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Day Four: Vimy Ridge
Almost 100 years ago, in Vimy, France, 170,000 Canadians from four divisions representing Canadians from coast to coast fought together for the first time in history. It was at Vimy Ridge that Canada received worldwide respect as a sovereign nation; we achieved what our allies had considered impossible, and we did it as a nation. There were 10,602 Canadian casualties in the Battle of Vimy Ridge, with 3,598 Canadians that paid the ultimate price.
Today the ridge is dominated by an enourmous monument dedicated to the brave young Canadians that bled the fields of France so long ago. The French and Canadian governments have preserved most of the vast network of trenches along Vimy Ridge, so our Scouts will literally be able to walk through the same trenches soldiers faught in 100 years ago.
Overview of the Battle of Vimy Ridge
Wikipedia => The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a military engagement fought primarily as part of the Battle of Arras, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the Canadian Corps, of four divisions, against three divisions of the German Sixth Army. The battle, which took place from 9 to 12 April 1917, was part of the opening phase of the British-led Battle of Arras, a diversionary attack for the French Nivelle Offensive.
The objective of the Canadian Corps was to take control of the German-held high ground along an escarpment at the northernmost end of the Arras Offensive. This would ensure that the southern flank could advance without suffering German enfilade fire. Supported by a creeping barrage, the Canadian Corps captured most of the ridge during the first day of the attack. The town of Thélus fell during the second day of the attack, as did the crest of the ridge once the Canadian Corps overcame a salient of considerable German resistance. The final objective, a fortified knoll located outside the town of Givenchy-en-Gohelle, fell to the Canadian Corps on 12 April. The German forces then retreated to the Oppy–Méricourt line.
Historians attribute the success of the Canadian Corps in capturing the ridge to a mixture of technical and tactical innovation, meticulous planning, powerful artillery support and extensive training, as well as the failure of the German Sixth Army to properly apply the new German defensive doctrine. The battle was the first occasion when all four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force participated in a battle together and thus became a Canadian nationalistic symbol of achievement and sacrifice. A 100 ha (250 acres) portion of the former battleground serves as a preserved memorial park and site of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.[5]
For more information read the full article on Wikipedia.
Thank You Kiwanis Club of Grand Falls-Windsor!
Our visit to Vimy Ridge has been sponsored with a $2000 donation from the Kiwanis Club of Grand Falls-Windsor! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
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