At 0310 hours on 7 June 1917, the pre-dawn gloom on the Western Front was shattered by the "pillars of fire" - the rapid detonation of 19 huge mines, secreted in tunnels under the German lines and containing 450 tonnes of explosives. Admitted by the Germans to be a "masterstroke", the devastating blasts caused 10,000 soldiers to later be posted simply as "missing". Launching a pre-planned attack into the carnage, supported by tanks and a devastating artillery barrage, the British took the strategic objective of Messines Ridge within hours. A rare example of innovation and success in the First World War (1914-1918), this book is a fresh and timely examination of a fascinating campaign.