Vimy Ridge Research Paper

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Vimy Ridge was one of the greatest battles of Canadian history, it was part of the opening phase of the British-led Battle of Arras, a diversionary assault for the French Nivelle Offensive. This essay will describe the success of the Canadian troops, the battle’s significance, and the importance of the positioning with respect to the geography of the land. The actual battle took place 5:30 am Easter Monday April 9th 1917, but the planning of the attack took place for more than 5 months beforehand starting in November of 1916. Rehearsals and training also occurred, and the soldiers were trained specifically for each position in the war. The training resulted in better riflemen and grenade throwers for more effective soldiers during battle. For the first time all of the four Canadian divisions were brought together to take part in a battle. The nature and amount of the prepared Canadian Corps attack required help and resources beyond its customary operational …show more content…

This provided greater flexibility and firepower in battle, the infantry were given specialist roles as machine-gunners, riflemen and grenade-throwers. On top of the specialized training, the assault plan called for units to leapfrog over one another, as the advance progressed to maintain momentum during the attack. With a seemingly unlimited supply of artillery shells and the new 106 fuse, the attack was relentless. The new 106 fuse allowed shells to explode on contact, which was a devastating weapon not before seen. The geography of the battle ground also played a major role in the outcome because the ridge ran northwest to the south between Lens and Arras, France and it was eight kilometers long with a maximum height of 110 meters. The topography of the Vimy battlefield made defence-in-depth difficult to realize. This gave Vimy Ridge a strategic advantage over other places because of its height and the land around protecting