Battle of Vimy Ridge

Victory at Vimy

“Many historians and writers consider the Canadian victory at Vimy a defining moment for Canada, when the country emerged from under the shadow of Britain and felt capable of greatness. Canadian troops also earned a reputation as formidable, effective troops because of the stunning success. But it was a victory at a terrible cost, with more than 10,000 killed and wounded.” - CanadianMuseum of Civilization

“The fight to take Vimy Ridge cost Canada dearly, but it would become the cornerstone of the nation's image of its place in the world. In four days, 3,600 Canadian soldiers died, another 5,000 were wounded. But the ridge was taken, much of it in the first day. The valour of the troops, the originality of the plan, the success where larger, more established armies had failed, all contributed to a new nation's pride.” - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

“Vimy Ridge would become the most influential battle of World War I and the model for the great allied offensive of 1918. It dramatically revealed how innovative tactics combined with iron courage and heroic self-sacrifice enabled Canadian soldiers to transform a field of slaughter into a field of glory…The Capture of Vimy Ridge is renowned in Canadian lore, but few understand how it was an important progression in the development of the Canadian soldier and Canada itself. Vimy was graduation day” - History Television

Background

What was the impact and outcome of over two years of fighting at Vimy?
Why was surprise at Vimy believed to be impossible?

Arthur Currie

Sam Hughes instructed that the Canadian Corps Divisions be permanently attached
Arthur Currie helped plan and coordinate the attack at Vimy
He studied battles, such as the Somme, and tried to learn lessons from these events
Currie’s Philosophy:
“A through preparation must lead to success; neglect nothing”

Preparation

All details of the attack, except the date, were shared with the soldiers

What is the Vimy Glide?
What was the effect of issuing maps to the soldiers?

Rolling or Creeping Barrage

A military tactic where artillery and infantry move together, in the same direction, at a calculated pace
Destroys defenses
Forces defenders to find cover
Creates a protective dust cloud

Trench Raids

Trench raids were used to gather information about terrain and defenses
Currie favoured an attack focused on enemy strong points
Mixed platoons were created to make them self sufficient

Artillery

Currie recognized that artillery had formerly targeted enemy infantry but not enemy artillery

Explain how Currie and Byng located enemy artillery guns with flash-spotting and sound-ranging

Indirect Fire

Explain why machine guns were sometimes not aimed directly at the enemy.

Tunnels

Tunnels were used to:
obtain control under no-mans land
Achieve surprise by moving troops and supplies to forward positions

The Attack and Outcome

Conclusion

Explain why the events at Vimy Ridge support the ‘myths’ summarized at the start of this presentation?

Sources

National Film Board: Far From Home