page_title: New Zealand Division
section_title: Battle of Broodseinde
hierarchical_section_title: New Zealand Division / Western Front / Ypres Offensive / Battle of Broodseinde
caption_attribution_description: English: The New Zealand Infantry moving up to the Ypres sector in anticipation of the attack on Broodseinde Ridge two days later.
context_page_description: The New Zealand Division was an infantry division of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force raised for service in the First World War. It was formed in Egypt in early 1916 when the New Zealand and Australian Division was renamed after the detachment of its Australian personnel left the New Zealand Infantry Brigade, together with reinforcements from New Zealand, as the basis of the division. It was commanded by Major General Andrew Hamilton Russell for the duration of the war.
  The division saw service on the Western Front in France and Belgium, fighting in major battles at the Somme, Messines and Broodseinde Ridge throughout 1916 and 1917. All were notable successes for the New Zealanders but the division suffered a serious defeat at Passchendaele on 12 October 1917, its most costly day of the war.
  In early 1918, the division helped blunt the German Spring Offensive at the Somme, before the Allies went on the offensive in August. During the Hundred Days' Offensive that followed, it was one of the lead divisions of the Third Army and advanced 100 kilometres in 75 days. The division's last major engagement of the war was at Le Quesnoy in early November 1918.
context_section_description: In the weeks leading up to the battle, the division repeatedly practiced the tactics it would employ in its attack on Gravenstafel Spur. When it moved into the front line, its frontage was approximately 2,000 metres (2,200 yd). The 4th Brigade moved into the southern portion of the line on 2 October.  On its right was the 3rd Australian Division, while on its left flank was the 1st Brigade.  The 48th Division (of XVIII Corps) was to the left of the 1st Brigade. Together with the 1st Brigade, the 4th Brigade was tasked with two objectives, the Red Line and the Blue Line.  The 1st Auckland and Wellington battalions of 1st Brigade, together with the 3rd Auckland and Canterbury battalions of 4th Brigade, were to advance to and secure the Red Line, running along the crest of the ridge.  The other two battalions of the respective brigades would then leapfrog their predecessors through the Red Line to take the Blue Line, at the bottom of the Belluvue Spur.
  On 4 October, preceded by an artillery barrage beginning at 6:00 am, the division began its offensive with the infantry advancing behind a creeping barrage, which caught a mass of German troops, preparing for their own attack, out in the open.  The German infantry, battered by the artillery fire, were swiftly dealt with by the advancing New Zealanders.  Despite the presence of pillboxes, the Red Line was reached on schedule, with some limited mopping up operations conducted forward of the line by parties from the advancing battalions.  Having moved up to the Red Line behind the attacking forces, at 8:10 am, the next phase of the advance began as infantry from the remaining battalions of 1st and 4th Brigades moved forward to the Blue Line.  Despite some resistance from machine gun nests and pockets of infantry sheltering in shell holes, the Blue Line was reached at 9:30 am. Rain began to fall later that afternoon, and the ground quickly became boggy.  For the next two days, under the protection of heavy artillery support, both brigades consolidated their positions and established trench lines.  The Germans mounted some small-scale counterattacks but these were easily dealt with.  From 5 October, the rain began to set in, making movement of men and equipment to the front line difficult.  On 6 October, the New Zealanders were relieved by the 49th Division.
  The attack was a success with the brigades taking all their objectives on schedule. The 4th Brigade captured 700 prisoners of war, for the loss of 130 men killed, and over 600 wounded. In the 1st Brigade, 192 were killed along with 700 wounded. From its starting positions, the division made gains of around 1,000 metres. Both Godley and Russell were pleased with the outcome and pushed for further involvement by the New Zealand Division in the ongoing offensive.
  Buoyed by the success of 4 October, Haig brought forward the next phase of the offensive, the Battle of Poelcappelle, by a day, to 9 October. The British divisions of Godley's II ANZAC Corps were to be involved in the initial attack, which was to be followed by an advance on Passchendaele by the New Zealand Division on 12 October.
caption: New Zealand infantry marching up to the Ypres sector in anticipation of the attack on Gravenstafel Spur, September 1917
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