query: when did the battle of vimy ridge end

pos: Battle of Vimy Ridge Battle of Vimy Ridge The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of the Battle of Arras, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region 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 took place from 9 to 12 April 1917 at the beginning of the Battle of Arras, the first attack of the Nivelle Offensive, which was intended to attract German reserves from the French, before their attempt at a decisive offensive on the Aisne and the Chemin des Dames

pos: Battle of Vimy Ridge Trudeau, Governor General David Johnston, Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry and President of France François Hollande. Battle of Vimy Ridge The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of the Battle of Arras, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region 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 took place from 9 to 12 April 1917 at the beginning of the Battle of Arras, the first attack of the Nivelle Offensive, which was intended

pos: Battle of Vimy Ridge Battle of Vimy Ridge The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of the Battle of Arras, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region 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 took place from 9 to 12 April 1917 at the beginning of the Battle of Arras, the first attack of the Nivelle Offensive, which was intended to attract German reserves from the French, before their attempt at a decisive offensive on the Aisne and the Chemin des Dames

pos: 185th Tunnelling Company most of the front line, offensive mining largely ceased although activities continued until 1917. The British gallery network beneath Vimy Ridge eventually grew to a length of . The Canadian Corps was posted to the northern part of Vimy Ridge in October 1916 and preparations for an attack were revived in February 1917. 185th Tunnelling Company then dug subways near Neuville-Saint-Vaast in early 1917. Prior to the Battle of Vimy Ridge (9 – 12 April 1917), the British tunnelling companies secretly laid a series of explosive charges under German positions in an effort to destroy surface fortifications before the assault.

pos: 41st Brigade Royal Field Artillery the Affair of Landrecies, the Rearguard affair of Le Grand Fayt and the Rearguard actions of Villers-Cotterets; The Battle of the Marne; The Battle of the Aisne; First Battle of Ypres 1915 - The Battle of Festubert; The Battle of Loos 1916 - The Battle of Delville Wood; The Battle of the Ancre. After the end of the Battle of the Somme in December 1916, the artillery was reorganised, and often deployed to support different Divisions depending on need. For example, for the Battle of Vimy Ridge (9 to 12 April 1917), part of the opening phase of the British-led

neg: Vimy Ridge Day control until the end of the war. Vimy Ridge Day Vimy Ridge Day is a day to commemorate the deaths and casualties of members of the Canadian Corps during the First World War Battle of Vimy Ridge. The holiday has been observed annually on 9 April since 2003. It is a non-statutory observance. In 2003, the Government of Canada declared 9 April to be "Vimy Ridge Day", to honour and remember the Battle of Vimy Ridge which took place during the First World War at Vimy Ridge, France, in 1917. The initiative to create the day of commemoration was spearheaded

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge order of battle Eastern Front and was transferred to the Vimy sector at the end of February 1917. The 1st Bavarian Reserve Division had been in the Arras area since October 1914 and was holding the villages of Thélus, Bailleul and the southern slope of the ridge. Battle of Vimy Ridge order of battle The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a military engagement fought as part of the Battle of Arras, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the Canadian Corps against three divisions of the German Sixth Army. The battle was part of the

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge order of battle Battle of Vimy Ridge order of battle The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a military engagement fought as part of the Battle of Arras, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the Canadian Corps against three divisions of the German Sixth Army. The battle was part of the opening phase of the Battle of Arras, part Nivelle Offensive and took place from 9–12 April 1917. The objective of the Canadian Corps was to take control of the German-held high ground, along an escarpment at the northernmost end of the Arras Offensive. This

neg: Vimy Ridge Day Vimy Ridge Day Vimy Ridge Day is a day to commemorate the deaths and casualties of members of the Canadian Corps during the First World War Battle of Vimy Ridge. The holiday has been observed annually on 9 April since 2003. It is a non-statutory observance. In 2003, the Government of Canada declared 9 April to be "Vimy Ridge Day", to honour and remember the Battle of Vimy Ridge which took place during the First World War at Vimy Ridge, France, in 1917. The initiative to create the day of commemoration was spearheaded by Robert Manuel, a Korean War veteran.

neg: Orders of battle for the German Attack on Vimy Ridge, 21 May 1916 Orders of battle for the German Attack on Vimy Ridge, 21 May 1916 Orders of battle for The German Attack on Vimy Ridge, 21 May 1916 (Unternehmen Schleswig-Holstein/Operation Schleswig-Holstein), 21 May 1916. The operation was a local German attack on Vimy Ridge on the Western Front during the First World War. At the Third Battle of Artois (25 September – 4 November 1915) the French Tenth Army captured positions on the western slope of Vimy Ridge and the German 6th Army was forced back to positions on the steeper eastern slope. Both sides resorted to a continuous underground offensive. The

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge late April and early May 1917. After the end of World War I, Byng was raised to the peerage as "Baron Byng of Vimy", of Thorpe-le-Soken in the County of Essex, on 7 October 1919. The next month, he retired from the military. The Battle of Vimy Ridge has considerable significance for Canada. Although the battle is not generally considered the greatest achievement of the Canadian Corps in strategic importance or results obtained, it was the first instance in which all four Canadian divisions, made up of troops drawn from all parts of the country, fought as a cohesive formation.

neg: Orders of battle for the German Attack on Vimy Ridge, 21 May 1916 reserve. The 7th Brigade, 25th Division in P sector came temporarily under the command of the 47th Division. 25th Division (Data taken from Rogers "The German Attack at Vimy Ridge" [2010] p. 47 unless indicated.) Berthonval sector Central Avenue – Ersatz Alley sectors Carency sector Reinforcements Orders of battle for the German Attack on Vimy Ridge, 21 May 1916 Orders of battle for The German Attack on Vimy Ridge, 21 May 1916 (Unternehmen Schleswig-Holstein/Operation Schleswig-Holstein), 21 May 1916. The operation was a local German attack on Vimy Ridge on the Western Front during the First World War. At the Third

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge a big infantry attack on the Vimy Ridge proposed for autumn 1916, although this was postponed. After September 1916, when the Royal Engineers had completed their network of defensive galleries along most of the front line, offensive mining largely ceased although activities continued until 1917. The British gallery network beneath Vimy Ridge eventually grew to a length of . The Canadian Corps was posted to the northern part of Vimy Ridge in October 1916 and preparations for an attack were revived in February 1917. British tunnelling companies created extensive underground networks and fortifications. Twelve subways, up to long were excavated

