Before the Battle
Prior to Canada’s involvement in this event, the British and French were hammering away at Vimy Ridge, but the battles always ended in a stalemate because the Germans had the advantage of controlling the ridge. The ridge, located in France was much higher than the rest of the flat plains which made it both an offensive, and defensive position. Apart from driving the Germans further back, this was another reason why the Allied forces wanted to capture Vimy Ridge in the first place. Finally, after many failed attempts and over 100,000 casualties, Canada was assigned to capture Vimy Ridge.
Planning & Preparation
In order for the Canadian corps to capture Vimy Ridge, lots of meticulous planning and training was done. The Canadians dug tunnels and bunkers underneath the ridge so that at the time of the attack, they could use them to transport troops secretly, store ammunition and sometimes even detonate areas. Likewise, they rehearsed the battle strategy countless times and finally, a week before the actual assault, the Canadians corps continuously shelled enemy bunkers and trenches to weaken their forces and to keep them from knowing when the attack would start.
The Battle …show more content…
Their strategy was to use a creeping barrage, in which troops would follow directly behind a wall of constant shelling. This provided both a cover and a way to clear the area of German soldiers and obstacles. Although there were many casualties in the beginning, the Canadians were able to capture the front line of the German defense. After this, they pushed on to conquer Hill 145 and the Pimple, which were the main hills of Vimy Ridge. These essential movements were enough for the Germans, and they finally retreated on April 12, 1917, leaving the Canadians with a well deserved