Ypres

1. Ypres

2. Dates and Locations- 2nd battle, April 1915- in and around the Belgian city of Ypres in Flanders

5. Problems faced -Canadian and French troops were exposed to poison gas for the first time

6. Problems faced (continued) - After releasing a cloud of chlorine cloud gas, the Germans attacked

8. Achievements -Despite the gas attack, the Canadian lines did not break

9. Achievements (continued) -British reinforcements helped prevent further German advances

10. Achievements (continued) -Canadian doctor John Mc Crae wrote his famous poem “in Flanders Fields” to commemorate the…

11. (continued) … the dead and injured Canadians he treated at the Second Battle of Ypres

12. Casualties -6 000 Canadians killed, wounded, or captured

16. The Somme

17. Dates and Locations- between July and November 1916, fought in northern France

19. Problems faced - General Douglais Haig did not understand how new military technology had changed the way war was fought

20. Problem faced (continued) -Haig ordered suicidal frontal charges against German trench lines, which were costly failure

23. Problem faced (continued) -Troops fought for 5 months with no breakthrough

24. Achievements - The battle resulted in a stalemate, with neither side winning a clear victory

25. Achievements (continued) - The Central Powers suffered higher causalities, and the Allies gained 8 kilometers of mud, enabling General Haig to claim victory

26. Casualties The CEF suffered 24 000 causalities- On the 1st day of battle, 85% of the Royal Newfoundland regiment was wiped out in half-hour

27. Casualties (continued) During five months of fighting, over a million Allied and Central Powers’ troops were killed or wounded

30. The Battle of Vimy Ridge

31. Dates-Began on Easter Monday: April 9, 1917-Ended 3 days later

32. Location • Vimy Ridge was a key German defensive position on the Western Front-Located in northern France

34. Problems Faced -French units had tried to take Vimy Ridge 3 times and failed -suffered high casualties (150 000 dead)

35. -Allied command thought the ridge was impenetrable-The Canadians had to find an approach that worked

36. - The Germans had fortified the ridge with 3 trench lines, concrete gun emplacements, and deep protective dugouts

37. The Preparations -Canadians mapped out 80% of German gun positions

38. -Built replicas of Vimy terrain to rehearse -Dug 5 km of tunnels to move troops and supplies

39. -Canadians invented new strategy called “Creeping Barrage” or “Leap-frogging” to sneak up on the enemy

40. The Battle -Allies pounded Germans with artillery for 2 weeks before attack

41. Canadian units began their attack in a snowstorm (April 9) and met their first two objectives in less than two hours

44. -3 days later Hill 145, the highest point on the ridge, was taken

45. - Vimy Ridge was a huge victory for the Allies, gaining more ground, prisoners, and captured artillery than any previous offensive in the war

48. - Canada’s victory earned its troops recognition as a formidable force

49. - Vimy Ridge was an important turning point for Canada, gaining it world recognition and creating a strong sense of patriotism