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge of the 140th and 141st British Brigades took place on 22 May but did not manage to change the situation. The Canadian Corps relieved the British IV Corps stationed along the western slopes of Vimy Ridge in October 1916. On 28 May 1916, Byng took command of the Canadian Corps from Lieutenant-General Sir Edwin Alderson. Formal discussions for a spring offensive near Arras began, following a conference of corps commanders held at the First Army Headquarters on 21 November 1916. In March 1917, the First Army headquarters formally presented Byng with orders outlining Vimy Ridge as the Canadian Corps objective

neg: The German Attack on Vimy Ridge, 21 May 1916 on the east slope of Zouave Valley as shelter for infantry in support and the situation did not change until the Canadian attack on 9 April 1917. The German Attack on Vimy Ridge, 21 May 1916 The German Attack on Vimy Ridge, 21 May ("Unternehmen Schleswig-Holstein"/Operation Schleswig-Holstein) was a local attack on the Western Front during the First World War. The Germans intended to prevent mines being blown under German positions by capturing the British front line and mine gallery entrances. After the Third Battle of Artois (25 September – 4 November 1915) The French Tenth Army had held positions

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge theory that Vimy Ridge is a source of Canada's rise as a nation is highly contested and developed in the latter part of the twentieth century after most of those who experienced the Great War had passed away. The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is Canada's largest and principal overseas war memorial. Located on the highest point of the Vimy Ridge, the memorial is dedicated to the commemoration of the Battle of Vimy Ridge and Canadian Expeditionary Force members killed during the First World War. It serves as the place of commemoration for Canadian soldiers killed in France during the First

neg: 172nd Tunnelling Company was subsequently postponed. After September 1916, when the Royal Engineers had completed their network of defensive galleries along most of the front line, offensive mining largely ceased although activities continued until 1917. The British gallery network beneath Vimy Ridge eventually grew to a length of . 172nd Tunnelling Company stayed near Vimy and remained active in the area in preparation for the Battle of Vimy Ridge (9–12 April 1917), together with 175th and 182nd Tunnelling Companies. 184th Tunnelling Company and 255th Tunnelling Company also served a tenure at Vimy. The Canadian Corps was posted to the northern part of Vimy

neg: Arras costly, yet it proved to be a success and allowed the city to expand. The town is located approximately south of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial built in 1936 on Hill 145, the highest point of the Vimy Ridge escarpment. It is dedicated to the Battle of Vimy Ridge assault (part of the 1917 Battle of Arras) and the missing First World War Canadian soldiers with no known grave; it is also the site of two WWI Canadian cemeteries. On 9 April 2017, the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, Arras Mayor Frédéric Leturque thanked Canadians, as well

neg: Vimy "Viniarcum" and was the scene of much fighting during the fourteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries among the French, English, Dutch and Spanish forces. The ridge was the scene of fierce fighting in the First World War. Seized by the Germans in 1914, it was the subject of a French assault in 1915. In 1917 the Battle of Vimy Ridge took place southeast of Vimy and was an important battle of the war for Canadian military history. The town was practically destroyed during the fighting in the area. Set on the highest point of Vimy Ridge, the Canadian National Vimy Memorial

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge a series of unmoving strong points and static lines of resistance, which the Allied artillery ultimately isolated and destroyed. As a result of the inquiry, Hindenburg removed Falkenhausen from his command and transferred him to Belgium where he served the remainder of the war as that country's Governor General. The Germans did not see the Canadian Corps's capture of Vimy Ridge as a loss. Contemporary German sources viewed the action, at worst, as a draw, given that no full-scale breakthrough occurred following the attack. The Germans did not attempt to recapture the ridge, even during the Spring Offensive and it

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge ridge further south. The Canadian Corps was to capture the German-held high ground of 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 of the attack. The village of Thélus fell during 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 located outside the village of

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge German defence at Vimy Ridge relied largely on machine guns, which acted as force multipliers for the defending infantry. Three line divisions, comprising seven infantry regiments were responsible for the immediate defence of the ridge. The paper strength of each division was approximately 15,000 men but their actual strength was significantly fewer. In 1917, a full-strength German rifle company consisted of 264 men; at Vimy Ridge, each rifle company contained approximately 150 men. Each German regiment held a zone approximately wide as far back as the rear area. When the Canadian Corps attacked, each German company faced two or more

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge remained under British control until the end of the war. The loss of Vimy Ridge forced the Germans to reassess their defensive strategy in the area. Instead of mounting a counterattack, they pursued a scorched earth policy and retreated to the Oppy–Méricourt line. The complete failure of the French Nivelle Offensive in the week after the Arras Offensive placed pressure on Field Marshal Douglas Haig to keep the Germans occupied in the Arras sector to minimize French losses. The Canadian Corps participated in several of these actions including the Battle of Arleux and the Third Battle of the Scarpe in

neg: 4th Canadian Division Canadians became known as masters of offensive warfare and an elite fighting force. In the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917, the 4th Canadian Division was given the job of capturing Hill 145, the highest and most important feature of Vimy Ridge. However, when they attempted to capture the hill, they were hampered by fire from the "Pimple", which was the other prominent height at Vimy Ridge. To capture Hill 145, forces which were supposed to attack the Pimple were redeployed and captured Hill 145. 10th Canadian Brigade: 11th Canadian Brigade: 12th Canadian Brigade: Pioneers: 1916: 1917: 1918: The

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge the Germans from the region during the Second Battle of Artois in May 1915 by attacking their positions at Vimy Ridge and Notre Dame de Lorette. The French 1st Moroccan Division managed to briefly capture the height of the ridge but was unable to hold it owing to a lack of reinforcements. The French made another attempt during the Third Battle of Artois in September 1915 but only captured the village of Souchez at the western base of the ridge. The Vimy sector calmed following the offensive with both sides taking a largely live and let live approach. In all,

neg: Vimy Foundation of Defense Staff, became Honorary Chairman of The Vimy Foundation in 2008. In 2009, The Vimy Ridge Public School opened in Ajax, Ontario. The Durham District School Board decided to name one of its newest public schools in honour of Canada’s victory at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. This initiative was supported in part by The Vimy Foundation. The school, 45 km northeast of Toronto, opened its doors September 2009. The naming committee voted unanimously for Vimy Ridge. The final selection took only one round of voting. At the 90th Anniversary in 2007 35,000 Canadians made the trip to Vimy

neg: Canadian National Vimy Memorial is the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, also in France. Remembrance has also taken other forms: the Vimy Foundation, having been established to preserve and promote Canada's First World War legacy as symbolized by the victory at the Battle of Vimy Ridge, and Vimy Ridge Day, to commemorate the deaths and casualties during the battle. Local Vimy resident Georges Devloo spent 13 years until his death in 2009 offering car rides to Canadian tourists to and from the memorial at no charge, as a way of paying tribute to the Canadians who fought at Vimy. The memorial is not without its critics.

