Canada in World War One Trench Warfare Western

Canada in World War One

Trench Warfare

Western Front

No Man’s Land

Trench Foot

Trench Rats

The Battle of Ypres � Canadians in the Ypres salient in April of 1915 were subjected to the first German gas attack with deadly chlorine. � First gas attack happened on April 22, 1915, and again two days later. � Use of gas for military purposes was outlawed in 1907 � French–Algreian troops in the line with the Canadians broke and ran leaving a 6 km hole in the line. �April 24, 1915 – second gas attack hits the Canadians head-on.

�Many tried to lay face down in the trenches to avoid the gas but being heavier than air, the gas found them and killed them. �Nobody carried gas masks at this point in the war �Soldiers used urine-soaked cloths over their noses and mouths to protect from the gas �The Canadians held the line for three days until French and British reinforcements arrived.

�Led by the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Canadians gained a reputation for their courage and tenacity while holding the line for four days in the face of the gas attacks. �The Princess Pats were able to regain control of the Ypres Salient. �Canada suffered 6500 casualties with more than 2000 dead �John Mc. Crea wrote his famous poem “In Flanders Fields” in May 1915

Ypres Salient 1915

The Battle of the Somme �July 1916 – British and French forces under the command of General Douglas Haig try to end trench warfare with a massive attack on German trenches near the Somme River. �General Haig insisted on using outdated strategies of marching soldiers across no man’s land directly into the fire of German machine guns �Nearly 60, 000 allied troops were killed in the first few hours of the battle � At Beaumont-Hamel almost the entire Newfoundland Regiment died in a few minutes of an ill planned attack.

�The campaign on the Somme shattered three Canadian divisions at the cost of 24, 029 lives. �When the battle ended less than five months later, only 12 kilometers of land were gained �Casualties for both sides reached 1. 25 million. �The Battle of the Somme was a disaster for a number of reasons: �The Allies’ shells were too weak to penetrate German concrete bunkers

� Underground explosions did not dislodge the wire protecting German trenches and therefore Allied troops became trapped � Allied troops were overloaded with 25 -60 kg of gear � A nearby mine was detonated 10 minutes before the attack which warned the Germans, causing the Allies to lose the element of surprise � The attack was delayed and took place in broad daylight � The attack was ordered to continue despite huge casualties � 23 Canadians were ordered “shot at dawn” because they would or could not return to the front.