German fortified position Key to German defenses in the north

Featured concrete machine gun bunkers, trenches, underground tunnels, underground dugouts capable of holding entire German battalions

The four Canadian divisions given the task of taking Vimy Ridge

Lead by Lieutenant-General Sir Julian Byng

First time all Canadian divisions had fought as a unit

British learned from failure at the Battle of the Somme

Planning was key to successEvery detail was thoroughly planned and rehearsed

Air reconnaissance identified German trench systems, machine gun nests etc.

Initial artillery barrage lasted a week, over a million shells used

Successfully destroyed German defenses

Germans called this the “week of suffering”

Every soldier knew what the objectives were and had maps

A creeping barrage was used during the attack (artillery aimed just in front of advancing infantry)

New and improved shells effectively cut barbed wire

Underground tunnels and dugouts allowed troops to advance to the front safely

Communication lines were improved

On April 9, 1917 at 5:30am the creeping barrage started and 20 000 Canadian soldiers advanced

The only Canadian division not to achieve their objective on time was the 4th division

With reinforcements they too reached their objective

“…in those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a nation."