In October 1914 Greman forces captured Vimy Ridge, for 1.5 years French forces held of German advances form Vimy Ridge and lost some 150,000 lives during this time. In February 1916 when British forces took over, Candian forces joined the British troops in January 1917
The main assult in which Allied forces took back Vimy Ridge started on Easter Monday, 9 April 1917. The weather was cold with sleet and snow, which combined with a north-westerly wind created a great advantage for the allies with snow blowing in the faces of defending German troops.
The attack begun with an artillery bombardment from British and Candian forces throughout the night of the 8th up until the early hours of the 9th. The barrage stopped a few minutes before the attack whie guns were recalibrated, at exactly 5:30am every Canadian artillery piece began firing.
The Canadian troops were to advance to German front lines, then British soldiers were to support them from behind and leapfrog them to further infiltrate German occupied territory.
After 4 days, on the 12th of April 1917 at 6:00pm. Allied forces had captured the last of German forces occupying Vimy Ridge.
Allied forces had over 10,000 casualties with over 3,500 dead and 7,000 wounded. Opposing German forces suffered over 20,000 casualties with 4,000 german soldiers taken as prisoners of war.
In honour of the solidiers who fell in battle at this historic battlefield there is a grand monument standing over 27 metres high at the highest point on the ridge it is an absolute awe inspiring monument. The surrounding trenches have been preserved in cement to allow those on the pilgrimage to truly discover what trench warfare was like.
Experience the intensely emotional, evocative journey through some of Europe’s most renowned World War I relics and battlefield sites on a Battlefields Tour to Vimy Ridge.
