The Canadian Corps, a 100,000 strong fighting formation, was ordered to the Passchendaele front, east of Ypres, in mid-October 1917. Horrible Conditions Launched on 31 July 1917, the British offensive in Flanders had aimed to drive the Germans away from the essential Channel Ports and to eliminate U-Boat bases on the coast. But unceasing rain and shellfire reduced the battlefield to a vast bog of bodies, water-filled shell craters, and mud in which the attack ground to a halt. After months of fighting, Passchendaele ridge was still stubbornly held by German troops. Sir Douglas Haig, the commander-in-chief of the British Expeditionary Force, ordered the Canadians to deliver victory. Deliberate Preparation and Attack Sir Arthur Currie, commander …show more content…
Currie ordered the construction of new roads, the building or improvement of gun pits, and the repair and extension of tramlines (light railways). Horses and mules transported hundreds of thousands of shells to the front to prepare for the artillery barrage that would prepare for the infantry’s attack. The Germans atop Passchendaele ridge fired continuously on these efforts, killing or wounding hundreds. His preparations ready, Currie launched a deliberate or ‘set-piece’ attack on 26 October, the first of four phases in a battle he estimated might cost 16,000 Canadians killed or wounded. By mid-November, having captured the ridge, his estimate proved eerily accurate, with 15,654 Canadian fallen. The Legacy of Passchendaele The British lost an estimated 275,000 casualties at Passchendaele to the German’s 220,000, making it one of the war’s most costly battles of attrition. The more populous Allies could better afford the losses, especially with the recent entry of the United States on their side, but the battle had delivered a blow to the collective morale of the British Expeditionary Force. Passchendaele, often remembered as the low point of the British war effort, remains synonymous with the terrible and costly fighting on the Western
he Battle of Hamel was an exceedingly prosperous assault on the Western Front fought by the Allies, on the 4th of July 1918. The purpose of the Battle of Hamel was to attack and capture the high ground of the village of Le Hamel in France (shown in the source E), under the command of Lieutenant General John Monash. The meticulous plan conveyed by General John Monash made this battle an intensely effective advance. The Battle of Hamel is documented to have persisted for only 93 minutes and is deliberated as the turning point for Allied triumph in World War 1. It is imperative to incorporate the views and perspectives of the offensive, it is said that before the Battle of Hamel the German offensive formed a prominence in the British line that
The German gun positions were not aimed towards the sea, but coastline. However, they had Hitler’s Atlantic Wall to rely on. As they were approaching the shore, the Canadians were bombarded with weapons and heavy artillery, which was more deadly when the troops landed. Despite the circumstances of the Canadians, they were able to successfully land on Juno Beach, prepared to free France. D-Day was a defining moment for the Canadians not only because of this, but due to the fact that the troops’ had strong mental fortitudes regardless of the other factors that caused the
Vimy Ridge was one of the greatest battles of Canadian history, it was part of the opening phase of the British-led Battle of Arras, a diversionary assault for the French Nivelle Offensive. This essay will describe the success of the Canadian troops, the battle’s significance, and the importance of the positioning with respect to the geography of the land. The actual battle took place 5:30 am Easter Monday April 9th 1917, but the planning of the attack took place for more than 5 months beforehand starting in November of 1916. Rehearsals and training also occurred, and the soldiers were trained specifically for each position in the war.
It was the opening phrase of the Allied offensive later acknowledged as the Hundred Day Offensive that gradually led to the end of WWI. The Allied forces on that day were a mass of assembled, including Australians, launched an offensive to push through the German front lines to victory. The 1st French and 4th British armies were also involved, but were led by combined Australian and Canadian forces. Lieutenant General Sir John Monash was again the mastermind of this battle, he commanded the Australian army, sending 102,000 diggers out on an outstandingly planned attack at Amiens, 120 kilometres north of Paris, which delivered a knock-out blow from which the enemy never recovered. On August the 8th, the Allied forces gained over 11 kilometres, the Germans lost more ground on this day than on any other day on the Western Front.
