Marcie & Danielle

1. Battle of Vimy Ridge Marcie & Danielle

2. Mainly Germany and Canada fought in the battle of Vimy Ridge. The French and British were only involved from 1915-1916. Overall, they lost more than 1,000,000 men combined before they backed down. Germany captured Vimy Ridge in October of 1914, rapidly constructed deep defensive positions, comprising bunkers, caves, passages and artillery-proof trenches; they were heavily protected by concrete machine gun emplacements. In 1915, the French attempted to gain control over the Ridge. They failed horribly, losing more than 150,000 casualties before the British relieved them. Even though British took over for the French, they were pushed back towards a 2km front, before any plans of action could begin. They suffered high casualty rates and soon grew tired; their numbers depleting, leaving the battle up to the Canadian Corps. The Canadian Corps took charge in spring of 1917, constructing miles of tunnels through which troops could pass in for the opening of the attack without coming under shellfire.  An Aerial Search used “observation balloons” which ensured accurate reports of German advances. Combatants...

3. Location • The epic battle took place in Northern France. The Germans had stationed themselves atop of a grassy hill (Vimy Ridge) close to a town called Arras. • The day was April 9th, Easter Monday, 1917. The forces of each side (Germany and Canada) were ready to attack; unbeknownst to them the day would bring a huge snow storm. • The leading fronts crossed the chaos of No Man's Land, moving their way through shell-holes and destroyed trenches. The mud on their uniforms made climbing in and out of numerous trenches and craters extremely difficult. That and combined with the snow, it was near impossible for soldiers to move efficiently.

6. Map of Vimy Ridge • Shows the order of battle, how various Canadian and a British infantry brigades crossed the "no man's land," and how they made it up to the Ridge, pushing back the German lines.

7. The Beginning... • The capture of Vimy wasn’t until April 10th, 1917. But the battle, horribly bloody (like all battles), lasted for approx. 2 years. Several men and officers lost their lives during the many raids. • December, 1916,all four Canadian Divisions come together, totaling to 100,000 men. • March 1st, 1917. The 4th Division launches the largest of all the Canadian raids against the German positions between the Pimple and Hill 145 (Both were German-stationed). This has devastating effects with 687 Canadians lost. • Throughout the battle, 2 out of the four divisions are successful in completing their objectives. The 3rd division’s plot, however, resulted in many deaths. April 10th, 1917, the Fourth Division attacks the German positions remaining on the ridge just east of Hill 145 and quickly captures them.

8. Why??? • The 1st Division's plan is to attack from its position west of the Arras-Lens road and capture the main German trenches, carry through to capture positions south of Thelus and go east to capture Farbus. The front line falls quickly but resistance stiffens as they reach the second line. By the end of the day, the 1st Division and 2nd Division has achieved its objectives. • Positioned north of the 1st Division, the 2nd Division will also attack Thelus. Its objectives are similar to the 1st Division's, that is, to capture the main German trench position in front of Thelus. • The 3rd Division is to attack on a front of 1.2 kilometres opposite La Folie Wood. Its objective is to reach the eastern slope of Vimy Ridge. The terrain here, unlike to the south, is rife with shell holes, mine craters, and old and new trenches. In the face of these obstacles, they manage to capture La Folie Farm, push through La Folie Wood and capture positions south of Hill 145. German resistance is stiff for the 3rd Division and, sniping a particular German strength, results in many deaths. • The 4th Division is to attack from Bradmarsh Crater to Givenchy. Its objective is Hill 145 and the eastern slopes of the ridge. This is the most heavily defended part of the ridge, their northern flank is open to fire from the strong German position of the Pimple. It is also the most steep and destroyed landscape in the area. While the north and south part of the Division do well, the centre is annihilated. By late in the day they manage to capture Hill 145, although German trenches east of the Hill are still active. • The Canadian achievement in capturing Vimy Ridge owed its success to sound and meticulous planning and thorough preparation, all of which was aimed at minimizing casualties. But it was the splendid fighting qualities and devotion to duty of Canadian officers and soldiers on the battlefield that were decisive. Most of them citizen-soldiers, they performed like professionals.

9. Why??? Contd. • The 4th Division attacks the Pimple. After a short fight they capture it, and push toward the village of Givenchy-en-Gohelle. While the Allies expect counterattack, none appeared, and a day later the Germans withdraw from Givenchy and pull back onto the Douai Plain. The meticulous planning and rehearsing of the Canadian Corps pay off and their reputation as the most effective fighting machine of the Western Front, and of Canada itself, is sealed. • There was some hand-to-hand fighting, but the greatest resistance, and heavy Canadian losses, came from the strongly-emplaced machine-guns in the German intermediate line. Overcoming this resistance, three of the four divisions captured their part of the Ridge by midday, right on schedule. In the final stage, the 2nd Canadian Division was assisted by the British 13th Brigade, which fell under its command for the operation. The 4th Canadian Division's principal objective was Hill 145, the highest and most important feature of the whole Ridge • Because of its importance, the Germans had fortified Hill 145 with well-wired trenches and a series of deep dug-outs beneath its rear slope. The brigades of the 4th Division were hampered by fire from the Pimple, the other prominent height, which inflicted costly losses on the advancing waves of infantry. Renewed attacks were mounted using troops that were originally scheduled to attack the Pimple (a German stronghold at the northern tip of Vimy Ridge) . Finally, in the afternoon of April 10, a fresh assault by a relieving brigade cleared the summit of Hill 145 and thus placed the whole of Vimy Ridge in Canadian hands. Two days later, units of the 10th Canadian Brigade successfully stormed the Pimple. By that time, the enemy had accepted the loss of Vimy Ridge as permanent and had pulled back more than three kilometres

11. Bibliography http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/vimyridge.html - Battles: The Battle of Vimy Ridge, 1917- Last Updated Sunday, Feb. 2nd 2003 - Original Material By Michael Duffy http://www.wwii.ca/page9.html - Battle of Vimy Ridge, April 1917 - Sources: For King & Empire, Veterans Affairs Canada, Library and Archives of Canada - Last Updated April 8th, 2007 http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/sub.cfm?source=history/firstwar/vimy/vimy3 - Veteran Affairs Canada - The Battle of Vimy Ridge - Last Updated Sept. 18th, 1998