1915 22nd April
Battle of Ypres, 2nd
Alderson commands the Canadian Division at Ypres.
First World War · permanent subject timeline
Second Battle of Ypres
The 1915 battle marked by large-scale chlorine gas attacks. This page combines historical context with 10 matching records drawn directly from the World History Database World War I battle archive.
Historical context
Second Battle of Ypres: overview and significance
What happened?
The Second Battle of Ypres began in April 1915 when German forces released chlorine gas against Allied positions. The attack opened a temporary gap, while Canadian and other Allied troops fought to stabilize the salient.
Why was it important?
The battle demonstrated the battlefield impact of chemical warfare and led all major armies to develop protective equipment and their own gas capabilities. Ypres remained a contested salient for the rest of the war.
World History Database records
Second Battle of Ypres timeline
The records below are selected from the 572-record World War I battles archive and rendered as static HTML in chronological order.
1915
1915 22nd April
Battle of Ypres, 2nd
Currie commands Canadian troops under gas attack at Ypres.
1915 22nd April
Battle of Ypres, 2nd
Belgian forces hold positions near Ypres.
1915 22nd April
Battle of Ypres, 2nd
Deimling commands units during the gas attack at Ypres.
1915 22nd April
Battle of Ypres, 2nd
Albrecht commands German forces during Second Ypres.
1915 22nd April
Battle of Ypres, 2nd
Poison gas is first used on the Western Front, in a German attack on Canadian troops at Ypres
1915 22nd April
Battle of Ypres, 2nd
French troops are hit by the first gas attack at Ypres.
1915 22nd April
Battle of Ypres, 2nd
Smith-Dorrien warns about the danger around Ypres.
1915 6th May
Battle of Ypres, 2nd
Plumer takes command during the Ypres fighting.
1915
Battle of Ypres, 2nd
Spearheads the 2nd major German offensive around Ypres. Albrecht's Army uses the first chlorine gas attacks against the British and French
Editorial provenance
Sources and editorial review
Compiled and edited by World History Database.
Historical context is editorial material; the chronology is generated from World History Database First World War records.
Last reviewed: September 2026.
Imperial War Museums · Commonwealth War Graves Commission · Australian War Memorial
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