neg: The German Attack on Vimy Ridge, 21 May 1916 ridge was cancelled, because of the demand for men and equipment of the forthcoming Battle of the Somme, the attack on the Gommecourt Salient taking priority. British planning continued and became the basis for the much larger attack by the Canadian Corps at the Battle of Vimy Ridge (9–12 April 1917). Vimy Ridge extends from the Scarpe river valley east of Arras for north to the valley of the Souchez river. During the winter of 1915–1916, the German and French troops on the ridge spent much time trying to drain and repair trenches. In the area of the German 17th

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge Prior to the Battle of Vimy Ridge, the British tunnelling companies also secretly laid 13 mines under German positions to destroy surface fortifications before the assault. To protect some advancing troops from German machine gun fire, as they crossed no man's land during the attack, eight smaller "Wombat" charges were laid at the end of the subways to allow troops to move more quickly and safely enter the German trench system by creating an elongated trench-depth crater that spanned the length of no man's land. At the same time, 19 crater groups existed along this section of the Western Front,

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge small salient on the ridge soon found themselves being attacked along their flanks by continuously reinforced Canadian Corps troops. When it became obvious that the position was completely outflanked and there was no prospect of reinforcement, the German troops pulled back. The German forces were evacuated off the ridge with German artillery batteries moved west of the Vimy–Bailleul railway embankment or to the Oppy–Méricourt line. By nightfall of 10 April, the only Canadian objective not yet achieved was the capture of the Pimple. The 4th Canadian Division faced difficulties at the start of the battle that forced it to delay

neg: Canadian National Vimy Memorial Armoured Division recaptured Vimy Ridge. Immediately following the Second World War, very little attention was paid to the Battle of Vimy Ridge or the Vimy Memorial. The "Winnipeg Free Press" and "The Legionary", the magazine of the Royal Canadian Legion, were the only publications to note the 35th anniversary of the battle in 1952. The 40th anniversary in 1957 received even less notice, with only the "Halifax Herald" making any mention. Interest in commemoration remained low in the early 1960s but increased in 1967 with the 50th anniversary of the battle, paired with the Canadian Centennial. A heavily attended ceremony

neg: Henry Horne, 1st Baron Horne the one found incompetent and, after one month of relative failure (and a mutiny), Nivelle was sacked and replaced with Philippe Pétain. The attack on Vimy Ridge was spearheaded by the First Army's "shock troops" (the Canadian Corps). The ensuing Battle of Vimy Ridge, the first of a series of actions known as the Battle of Arras was successful: supported by Horne's 1,000-odd artillery pieces, the Canadian forces took the ridge in four days, with approximately 10,000 casualties (against 20,000 German casualties). The capture of Vimy Ridge would prove essential to the British Army: it served as the backbone of

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge highest point of the ridge, Hill 145. The 79th Reserve Division had fought for two years on the Eastern Front before being transferred to the Vimy sector at the end of February 1917. The 1st Bavarian Reserve Division had been in the Arras area since October 1914 and held the villages of Thélus, Bailleul and the southern slope of the ridge. Byng commanded four attacking divisions, one division in reserve and numerous support units. He was supported to the north by the 24th Division, I Corps, which advanced north of the Souchez river and by the XVII Corps to the

neg: Orders of battle for the German Attack on Vimy Ridge, 21 May 1916 Tenth Army was transferred south by March 1916, during the Battle of Verdun (21 February – 18 December 1916) and the British First Army and Third Army on either flank extended their lines to take over Vimy Ridge. "Unternehmen Schleswig-Holstein" was intended to capture British positions, from which the French mining offensive had been continued, to gain more defensive depth and to forestall mine attacks on the German positions. The British divisions were still organising their defences on the ridge, having recently relieved the French when the German attack began. The attack was a success and raised concerns that it

neg: Vimy Vimy Vimy ( or ; ) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. It is located east of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial dedicated to the Battle of Vimy Ridge and the Canadian soldiers who were killed during the war. The Memorial is also the site of two Canadian cemeteries. Vimy is a farming town, situated some north of Arras, at the junction of the D51 and the N17 roads. It is situated on the crest of Vimy Ridge, a prominent feature overlooking the Artois region. The town was first mentioned in 1183 as

neg: Vimy Foundation Vimy Foundation The Vimy Foundation is a charity focused on raising awareness of the role Canada played in World War I and the implications of Canada’s success in the Battle of Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917. The Vimy Foundation was founded in 1996 by John Andrew Powell (son of Ray Edwin Powell), with support from Sir Nicholas Bonsor. Its office is located in Toronto, Canada. The mission of The Vimy Foundation is to preserve and promote Canada’s First World War legacy as symbolized by the victory at Vimy Ridge in April 1917. All activities originated by the Foundation have

neg: The German Attack on Vimy Ridge, 21 May 1916 The German Attack on Vimy Ridge, 21 May 1916 The German Attack on Vimy Ridge, 21 May ("Unternehmen Schleswig-Holstein"/Operation Schleswig-Holstein) was a local attack on the Western Front during the First World War. The Germans intended to prevent mines being blown under German positions by capturing the British front line and mine gallery entrances. After the Third Battle of Artois (25 September – 4 November 1915) The French Tenth Army had held positions on the western slope of Vimy Ridge and the German 6th Army ("Generaloberst" [Colonel General] Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria) occupied positions on the steeper eastern slope.

neg: IV Corps (United Kingdom) Vimy Ridge taken, which would mean a joint attack with XVII Corps. Edmonds later wrote that Wilson's preparations had laid the foundations for the successful capture of Vimy Ridge in April 1917. The attack at Vimy never took place as IV Corps was incorporated into Gough's Reserve Army, where it remained in reserve during the Battle of the Ancre. The corps also took part in the German Retreat to the Hindenburg Line, the Battle of Cambrai and associated actions, the First Battles of the Somme and associated actions, the Second Battle of the Somme, the Battle of St. Quentin Canal

neg: The Stone Carvers Refuto brings Tilman with him to the Italian district of Hamilton; Tilman befriends Refuto's son Giorgio and lives with the family for a time. But when war comes Tilman serves in the trenches of France, where he is 'injured out' after losing his leg in battle at Vimy Ridge. Aged in his 40s, Tilman returns to Shoneval, and Klara is reunited with the brother who had been assumed dead years ago. Here it is learned that Tilman is a veteran of the Great War, and lost his leg in the battle of Vimy Ridge. Upon learning of the construction of

