Battle of Vimy Ridge
By: Ashley D.
Imagine the sensation of winning a bloody battle and being honoured by your country. The Battle of Vimy Ridge was one of Canada's most celebrated victories in World War I. The most famous ridge in the battle was approximately 1km in length, and ended at an elevation of 145 m above the Douai Plains. This ridge provided a view of 10 km in every direction. The Battle of Vimy Ridge took place in Vimy, Pas-de-Calais, France.
Heavy Artillery
Cannons like this played a large part of the battle.
Trench Warfare
In this picture, that trench has parts of it blown to pieces because of heavy artillery.
Vimy Ridge Today
Now in France you can visit the Vimy Ridge memorial grounds where you can see some trench lines and craters.
The Main Assault
The main assault was to begin at 5:30 am on Easter Monday, April 9, 1917. The main assault was one of the biggest attacks on the Germans during battle. One commanding officer of an assaulting battalion requested that the artillery that was firing to leave a portion of German trench undamaged. By nightfall on April 9, German forces that were holding the top of the ridge believed that they overcame the crisis during the day.
Aftermath
After the battle, the victory helped Canada earn their independence from Great Britain. However, the Canadian Corps suffered 10,602 casualties: 3,598 were killed, 7,004 were wounded, and the Germans had 4,000 of their men captured and held as prisoners. There were only four men in the Canadian Corps who received "Victoria Crosses". Victoria Crosses are the highest military decoration in Canada and Great Britain.