The Battle of Vimy Ridge
April 9th-12th, 1917
The area known as Vimy Ridge gained importance at the beginning of the war because of it's height and that it overlooked an Allied held town. The Germans captured the ridge in September of 1914 and built deep defensive positions consisting of heavily built concrete bunks, caves, passage ways, artillery proof trenches, and machine gun nests. With such strong defensives, the Germans quickly terrorized the Arras area along with bombarding the Allied held town. All through out 1915, the French tried numberous of times to try and capture the ridge, but none succeeded and the French suffered 150,000 casualities in the process. The British then relieved the French from this fight in March of 1916 but they were pushed back along a 3 mile front.
Any futher attack on Vimy Ridge would come in the Arras Offensive in the spring of 1917 and specifically by the Canadian Corps commanded by British General Julian Byng. It was now the Canadians job to recapture Vimy Ridge and force the Germans off and in preperation for their attack they built tunnels so troops could prepare for the advance without being under German gun fire. On the morning of Easter Monday, April 9th, the four divisions of the Canadian Corps started their attack after a three-week British artillery strike. Within 30min., the Canadian 1st divisions commanded by General Arthur Currie captured the German first line of trenches and within another half and hour they also captured the German second line of trenches.
It was on April 12th that the Canadians succeeded in capturing the whole ridge for the Allies which was the most successful Allied advance on the Western Front to date. Vimy Ridge would then stay in the Allies hands till the end of the war. During the battle, the Canadians lost 3,598 troops and having 10,602 troops being wounded while the Germans suffered 20,000 casualities.
Any futher attack on Vimy Ridge would come in the Arras Offensive in the spring of 1917 and specifically by the Canadian Corps commanded by British General Julian Byng. It was now the Canadians job to recapture Vimy Ridge and force the Germans off and in preperation for their attack they built tunnels so troops could prepare for the advance without being under German gun fire. On the morning of Easter Monday, April 9th, the four divisions of the Canadian Corps started their attack after a three-week British artillery strike. Within 30min., the Canadian 1st divisions commanded by General Arthur Currie captured the German first line of trenches and within another half and hour they also captured the German second line of trenches.
It was on April 12th that the Canadians succeeded in capturing the whole ridge for the Allies which was the most successful Allied advance on the Western Front to date. Vimy Ridge would then stay in the Allies hands till the end of the war. During the battle, the Canadians lost 3,598 troops and having 10,602 troops being wounded while the Germans suffered 20,000 casualities.