neg: Tunnelling companies of the Royal Engineers trench mortar fire intensified in early May 1916. After September 1916, when the Royal Engineers had constructed defensive galleries along most of the front line at Vimy, offensive mining largely ceased. By 1917, 19 crater groups existed along this section of the Western Front, each with several large craters. The British gallery network beneath Vimy Ridge grew to a length of . Before the Battle of Vimy Ridge (9–12 April 1917), the British tunnelling companies secretly laid a series of explosive charges under German positions in an effort to destroy surface fortifications before the assault. The original plan had called

neg: Battle of Arras (1917) to take place on the Aisne to the south. The aim of the French offensive was to break through the German defences in forty-eight hours. At Arras the Canadians were to re-capture Vimy Ridge, dominating the plain of Douai to the east, advance towards Cambrai and divert German reserves from the French front. The British effort was an assault on a relatively broad front between Vimy in the north-west and Bullecourt to the south-east. After a long preparatory bombardment, the Canadian Corps of the First Army in the north fought the Battle of Vimy Ridge and took the ridge. The

neg: Canadian National Vimy Memorial Army attempted to dislodge the Germans from the region during the Second Battle of Artois in May 1915 by attacking their positions at Vimy Ridge and Notre Dame de Lorette. During the attack, the French 1st Moroccan Division briefly captured the height of the ridge, where the Vimy memorial is currently located, but was unable to hold it owing to a lack of reinforcements. The French made another attempt during the Third Battle of Artois in September 1915, but were once again unsuccessful in capturing the top of the ridge. The French suffered approximately 150,000 casualties in their attempts to

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge Vimy Memorial. Vimy Ridge is an escarpment northeast of Arras on the western edge of the Douai Plain. The ridge rises gradually on its western side and drops more quickly on the eastern side. At approximately in length and culminating at an elevation of or above the Douai Plains, the ridge provides a natural unobstructed view for tens of kilometres in all directions. The ridge fell under German control in October 1914 during the Race to the Sea as the Franco-British and German forces continually attempted to outflank each other through northeastern France. The French Tenth Army attempted to dislodge

neg: The Canadian Crown and the Canadian Armed Forces ceremonies at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, there wearing his uniform as a Lieutenant-General of the Canadian Army. The death of the last Canadian veteran of World War I came in 2010 and, on the anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April that year, Queen Elizabeth II issued a statement marking the two events, stating: "As proud and grateful Canadians, we pause today to mark not only the ninety-third anniversary of this Nation's victory at Vimy Ridge but also to pay tribute to the passing of a truly remarkable generation who helped to end the most terrible

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge the attack. The gallery had been pushed silently through the clay, avoiding the sandy and chalky layers of the Vimy Ridge but by 9 April 1917 was still short of its target. In the end, two mines were blown before the attack, while three mines and two "Wombat" charges were fired to support the attack, including those forming a northern flank. Trench raiding involved making small-scale surprise attacks on enemy positions, often in the middle of the night for reasons of stealth. All belligerents employed trench raiding as a tactic to harass their enemy and gain intelligence. In the Canadian

neg: Western Front (World War I) August. Both sides developed improved weapons, engines, airframes and materials, until the end of the war. It also inaugurated the cult of the ace, the most famous being Manfred von Richthofen (the Red Baron). Contrary to the myth, anti-aircraft fire claimed more kills than fighters. The final Entente offensive of the spring was the Second Battle of Artois, an offensive to capture Vimy Ridge and advance into the Douai plain. The French Tenth Army attacked on 9 May after a six-day bombardment and advanced to capture Vimy Ridge. German reinforcements counter-attacked and pushed the French back towards their starting points

neg: Vickers Vimy first production contract, for 150 aircraft, was issued; work on this batch was performed at Vickers' facility in Crayford in the London Borough of Bexley. Production of the type by additional manufacturers was envisaged early on; in May 1918 follow-up contracts were issued to Clayton & Shuttleworth, Morgan & Co, and the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE), in addition to a separate production line at Vickers' Weybridge complex. At one point over 1,000 aircraft had been ordered under wartime contracts. The type had received the official name of "Vimy", after the Battle of Vimy Ridge. By the end of 1918 a

neg: Canadian National Vimy Memorial Canadian National Vimy Memorial The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is a war memorial site in France dedicated to the memory of Canadian Expeditionary Force members killed during the First World War. It also serves as the place of commemoration for Canadian soldiers of the First World War killed or presumed dead in France who have no known grave. The monument is the centrepiece of a preserved battlefield park that encompasses a portion of the ground over which the Canadian Corps made their assault during the initial Battle of Vimy Ridge offensive of the Battle of Arras. The Battle of Vimy

neg: Canadian National Vimy Memorial placing the memorial at Vimy Ridge. King's position received the unanimous support of the House and, in the end, the commission selected Vimy Ridge as the preferred site. The government announced its desire to acquire a more considerable tract of land along the ridge after the commission selected Vimy Ridge as the preferred location for Allward's design. In the interval between the 1st and 2nd session of the 14th Canadian Parliament, Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada Rodolphe Lemieux went to France to negotiate the acquisition of more land. On 5 December 1922, Lemieux concluded an agreement with

neg: William Johnstone Milne in September 1915. Milne was 24 years old and a private in the 16th (The Canadian Scottish) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force on the 9 April 1917 near Thelus, France, during the Battle of Vimy Ridge, where his actions led to the award of the Victoria Cross. His citation reads: Four soldiers earned the Victoria Cross in the Battle of Vimy Ridge; the others were Thain Wendell MacDowell, Ellis Wellwood Sifton and John George Pattison. Milne's body was never found. He is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial. William Johnstone Milne William Johnstone Milne VC (21 December 1892 – 9 April 1917)

neg: 1st Bavarian Reserve Division of the war in the Battle of the Frontiers. It then participated in the Race to the Sea, including the Battle of Arras in October 1914. It remained in the trenchlines in Flanders until 1916, when it entered the Battle of the Somme in August 1916. In April 1917 the division, now redeployed to the Vimy sector, participated in the Battle of Vimy Ridge. In late 1917, it participated in the Battle of Passchendaele. In 1918, the division fought in the Battle of the Lys. The division ended the war still fighting in the Lys region. Allied intelligence rated the

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge 1917 because the terrain made it impractical. The topography of the Vimy battlefield made defence-in-depth difficult to realize. The ridge was wide at its narrowest point, with a steep drop on the eastern side, all but eliminating the possibility of counterattacks if the ridge was captured. The Germans were apprehensive about the inherent weakness of the Vimy Ridge defences. The German defensive scheme was to maintain a front line defence of sufficient strength to defend against an initial assault and move operational reserves forward, before the enemy could consolidate their gains or overrun remaining German positions. As a result, the

