1. The 2nd Battle of Ypres and the Battle of the Somme
Canadians in WWI:
The 2nd Battle of Ypres and the Battle of the Somme

2. Approaching Battle
Declaration of war by Canada in September 1914 led to the immediate raising of a first Canadian contingent.
After a short three to four weeks training at Camp Valcartier in Quebec, they embarked to the United Kingdom and another several months of basic training.
The majority of this training consisted of conditioning and basic military skills such as shooting - little instruction in trench warfare was done.
After several months of this, the Canadians were considered ready to assume active operations.

3. The Second Battle of Ypres, 1915
Upon their landing in Flanders, the 1st Canadian Division was assigned a sector in front of the Belgium city of Ypres.
Arriving on April 17, 1915, the Canadians immediately moved into the front lines.
The Germans held the high ground.
The Canadians had two British divisions on their right, and two French army divisions on their left.

4. Chemical Warfare
Chlorine - a greenish, yellow heavier than air gas. Symptoms: vomiting, difficulty in breathing, a burning sensation in the lungs, eyes, nasal and mouth passages, watery eyes. In severe cases, fluid buildup in the lungs, loss of consciousness through suffocation, and death.
Mustard gas - a gas with a distinctive mustard smell, it causes blistering and huge sores on any exposed tissue, internal or external. Probably the most used gas in the war.

5. The Fight
On April 22, after an artillery bombardment, the Germans released 5700 cylinders of chlorine gas. The gas attack was followed by strong infantry assaults. The French defences were forced to retreat, leaving a four-mile wide hole in the Allied line.
The Germans did not have enough reserves or protection against the chlorine gas for their own troops to take immediate advantage of the gap.
The Canadians fought through the night to close the gap.
Original Gas Mask = cloth covering mouth and a pair of goggles.

6. On the first night, the Canadians launched a counter-attack to drive the Germans out of Kitchener's Wood near St. Julien.
The Canadians cleared the woods, but had to retire. More attacks that night resulted in disastrous casualties, but bought some time to close the gap.
Two days later the Germans attacked the Canadian line at St. Julien, again using chlorine gas. The Canadians held on until reinforcements arrived.
Canister Gas Mask introduced after the initial attack at Ypres.

7. Canadian Results at Ypres
- In their first major appearance on a European battlefield, the Canadians established a reputation as a formidable fighting force.
- In 48 hours, 6,035 Canadians, one man in every three, became casualties of whom more than 2,000 died.
- Heavy losses from Canada's little force whose men had been civilians only several months before had no idea of fighting in a war.

8. The Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme was not a one day affair, and the fighting continued, notably with a largely successful dawn attack by the British on July 14, through the summer months.
Canadians ran into heavy fighting and suffered some 2,600 casualties before the full-scale offensive even got underway.

9. On, September 15 the Canadians, advanced behind a creeping barrage (a tactic which had recently been introduced by the British.
The infantry was aided by the "new engine of war," the armoured tank.

10. The Creeping Barrage
Creeping barrage 1
Creeping barrage 2http://

11. In the weeks that followed the three Canadian divisions continuously attacked a series of German entrenchments.
When the newly arrived 4th Division took its place in the line it faced an almost unbelievable ordeal of knee-deep mud and violent, tenacious, enemy resistance.

12. Despite the almost impenetrable curtain of fire, on November 11 the Division captured Regina.
A week later, in the final attack of the Somme, the Canadians advanced to Desire Trench—a remarkable feat of courage and endurance.
The 4th Division then rejoined the Corps opposite Vimy Ridge.

13. Results of the Somme Offensive
There were no further advances that year. The autumn rains turned the battlefield into a bog and the offensive staggered to a halt.
The Allies had suffered some 650,000 casualties, and both sides had about 200,000 killed.
The Germans refer to the Battle of the Somme as das Blutbad—the blood bath.
The Somme had cost Canada 24,029 casualties, but it was here that the Canadians confirmed their reputation as hard-hitting shock troops.