Battle of the Somme
The British launched a major attack near the Somme River in France in the hopes of crushing the Germans. But the Germans were ready and this battle became a terrible bloodbath for both sides. In what year did it happen?
1916
When did this battle begin?
At Ypres, on April 22, 1915, the Germans launched the attack.
When were the Canadians sent to Belgium to relieve the ANZAC forces? (ANZAC is an acronym for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps)
October 1917
When is Canada said to "come of age" in World War One? (Place and year)
Vimy Ridge, April 1917
When did the battle of Vimy Ridge begin?
5:30 am on Easter Monday, April 9 1917
For how many straight the British shelled the German trenches in the hopes of completely destroying the enemy’s defense?
8 Days
The First World War turned into what?
A stalemate of trench fighting along the Western Front.
What commander was shocked at the conditions his forces faced and tried to avoid having his his men fight there but was overruled by his superiors?
Lieutenant-General Arthur Currie
Where is Vimy Ridge located...Rami?
Northern France
How many Canadian troops were involved in the first day off attack? What did they have with them in what conditions?
15,000-20,000, heavily laden with equipment, wind driven snow and sleet under heavy machine gun fire
When the attack began the British soldiers had no idea what was waiting for them on the other side of No Man’s Land. That day, the British suffered how many casualties?
60,000
This battle marked the first use of what?
Poison gas
What would make Passchendaele a far different battlefield than the one Canadians encountered at Vimy Ridge?
The mud, flat terrain, lack of preparation time and artillery support.
It is a long, high hill that dominates the surrounding landscape.
How did the Canadians advance? Describe what this is and how it was effective
Creeping barrage: line of intense artillery fire, moved ahead at a set rate and timed to the minute. Canadians followed the line of explosions closely this allowed them to capture German positions in the critical moments after the barrage moved on to the next targets but before enemy soldiers could emerge from the safety of their underground bunkers
What British Commander kept ordering troops into the battle?
Douglas Haig
Why was Ypres a difficult place to fight?
It was a region largely made up of flat, low ground. 3 years of heavy fighting destroyed the drainage systems the troops had made. The ground, churned up by millions of artillery shells, turned to sticky mud when wet.
What did Currie do when he arrived to Passchendaele?
He took as much time as he could to carefully prepare.
Who captured the ridge first and why was it a significant location?
Germany captured the location early in the war and transformed it into a strong defensive position, with a complex system of tunnels and trenches manned by highly trained soldiers with many machine guns and artillery pieces.
Most of the heavily defended ridge was captured by when?
Noon
How much longer did the battle last?
It lasted another five months.
What conditions in particular made this battle difficult?
In 1917, the autumn rains came early and turned the battlefield into a sea of muck.
When did the Canadian offensive begin and in what conditions?
October 26 1917, advancing through the mud and enemy fire was slow and there were heavy losses but the soldiers clawed their way forward.
When did the Canadians move to the front lines?
Late autumn of 1916
When did the Canadians take the next significant height on the ridge, and what was its nickname?
Two days after the battle began "the Pimple"
Approximately how many Canadian soldiers fought in this battle?
80,000
Why was the third battle of Ypres undertaken?
On what kind of battlefield was success often only made possible due to acts of great individual heroism?
On an exposed battlefields
What makes this battle different from other Canadian battles? It was the first time...
It was the first time all four divisions of the Canadian Corps fought together as one formation.
What happened when the battle was over?
Germany retreated 3km, Allies now commanded the heights the heights overlooking ground occupied by Germany.
More than 24, 000 Canadians were among how many total deaths?
624, 000 Allied soldiers were killed
Why did British commander Sir Douglas Haig launch a drive in Belgium?
To wear down the German capacity to continue fighting the war while hopefully seizing strategies German railways and capture German submarine bases used to disrupt Allied supplies.
When, and under what conditions, did the Canadians reach the outskirts of Passchendaele?
By the end of a second attack on October 30 during a driving rainstorm.
How did the Canadians prepare for this battle? What did they create?
Models of the trench system were built and they memorized what they were to do, raided German positions to gather intelligence, extensive "mining" operations were undertaken, dug tunnels under German lines and set large caches of explosives to be detonated when the attack began
What makes this battle significant to Canadians?
The Canadian Corps together with British Corps captured more ground, prisoners and artillery than any previous British offensive of the war.
What did this battle prove about Canadian soliders?
The Battle of the Somme was a terrible endurance test that proved Canadian soldiers could endure hard fights. Also confirmed the growing reputation of Canadians as first-rate front line troops who could capture enemy positions in the face of heavy fire.
Douglas Haig's offensive began when?
End of July 1917
When did the Canadians and British launch the assault to capture the ruined village of Passchendaele and how long did it take?
November 6th. Last phase of the battle saw the Canadians attack on November 10 and clear the Germans from the ridge before the campaign ground to a halt. Canadian soldiers had succeeded.
How did the Allies soften enemy defences in preparation for the attack? What do the German's refer to it as?
Massive and prolonged artillery barrage. Heaviest shelling was spread over a week to avoid tipping off the Germans on exactly when the assault would begin. Germans called it the "Week of suffering"
What is the Canadian National Vimy Memorial?
On land granted to Canada for all time by France, a memorial sits, the monument is inscribed with the names of 11,285 Canadian soldiers who were listed as "missing, presumed dead: in France during WWI.