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge senior non-commissioned officers the topographical features of the battlefield and details of the German trench system. Upwards of 40,000 topographical trench maps were printed and distributed to ensure that even platoon sergeants and section commanders possessed a wider awareness of the battlefield. The new measures gave each platoon a clearer picture of how it fitted into the greater battle plan and in so doing, reduced the command and control problems that plagued First World War combat. Operations along the Vimy Ridge were accompanied by extensive underground excavations. The Arras–Vimy sector was conducive to tunnelling owing to the soft, porous yet

neg: Canadian National Vimy Memorial to change the situation. The Canadian Corps relieved the British IV Corps stationed along the western slopes of Vimy Ridge in October 1916. The Battle of Vimy Ridge was the first instance in which all four Canadian divisions participated in a battle together, as a cohesive formation. The nature and size of the planned Canadian Corps assault necessitated support and resources beyond its normal operational capabilities. Consequently, the British 5th Infantry Division and supplementary artillery, engineer and labour units reinforced the four Canadian divisions already in place. The 24th British Division of I Corps supported the Canadian Corps along its

neg: Givenchy-en-Gohelle was the site of sustained underground fighting between German and British tunneling units. Givenchy-en-Gohelle was taken by the 2nd Canadian Division on 13 April 1917. Over 150 war casualties (1914-1918) are commemorated at the Canadian cemetery here and 109 from the Battle of Vimy Ridge are buried here. The centennial commemoration of the Battle of Vimy Ridge was held at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial near the village on 9 April 2017. Estimates before the event indicated that up to 30,000 would attend. By early April 2017, the village had been decorated with 500 Canadian flags. Givenchy-en-Gohelle Givenchy-en-Gohelle () is

neg: Second Battle of Artois Aubers Ridge (9 May) and the Battle of Festubert The battle was fought during the German offensive of the Second Battle of Ypres which the Germans ended to reinforce the Artois front. The initial French attack broke through and captured Vimy Ridge but reserve units were not able to reinforce the troops on the ridge, before German counter-attacks forced them back about half-way to their jumping-off points. The British attack at Aubers Ridge was a costly failure and two German divisions in reserve were diverted south against the Tenth Army. The British offensive was suspended until 15 May, when the

neg: 176th Tunnelling Company the Royal Engineers had completed their network of defensive galleries along most of the front line, offensive mining largely ceased although activities continued until 1917. The British gallery network beneath Vimy Ridge eventually grew to a length of . The Canadian Corps was posted to the northern part of Vimy Ridge in October 1916 and preparations for an attack were revived in February 1917. Prior to the Battle of Vimy Ridge (9–12 April 1917), the British tunnelling companies secretly laid a series of explosive charges under German positions in an effort to destroy surface fortifications before the assault. The original

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge order of battle would ensure that the southern flank could advance without suffering German enfilade fire. This listing covers Allied Powers and Central Powers formations and units involved in the battle. Although the Canadian side is well studied, historians have had trouble determining the exact dispositions of the German forces and even more trouble assessing the casualties it suffered in the battle. The Canadian Corps suffered 10,602 casualties; 3,598 killed and 7,004 wounded. The German Sixth Army suffered an unknown number of casualties with an approximate 4,000 men becoming prisoners of war. The significance of the Battle of Vimy Ridge is most strongly

neg: 6th Army (German Empire) 6th Army was the target for the assault of the Canadian and British forces at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The 6th Army under von Falkenhausen suffered over 20,000 casualties in the ensuing fighting and were pushed back from the ridge by the Canadian Corps. At the end of the war it was serving as part of "Heeresgruppe Kronprinz Rupprecht". For the Battle of Lorraine in August 1914, the 6th Army had the following composition: By the end of the war, the 6th Army was organised as: The 6th Army had the following commanders during its existence. 6th Army (German

neg: Bermuda Garrison officers and sixty other ranks, left Bermuda on 6 May 1917, and was merged with the first contingent in France. The contingent, titled the "Bermuda Contingent, Royal Garrison Artillery", served primarily in ammunition supply, at dumps, and in delivering ammunition to batteries in the field. The Contingent served at the Somme from June to December 1916. They were then moved away from the Front, serving on docks until April, 1917, when they were attached to the Canadian Corps at Vimy Ridge, serving in the battle for Vimy Ridge. They were at Ypres, from 24 June until 22 October, where three

neg: Battle of Neuve Chapelle but the success could not be exploited. If the French Tenth Army captured Vimy Ridge and the north end of the Artois plateau, from Lens to La Bassée, as the British First Army took Aubers Ridge from La Bassée to Lille, a further advance of would cut the roads and railways used by the Germans, to supply the troops in the Noyon Salient from Arras south to Rheims. The French part of the offensive was cancelled when the British were unable to relieve the French IX Corps north of Ypres, which had been intended to move south for the French

neg: Canadian Expeditionary Force artillery from Prince Edward Island the Battle of Vimy Ridge as part of Counter-Battery (Fire) Group No.3, 2nd Canadian Heavy Artillery Group, before soon being moved to 57th Heavy Artillery Group. At Vimy Ridge, the Canadian Corps Heavy Artillery consisted of eighteen heavy, twenty-six medium, nine 60-pounder, and two BL 6-inch Mk VII naval gun batteries, formed into eight siege and three counter-battery fire groups. Following the action on Vimy Ridge, the battery was again significantly engaged in the Canadian Corps action in the taking of Hill 70, just east of Loos and north of Lens, again as part of a reconstituted 2nd Canadian Heavy

neg: Second Battle of Artois on Vimy Ridge. First-class French divisions had lost many experienced soldiers, which reduced them to mediocrity; the methods of "Note 5779" had not been adopted consistently and became a greater problem when replacement troops with no experience, tried to continue the offensive. The attempt in June to capture Vimy Ridge with another set-piece attack was a costly failure, despite the intervening period of local attacks on the flanks of XXXIII Corps and the capture of the Lorette Spur. French tactics were unchanged and the constant local attacks left no time for training. Revisions to the stipulations of "Note 5779" in

neg: Second Battle of Artois rail supply route and to plan an offensive in Artois, against the lines supplying the German armies from the north. Field Marshal Sir John French, commander of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), co-operated with the French strategy to capture Vimy Ridge, by planning British attacks against Aubers Ridge. The attacks would confront the German 6th Army with a joint offensive on a front eastwards into the Douai plain, where an advance of would cut the railways supplying the German armies as far south as Reims. The French attacked Vimy Ridge and the British attacked further north in the Battle of

