2. Vimy before the Canadians Arrived
► April 1917- The Canadian forces are charged with
capturing Vimy Ridge (110 meters at its highest
point)
► Germans had unrestricted view of Allied positions
► The ridge is 7km long, heavily defended
(considered impregnable)
► 4 strong fortifications: Hill 135, Hill 145, La Folie
Farm, and the “Pimple”
► Under the Ridge were large underground
chambers with lights and deep dug-outs protected
the defenders
3. ► From 1914-1916 the British and French had launched 3
massive attacks on the Ridge
► They had lost 150,000 men
4. YOU ARE THE ATTACK
PLANNER
► You will be given time in class to prepare for
the battle on Vimy Ridge.
► A group of 4 or 5 people will plan and
prepare the attack on Vimy.
► Use the activity sheet provided.
► Good Luck.
6. The Preparation
► Allies use aerial photographs to plan the assault
► Canadian troops rehearse the assault and their various roles
► Every Canadian troop knew what they had to do. (this was
new)
7. The Preparation
► Platoon Tactics:
► Canadian Corps were reorganized to
include: Rifles, Rifle-gernade, Machine
guns, bombing sections.
► They were to move in loose formation and
give each other cover fire
► Machine Guns:
► They were used for indirect fire, not used as
a defense
8. ► Artillery:
► 850 guns were assembled
► Bombardment of the Ridge began on March
20th, 1917 (3 weeks before the attack)
► 2,500 tons of ammunition were expended
each day
► April 2, “The week of suffering” began
Artillery was intensified before the battle
► German defences were the focus. They
were able to target these areas because of
reconnaissance and airplanes
9. ► Raiding and Rehearsing:
► Raids to learn about enemy and hurt morale
► Far behind the allied line infantry were
rehearsing exactly each objective
► Practiced on a model of the Ridge
► Other Preparations:
► Miners dug tunnels to the front
► Dug Mines under German defenses
15. The Plan
► Allied artillery will shell the German trenches
heavily as Canadian forces advance behind a
“Creeping Barrage or Rolling Barrage”
► The Germans will hopefully be taking cover in their
bunkers and the Canadians will be able to capture
the ridge
►
"Chaps, you shall go over exactly like a railroad train, on time, or you
shall be annihilated,"
► Canadian Corps commander Sir Julian Byng.
16. The Battle
► The battle begins at 5:30 am on April 9 th (delayed
one day) Easter Monday
► Machine guns open fired
► Mines were exploded
► Artillery Barrage Began
► Gas shells into rear German areas (cut off
supplies)
► Attackers went behind the Rolling Barrage (100
yards every 3 minutes)
17. ►Canadians advance up the ridge (in
snow and sleet)
►Were into enemy trenches before
defenders could emerge from the dug-
outs.
►capture three lines of enemy trenches
► "A wonderful success. The grandest day the Corps
has ever had. The attack was carried out exactly
as planned. The sight was awful and wonderful."
General Arthur Currie
18.
19.
20.
21.
22. Victory!
► Hill 145, the highest point, is captured by a frontal
bayonet charge against machine guns
► The Canadian victory comes after 3 days of
fighting, on April 12 1917
► Canadian forces suffered over 10,000 causalities
including 3,598 killed
26. Canada’s Shining Moment
► This battle was the first time the 4 Canadian
divisions fought together as one force
► Canadians show incredible bravery and
discipline and continue to attack even after
their officers are killed
► Canadians single handedly capture
machine gun nests and German bunkers
27. To The Victors…
► Canadians captured more land, prisoners and
guns than any previous British offensive
► "in those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a nation."
Brigadier-General A.E. Ross
► 1922 France cedes Vimy Ridge and the area
around it to Canada
31. Arthur Currie
► Arthur Currie is knighted, made commander of the
Canadian forces
► For the first time Canada’s forces will be led by a
Canadian
► Canadians had begun the war as colonials, but
were now Allies
32.
33. The Glorious Success
► Vimy Ridge becomes a symbol for Canadian
sacrifice and pride
► Canadians from every province fought side by
side, making Vimy a symbol of Canada’s united
identity
► 1936 The Vimy Ridge memorial is unveiled
35. The Canadian National Vimy
Memorial
► The two pillars represent the nations of Canada
and France
► One of the main figures is, Canada Mourning: a
woman, hooded and cloaked. This grieving figure
represents Canada — a young nation mourning
her fallen sons.
► The names of the 11,285 Canadian soldiers who
died in France whose bodies weren’t recovered
are carved on the memorial
37. The Vimy Memorial
► “Vimy was not a war memorial which was devoted to triumph or the
glory of a great military leader, but rather to a profound sense of duty
towards the legions of men who filled the ranks of the dead. "There are
no signs of victory there at all...It expresses our obligation to the dead,
and the grief of the living — sentiments of sacrifice that you do not see
in war memorials until this time.”
Jacqueline Hucker
Art historian,
