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The Battle of Vimy Ridge was one of the opening battles in a larger British campaign known as the The Battle of Arras took place from 9 April to 16 May 1917. It was fought by the British (First Army under Allenby, Third Army under Horne, Fifth Army under Gough) under the supreme command of General Haig against the heavily fortified line held by German Sixth and Second Armies... Battle of Arras. It is also considered a seminal event in History of Canada Pre-Confederation Post-Confederation Military history Economic history Timeline Edit this box Canada is a nation of 31 million inhabitants occupying almost all of the northern half of the North American continent. Because Canada is so vast and the various parts of modern-day Canada were established... Canadian history for the primary role that nation's forces played in the attack.

Vimy, located in northern The French Republic or France ( French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. France is a democracy organised as a... France, was one of the most heavily defended points on the entire Categories: Historical stubs | World War I ... Western Front and was thought to be an impregnable fortress. The Germans had fortified it with tunnels, three rows of trenches behind Modern barbed Wire Barbed wire is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand(s). It is used to construct inexpensive fences. A person or animal trying to pass through a barbed-wire fence will suffer discomfort and possibly injury. Barbed... barbed wire, and numerous A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. Contents // 1 Overview 2 Components 3 Operation 4 History 4.1 Early rapid-firing weapons 4.2 Maxim gun 4.3 Modern era 4.4 Future 5 See also 6 External links Overview... machine gun nests. The The French Republic or France ( French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. France is a democracy organised as a... French and The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was the British army sent to Belgium in World War I and British Forces in Europe from 1939 - 1940 during World War II. The BEF was established by Secretary of State for War Richard Haldane following the Boer War in case Britain ever needed to... British had suffered thousands of casualties in previous attempts to take the Ridge; the French alone lost 150,000 men at Vimy Ridge in 1915 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). Contents // 1 Events 1.1 Ongoing events 2 Births 3 Deaths 4 Nobel Prizes Events January Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14... 1915. The ridge, stretching from the town of Vimy is city in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département. Population: 4,700. It belongs to the communauté dagglomération of Lens-Liévin (Communaupole) which gathers 36 cities or villages, that is to say 250,000 inhabitants. The Vickers Vimy was an aircraft towards the... Vimy to Givenchy-en-Gohelle is a commune of northern France. Population (1999): 2,093. Contents // 1 Administration 2 Geography 3 Miscellaneous 4 External links Administration Givenchy-en-Gohelle is located in the Pas-de-Calais département. It belongs to the communauté dagglomération of Lens-Liévin (Communaupole) which... Givenchy-en-Gohelle, was a crucial point that allowed the Germans to control much of the surrounding territory. The ridge was the only major barrier keeping the allies from the wide open Lens is commune in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département. Population 36,800. It belongs to the communauté dagglomération of Lens-Liévin (Communaupole) which gathers 36 communes, that is to say 250,000 inhabitants. Lens, along with Douai, forms the metropolitan area (in French... Lens- Douai Région Nord-Pas-de-Calais Département Nord Population (1999) 44,792 Metropolitan area population (1999) (in French: aire urbaine) including Lens: 552,682 Douai is a city and commune in the north of France in the département of Nord, of which it is a sous-pr... Douai plain.

The Allied commanders decided to launch another assault in 1917 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). Contents // 1 Events 1.1 January-February 1.2 March-April 1.3 May-October 1.4 November 1.5 December 1.6 Unknown dates 1.7 Ongoing events 2 Births 2.1 January-March 2.2 April... 1917. The duty was given to the still relatively fresh, but previously successful, Canada is an independent sovereign state in northern North America, the northern-most country in the world, and the second largest in total area. Bordering the United States, its territorial claims extend north into the Arctic Ocean as far as the North Pole. Canada is a federation of ten provinces... Canadians. For the first time the four divisions of the The Canadian Corps was a World War I Canadas soldiers in September of 1915 after the arrival of the 2nd Canadian Division in France. The corps was expanded by the addition of the 3rd Canadian Division in December of 1915 and the 4th Canadian Division in August of 1916... Canadian Corps were brought together. They were joined by the 5th Division Army Regular Army Formed Permanent Demobilised Permanent British First World War divisions Previous Next France at the outbreak of the First World War. It served on the Western Front for most of the war except for a brief period in Italy. Contents // 1 Unit history 2 Formation 3... British 5th Infantry Division.