neg: Canadian National Vimy Memorial Jewish faith (http://monumentsmorts.univ-lille3.fr/monument/2892/givenchyengohelle-autre/), and Swiss volunteers such as writer Blaise Cendrars. In the battle, General Victor d'Urbal, commander of the French Tenth Army, sought to dislodge the Germans from the region by attacking their positions at Vimy Ridge and Notre Dame de Lorette. When the attack began on 9 May 1915, the French XXXIII Army Corps made significant territorial gains. The Moroccan Division, which was part of the XXXIII Army Corps, quickly moved through the German defences and advanced into German lines in two hours. The division managed to capture the height of the ridge, with small parties even reaching

neg: Second Battle of Artois quantity and complexity during the offensive and German artillery became much more active, as more guns and much more ammunition arrived at the battlefront. A considerable tactical advantage had been gained by the French, who had regained of ground. The new German defences around the area, were on ground overlooked from the Lorette Spur, were more costly to defend and made Vimy Ridge more vulnerable to attack. The apparent lost opportunity on 9 May, when Vimy Ridge was captured in the first rush, led the French army commanders to conclude that more of the same could achieve a breakthrough if

neg: Bermuda Volunteer/Territorial Army Units 1895–1965 of Major Thomas Melville Dill, left for France on 31 May 1916. A smaller contingent left Bermuda on 6 May 1917 and was merged with the first contingent in France. Titled the "Bermuda Contingent, Royal Garrison Artillery", it served primarily in ammunition supply, at ammunition dumps and in delivering ammunition to batteries in the field. The Contingent served at the Somme from June to December 1916. They were then moved away from the Front, serving on docks until April 1917, when they were attached to the Canadian Corps at Vimy Ridge, serving in the battle for Vimy Ridge. They were

neg: CFB Kingston base expanded to the south side of King's Highway 2 with the opening of the Vimy Barracks, named in honour of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The Vimy Barracks became home to the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals which relocated to the Barriefield Military Camp from the Borden Military Camp. The Signal Training Centre, later renamed the Royal Canadian School of Signals was also established at the base. The Barriefield Military Camp continued to expand as one of Canada's largest training bases when the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps established a training centre during the Second World War. Following the war,

neg: Vimy Foundation and span periods of several years (i.e. The Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation is uniquely funding the Beaverbrook Vimy Prize and TD Securities is funding the Encounters With Canada program). An additional source of funding is derived from sales of The Vimy Pin. Vimy Foundation The Vimy Foundation is a charity focused on raising awareness of the role Canada played in World War I and the implications of Canada’s success in the Battle of Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917. The Vimy Foundation was founded in 1996 by John Andrew Powell (son of Ray Edwin Powell), with support from Sir Nicholas Bonsor.

neg: Vimy Peak Army's victory at the Battle of Vimy Ridge, to commemorate all who survived and died in the World War I battle. The mountain's name became official in 1943 by the Geographical Names Board of Canada. Like other mountains in Waterton Lakes National Park, Vimy Peak is composed of sedimentary rock laid down during the Precambrian to Jurassic periods. Formed in shallow seas, this sedimentary rock was pushed east and over the top of younger Cretaceous period rock during the Laramide orogeny. Based on the Köppen climate classification, Vimy Peak is located in a subarctic climate with cold, snowy winters, and

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge attendance. Edward VIII thanked France, in both English and French, for its generosity and assured those assembled that Canada would never forget its war missing and dead. A restoration project began in 2004, which included general cleaning and the recarving of many inscribed names. Queen Elizabeth II rededicated the restored monument on 9 April 2007, during a ceremony commemorating the 90th anniversary of the battle. Veterans Affairs Canada maintains the memorial site. The commemoration at the memorial on 9 April 2017 for the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge was attended by dignitaries including Canadian Prime Minister Justin

neg: Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron Ironside of the Battle of the Somme, before being moved north to prepare for the attack at Vimy Ridge. During the final phase of the fighting at Vimy, Ironside again was required to take unofficial command of the division, overruling an ambiguous order from Watson – who was out of contact at headquarters – to halt the attack, and personally ordering the leading battalions into action. He remained with the division through 1917, when it fought at the Battle of Passchendale, and in January 1918 was appointed to an administrative posting, as commandant of the Small Arms School, with the rank

neg: Vimy Peak mild summers. Temperatures can drop below −20 C with wind chill factors below −30 C. Precipitation runoff from Vimy Peak drains into Waterton Lake, thence Waterton River. Vimy Peak Vimy Peak is a summit located in Waterton Lakes National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. It is situated along the east shore of Waterton Lake on the opposite side from Waterton Park townsite. Its nearest higher peak is Arras Peak, to the southeast. Vimy Peak anchors the northern end of Vimy Ridge, which stretches three kilometres to Arras Peak anchoring the southern end. The mountain was originally labelled

neg: Battle of Aubers Ridge Vimy Ridge. The British First Army was further north, between La Bassée and Ypres (Belgium). It was decided that the British forces would attack in the southern half of their front line, near the village of Laventie. Their objective in the flat and poorly drained terrain was Aubers Ridge, an area of slightly higher ground wide marked by the villages of Aubers, Fromelles and Le Maisnil. The area had been attacked in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle two months earlier. The battle marked the second use of specialist Royal Engineer tunnelling companies, when men of 173rd Tunnelling Company tunnelled under

neg: Vimy Award and member of CDA Institute’s Board of Directors; CDA is the sponsor of the Vimy Award since 1991. The Award honours the bravery and sacrifices of the Canadian soldiers who were victorious at the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917. Past recipients of the Vimy Award are: Vimy Award The Vimy Award is an award presented by the Conference of Defence Associations Institute (CDA Institute) to the “Canadian who has made a significant and outstanding contribution to the defence and security of Canada and the preservation of (its) democratic values". The "VIMY AWARD", a 1/4-scale statue of a World

neg: 10th Battalion (Canadians), CEF battle (in 1917) of which included the dramatic Canadian capture of Vimy Ridge. The 10th Battalion fought in the Arras battles of 1917 and 1918 though the official battle honour only reflects the 1917 battles (see footnote). Vimy, 1917 — Intended as a diversion to draw attention away from French actions farther south, and often serving only as a footnote to the less successful overall Battle of Arras in 1917 waged by the British armies, Vimy was the greatest victory of the war for the Canadian Corps, which by 1917 numbered four divisions. In a dramatic assault on Easter Monday,

