Table of Contents
- 1 Who started the Battle of Vimy Ridge?
- 2 How did the Vimy Ridge Battle start?
- 3 What was the most important battle for Canada in ww1?
- 4 Who was in charge of British forces during the Battle of the Somme?
- 5 Who was in charge of British forces during the battle of the Somme?
- 6 Who was involved in the Battle of Vimy Ridge?
- 7 What was Canada’s role in the Battle of Vimy?
Who started the Battle of Vimy Ridge?
The Canadian Corps was ordered to seize Vimy Ridge in April 1917. [Map] Situated in northern France, the heavily-fortified seven-kilometre ridge held a commanding view over the Allied lines. The Canadians would be assaulting over an open graveyard since previous French attacks had failed with over 100,000 casualties.
How did the Vimy Ridge Battle start?
The Battle of Vimy Ridge began at 5:30 a.m. on Easter Monday, April 9, 1917. The first wave of 15,000-20,000 Canadian soldiers, many heavily laden with equipment, attacked through the wind-driven snow and sleet into the face of deadly machine gun fire.
Who were important people in the Battle of Vimy Ridge?
The Battle of Vimy Ridge – Fast Facts
- Private William Milne of the 16th Battalion.
- Lance-Sergeant Ellis Sifton of the 18th Battalion.
- Private John Pattison of the 50th Battalion (April 10).
- Captain Thain MacDowell of the 38th Battalion. MacDowell had also earned the Distinguished Service Order on the Somme.
Which Canadian battalions fought at Vimy Ridge?
1st (Western Ontario) Battalion.
What was the most important battle for Canada in ww1?
The Battle of the Somme
The First World War was fought from 1914 to 1918 and was the most destructive conflict that had ever been seen up to that time. The Battle of the Somme was one of the war’s most significant campaigns and Canadian soldiers from coast to coast would see heavy action in the fighting there in the summer and fall of 1916.
Who was in charge of British forces during the Battle of the Somme?
Sir Douglas Haig
The British plan of attack was primarily down to two commanders. Sir Douglas Haig gave the overall direction of the battle as Commander-in-Chief, with Sir Henry Rawlinson commanding Fourth Army, which was to attack on the first day.
Did Vimy Ridge use gas?
The horrifically botched gas raid on Vimy Ridge, weeks before the better-remembered battle there, was the first significant use of weapons of mass destruction on the battlefield by the Canadian Corps. A century ago this month, soldiers were first exposed to the blistering agent known as mustard gas.
Does Canada own Vimy Ridge?
From the stunning war memorial to the realiziation that in large part, Canada became a nation on the backs of the soldiers at Vimy, one can not leave Vimy without being profoundly altered. Even though it is located in France, the land belongs to Canada, and Canadians fought hard for it.
Who was in charge of British forces during the battle of the Somme?
Who was involved in the Battle of Vimy Ridge?
Battle of Vimy Ridge. The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of the Battle of Arras, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the four divisions of the Canadian Corps in the First Army, against three divisions of the German 6th Army.
When was the Canadian Corps posted to Vimy Ridge?
The Canadian Corps was posted to the northern part of Vimy Ridge in October 1916 and preparations for an attack were revived in February 1917. British tunnelling companies created extensive underground networks and fortifications.
How big was the German army at Vimy Ridge?
In 1917, a full-strength German rifle company consisted of 264 men; at Vimy Ridge, each rifle company contained approximately 150 men. Each German regiment held a zone approximately 1,000 metres (1,100 yd) wide as far back as the rear area.
What was Canada’s role in the Battle of Vimy?
The Canadian role in the new Allied action was to secure the Ridge and protect the flank of the British 3rd Army attacking simultaneously immediately south of Vimy.