The Canadian Corps' commanders were determined to learn from the mistakes of the French and British and spent months planning their attack. They built a replica of the Ridge behind their own lines, and trained using See also Platoon (movie) and platoon (automobile) for the concept for reducing traffic congestion. Platoon is a term from military science. In an army, a platoon is a unit of thirty to forty soldiers typically commanded by a Lieutenant assisted by a non-commissioned officer. A platoon is formed by... platoon-level tactics, including issuing detailed maps to ordinary soldiers rather than officers or A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer), or NCO, is an enlisted member of an armed force who has been delegated leadership or command authority by a commissioned officer. The non-commissioned officer corps is the junior management of the military. An experienced NCO corps is a very important part... NCOs alone. Each platoon was given a specific task by their commanding officers, rather than vague instructions from an absent general. They also employed older techniques such as the detonation of large mines under the German trenches.

On April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. April Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20... April 2, 1917 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). Contents // 1 Events 1.1 January-February 1.2 March-April 1.3 May-October 1.4 November 1.5 December 1.6 Unknown dates 1.7 Ongoing events 2 Births 2.1 January-March 2.2 April... 1917, the Canadian Corps launched the largest Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. The term also describes ground-based troops with the primary function of manning such weapons. Continental Artillery crew from the American Revolution Contents // 1 Modern Artillery 2 Types 2.1 Sub-types 2.2 Projectiles 2... artillery barrage in history up to that point. They A shell is a projectile, which, as opposed to a bullet, is not only shot by explosives, but also contains explosives itself. These objects of weaponry are generally large rounds fired by artillery, armored fighting vehicles (including tanks), and warships, such as battleships. Most shells are roughly bullet shaped—... shelled the German trenches for the next week, using over one million shells. The attack was loud enough that it could be heard in London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. Founded as Londinium, the capital of... London. At dawn on Easter (also called Pascha) is generally accounted the most important holiday of the Christian year, observed March or April each year to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead (after his death by crucifixion; see Good Friday), which Christians believe happened at about this time of year, almost two... Easter Monday, April 9 is the 99th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (100th in leap years). There are 266 days remaining. April Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19... April 9, the 30,000-strong Canadian Corps began the attack, using a Creeping Barrage is an artillery technique perfected by Canadian soldiers at the Battle of Vimy Ridge, that uses fire from the artillery to create a huge pall of smoke and dirt in the air in order to obscure the advance of assaulting troops and keep enemy troops in their dup... creeping barrage, a new technique whereby soldiers walked across No-Man's Land just behind a continuous line of shells (an improvement over previous battles, in which both sides had often shelled their own troops). Several new and untested methods of counter-battery fire were also used sccesfully at the start of the battle. This disabled a large portion of the German artillery for the infantry. After less than two hours, three of the four Canadian divisions had taken their objectives; the fourth division, however, was caught by machine gun nests on the highest point of the Ridge known as Hill 145. The 87th Battalion suffered 50% casualties. The 85th Nova Scotia Highlanders, who had been intended to be in a supply and construction role, were sent into the battle and the division captured the hill by the end of the day.

By April 12 is the 102nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (103rd in leap years). There are 263 days remaining. April Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19... April 12 the Canadians controlled the entire Ridge, at a cost of 3,598 men killed and 7,104 wounded. The The German Sixth Army (German: 6.Armee Oberkommando) was a World War II field army and the protagonist of the tragic Battle of Stalingrad in 1942. Western campaigns The Sixth Army was formed on October 10, 1939 with Field Marshal Walther von Reichenau in command. Its primary mission was to... German Sixth Army, under General General Ludwig von Falkenhausen lead the German Sixth Army in the Battle of Vimy Ridge at the Hindenburg Line in World War 1 against Lord Julian Byng and General Sir Arthur Currie. The German side lost the Battle and appoximately 20,000 soldiers killed. 4,000 Germans were also taken... Ludwig von Falkenhausen, suffered approximately 20,000 casualties. The Canadians also took 4,000 Germans as Contents // 1 Geneva Convention definition 2 Alternative definitions 2.1 Anarchist Black Cross Federation definition 2.2 November Coalition definition 3 Further reading 4 See also 5 External links Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy... prisoners of war. The loss of the ridge also forced the Germans to retreat to the lower plains that were far more costly to defend.

The attack and objective had only limited grand-strategic significance, and as the simultaneous British and Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is the sixth-largest country in the world, the only one to occupy an entire continent, and the largest in the region of Australasia/ Oceania. It also includes a number of secondary islands, the largest of which is Tasmania, an Australian State. Australia is... Australian attack to the south of the Ridge was unsuccessful, very little was actually achieved after the Canadian victory. However, in a war in which, battle after battle, thousands died for gains measured in yards, it had tremendous tactical importance, both in relieving the city of Arras (Dutch: Atrecht) is a city in northern France, préfecture (capital) of the Pas-de-Calais département. In 1999, its population was 43,567. Originally settled by the Celtic tribe of the Atrebates, it later became a Roman garrison town known as Atrebatum. It is located in the... Arras from immediate threat of attack, as well as proving that the war could be made to move once again, after years of stalemate. The defeat was demoralizing for the Germans who had viewed the Ridge as one of their most impregnable strong points.

