Canada & WW 1, 1914 - 1918Canadians in Battle

The War on Land: Trench Warfare

Trench Warfare

Schlieffen Plan almost succeeded as German forces made it to the outskirts of Paris within a few short weeks

Germans retreated built trenches in flat countryside to defend against machine gun fire & exploding shells

Trench Warfare

No-man’s land – the area between the enemy trenches full of barbed wire entanglements & land mines

Raids between trenches occurred at night, dusk & dawn with men going “over the top” of the trench

Many men died making futile attempts to break through enemy lines as they were mowed down by machine gun fire

Sniper fire made rescue of wounded soldiers dangerous

Trench Warfare

Wet, dirty conditions led to trench foot/mouth

Rats fed on the dead whose body parts were scattered by shells in the quicksand of no-man’s land

Shell-shock led some soldiers to have severe nervous breakdowns

After a month at the front soldiers went to the rear to bathe & eat good food

Battles: Ypres April 1915

Canada’s first major battle of WW 1

First poison gas (chlorine) attack in history

Canadian troops the only ones to hold their position

Covered faces with urine soaked handkerchiefs for protection

6000 casualties / 2000 dead Cdn.

Lt. Col John McCrae wrote “In Flanders Fields” after friend killed

In Flanders FieldsBy: Lieutenant

Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)

Canadian ArmyIn Flanders Fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,That mark our place; and in the

skyThe larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days agoWe lived, felt dawn, saw sunset

glow,Loved and were loved, and now we

lieIn Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:To you from failing hands we

throwThe torch; be yours to hold it

high.If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Battles: the Somme July 1916

1 July 1916 British / Canada suffered 57,470 casualties, including 19,240 dead—the bloodiest day in the history of modern warfare

Newfoundland & Labrador troops had a 90% casualty rate at Beaumont Hamel greatest single disaster in 500+ yr history July 1 Memorial Day

British General Haig insisted attack go on despite heavy losses war of attrition (wearing down)

Tanks first used at the Somme, but not affectively in the mud

The Somme Memorial

German Cemetery – The Somme

Beaumont-Hamel

British Lines German Lines

Danger Tree – furthest most point of Newfoundlanders advance

Battles: Vimy Ridge Apr. 1917

Cdn General Arthur Currie was given orders to capture Vimy Ridge

Currie wanted all Canadian divisions fighting together

Currie made sure every soldier knew his job

100,000 Cdn troops were to closely follow a creeping barrage using tunnels to move soldiers & supplies

Germans caught by surprise allowing Canada to capture in a few hours more ground, more guns, & more prisoners than in the first 2.5 yrs of war

National spirit born led to independence

British Lines

German Trenches

The Tunnel System

The casket represents the fallen soldiers of Canada

The Mourning Woman looking down on the casket represents Canada mourning her lost

Battles: Passchendaele Oct ‘17

16,000 Cdns died for 7 km of mud that was soon won back by the Germans

British Generals lacked common sense & empathy

Soldiers unable to move through the mud some sucked in & drowned in it

War in the Air

Airplanes new invention at the beginning of the war

Canada had no air force so Canadians joined BRFC

Dogfights (duels in the air) led to lifespan of 3 weeks

Cdn. Billy Bishop won Victoria Cross for 72 kills

4 of the top 7 aces in RAF were Canadians

The War at SeaGerman U-boats (submarines) were a serious threat to the island nation of Britain receiving supplies

Lusitania sinking in 1915 held back Germany out of fear of US joining war

1917 desperate Germany began very effective unrestricted submarine warfare sinking 1000 Allied ships in 4 months

Convoy system (groups of supply ships escorted by armed destroyers) were effective deterrent to U-boats

The Last Hundred Days

USA joins Allies end of 1917

Spring 1918 desperate Germany launches mighty offensive on Western Front before US troops arrive

Germans stopped 80 km from Paris

Aug 8 Canadians spearheaded Allied attack that pushed Germans back 130 km in 6 weeks

Nov. 11, 1918 Germany formally surrenders at 11 am ending WW 1