Third Battle of Artois | |||||||||
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Part of the Western Front of the First World War | |||||||||
Franco-British offensive, September 1915 | |||||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||||
France United Kingdom | German Empire | ||||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Victor d'Urbal John French | Crown Prince Rupprecht | ||||||||
Strength | |||||||||
French Tenth Army: 10 divisions British First Army: 8 divisions | 6th Army: 9 divisions | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||||
French: 48,230 British: 61,713 |
c. 51,100 (2,000 POW) |
The Third Battle of Artois (25 September – 4 November 1915, also the Loos–Artois Offensive) was fought by the French Tenth Army against the German 6th Army on the Western Front of the First World War. The battle included the Battle of Loos by the British First Army. The offensive, meant to complement the Second Battle of Champagne, was the last attempt that year by Joseph Joffre, the French commander-in-chief, to exploit an Allied numerical advantage over Germany. Simultaneous attacks were planned in Champagne-Ardenne to capture the railway at Attigny and in Artois to take the railway line through Douai, to force a German withdrawal from the Noyon salient.