| Battle Of Messines |
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Over a period beginning more than a year before the attack, the attackers had tunnelled under the German trenches and planted almost 455 tonnes (1,000,000 lbs) of Ammonal there. A heavy bombardment of the German positions was initiated and then halted. The defenders returned to their positions expecting an assault to follow. The detonation of the explosives killed approximately 10,000 German soldiers and was said to have been heard as far away as London . The real attack then followed. Not all of the explosives went off. Four of the original 21 mines failed to ignite due to one reason or another. On July 17 1955 , a lightning strike set off one of the remaining mines. No one was killed. Several unexploded mines still remain in the area. Several large water-filled craters still mark the original positions of the German trenches. A New Zealand War Monument and the Island Of Ireland Peace Park War Memorial are located on the south side of the Messines village (connect on external link below). EXTERNAL LINKS |
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