The battle was made up of 'bite and hold' attacks. This captured ground that could be useful. It also wore down the German army with attacks and counter-attacks by the German army to stop the Allied attacks and take back ground. It lasted until the Canadian Corps captured Passchendaele on 6 November 1917. The battle ended on 10 November, apart from small operations. Causing huge casualties for the Germans, the Allies had captured 5 miles (8 km) of some of the best defended territory in the world. They lost 140,000 men. This is a ratio of about 2 inches (5 cm) of ground taken by every dead soldier. The Germans took back the lost ground when the line was shortened five months later, during the Battle of the Lys, losing it forever on 28 September 1918.