 20 and 25 mtrs above sea level

Regards,

Cnock

[PhilB]

If the Germans had brought up enough pumping power, they might have flooded the British out of their trenches without firing a shot!

[Cnock]

Main floodings between Nieuwpoort and Diksmuide

[Cnock]

Main floodings between Diksmuide and Ieper

Regards,

Cnock

[Robert Dunlop]

Thanks Cnock. Your first map shows the railway line that runs directly from Diksmuide to Nieuwpoort. The line was elevated above the surrounding ground. It was vital in enabling the Belgian forces to make the most of the effects of the innundations to the east of the line.

Robert

[PhilB]

Thanks gents. I didn`t realize the flooding was so extensive. (I`m assuming it`s the green areas). I suppose the flooded area had a water level at zero metres, but if the lock gates were in effect permanently open, maybe the level rose and fell with tides? And possibly a very high tide might have an effect back in the Salient. Where are the forum hydrologists when you need them?

[truthergw]

QUOTE (Phil_B @ Apr 6 2008, 09:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If the Germans had brought up enough pumping power, they might have flooded the British out of their trenches without firing a shot!

There are early reports of both sides being flooded out of their trenches and observing an ad hoc truce until they were able to get back in. I forget the source of that story and I am too busy to go look.

[Cnock]

Robert,

I enlarged the section of the railway,

Phil,

it is indeed the green areas

Regards,

Cnoc

[Cnock]

Extent of the floodings

at Ramskapelle

extent of the floodings

at Stuivekenskerke

[Cnock]

Extension of the floodings

Noordschote - Drie Grachten

[bob lembke]

Cnock;

Was this fresh water flooding? Or, perhaps brackish, a mix of fresh and salt? I was wondering about the long-term effects, say on agriculture.

Bob Lembke

[abn311]

A report on the results of Belgian inundations said:

"There seems liitle doubt that the Germans accepted the Yser inundation, preferring a stable flood to the tidal one which would have resulted had they destroyed the controls by bombardments. They actually constructed two concrete dams across the Yser between Dixmude and Nieuport, which could have no other purpose than to maintain the water in the Yser"

Regards Peter

Peter,

Never heard of this. You have any more information on the existence of these dams ?

regards,

bert.

[Cnock]

Hi,

Never heard of this too.

The Germans in fact never realized the importance of the lock system at Nieuwpoort concerning the inundations, and made no further attacks to take the lock system.

The idea to inundate came from an amateur-historician at Veurne, who informed the Belgian engineers that centuries ago, the inundations were used to halt French invaders.

The brackish water made many soldiers turn sick.

Cnock

[Cnock]

In fact, for the first inundations the Noordvaart was used, and not the IJzer, later the Belgians will use water imported from France via the canal Dunkerque -Veurne.

At Nieuwpoort a special Belgian unit was created, the 'sapeurs pontonniers', with task to control and maintain the inundations.

Cnock

[SiegeGunner]

There is a book about all this – "In Flanders Flooded Fields - Before Ypres there was Yser", and I have a copy of it, but it's so ponderously translated from Dutch that I've never yet managed to get into it. I defer in all these matters to Cnock's phenomenal knowledge of events in his home area, but am nevertheless rather puzzled to hear that the Germans never realised the importance of the locks at Nieuwpoort.

[mebu]

Bert, Cnock, there is a lot of info on both British (with Belgian) and German inundation techniques and policies in The Work of the RE in the Great War, Miscellaneous volume. Below are some bits from it.

There are a number of detailed maps at Kew showing the inundations, can't remember the piece nos but I was doing work a time ago on planned 1918 defensive flooding. There is also report/s at Brompton corps library. Will try and provide more info if needed, Regards Peter

[mebu]

Hopefully this is a bit easier to read..........

[mebu]

PS just noticed this bit of "local information"....not everyone was helpful......

[mebu]

PS, attached is info from 1918 map on modern......showing the flooding defence scheme by damming at Dunkerque

[PhilB]

Thanks for all the info gents. To go back to the original question, would these floods have the effect of raising the water table and slowing down the drainage in the Salient? Or at least making it more difficult to keep trenches reasonably dry?

[abn311]

Thanks for your scanwork, mebu. Notice that the inundations caused by the Belgian army are marked on the RE map as 'actual enemy inundations encountered during final offensive'. An error in the legend ?

Just checked my copy of Nieuport 1914-1918 by Robert Thys, the CO of the 'compagnie des Sapeurs-Pontonniers' Cnock referred to. The book contains a chapter on 'constructions made by the Germans'. During an inspection in October 1918, several locks were found between the inundation and the Yser. Near borne 5,5 an attempt had been made to build dam in earthworks across the Yser. It was assumed that this dam was constructed to prevent the drainage of the inundations further upstream during the 1917 offensives. No trace of concrete dams however.

regards,

bert.

[abn311]

Phil B,

To answer your question: no. The inundations were caused in areas lying ca. 2-3 m above sea-level. The battlefields of 3rd Ypres are situated a lot (relatively though ) higher: e.g. St-Juliaan: ca 15-20 m, 's Graventafel ca 30 m and Tyne Cot ca 50 m. The poor conditions there were the consequence of lots of rain and a lack of proper on-site drainage.

regards,

bert.

[centurion]

The flooding and backing up of the Yser canal (see photo) cannot have helped the drainage around Ypres

[Cnock]

Hi,

I refer to my posts nrs 19 and 22

Regards,

Cnock