Battles on the Western Front

Main Battlefronts

The Western Front The first CDN troops got to the frontlines in April 1915 They were joined by another CDNs over the next 4 years

Ypres Ancient city in Belgium April 22, 1915 CDNs were told to hold 3.5km of the frontline despite the heavy attack of the Germans CDNs had only been in action for a few weeks! Here, CDNs (and other Allied soldiers) experienced something very, very new to them: chlorine gas

Chlorine Gas Released from canisters when the breeze was blowing toward the Allied trenches Burned the eyes and throats Destroyed lungs Those who breathed the gas choked, gagged, gasped, coughed, and died. CDNs managed to hold their position…

I saw the whole picture of the gas attack as probably no one else did. I have never been in a battle – and I have been in many – where the men were suffering in such numbers that their crying and groaning could be heard all over the battlefield. None of us had ever seen gas before. It was the first gas attack in history. But not a single unit skipped out – some individuals, yes, but formations… no. Suddenly, we saw the gas rolling up in a brownish yellowish bank. It was between 1m and 3m high and it wouldn’t rise any higher unless it was puffed up by the wind. I went over to where the line had been broken and where there was confusion. No Canadian troops were running.

Chlorine Gas at Ypres The CDNs makeshift gas masks? They urinated in their handkerchiefs CDN troops suffered major casualties at Ypres More than 5200 died 1 in 5 soldiers were listed as “killed in action,” “gassed,” “missing,” or “wounded”

Poison Gas Poison gases continued to be used by both sides throughout the war Mustard Gas was the worst one.  Burned skin  Burned the respiratory tract  Caused blindness Eventually, more effective gas masks were invented (they had built-in filters that would purify the air)

The Somme France Started on July 1, 1916 “the most disastrous the British army had ever suffered” CDN corps fought as part of the British army (like they did at Ypres) Why do you think this was considered such a disaster? What do you know?

The Somme 7:30am – British officer leaps to the top of the trench, ordering his troops to go forward One man was hit as soon as his head went above the sandbags Soldiers stumbled through barbed wire, no man’s land They faced German machine gun fire “Our dead were heaped on top of each other… In places three and four deep” (British sergeant’s records) Only a few Allied soldiers ever reached the German trenches By nightfall, British and CDN casualties totaled This is the heaviest ever in warfare for one day’s fighting

The Somme – NFLD & Labrador NFLD and Labrador was not yet a part of Canada Troops from NFLD and Labrador faced a particularly tough German division at Beaumont-Hamel They were mowed down by German machine gun fire as they advanced toward the German trenches 90% of the NFLD Regiment was killed or wounded It was the greatest single disaster in the 500+ year history of NFLD and Labrador July 1 is still marked as a solemn memorial day in that province

The Somme, 1916

The Battle Continues… General Haig (the British officer in charge) insists that the attack continue The Battle of the Somme lasts 141 days! CDNs fought so heroically that they were nicknamed “storm troops” by the German forces During the rest of the war, CDNs were often called upon to lead an attack “Whenever the Germans found the Canadian corps coming into their line, they prepared for the worst” (British PM Lloyd George)

Further Details Lasted 5 months Casualties for both sides had reached 1.25 million  of these were CDN The British had advanced only 11km People at home were horrified at the massacre! Tanks were used for the first time  Invented by the British – called “land ships”  Motored along at 5km/h  Weighed over 25 tonnes  Often got stuck in the mud, but could break through the barbed wire of no man’s land

Vimy Ridge France April 9-12, 1917 Canada’s most celebrated battle German forces had dug in on the height of the land in Vimy  From this vantage point, they could see and control all the surrounding areas Both the French and British had tried to win this hill, but had failed several times

British dug tunnel at Vimy

Canadians at Vimy Ridge The Firsts: Canadian officer in charge Canadian who designed a new form of attack: the creeping barrage All 4 Canadian divisions fought together Wholly Canadian success!

The Creeping Barrage Became the standard means of deploying artillery to support an infantry attack The infantry follows the advancing barrage as closely as possible Its employment in this way recognized the importance of artillery fire in neutralizing, rather than destroying, the enemy It was found that a moving barrage immediately followed by the infantry assault could be far more effective than weeks of preliminary bombardment In other words?

Creeping Barrage

Canadians participated in the attack In a sleet storm, Canadians forced their way up the hill After a few hours, they had captured the ridge Results of the Battle: In one day: more guns, ground, and German prisoners were taken than had been taken in the first 2.5 years of the war 4 Canadians won the Victoria Cross (most prestigious award given by Britain to its heros) Morale boost Brought lots of international attention to Canada Some say this is the moment when Canada became a nation

Passchendaele Belgium Fall of 1917 This land had once been under the North Sea – why is this an important detail? Shelling destroyed drainage ditches  the land became waterlogged On top of that, there was unseasonable rain Soldiers sometimes wept with the sheer frustration of trying to advance through the mud

The Mud of Passchendaele Duckboards were placed as pathways on top of the land so that there would be a place to walk 1000s of soldiers (and horses) who slipped into the mud were sucked in and drowned Locomotives sank to their boilers Tanks quickly bogged down The wheels of heavy artillery refused to move

The Mud of Passchendaele A British official, seeing the battlefield for the first time, cried out: “Good God! Did we really send soldiers to find in that?!” Almost CDNs lost their lives at Passchendaele The Allies gained 7km in this battle Soon after, the Germans won it back

Major Canadian Battle Sites

Watch and Reflect Choose 1 of the short documentaries at the following site and answering the following questions.  In a 1 page written report, describe what you saw in your video, how it made you feel, and how you would react if you were in their situation. What are your thoughts towards the war and your role in it?  film-board-world-war-i/ film-board-world-war-i/