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Vimy
Ridge
Context
Vimy Ridge is a gentle, seven-kilometre-long, 145-metre-high escarpment about
10 kilometres from Arras. With its clear view of nearly 100 kilometres of flat
countryside, it was a coveted vantage point for both sides in the Great War.
Early in the conflict, in October, 1914, the Germans had taken control of the
ridge. In May, 1915, French troops attacked the rise during the Second Battle
of Artois and held it temporarily. The French tried unsuccessfully to take Vimy
again in September of that year, at a cost of 150,000 casualties.
In February, 1916, the British XVII Corps, under Lieutenant-General Sir Julian
Byng, replaced the French who then focussed their attention on Verdun. By that
time, the Germans had fortified their position with underground tunnels, extensive
trenches, dugouts (one big enough for a battalion) and deadly mines that reached
out under British positions. As a result of Germany's advantageous position,
fighting |
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through May
let them gain a bit of ground on the British who were unable to take Vimy Ridge.
That would be a job for Canadians who arrived on the scene in the spring of 1917.
They brought with them 42,609 tonnes of ammunition and had 245 heavy guns and
four 12-inch howitzers at their disposal. A full |
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Stretcher Cases waiting
to be loaded Vimy Ridge April, 1917
These Canadian soldiers are waiting to be loaded onto
a rail line that will take them to a field hospital behind the lines at Vimy
Ridge.
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