neg: 181st Tunnelling Company of the 174th Tunnelling Company and was itself relieved by 172nd Tunnelling Company in March 1916. 181st Tunnelling Company moved south in March 1916 to face Vimy Ridge with Company HQ in Berles. By the time of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in spring 1917, the company were in Ronville near Arras, working in the caves and tunnels in that area. Before the Battle of Arras (9 April – 16 May 1917), the British forces controlling Arras had decided to re-use the ancient underground quarries in the town to aid a planned offensive against the Germans, whose trenches ran through

neg: David O'Keefe (historian) of Ypres Original air date: November 9, 2014 S2, Episode 2 WW1, Battle of the Somme Original air date: November 10, 2014 War Junk Season 3 was a 4-part series filmed at the iconic battlefields of Juno Beach, Vimy Ridge, Monte Cassino and Northern Holland. At Vimy Ridge in France, they have unprecedented access to a WW1 tunnel system that is part of Vimy Memorial Park and they will be the first TV crew to go 100 feet below the battlefield. At Juno Beach they have been given the rare opportunity to investigate and excavate a portion of the landing

neg: Vimy Peak Vimy Peak Vimy Peak is a summit located in Waterton Lakes National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. It is situated along the east shore of Waterton Lake on the opposite side from Waterton Park townsite. Its nearest higher peak is Arras Peak, to the southeast. Vimy Peak anchors the northern end of Vimy Ridge, which stretches three kilometres to Arras Peak anchoring the southern end. The mountain was originally labelled as Sheep Mountain on George Dawson's 1886 map. Kootenay Brown referred to it as Goat Mountain. However, in 1917 it was renamed in honor of the Canadian

neg: Vimy Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Governor General David Johnston as representative of the Monarchy of Canada, Prince Charles as representative of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry, the President of France François Hollande, and the Prime Minister of France Bernard Cazeneuve. Vimy Vimy ( or ; ) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. It is located east of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial dedicated to the Battle of Vimy Ridge and the Canadian soldiers who were killed during the war. The Memorial is also the site of

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge order of battle preserved memorial park and site of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial. Canadian Corps commander Lieutenant-General Sir Julian Byng had four attacking divisions, one division of reserves and numerous support units under his command. He was supported to the north by the 24th British Division of I Corps which advanced north of the Souchez river and by the advancing XVII Corps to the south. The 4th Canadian Division was responsible for the northern portion of the advance which included the capture of the highest point of the ridge followed by the heavily defended knoll known as "the Pimple" just north of

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge the Germans, the RFC lost 131 aircraft during the first week of April (Bloody April). Despite the losses suffered by the RFC, the "Luftstreitkräfte" failed to prevent the British from carrying out its priority, air support of the army during the Battle of Arras with up-to-date aerial photographs and other reconnaissance information. German 6th Army commander General Ludwig von Falkenhausen was responsible for the Cambrai–Lille sector and commanded 20 divisions, plus reserves. Vimy Ridge itself was principally defended by the ad hoc formation based under I Bavarian Reserve Corps commander General der Infanterie Karl von Fasbender. However, a division of

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge heavy guns, over the distribution of artillery at the Battle of the Somme a year earlier. Brigadier-General Edward Morrison developed and subsequently issued a 35-page multi-phased fire support plan called "Canadian Corps Artillery Instruction No. 1 for the Capture of Vimy Ridge" to support the efforts of the infantry. For its operations, the Canadian Corps received three times the artillery normally assigned to a corps for regular operations. To manage the logistics associated with the increased artillery, Royal Artillery staff officer Major Alan Brooke developed coordinated communication and transport plans to work in conjunction with the complex barrage plans. A

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge day. The experience of the Battle of the Somme led the German command to conclude that the policy of rigidly defending a trench position line was no longer effective against the firepower that the Entente armies had accumulated. Ludendorff published a new defensive doctrine in December 1916, in which deeper defences were to be built, within which the garrison would have room to manoeuvre, rather than rigidly holding successive lines of trenches. Along Vimy Ridge, the German forces spent two years constructing fortifications designed for rigid defence. Little reconstruction based upon the new defence-in-depth doctrine had been accomplished by April

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge order of battle forward troops, help in consolidating positions or aiding the 4th Canadian Division with the capture of "the Pimple". As a result, the 9th Canadian Brigade, 15th British Brigade and 95th British Brigade were kept in a corps-level reserve. German Sixth Army commander General Ludwig von Falkenhausen had 20 divisions (plus reserves) responsible for the Cambrai–Lille sector. Vimy Ridge itself was principally defended by the ad hoc formation under the I Bavarian Reserve Corps commander General der Infanterie Karl von Fasbender. A division of , under the VIII Reserve Corps commander General Georg Karl Wichura, was also involved in the front-line

neg: 1st Canadian Division as belonging to the 1st Division. The insignia was also painted on steel trench helmets, and adorned with geometric shapes of different colours to further identify the soldier's specific battery, brigade, battalion or other subunit. The division began to prepare for the historic assault on Vimy Ridge, and took the time-honoured position of right of the line on 9 April 1917 when the corps took the ridge. Other gains were made in the days following the successful assault on the ridge, and the division participated in the monumental battle of Hill 70 in August 1917. The Battle of Passchendaele followed

neg: The Great War (2007 film) making of the film: Did your great-grandfather take Vimy Ridge? Did he play a part in the three-month battle at Passchendaele? Did he break through the German line at Amiens? For a landmark film to mark the 90th anniversary of the First World War, the CBC is recruiting 300 descendants of those who went to war between 1914 and 1918. The descendants will walk in the footsteps of their ancestors and take part in massive battle recreations. The Great War (2007 film) The Great War is a CBC television film documenting Canadian participation in the First World War. The film

neg: Arras which marked the first time Canada fielded an entire army of her own. Four Canadian divisions fought there on Easter weekend 1917. The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of the broader Allied offensive in April known as the Battle of Arras. The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is nearby. Vimy was the only victory the Allies would enjoy during their 1917 spring offensive. The Basilica of Notre Dame de Lorette cemetery, overlooking the nearby village of Ablain-Saint-Nazaire, likewise stands before one of France's largest World War I necropolises. Part of an extensive network of tunnels dug in World War I

neg: The German Attack on Vimy Ridge, 21 May 1916 a much bigger effort. The plans produced by IV Corps were the basis of the scheme for the Canadian Corps attack at the Battle of Vimy Ridge (9–12 April 1917). Rupprecht was pleased about the large bag of prisoners (229) who were questioned by German interrogators and gave away much information on the orders of battle of the 47th (1/2nd London) and the 25th divisions, artillery-observation officer working methods, details about machine-guns and field fortifications. In the first 1916 volume of the History of the Great War (1932), the official historian, James Edmonds, wrote that the Germans judged "Unternehmen Schleswig-Holstein"

