Canada’s Most Prominent Battles World War One Canada’s Most Prominent Battles

2nd Battle of Ypres, April 1915 Famous for the first time chemical warfare was used Chlorine (mustard) gas Commanders knew Germans had the gas but did not equip front-line

soldiers with proper equipment Germans released mustard gas just beside Cdn position They did not suffer the full brunt of the assault Other allies fled but Cdns remained

Urinate on a cloth and cover face will protect the soldiers Both sides attacked and counter-attacked with artillery, gas, soldiers resulting in heavy losses for both sides

British, Cdns take back territory they initially lost At beginning of battle there were 10,000 Cdn soldiers but 1,850 killed, 3,411 wounded, and 776 taken prisoner (lost 60% of their soldiers)

Battle of the Somme, 1916 (July to October) Battle intended to be a French and British attack that smashed through German lines near French town of Albert Badly planned and poorly executed German positions

Bombarded for days before the attack Germans went into their dugouts and waited out the barrage Then they retook their positions after the bombing had stopped

They were ready for the attack British thought Germans would be destroyed by the artillery so they walked over “no man’s land” On the first day, 20,000 British killed

37,000 wounded(Br) British cont’d to pour fresh troops into the attack By the time the offensive is over British and French suffer 600,000 casualties (wounded and killed)

All of this for a gain of 2.8 kilometres of territory Canadians (part of the British soldiers) suffer: 8,000 dead 16,000 wounded All of this for a gain of 2.8 kilometres of territory

Battle of Vimy Ridge, April 1917 First time Canadian soldiers commanded by Canadian officers Cdns have 30,000 men commanded by Arthur Currie Preparation for attack was intense

A) clay model of ridge was built and studied B) full scale mock-up with German positions used to familiarize troops with objectives C) RFC surveillance

photos studied to determine German troop positions D) German artillery located using new sounding devices E) tunnels dug from rear positions to the front line so Cdn

troops could move to the front without being seen F) mines placed under German positions to be detonated when attack begins

G) creeping artillery barrage that would land ahead of the troops and be moved ahead 90 m every 5 minutes Result is Cdn victory: but 10,602 casualties of which 3598 dead

Battle of Passchendaele, 191

Before and After:Passchendaele