Major Canadian Battles

Canada was involved with many major battles during WWI. The following four are the most well known.

Great Battles of World War I Battle of Ypres (22 April 1915) Battle of the Somme (1 July 1916) Battle of Vimy Ridge (9 April 1917) Battle of Passchendaele (26 Oct 1917)

April 1915: Second Battle of Ypres The first battle involving Canada They were sent to Ypres, a city near the coast in Belgium, to stop the Germans from getting access to the English Channel

Canadians arrived in Europe in March 1915.   The Germans wanted to break the stalemate caused by the trenches Germans decided to use their new weapons  poisonous chlorine gas called ‘Mustard Gas’

On April 22nd, a gentle breeze blew across ‘No-man’s Land’ – Perfect for a gas attack Canadian soldiers were stationed on the frontlines – without gas masks!! All they could do was soak cotton pads (or rags) in urine and hold them over their faces. The acid in the urine neutralized the chlorine Miraculously, the Canadian troops held their position against the Germans for two days until British troops came in and took over.

The Canadians had proved themselves to be an effective force on the battlefield. This was the very first time the 1st Canadian Division had seen action, and were the only force to hold the line in the face of strong attack from the enemy. This marked them as inventive and ingenious soldiers.

Canada suffered approx. 6000 casualties, with approx. 1000 deaths “In Flanders Fields” was written by Dr. John McCrae during this battle

Ruins of Ypres’ Market Square

July –November 1916: The Battle of the Somme The first battle in which tanks were used by the allies. Canada was successful in their assault against the Germans but suffered 24,000 casualties.

An attack was ordered on German forces at the Somme River– 100,000 Allied troops directed to advance across no man’s land in broad daylight, in direct fire On the first day of battle Britain suffered over 57 000 casualties (19 000 dead) from going ‘over the top’ Canadian battalions were brought in in September and together with the British mounted an attack at 6:20 a.m. on Sept. 15th

After successfully capturing a German stronghold, 4 Canadian battalions launched another attack that same evening – surprising the Germans The Germans counter attacked and eventually a stalemate occurred --- the plan worked and pressure was relieved in Verdun Canada suffered 24 000 casualties 790 Newfoundlanders went over the top that day, only 68 answered roll call following morning Half million men lost in 3 months

April 1917 – The Battle of Vimy Ridge The Canadian Corps was ordered to seize Vimy Ridge in April 1917 This was the first time all 4 Canadian battalions would fight together Canadian planned assault on the impenetrable German fortified ridge. First battle in which the Canadian corps was lead by Canadian officers. Most important Canadian victory. Commander Arthur Currie was knighted because of his leadership in battle.

Battle of Vimy Ridge An attack on a prominent ridge in Belgium by the Canadians Major-Gen. Currie made massive preparations, and used new and inventive ways to beat the Germans, including digging tunnels that were kilometres long. He also made sure that everyone knew exactly where they were going, and that they practiced behind the lines. He also included new ways of spotting and destroying enemy artillery, a new bomb that would destroy barbed wire, and the creeping barrage.

The creeping barrage is a military tactic in which massed artillery support an infantry advance by firing continuously at positions just in front of the advancing troops. The shellfire keeps enemy troops in their bunkers and trenches, and creates a cloud of smoke and dirt in the air in order to obscure the advance. The Canadians managed to perfect this technique.

April 1917 – The Battle of Vimy Ridge Key High Ground in Northern France Germans were well established – tunnels, artillery, phone lines, rail line for munitions 200,000 French and British troops lost in failed attempts to take this stronghold Canadians built mock hill – trained using mock environment Canadian troops learned how to load and use German artillery so that when they could, turn captured guns against their enemy

New artillery was introduced allowing the shells to explode on contact rather than burying in the ground and then exploding Canadian troops also earned a reputation as formidable, effective troops because of the stunning success. It was a victory at a terrible cost, with more than 10,000 killed and wounded in 4 days of fighting

The Effect of Vimy Ridge In many ways, this was the most important battle in all of Canadian history. An amazing number of accomplishments were made by the Canadians. This was the first time the Canadians had waged a battle on their own, and not under British command or as part of a British offensive. They captured in three days what the French and British had found impossible to do in three years. They proved their worth, reinforced their reputation, and were given the privilege of signing the Treaty of Versailles – the only colony to do so. At Vimy, the Canadian Corps had captured more ground, more prisoners and more guns than any previous British offensive in two-and-a-half years of war.

“In those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a nation.” - A.E. Ross (Canadian brigadier general)

Oct.-Nov, 1917: The Battle of Passchendaele Allied offensive against the Germans. General Currie argued the muddy conditions made the task impossible. He was right, although the Canadians succeeded in their task they lost 16,000 men.

Oct.-Nov, 1917: The Battle of Passchendaele The Third battle of Ypres - was intended to gain dryer land on higher ground for the winter Gen. Haig forced CND General Arthur Currie to lead his troops into battle against his wishes Conditions were swamp like – soldiers often sinking into the mud up to their waists Heavy rains made it worse – “a soup of mud” in which guns and artillery disappeared and many soldiers drowned

The offensive was very slow – the first offensive gained 1000 metres at the cost of 2300 casualties 7 days later CND & British troops captured German positions at Passchendaele! The overall gain was just over 6 kms of territory (farmland) at the cost of 460 000 casualties on both sides (4 000 CND soldiers dead)

Robert Borden responded to British PM: “Mr. Prime Minister, I want to tell you that, if ever there is a repetition of the Battle of Passchendaele, not a single Canadian soldier will leave the shores of Canada again . . .”