neg: Neuville-Saint-Vaast Neuville-Saint-Vaast Neuville-Saint-Vaast is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. It is located south of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial dedicated to the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The Memorial was built on Hill 145, the highest point of the ridge to commemorate the battle and the Canadian soldiers who lost their lives during the First World War. The Memorial is also the site of the Canadian Cemetery No. 2, Neuville-St.-Vaast and Givenchy Road Canadian Cemetery, Neuville-St.-Vaast. The Neuville-St Vaast German war cemetery (also called Maison Blanche) is the largest in France from WWI, with 44,833

neg: Julian Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy 1916 elevated within the Order of the Bath to the rank of Knight Commander, but was not allowed much rest, as he spent the next month commanding the Suez Canal defences before returning to the Western Front to lead the XVII Corps. By June, he was in command of the Canadian Corps and was promoted when, for distinguished service, the King made substantive Byng's rank of lieutenant-general. Byng's greatest glory then came when he, along with his subordinate officer, the Canadian Major-General Arthur Currie, led the Canadian victory in April 1917 at the Battle of Vimy Ridge, an historic military

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge lines. The attack would be made on a front of , with its centre opposite the village of Vimy, to the east of the ridge. The first objective, represented by the Black Line, was to seize the German forward defensive line. The final objective of the northern flank was the Red Line: taking the highest point on the ridge, the fortified knoll known as the Pimple, the Folie Farm, the Zwischen-Stellung trench and the hamlet of Les Tilleuls. The southern two divisions were to achieve two additional objectives: the Blue Line encompassing the village of Thélus and the woods outside

neg: Canadian National Vimy Memorial 90th anniversary of the battle. Other senior Canadian officials, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and senior French representatives, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin among them, attended the event, along with thousands of Canadian students, veterans of the Second World War and of more recent conflicts, and descendants of those who fought at Vimy. The crowd attending the rededication ceremony was the largest crowd on the site since the 1936 dedication. The centennial commemoration of the Battle of Vimy Ridge took place at the memorial on 9 April 2017, coincidentally during the Canadian sesquicentennial celebrations. Estimates before the event indicated that

neg: Battle of Aubers Ridge Battle of Aubers Ridge The Battle of Aubers Ridge was a British offensive on the Western Front on 9 May 1915 during World War I. The battle was part of the British contribution to the Second Battle of Artois, a Franco-British offensive intended to exploit the German diversion of troops to the Eastern Front. The French Tenth Army was to attack the German 6th Army north of Arras and capture Vimy Ridge, preparatory to an advance on Cambrai and Douai. The British First Army on the left (northern) flank of the Tenth Army, was to attack on the same day

neg: 73rd Brigade (United Kingdom) Battle of Loos, the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Vimy Ridge, Battle of Passchendaele and in the Spring Offensive and the Hundred Days Offensive, which saw the war come to an end on 11 November 1918 . The brigade had suffered extremely heavy casualties during the war and was disbanded in late March 1919. The brigade was constituted as follows during the war: The brigade number was reactivated again, during World War II, in late March 1941, this time as the 73rd Independent Infantry Brigade. The brigade, as in World War I, initially consisted of infantry battalions raised

neg: 184th Tunnelling Company positions, and from August 1916, the Royal Engineers developed a mining scheme to support a large-scale infantry attack on the Vimy Ridge proposed for autumn 1916, although this was subsequently postponed. After September 1916, when the Royal Engineers had completed their network of defensive galleries along most of the front line, offensive mining largely ceased although activities continued until 1917. The British gallery network beneath Vimy Ridge eventually grew to a length of . The Canadian Corps was posted to the northern part of Vimy Ridge in October 1916 and preparations for an attack were revived in February 1917. Prior

neg: Arthur Currie Battle of Ypres, believed Garnet to be an incompetent officer, and refused. Currie's reputation was on the rise, and Hughes did not have the necessary leverage to force Currie to comply. By late 1916, the four Canadian divisions were in France, gathered together as the Canadian Corps under the command of Sir Julian Byng. The British High Command informed Byng that the Canadians would have a central role in the upcoming Battle of Arras by attacking Vimy Ridge, northeast of Arras on the western edge of the Douai Plains. Byng ordered Currie to study the Battle of the Somme and

neg: Nord-Pas-de-Calais the conflict, with many battles occurring between 1914 and 1918, including the Battle of Vimy Ridge assault during the Battle of Arras (1917), the Battle of Artois, Battle of Loos and the Battle of Cambrai. By the time the region was finally liberated by the Canadian Expeditionary Forces, the entire country was devastated and Arras had been 90% destroyed. Currently, there are 650 military cemeteries throughout the Nord-Pas-de Calais, mostly British and Canadian, as well as large memorials such as the Canadian National Vimy Memorial and Notre Dame de Lorette, the world's largest French military cemetery. During the occupation of

neg: Battle of Vimy Ridge assault that did not go as planned was the advance of the 4th Canadian Division, collapsing almost immediately after exiting their trenches. The commanding officer of one of the assaulting battalions requested that the artillery leave a portion of German trench undamaged. Machine gun nests in the undamaged sections of the German line pinned down, wounded, or killed much of the 4th Canadian Division's right flank. The progress on the left flank was eventually impeded by harassing fire from the Pimple that was made worse when the creeping barrage got too far ahead of the advancing troops. In view of

neg: Canadian National Vimy Memorial in various halls of the visitor centre to sponsors, an approach which has met some level of controversy due to the site being a memorial park. The Canadian National Vimy Memorial site has considerable sociocultural significance for Canada. The idea that Canada's national identity and nationhood were born out of the Battle of Vimy Ridge is an opinion that is widely repeated in military and general histories of Canada. Historian Denise Thomson suggests that the construction of the Vimy memorial represents the culmination of an increasingly assertive nationalism that developed in Canada during the interwar period. Hucker suggests that the

neg: Canadian National Vimy Memorial at a heavy cost". Two postage stamps are being released jointly by Canada Post and France's La Poste featuring the memorial, one designed by each country, to commemorate the centennial of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The Canadian National Vimy Memorial site is located approximately north of Arras, France, circled by the small towns and communes of Vimy to the east, Givenchy-en-Gohelle to the north, Souchez to the northwest, Neuville-Saint-Vaast to the south and Thélus to the southeast. The site is one of the few places on the former Western Front where a visitor can see the trench lines of