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INTRODUCTION dicult. Military leaders struggled with devising eective tactics to deal with the realities of this new e First World War was fought from 1914 to 1918 kind of warfare. Nevertheless, plans were made to and was the most destructive conict that had ever break the deadlock and the British and French been seen up to that time. e Battle of the marshalled their resources for the “Big Push” that was one of the war’s most signicant campaigns and would nally shatter the German defensive lines. Canadian soldiers from coast to coast would see is bold oensive was planned for the summer of heavy action in the ghting there in the summer and 1916 in the Somme River valley of northern . fall of 1916. THE OPENING OF THE BATTLE THE WESTERN FRONT e began with a massive After the outbreak of the First World War in August attack by hundreds of thousands of British and 1914, the combat in Western Europe soon turned French troops on the morning of July 1, 1916. It into a stalemate of trench ghting along a front line would be a disastrous start for the Allies as their stretching almost 1,000 kilometres across parts of forces were pounded by heavy enemy re when they Belgium and France. On one side of this “Western climbed out of their trenches and advanced across Front” were the forces of France and Britain (along No Man’s Land. Tragically, more than 57,000 British with allies such as Canada) and on the other were Commonwealth troops would be killed, wounded, the Germans. From their opposing trenches they taken prisoner or go missing—the highest single faced one another across a bleak “No Man’s Land” of day losses in the British Army’s long history. is barbed wire and shell craters. shocking total included more than 700 soldiers of the Newfoundland Regiment (who were not ghting ese strong defensive positions were well-protected as part of the Canadian Corps as Newfoundland did by machine guns, snipers and artillery which made a not become part of Canada until decades later in decisive breakthrough of the enemy lines very 1949). Canadian soldiers testing a machine gun during the Battle of the Somme. September 1916. September of the Somme. Canadian soldiers testing a machine gun during the Battle CO 771 Museum War Imperial Photo:

veterans.gc.ca e Battle of the Somme was not a one-day aair, e Courcelette battleeld also saw another Allied however, and the oensive would continue for more innovation—the rst use of the tank in warfare. than four and a half months. While the Allies did ey were primitive, few in number and have some battleeld successes later in July, a major mechanically unreliable, but the tanks’ shock breakthrough never materialized and the bloody value alone was enough to throw the enemy into ghting dragged on. confusion. e attack went well and by 8:00 a.m., the shattered German defensive position known as CANADIANS ON THE SOMME the Sugar Factory was taken. e Canadians then pushed ahead to Courcelette itself which was For most of the summer of 1916, the Canadian captured later that day. e Germans did not relent Corps had been manning a section of the Western and launched numerous counter-attacks which our Front in Belgium. In late August, however, they soldiers repulsed as they consolidated their newly began to shift to the Somme front near the French won positions. As was often the pattern during attacks on the Western Front, however, the enemy

by Fortunino Matania. Matania. Fortunino by village of Courcelette. e Canadians immediately encountered some sti action there and suered soon brought up major reinforcements, the defences some 2,600 casualties before the major new oensive solidied and any further gains became incredibly they had been tasked with had even gotten hard. underway. e ghting would not yet come to an end on the On September 15, our soldiers took part in a Somme, though. In the weeks that followed, soldiers large-scale attack that was launched at dawn and of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Canadian Divisions would be pushed forward on a 2,000-metre wide front. repeatedly ung against a series of German Making use of a newly developed tactic called the entrenchments. e nal Canadian objective was a creeping barrage, the Canadians advanced behind a defensive line that had been dubbed Regina Trench, carefully aimed wave of Allied artillery re that but it repeatedly deed capture. moved ahead on a set schedule. is heavy bombardment forced the enemy defenders to stay e 4th Canadian Division arrived on the Somme in under cover for protection and prevented them from mid-October to take over from their exhausted cutting down the advancing troops with their rie fellow Canadians who had been ghting there. ey and machine gun re. For this tactic to work, faced a battleeld that had turned to mud and a though, the soldiers had to stay perilous close to the determined German defence that continued to take heavy shellre and many were wounded by the a murderous toll on Allied attacks. Despite these

e Capture of the Sugar Renery at Courcelette by the Canadians on September 15, 1916 on September the Canadians by Renery at Courcelette of the Sugar painting e Capture War 19870268-001. Museum War Canadian Image: Allies’ own artillery explosions. great challenges, the Canadians nally captured the shattered remains of Regina Trench on November there helped con rm their growing reputation as 11. A week later, in the nal attack of the Battle of rst-rate front line troops who could capture enemy the Somme, the Canadians took Desire Trench. positions in the face of heavy re. Indeed, the hard ere were no further advances as the winter lessons on battle eld tactics that the Canadian weather came and the oensive staggered to a halt. Corps learned on the Somme would prove to be very e ‘Big Push’ had resulted in the Allied lines being valuable in their future actions. moved forward only some ten kilometres. After the Somme, the Canadians were transferred to SACRIFICE the sector of the Western Front near Vimy Ridge. Beginning in the spring of 1917, our soldiers would e scale of the ghting and the shocking toll put together an unbroken string of battle eld it took still makes the Battle of the Somme successes that culminated in them playing a leading synonymous with the horrors of the First World role in the Allied oensives in the last hundred days War for many people. e losses were truly of the war which would nally end the conict in appalling—the Allies suered more than 650,000 November 1918. casualties, including some 200,000 who had lost their lives. e Germans, who had also suered CANADA REMEMBERS PROGRAM greatly in the ghting, dubbed the Battle of the Somme “das Blutbad” (the blood bath). e Canada Remembers Program of Veterans Aairs Canada encourages all Canadians to learn about the Sadly, Canadian losses would contribute to this grim sacri ces and achievements made by those who have toll. More than 24,000 of our soldiers were killed, served—and continue to serve—during times of war wounded or went missing on the Somme. e fallen and peace. As well, it invites Canadians to become from this battle were among the more than 66,000 involved in remembrance activities that will help Canadians and Newfoundlanders who lost their lives preserve their legacy for future generations. To learn in the First World War. more about Canada’s role in the First World War, please visit the Veterans Aairs Canada Web site at LEGACY veterans.gc.ca or call 1-866-522-2122 toll free.

e Battle of the Somme was in many ways a is publication is available in alternate watershed event in the First World War. e great formats upon request. courage and accomplishments of Canadian soldiers Canadian soldiers returning from the trenches during the Battle of the Somme. November 1916. November of the Somme. during the Battle the trenches from Canadian soldiers returning LibraryPhoto: Canada PA-000914 and Archives V32-31/2016 Aairs, 2016. Cat. No.: Veterans of the Minister by in Right of Canada, represented the Queen Majesty © Her in Canada ISBN: 0-662-69633-6 Printed