After one year, in April 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). Contents // 1 Events 1.1 January-February 1.2 March-April 1.3 May-July 1.4 August-October 1.5 November 1.6 December 1.7 Unknown dates 2 Births 2.1 January-February 2.2 March... 1918, the fact that Vimy Ridge continued to be held even as German advances reached the outskirts of The Eiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. Paris is the capital city of France, as well as the capital of the Île-de-France région, whose territory encompasses Paris and its suburbs. The city of Paris proper is also a dé... Paris, was probably also quite significant, and provided a leverage point behind the lines from which the extremely effective counter-attack was launched. (See Military technology during World War I, which began in August 1914, reflected a general trend to industrialism and the application of mass production techniques to killing. This trend had begun as far back as the U.S. Civil War fifty years earlier, and been marked by many smaller conflicts in... military technology during World War I.)

To Canadians, the name Vimy Ridge is very meaningful. It was the first time in the nation's history that its army fought as a complete organization in an independent battle. The Canadians were the only ones who defended their lines against the German army, when their Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is the sixth-largest country in the world, the only one to occupy an entire continent, and the largest in the region of Australasia/ Oceania. It also includes a number of secondary islands, the largest of which is Tasmania, an Australian State. Australia is... Australian and New Zealand is a country of two major islands and a number of smaller islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. A popular Māori name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, often translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud. New Zealand is a parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth... New Zealander Commonwealth cousins did not. Also, the Canadian troops in the battle consisted of soldiers from all 9 provinces of Canada ( Newfoundland and Labrador (Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador) (Coat of Arms of Newfoundland and Labrador) Motto: Quaerite Primum Regnum Dei (Seek ye first the kingdom of God) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital St. Johns Largest city St. Johns Lieutenant Governor Edward Roberts Premier Danny Williams (PC) Area... Newfoundland did not join Confederation until 1949 is a common year starting on Saturday. Years: 1946 1947 1948 - 1949 - 1950 1951 1952 Decades: 1910s 1920s 1930s - 1940s - 1950s 1960s 1970s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1949 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music Science and technology Aviation - Rail transport - Science - Television Other topics... 1949). The capture of the Ridge by the Canadian Corps, under the command of British Julian Hedworth George Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy (September 11, 1862 - June 6, 1935) was commander of the Canadian army in World War I, and later became Governor General of Canada. Contents // 1 Early Life 2 Byng as Governor General 2.1 The King-Byng Affair 3 Life After... General Julian H.G. Byng (with Canadian General General Sir Arthur William Currie (December 5, 1875 - November 30, 1933) was the first Canadian commander of the Canadian Corps on the Western Front during World War I and one of the most successful Allied generals of the war and in Canadian history. Under his capable leadership the Canadian Forces... Sir Arthur Currie acting as Chief-of-Staff), was a turning point for Allied Forces during the First World War. It was a triumphant event that Canadians from This article refers to the city in British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver can also refer to Vancouver, Washington, USA, a suburb of Portland, Oregon. For other uses, see Vancouver (disambiguation). City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (In Detail) (In Detail) Motto: By sea, land and air we prosper City  - Population... Vancouver to Regional Municipality of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Motto: E Mari Merces (Wealth from the Sea) Area: 5,490.90 sq. km. (former City of Halifax only 79.2 sq. km.) Population  - Total (2001)  - Cdn. CD Rank:  - Cdn. Mun. Rank:  - Density 359,111 Ranked 19th Ranked 11th... Halifax had in common and helped foster national unity. The success of the Canadian forces in this battle and others earned them a place at the post-war peace negotiations, a clear mark of the nation's independence from Britain.

The Memorial

The battle is commemorated by the Vimy Memorial, set atop Hill 145 near Vimy and Givenchy in the The French Republic or France ( French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. France is a democracy organised as a... French Pas-de-Calais Missing image Blason_france_Pas-de-Calais_petit.jpg Coat of Arms du Pas-de-Calais Details Information Number 62 Region Nord-Pas-de-Calais Prefecture Arras Subprefectures Béthune Boulogne-sur-Mer Calais Lens Montreuil-sur-Mer Saint-Omer Population  - Total (1999)  - Density Ranked 5th 1,441... Pas-de-Calais. It is Canada is an independent sovereign state in northern North America, the northern-most country in the world, and the second largest in total area. Bordering the United States, its territorial claims extend north into the Arctic Ocean as far as the North Pole. Canada is a federation of ten provinces... Canada's most important memorial to the fallen soldiers of World War I.

