World War 1 Passchendale Ridge (60 m (200 ft)) gives its name in common parlance to a major battle of the First World War, officially the Third Battle of Ypres. It was a British led offensive against the Germans, lasting from 31 July to 10 November 1917. Distinguishing features included the extensive rain leading up to it, as well as the relative absence of French troops. The government of France faced a massive mutiny at the time, having lost nearly 4 million troops to this point against the Central Powers. In addition to English troops, Welsh, Scotch, Irish, American, Canadian, Belgian, Kiwi and Indian troops fought on the side of the Allies, under the command of Field Marshal Douglas Haig. The combination of a field littered with shell hole craters and relentless rain led to a battlefield having the consistency of porridge. The holes in the earth filled with water, debris, and bodies, causing nearly everything to be coated with a slick layer of slime. Despite the rain, contamination of the water supply led to massive dehydration and sickness amongst the troops on both sides during the long months of battle. Guns sank into the earth and troops drowned in the soft mud as they tried to charge the line. Finally, after 16 weeks of fighting in conditions which varied from rain, mud, and slime, to hot and dry weather with great clouds of dust, the initial objective of Passchendaele Ridge had been gained at a cost of 270,000 Allied lives, including 17,000 officers. German casualties were likewise staggering, with 217,000 German soldiers lost. The town itself was leveled.