Belgian soldier who lost his eyes in a flamethrower attack, 1915 - 1918.

Belgian soldier who lost his eyes in a flamethrower attack, 1915 - 1918.

Today 104 years ago, on October 14, 1918, the Battle of Courtrai (Kortrijk) began as part of the Hundred Days Offensive, also called the Second Battle of Belgium.

On September 28, 1918, the Allies had launched the Fifth Battle of Ypres, eliminating the Ypres Salient and pushing the Germans eastwards. The offensive was called off on October 2 due to bad weather, German reinforcements, and supply issues for the Allies. However, as soon as the weather improved, the Allies were planning on going on the offensive again to fully liberate Belgium. 

The 12 Divisions of the Belgian Army, 6 French Divisions of the French 6th Army, and 10 British Divisions of the British 2nd Army all grouped together under the "Army Group of Flanders", commanded by Belgian King Albert I, which were to attack along the Lys river in Flanders.

On October 14, 1918, the Belgian, French and British forces attacked, supported by a very effective creeping barrage. In the north, the Belgians swiftly advanced, capturing Ostende, Bruges, Zeebrugge, and reaching the Dutch border by October 20. The Germans withdrew behind the Deinze-Bruges Canal and halted the Belgians. 

In the middle, the French also advanced and captured Roulers on October 16. The British forces in the south crossed the Lys and captured Lille, Douai, and Courtrai by October 19. The Germans withdrew behind the Scheldt river (l'Escaut) and halted the Allies there.

The advance exhausted the Allied troops, so 2 U.S. Divisions were moved to Flanders to reinforce the French. On October 20, the Allies launched a fresh attack along the front in the Battle of the Lys and Escaut.

The Belgians faced heavy German resisitance when trying to eject them from the Deinze-Bruges Canal, suffering heavy losses. The French and Americans also had trouble crossing the Scheldt river, but did manage to create a bridgehead.

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However, the British advanced and captured Valenciennes on November 2, forcing the Germans along the front to withdraw to the Scheldt at Ghent.

The British captured Mons on November 10, and the Belgians, French and Americans were ready to attack again, but news of the immenent Armistice put a halt to this - much to the surprise of the soldiers.

On November 11, the Armistice of Compiègne was signed and the Germans began withdrawing from Belgium, ending almost 4,5 years of German occupation. 

Total casualties for the Battle of Courtrai and the Battle of the Lys and Escaut are unknown, though 12,000 German prisoners were taken. 

The Allies had succeeded in liberating Belgium, but the German retreat was never a rout - and victory had come at a cost. During the liberation of Belgium, the Belgian Army lost a staggering 1/5 of its forces, accounting for some 1/3 of all Belgian casualties sustained in the entire First World War.