1. Breaking the stalemate

2. One of the biggest problems in WWl was that of overcoming barbed wire obstacles. Sometimes it was impossible

3. All of the wire was covered by machineguns and artillery

4. They could fire 900 bullets a minute

6. This is how the British solved the problem
This is how the British solved the problem. The Land “tank” could cross large trenches and crush barbed wire. Machine guns could not stop them. They also had machine guns mounted inside the tank.

7. A direct hit by artillery could still destroy the tank

8. The Germans synchronized the plane’s propeller with its machinegun
The Germans synchronized the plane’s propeller with its machinegun. This meant that the German planes were better than the British, and they dominated the air war until 1918

9. The planes became sophisticated and faster each year
The planes became sophisticated and faster each year. The pilots flew without parachutes! Getting shot down often meant death. Some pilots jumped out of their burning planes.

10. This is a Zeppelin. It was used to bomb British Cities at night

11. The Zeppelins were not that effective
The Zeppelins were not that effective. They brought the war home to the British

12. Baron Alfred Von Richtofen Was the “Red Baron” and he shot down 81 Allied planes

13. The battles between planes were called “dog fights”

14. Billy Bishop was the top Allied Ace
Billy Bishop was the top Allied Ace. He shot down 72 Enemy airplanes and won the Victoria Cross

15. This is the type of plane that Billy Bishop flew
This is the type of plane that Billy Bishop flew. Notice the Machine gun above the top wing.

16. The Baron was shot down by a Canadian “Roy Brown” This is the Baron’s Grave

17. Vimy Ridge

18. This is an aerial view of the monument
This is an aerial view of the monument. The Canadians attacked from the bottom of the picture and up the hill

19. The British and French tried to take the Ridge and lost over 150,000 men

20. The General who led the attack was General Arthur Currie
The General who led the attack was General Arthur Currie. He was born in Strathroy Ontario and he joined the Canadian Militia. He was the best General the British had. If the war continued into 1919 he probably would have been given command of all of the British Armies !

21. The Canadians would tunnel under the German lines and blow them up

22. The Canadians went over the top on April 9th, 1917

23. You can still visit the trenches today

24. The Canadians took the Ridge in One Day
The Canadians took the Ridge in One Day. It was the first great victory for the British in WW1

25. These Men are advancing at Vimy Ridge

26. This painting is called “Ghosts of Vimy” Many Canadians feel that this battle marks the true beginning of the Canadian Nation

27. The Mother of Canada weeps for her fallen children

28. Passchendaele

29. General Currie Warned General Haig about attacking Passchendaele
He predicted that there would be around 16,000 casualties
He was right !
Currie never forgave Haig, as Currie saw this as a useless waste of fine men for no gain

30. Passchendale
Passchendaele was a terrible battle fought in the mud in and around a town called Passchendale. The town and farms were built in a low lying marshy area that was drained earlier in the 1700 and 1800’s. The shelling destroyed the drainage system and the water had no were to go. This was a war of mud, where no tanks could operate. It was an infantry man’s war.

31. The Germans had lots of time to prepare and to build concrete “pill boxes” that the Canadians would have to attack

32. Torrential Rains made the fighting very difficult

33. The wounded would often drown and getting them back to first aid stations was very difficult. How many soldiers are helping this one man?

34. An officer came to the front to see the conditions for himself
An officer came to the front to see the conditions for himself. He cried “my God, we sent men into that?”

35. “Duck Boards” Help men to walk across the mud

36. The before and after picture of Passchendaele

37. The Canadians were Victorious!

38. By the end of the War the Canadians were recognized as “shock troops”
By the end of the War the Canadians were recognized as “shock troops”. They were the best soldiers on the Western Front and they would lead all of the attacks

39. The Price of Victory