IMPORTANT BATTLES OF WW1 AND 2

• 2nd battle of Ypres


  WW1 battle, April 1915, Ypres, Belgium
• 2nd battle of Ypres


  • Marked the German's first ever use of chemical warfare
  • Germans want to test their new weapon, surprised by how well it works
  • Canada's reputation as tough, filled in the 6km hole left by the British/French
  • Impromptu Bayonet Charge by Canadians is successful with high casualties
  • 6,500 Canadian casualties, 2,000 Canadians dead
• Battle of Somme


  WW1 battle, July-Nov 1916, River Somme, Northern France
• Battle of Somme


  • Worst battle in all of WW1
  • 1.2 million total casualties, marked shift away from trench warfare to more mobile warfare strategies
  • 60,000 casualties, 20,000 deaths on first day
  • 24,000 Canadian deaths
  • No strategy, simply walked into No Man's Land expecting Germans to all be dead after 1.7 million shells/artillery fired at them
  • Germans were hiding in deep trenches safely, popped up and obliterated them with machine guns
  • Half of the shells did not even work/go off
  • Tank introduced but gets stuck in mud
  • Eventually win but HUGE losses
  • Newfoundland regiment decimated (JULY 1st mourning day for them)
• Battle of Vimy Ridge


  WW1 battle, April 1917, Vimy, Northern France
• Battle of Vimy Ridge


  • Canada's greatest victory in WW1
  • 4 Divisions of Canadian Corps fighting together for the first time, ordered to capture the high point of Vimy
  • New strategy "Vimy Glide" or "creeping barrage": they learn from mistakes of Somme and improve strategy, start to tell every soldier plan, not just general, have precise timing, give out maps, practice
  • Advance behind the curtain of smoke/artillery
  • 4,000 Canadian deaths
  • Great source of pride for Canada, boosts nationalism, used as justification for more independence from Britain
• Battle of Passchendaele


  WW1 battle, July- November 1917, Passchendaele, Belgium
• Battle of Passchendaele


  • 16,000 Canadians dead + landscape of Passchendaele destroyed
  • Soldiers stuck in mud, face mustard gas
  • Meaningless Victory: captured later
  • But good for reputation - Canadian's chosen due to success at Vimy, they succeed where British/French could not
• Battle of Hong Kong


  WW2 battle, December 1941, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong
• Battle of Hong Kong


  • 600 Canadians died
  • Canadian soldiers were new/not prepared and had way less forces
  • Canadians were unsuccessful. Many died/captured. Prisoners of War were treated horribly. Veterans/survivors "forgotten"
  • Response = internment camps on the Canadian homefront, racism towards Japanese Canadians
  • Surrendered on XMAS day
• Dieppe Raid


  WW2 battle, August 1942, Dieppe, France
• Dieppe Raid


  • Canada's first major fight against Germany in WW2 + Worst day in WW2
  • 900 Canadians died + 2 Canadian Infantry division destroyed
  • Complete disaster: did not research landscape
  • Germans were not surprised. Start mowing them down as they run on rocky beaches from vantage above on high cliffs
  • Suicidal run, tanks stuck on pebbles, soldiers trip
• Ortona/Italian Campaign


  • 2300 Canadian casualties
  • Turning point in Italian campaign
  • Symbol of Canadian Sacrifice/Hard fought victory
  • Brutal street-street combat
  • Mouseholing
• 1. D-Day


  WW2 battle, 6 June 1944, Normandy, France
• 1. D-Day


  • Large sea invasion
  • 1000 casualties, 400 Canadian deaths
  • Canada take Juno beach and is the most successful, going deep into German territory
  • Reputation/more independence from Britain
  • Beginning of the end for Germany
  • Learn from mistakes at Dieppe and improve strategy