Passchendaele village lay barely five miles beyond the starting point of his offensive. Having predicting a decisive success, it had taken over three months, 325,000 Allied and 260,000 German casualties to do little more than make the bump of the Ypres salient somewhat larger. In Haig's defence, the rationale for a attacker was clear and many agreed that the Germans could afford the casualties less than the Allies, who were being reinforced by America's entry into the war. Yet Haig's decision to continue into November remains deeply debatable and the arguments, like the battle, seem destined to go on and
