Vimy Ridge Canada’s Impossible Mission

New Weapons of World War 1 Machine Gun Accounted for most casualties in WW1 Steadily refined and improved Hundreds of rounds per minute

New Weapons of World War 1 Tanks Developed by Britain Used to crush barbed wire and cross No-Man’s-Land Protect troops Underpowered and hard to turn Often stuck in the mud

New Weapons of World War 1 Artillery and Field Guns Fired shells filled with explosives and shrapnel (metal balls or fragments) “Big Bertha” Could fire at targets 120km away Mounted on railcars

New Weapons of World War 1 Aircraft Used for reconnaissance (information gathering) Later armed with machine guns for attack

New Weapons of World War 1 Poison Gas Used by both sides by 1917 Chlorine Gas Burns lungs and eyes Mustard Gas Creates huge skin blisters Phosgene Gas Invisible – causes suffocation

Vimy Ridge What we know so far … The ridge was a strong point of German defenses in Northern Europe Provided an unrestricted view of Allied positions Considered impregnable Strong fortifications along the ridge Underground chambers inside the ridge 212 artillery positions behind the ridge

Vimy Ridge What we know so far … Between 1914 – 1916, the French and English launched three unsuccessful attacks Cost 150,000 Allied troops Artillery failure Troops in underground shelters No Man’s Land was more treacherous Poison gas failure Tank failure Mechanical problems, lots of mud in No Man’s Land

Vimy Ridge – Reconnaissance Photos Canadian Front Lines

Vimy Ridge – Reconnaissance Photos Allied Trench fortifications facing Vimy Ridge

Vimy Ridge – Reconnaissance Photos Protection for our snipers …

Vimy Ridge – Reconnaissance Photos A view of the terrain at Vimy (but, in 1917, this was muddy and filled with hazardous materials)

Vimy Ridge – Reconnaissance Photos

Vimy Ridge – Reconnaissance Photos German trenches at the top of the ridge … with a view DOWN onto the battlefield

Vimy Ridge – Reconnaissance Photos A German machinegun pillbox (the Ridge is littered with these)

Vimy Ridge – Reconnaissance Photos

Operation: Take that Ridge Working alongside Canadian General Arthur Currie, you and your squad are to plan for the successful destruction or the German fortifications of Vimy Ridge … You are to plan your attack based on our reconnaissance of the German defenses and the terrain. Remember, the British and French failed on three different occasions. Let’s show the world what Canadians can do!