The battle of Vimy Ridge was a very historic moment for Canadian history. It was the first time Canada had attacked as a nation, with all four divisions attacking together, defining our country’s army as formidable. It began when Canada was ordered to attack Vimy Ridge, located in Northern France, in April 1917. This was a very strategic point for the German army as it was a very high vantage point, and was heavily fortified. This also meant that Canada would be fighting over a graveyard; all other attempts to take over this fortress had failed, meaning over 100,000 French casualties alone. This meant that careful planning and preparation must take place. They trained for weeks before the attack, with infantry being trained in specialty roles such as grenadier or flame-thrower operator, with special models and newly taken aerial photos to organize the attack. To get men closer to the front lines, engineers dug tunnels towards the German front lines.
Before the men emerge to take over the trench, artillery fire would force German soldiers into their bunkers, disabling them from defending their trench and allow soldiers to cross safely. Timing was key during this part of the attack, since artillery fire would stop and allow a narrow window where Canadian troops could cross without German machineguns and artillery to kill them, but would have to be done before the German force came out of their bunkers. As put by commander Sir Julian Byng, “Chaps, you shall go over exactly like a railroad train, on time, or you shall be annihilated”. Just a week before the Canadian offense, artillery bombarded the front lines for the first phase of the attack. Nearly unlimited shells and the new 106 Fuse, which exploded on impact, not only kept the Germans at bay, but destroyed much of the trench’s defense as well.
At exactly 5:30 AM on April 9, 1917, over 15,000 Canadian troops stormed and overran the German front line. The extreme preparedness and bravery of the group allowed them to continue the attack, even when their officers were killed. Continued acts of bravery allowed the attack to persist, such as surrendering an entire German bunker single handedly and charging machine guns. Hill 145, the highest hill in Vimy Ridge, was captured by a frontal bayonet charge against nests of machine guns stationed there. The rest succumbed after this attack, and Vimy Ridge was successfully captured, but not before 10,000 Canadian casualties occurred. This well-planned assault lead to the victory of Canadians that day, and proved Canada as a nation.
Vimy Ridge
Gun Emplacements, Farbus Wood, Vimy Ridge by Mary Riter Hamilton, 1919
Vimy Ridge - A PhotoStory
