Ypres

Dates and Locations - 2 nd battle, April in and around the Belgian city of Ypres in Flanders

-Canadian and French troops were exposed to poison gas for the first time Problems faced

- After releasing a cloud of chlorine cloud gas, the Germans attacked Problems faced (continued)

-Despite the gas attack, the Canadian lines did not break Achievements

-British reinforcements helped prevent further German advances Achievements (continued)

-Canadian doctor John Mc Crae wrote his famous poem “in Flanders Fields” to commemorate the… Achievements (continued)

… the dead and injured Canadians he treated at the Second Battle of Ypres (continued)

Canadians killed, wounded, or captured Casualties

The Somme

Dates and Locations - between July and November 1916, fought in northern France

- General Douglais Haig did not understand how new military technology had changed the way war was fought Problems faced

- Haig ordered suicidal frontal charges against German trench lines, which were costly failure Problem faced (continued)

-Troops fought for 5 months with no breakthrough Problem faced (continued)

- The battle resulted in a stalemate, with neither side winning a clear victory Achievements

- The Central Powers suffered higher causalities, and the Allies gained 8 kilometers of mud, enabling General Haig to claim victory Achievements (continued)

- -The CEF suffered causalities - On the 1 st day of battle, 85% of the Royal Newfoundland regiment was wiped out in half-hour Casualties

- -During five months of fighting, over a million Allied and Central Powers’ troops were killed or wounded Casualties (continued)

The Battle of Vimy Ridge

Dates -Began on Easter Monday: April 9, Ended 3 days later

Location -Vimy Ridge was a key German defensive position on the Western Front -Located in northern France

-French units had tried to take Vimy Ridge 3 times and failed -suffered high casualties ( dead) Problems Faced

-Allied command thought the ridge was impenetrable -The Canadians had to find an approach that worked

- The Germans had fortified the ridge with 3 trench lines, concrete gun emplacements, and deep protective dugouts

The Preparations -Canadians mapped out 80% of German gun positions

-Built replicas of Vimy terrain to rehearse -Dug 5 km of tunnels to move troops and supplies

-Canadians invented new strategy called “Creeping Barrage” or “Leap-frogging” to sneak up on the enemy

The Battle -Allies pounded Germans with artillery for 2 weeks before attack

- -Canadian units began their attack in a snowstorm (April 9) and met their first two objectives in less than two hours

-3 days later Hill 145, the highest point on the ridge, was taken

- Vimy Ridge was a huge victory for the Allies, gaining more ground, prisoners, and captured artillery than any previous offensive in the war

- Canada’s victory earned its troops recognition as a formidable force

- Vimy Ridge was an important turning point for Canada, gaining it world recognition and creating a strong sense of patriotism

- Vimy Ridge was a costly victory, with 10,600 Canadians killed or wounded (3,600 dead) Casualties

Passchendaele

Date -Late October and early November 1917

- Passchendaele had little strategic value, but General Haig was determine to take it Problems faced

-Massive artillery bombardments had destroyed the drainage system and left huge shell holes in the fields that turned the region into a swamp

- Advancing Canadians units had to move over wooden trench mats within range of German guns, with flooded shell holes offering the only shelter

-General Currie’s strategy resulted in lower than usual casualty rates among Canadian forces Achievements

- Canada took the deserted village of Passchendaele and the ridge after a series of attacks

- - Canada suffered losses in the battle - Total casualties for both sides were about half a million Casualties