The Memorial commemorates Canada's role in the First World War with stone figures that symbolize the values defended and the sacrifices made. There is a wealth of For an account of the late 19th-century movement in poetry and the arts, known as Symbolism, see symbolism (arts). Symbolism is the systematic use of symbols to represent or allude to something. In the most literal sense, all language is symbolic. In a narrower sense, symbolism is the use... symbolism in its Sculptor redirects here. You may also be looking for Sculptor (constellation). Western sculpture was first perfected in Greece Sculpture is any three-dimensional form created as an artistic expression. Sculpting is the art of assembling or shaping an object. It may be of any size and of any suitable material... sculptures which help the viewer in contemplating the structure as a whole. Built between Years: 1922 1923 1924 - 1925 - 1926 1927 1928 Decades: 1890s 1900s 1910s - 1920s - 1930s 1940s 1950s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1925 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music Science and technology Aviation - Rail transport - Science - Television Other topics Canada - Sport Lists of leaders: State leaders - Religious... 1925 and 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). Contents // 1 Events 1.1 January-February 1.2 March-April 1.3 May-June 1.4 July-September 1.5 October 1.6 November 1.7 December 1.8 Unknown Dates 2 Year in topic... 1936, the works of art, produced by Canadian war artists, record and illuminate the nation's military achievements by documenting, and commenting on, Canada's notable contribution.

The monument was designed by a Canadian architect and sculptor, the late Walter Seymour Allward (November 18, 1876 - April 24, 1955) was a Canadian sculptor, born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, who created many works, but, was probably most famous for the Vimy Ridge Memorial. A project which started in 1921 and was completed in 1936. He is also the creator of the... Walter Seymour Allward. His design was selected from 160 others submitted by Canadians who participated in a competition held in the early Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century Decades: 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s - 1920s - 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s Years: 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 Referred to as the Roaring 20s. Contents // 1 Events and trends 1.1 Technology 1.2 Science 1.3... 1920s. The two pylons, representing Canada and France, tower 27 metres above the base of the monument. Because of the height of the Ridge, the topmost figure - that of peace - is approximately 110 metres above the Lens is commune in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département. Population 36,800. It belongs to the communauté dagglomération of Lens-Liévin (Communaupole) which gathers 36 communes, that is to say 250,000 inhabitants. Lens, along with Douai, forms the metropolitan area (in French... Lens Plain to the east. The land for the memorial as well as the surrounding 1 km&sup2 were given to Canada by France in 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). Contents // 1 Events 2 Year in topic 3 Births 3.1 January to June 3.2 July to December 4 Deaths 5 Nobel Prizes 6 Heads of state in 1922 7 See also Events January Su Mo Tu... 1922 in gratitude for sacrifices made by Canada in the First World War and for the victory achieved by Canadian troops in capturing Vimy Ridge in April 1917 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). Contents // 1 Events 1.1 January-February 1.2 March-April 1.3 May-October 1.4 November 1.5 December 1.6 Unknown dates 1.7 Ongoing events 2 Births 2.1 January-March 2.2 April... 1917.

This memorial was built by the people of Canada as a tribute to their countrymen who fought in the Great War and, particularly, to the more than 66,000 men who gave their lives to defend freedom.

As you walk to the front of the monument, you will see one of its central figures - a woman, hooded and cloaked, facing eastward toward the new day. Her eyes are cast down and her chin is resting on her hand. Below her is a tomb, draped in laurel branches and bearing a helmet. This saddened figure represents Canada - a young nation mourning her fallen sons.

The site is today operated by the Canadian government as a memorial and historic site. As well as the monument there is a small museum, a set of preserved trenches and tunnels as well as nearby cemeteries to those killed in the battle.

In 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. It was designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) Elections were held in 73 countries during 2004. See a list of elections... 2004 the monument will be closed for restoration work. It will be cleaned and the names will be recarved. The statues will be moved off site and also cleaned and restored. The restoration is expected to be complete in Years: 2003 2004 2005 - 2006 (MMVI) - 2007 2008 2009 Decades: 1970s 1980s 1990s - 2000s - 2010s 2020s 2030s Centuries: 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century News by month: Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec 2006 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music Politics Elections... 2006.

External links

• Canadian War Museum - The Battle of Vimy Ridge, 9-12 April 1917 (http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/vimy/index_e.html)
• Vimy Memorial - Veteran Affairs Canada  (http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/sub.cfm?source=memorials/ww1mem/vimy)

--Parzival 16:15, 7 Apr 2005 (UTC)