With the enlistments of many of his men expiring on New Year’s Day, Arnold had no choice but to launch a desperate attack against well-fortified Quebec City through a blizzard on December 31, 1775. Early in the battle, Arnold received a grave wound to his leg and was carried to the back of the battlefield. The assault continued, but failed miserably. Hundreds of American soldiers were killed, wounded or captured, and Canada remained in British
Thus, leaving the capture in the hands of the Canadian troops. The Battle of Vimy Ridge was the first battle that was fought by all four Canadian Corps division and was led by British general Julian Byng and under his command was Canadian general Arthur Currie. This attack on Vimy Ridge was very
The Battle of Blair Mountain was “the largest armed rebellion in America since the Civil War” (Grayson, “The Second Civil War...”). Miners in West Virginia rose up against the mine bosses, who were cutting wages and attacking the miners’ unions. Capitalism worked against the interests of the miners. The conditions of the miners were caused by the need of the capitalist mine owners to make profits. The mine owners hired detectives to attack the workers, who were trying to improve their conditions and fight for their rights.
Unlike the Dieppe Raid, Operation Overlord involved lots and lots of bombings. They were not scarce with their bombing raids and that allowed them to gain a front on land. If Canada hadn’t been scarce before with their bombings, they wouldn’t have learned just how important the bombings were in a successful raid. For communication and bombings to happen efficiently, Canada really needed to plan everything! Planning was so important in future battles and raids!
Wilson also realized that the only way they could successfully advance towards their objective would be if they quickly dodged the incoming artillery after pushing the Germans back. These two maneuvers are what allowed Wilson and F Company to quickly get through the Hürtgen forest and reach their objective with minimized casualties. This battle for 4.5 miles of forest to reach the Cologne plains resulted in a success for Wilson’s platoon, but an overall defeat for the Allied forces. The land the Allies gained was never exploited—likely due to the Battle of the Bulge. Either way, the losses here were the most expensive per ground gained throughout
Despite their loss, the inexperienced colonial forces inflicted considerable casualties against the invading British, and the battle provided them with an important confidence boost. Colonel Prescott’s leadership throughout the battle is an excellent example of good mission command. Upon receipt of mission from higher and given limited resources, Colonel Prescott effectively issued orders to his soldiers, which ultimately led to
Immediately, the German Army’s machine guns open fired on the British troops. Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, Commander of the British Expeditionary Force in World War One, instructed the soldiers to walk across no-man’s land at a ‘walking pace’. However, Haig only issued this order because he felt as if he had no other choice. General Sir Henry Rawlinson (2nd in command to Haig) was the one who decided
This was the first ever battle where gas was introduced. It was brought by the Germans and swept the French trenches (Christie, 9). The French retreated and the Canadians had to hold down the trenches. Germans attacked when the gas cleared and the position was held by The Royal Highlanders from Montréal. Because of Canada’s selfishness, they helped win this battle.
They hoped that this would draw German resources from the main battle at Passchendaele and give the Allies more of an advantage. Sir Arthur Curries, the Canadian General who provided the strategic plan of dominating Hill 70 instead of attacking the heavily fortified city directly and led the attack, “proved an able and innovative commander” and became a representative for Canadian military leaders and generals. “The Canadians lost more than 9,000 soldiers at Hill 70, but killed or wounded an estimated 25,000
“Imagine yourself in the pitch dark, after two or three days of wet, cold, hunger, sleeplessness, staggering down a trench, knee-deep in mud, carrying various burdens that almost equal your own body-weight” (Ellis, 48). This was the everyday life of the typical soldier involved in the World War I trench warfare. During WWI trench warfare was common. It began in September 1914 with the German army digging themselves in for a battle that would last what seemed like a life time for the soldiers involved. Soldiers on either side alike lived in deplorable conditions.
Fighter bombs took procession and attacked British and Indian supply shacks, roads, and a very notable bridge, the Chindwin River, cutting off any idea of a sneak attack or unplanned enemy fire from the British. Their plan was to isolate each unit individually as they broke through the perimeter to capture Imphal. Soldiers carried armor and artillery parts on the back of their horses. The most significant Allied victory was Britain’s strategic ability to transport aircraft. Allies could fly in more troops, supplies, and equipment into the airstrips in Imphal before and even during the monsoon weather.