Summary: Convincing Victory At Vimy Ridge

Convincing Victory at Vimy Ridge The Canadians decisively defeated the Germans at Vimy Ridge. Led by Arthur Currie, a former real estate dealer who served as a commander for the 50th Highlanders and Sir Julian Byng, the two leaders were setup with a task no one accomplished. The task was to take over the northern part of Arras which was a strong area for the German defense. What the area provided was a great amount of vision that could detect potential attack and allowed the Germans to view the positioning of the Entente troops. Previously the British and French attempted to take over the heavily fortified area, but failed. To attack the controlled area would be a difficult challenge, but there was a possible way to win: careful planning. Julian Byng luckily had four divisions that were trained and could work in a unified force. The plan Byng had was to attack the German stronghold, otherwise known as the “Pimple”, within 24 hours of when the assault began. When Arthur Currie returned from a conference at Verdun, he brought along some plans to be part of the training for Vimy Ridge. One plan was to change the platoon tactics. Early on in the war,

Prior to the actual battle, Canadians used raids as a means to lower the morale of German soldiers as well as gain crucial information about the defenses of the Germans. Behind the lines, there were soldiers rehearsing their roles in the attack. Soldiers practice under the same conditions that they were about to face. These conditions included the same defense capabilities of the Germans, carrying the equipment that was to be used in battle, and officers who rode ahead of them at the same speed as the barrage of shells. A map made out of plaster was at the headquarters of the Canadian Corps and the leaders were to study the map to know the objectives. The plan was known to every soldier and was practiced to