Canmoore

We are fast approaching the 90th anniversary of this great battle, were Canadians from all corners of this vast country, in a land far away, came together for the first time and did the impossible..

Vimy Ridge Spring 1917

This area was very important to the Germans, and subsequently to the allies. The germans in defending it had placed huge amounts of defences.

Three rows of trenches, behind massive amounts of barbed wire, with numerous machine gun nets, and massive amounts of hidden Artillery. The British and French failed to capture the ridge, in 1915 the French alone lost nearly 150,000 men trying to capture it.

Another assault was to take place in 1917. This duty was given to the Canadians. For the first time, all four divisions of the Canadian Corps were brought together. They were joined by the British 5th Infantry Division.

The Canadian commanders, intent on learning from the mistakes of previous failures, spent months planning this assault. A replica of the ridge was built, and every soldier not just Officers and NCO's were given detailed maps, and specific tasks for the assault, this was something completely new, and a break from British military protocol.

On April 2nd 1917, the Canadians comensed the longest artillery barrage in history to that point. The German positions were shelled for a week, over one million shells were fired, the barrage knocked out 83% of german artillery peices. During this week, the Canadians also made many night trench raids.

The German troops called this period the "Week of Suffering". The attack was so loud, the sound of guns could be heard plainly in southern England, some one hundred miles from the front.

At dawn on Easter Monday, April 9, the 27,000-man Canadian Corps attacked. The first wave of about 15,000 Canadian troops attacked positions defended by roughly 5,000 Germans, followed by the second wave of 12,000 Canadians to meet 3,000 German reserves. Nearly 100,000 men in total were to take and hold the ridge.

The first wave advanced behind a creeping barrage, known specifically for the battle as the Vimy Glide. This tactic had been used earlier by the British at the Battle of the Somme, but there it had outpaced the soldiers. The Canadians perfected the technique. The troops walked across no man's land, just behind a continuous line of shells (an improvement over previous battles, in which both sides had often shelled their own troops).

On the experience of advancing under heavy machine gun fire from the rear, Corporal Gus Sivertz of the 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles said:

“ We were dancing a macabre dance as our nerves just vibrated to the thousands of shells and machine gun bullets... whizzing over. I felt that if I had put my finger up, I should have touched a ceiling of sound. ”

Several new and untested methods of counter-battery fire were also used successfully at the start of the battle. This disabled a large portion of the German artillery and protected the advancing infantry. The Canadians also used a new technique, indirect fire with machine guns, which pinned German troops down in their trenches and provide cover for their own troops.

After less than two hours, three of the four Canadian divisions had taken their objectives; the 4th Division, however, was held up by machine gun nests on the highest point of the ridge, known as Hill 145. The 87th Battalion suffered 50% casualties. The 85th Nova Scotia Highlanders, who had been intended to function in a supply and construction role, were sent in as reinforcements and the hill was captured by the end of the day.

It is said that upon learning of the victory, a French soldier exclaimed, "C'est impossible!" "It's impossible!", and upon learning it was the Canadians who had won it, replied "Ah! les Canadiens! C'est possible!" Ah! The Canadians! It is possible!

To many of my fellow Canadians, the word Vimy Ridge means more than just some hill in France. To us, it is the sumbol of our unity and of our streangth.
Vimy was a place, were Canadians for the first time in our history made something real in the world, men from all of the provinces came together and worked together as one unit to win a battle. A battle which was pivotal in the eventual victory in the Great War.

However, Canadians should also learn more about our other great achievments, such as Passchendaele.

As well as Canadas Hundred Days.

During which time, the Canadian Corps of four divisions fought a series of battles at Amiens, the Drocourt-Quéant Line, crossed the Canal du Nord to fight at Bourlon Wood, Denain, Valenciennes and finally at & Mons on the final day of the First World War.

In this time, the Canadian Corps' four over-strength Divisions of 100 000 men, defeated and/or put to flight 47 German Divisions, roughly one quarter of the German forces fighting on the Western Front. In contrast, the American Expeditionary Force of 1.2 million men is credited with defeating 46 German Divisions in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

In 1936, on land given as a gift to Canada from france after the war, the Canadian National Vimy Memorial was completed. After 11 years of construction on Hill 145, by Canadian sculpter Walter Seymour Allward.
It was unveiled by King Edward VIII who spoke of Canada's great loss and tremendous contribution in the war, and called the memorial a consecration of love.

Inscribed on a series of long walls are the names of 11,285 Canadians who were killed in France, their resting places unknown. Sitting on the walls are two stone pylons and 20 giant statues. The pylons represent Canada and France and the statues represent truth, knowledge, gallantry and sympathy.

enscribed in both French and English are these words:

To the valour of their
Countrymen in the Great War
And in memory of their sixty
Thousand dead this monument
Is raised by the people of Canada

Attached Images

vimy.JPG (120.0 KB, 31 views)

T_igger_cs_30

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FEAR NAUGHT

I don't work here ...I am an analyst!

Canmoore

Today I learned that Hitler after conquering France, made a visit to the memorial. The fact that he didnt order it destroyed, means that even Hitler was impressed by our achievment.

Both the Maple Leaf, and Red ensign, beginning April 9th 2007 will fly year round to commemorate the 90th anniversary.

Kipruss

I remember that monument on a visit to Europe in 2001. It is massive and very impressive. It shows how well thought of the Canadians were (and i'm sure, still are).

BMF12

Every Canadian......or even anybody, should visit Vimy........beautiful...

Canmoore

Easter Monday at 10:00 am EST, Live coverage from france will air of the ceremony at the Vimy Ridge Memorial. The red ensign will be raised alongside the Maple Leaf. PM Harper, PM Blair, President Chirac, and Queen Elizabeth, as well as some 20,000 people will be on hand to mark the 90th anniversary.