The Battle of Messines was a battle which happened in the Western front of the First World War. It began on 7 June 1917 when the British Second Army, which was commanded by General Herbert Plumer, attacked near the village of Mesen (Messines) in West Flanders, Belgium. The attack was meant to capture a ridge which ran north from Messines village, past Wytschaete village. This ridge was a natural place where you could keep safe southeast of Ypres. One thing which happened during the battle which was unusual was that 19 mines were set off just before the infantry attack. This was a tactic which made German defences disorganised. This allowed the troops to do what they were supposed to do very quickly. The attack also came before the much larger battle, the Third Battle of Ypres, usually known as Passchendaele, which began on 31 July 1917.