Battle of Vimy Ridge
World War I battle (April 1917)
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Key Takeaways
- The Battle of Vimy Ridge (9–12 April 1917) was part of the Battle of Arras, in the Pas-de-Calais department of France, during the First World War.
- The battle began the Battle of Arras and was the first attack of the Nivelle Offensive.
- The Canadian Corps was to capture Vimy Ridge, an escarpment on the northern flank of the Arras front.
- Supported by a creeping barrage, the Canadian Corps captured most of the ridge during the first day.
- The final objective, a fortified knoll outside the village of Givenchy-en-Gohelle, fell to the Canadians on 12 April.
The Battle of Vimy Ridge (9–12 April 1917) was part of the Battle of Arras, in the Pas-de-Calais department of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the four divisions of the Canadian Corps in the First Army, against three divisions of the German 6th Army. The battle began the Battle of Arras and was the first attack of the Nivelle Offensive. The objective was to draw German reserves away from the French forces, preparing for the French offensive along the Aisne and the Chemin des Dames ridge several days later.
The Canadian Corps was to capture Vimy Ridge, an escarpment on the northern flank of the Arras front. This would protect the First Army and the Third Army farther south from German enfilade fire. Supported by a creeping barrage, the Canadian Corps captured most of the ridge during the first day. The village of Thélus fell on the second day, as did the crest of the ridge, once the Canadian Corps overran a salient against considerable German resistance. The final objective, a fortified knoll outside the village of Givenchy-en-Gohelle, fell to the Canadians on 12 April. The 6th Army retreated to the Oppy–Méricourt line.
Historians attribute the success of the Canadian Corps to technical and tactical innovation, meticulous planning, powerful artillery support and extensive training and the inability of the 6th Army properly to apply the new German defensive doctrine. The battle was the first occasion when the four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force fought together and it was made a symbol of Canadian national achievement and sacrifice. A 100 ha (250-acre) portion of the battleground serves as a memorial park and site of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.
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