What decisive tactical measure halted the Imperial German advance along the Yser river in West Flanders in October 1914?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Opening the sluice gates at Nieuwpoort to deliberately flood the low-lying coastal polders
Answer: Opening the sluice gates at Nieuwpoort to deliberately flood the low-lying coastal polders. Why not the others: Heavy naval gunboats did not operate on the shallow inland Yser; the Belgian army was entrenched rather than using massed cavalry; underground mine detonation characterized the later 1917 Battle of Messines.
- Step 1: During the Battle of the Yser (October 1914), the Belgian army under King Albert I was in danger of being overwhelmed by the German 4th Army.
- Step 2: Belgian engineers, guided by lock-keeper Karel Cogge and skipper Hendrik Geeraert, opened the sea sluices at Nieuwpoort at high tide, inundating the polders between the Yser and railway embankment, halting the German advance.
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