German attack on Vimy Ridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids German attack on Vimy Ridge (Unternehmen Schleswig-Holstein) |
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| Part of Local operations December 1915 – June 1916 Western Front, First World War | |||||||
 A.Y. Jackson: Vimy Ridge from Souchez Valley |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Germany |
 United Kingdom |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Erich von Falkenhayn | Douglas Haig | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 4 regiments (part) | 4 brigades (part) | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 22–25 May: 1,344 | 22–24 May: 2,475 includes 300 POW |
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The German attack on Vimy Ridge was a battle during the First World War on 21 May 1916. It took place on the Western Front in France. The Germans wanted to stop the British from digging tunnels and placing bombs (mines) under their positions. They planned to capture the British front line and the entrances to these mine tunnels.
Before this attack, the French army held parts of Vimy Ridge. The German army held the steeper eastern side. When the big Battle of Verdun started, the French army moved away. British armies then took over their positions on Vimy Ridge.
The British continued the French way of fighting underground. They had an advantage because they were on the higher side of the ridge. This meant they could dig tunnels straight into the ridge. The Germans, on the lower side, had to dig downwards first. This was harder for them, especially with fewer soldiers and less equipment. So, the Germans planned an attack to take over the British positions. This would give them better defenses and stop the British mine attacks.
The Germans attacked on 21 May and successfully took their targets. The British could not launch strong enough counter-attacks to get the land back. In this battle, the Germans lost about 1,344 soldiers. The British lost about 2,475 soldiers. A British plan to take back the lost land was cancelled. This was because soldiers and equipment were needed for the upcoming Battle of the Somme. However, the planning for Vimy Ridge helped later. It became the basis for the much larger Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917.
Contents
Vimy Ridge: A Key Location
Vimy Ridge is a long hill that stretches for about 14 kilometers (9 miles). It runs from the Scarpe river valley to the Souchez river valley. During the winter of 1915–1916, soldiers on both sides worked hard. They tried to fix their trenches and drain water from them. Conditions were very difficult due to rain and mud.
Life in the Trenches
Life in the trenches was tough. Soldiers had to lay down wooden planks called duckboards to walk on. Sometimes, conditions were so bad that German and French soldiers would even be friendly with each other. This stopped when companies were moved around. Heavy rains and enemy fire often destroyed the trenches as fast as they were built.
British Soldiers Take Over
By March 1916, British armies took over from the French. The French had held a long line of trenches. The southern part of this line had been quiet for a while. But further north, where big battles had happened before, fighting continued. The Germans had already captured some key positions on the ridge. These positions gave them a great view over the British lines. This made it very hard for the British to hide their artillery guns.
The French defenses were not very strong. They relied more on their powerful quick-firing guns than on continuous trenches. In some places, the British found only a line of sandbags. The ground was very muddy, and reaching the front lines was difficult. Barbed wire defenses were also in poor condition. The British had to work hard to build better defenses. But the Germans had excellent observation points. This made building new defenses much harder than expected.
Preparing for Battle
British Preparations
When the British commander, Haig, saw how weak the French defenses were, he ordered changes. He wanted the front line to have small outposts. Stronger defense points were to be built further back. Moving back to a safer line was not an option. This was because the French had sacrificed so much in 1915. Also, Haig wanted the Germans to think a big attack was coming.
The British took over the French mining efforts. But they found that the Germans were better at digging tunnels. Fighting underground was very stressful for the soldiers. When one side blew up a mine, their troops would rush forward. They would try to take over the edge of the new crater. The other side would then fire artillery and machine guns at the area.
On May 3, the British blew up four mines. This created three large craters. British soldiers quickly took over these craters. On May 15, they blew up five more mines. These new craters were also taken by British troops. The Germans did not counter-attack immediately. Instead, they used trench mortars to destroy British defenses.
In the weeks before the German attack, the weather was bad. British planes could only fly reconnaissance missions on ten days. They saw some new railways and supply areas. But British military leaders thought the Germans did not have enough soldiers or guns for a big attack. So, British divisions continued to be moved to prepare for the Battle of the Somme.
German Preparations
In April 1916, a German general named Loringhoven took over the Vimy sector. He found that the area was very active. Soldiers were constantly being hurt by mine blasts and night attacks. He decided that the Germans needed a strong response. He wanted to push the British back and take over their mine tunnels.
The Germans brought in many artillery guns. About eighty batteries were hidden between houses and buildings. German planes took photos of British positions. More planes and anti-aircraft guns were brought in to stop British reconnaissance flights. All phone calls were kept secret. Trucks delivered ammunition without the British noticing.
The German Plan
The German attack was called Unternehmen Schleswig-Holstein (Operation Schleswig-Holstein). The plan was to attack on May 21 at 9:45 p.m. (German time). The front was split into three parts. Each part had specific regiments and extra machine-gun and engineer units. Two infantry regiments were kept in reserve.
Many artillery batteries were ready to fire. This included heavy howitzers and mortar batteries. There was enough ammunition for the guns to fire 200 shells per hour. German aircrews found 83 British artillery positions.
The Attack Begins
May 21: The Main Assault
The German artillery started firing at 5:30 p.m. They first fired gas shells at British support lines. Then all guns swept across the British front line. At 6:00 p.m., they began to bombard the British front line heavily. German observers in balloons and planes watched for British artillery fire. They helped direct the German guns. The bombardment continued until 9:45 p.m. The British artillery response was disorganized.
At 9:45 p.m., the German guns lifted their fire from the front line. One minute later, the German infantry attack began. A mine exploded near Royal Avenue. The German soldiers advanced in lines, about 3 meters (3 yards) apart. Behind them, men carried barbed wire, wood, and machine guns.
The Germans were able to walk into parts of the British line. Many British soldiers were stunned by the bombardment. Their weapons were broken or buried. British communications were cut, so their artillery could not help. Many British soldiers were caught in their shelters and captured. Some fought hand-to-hand until they were killed.
On one part of the German front, soldiers faced strong resistance. But they quickly overcame it. The fight for the British reserve trench was harder. Some British troops built barricades and fought until they died. It was hard for German units to stay connected. Small British counter-attacks were pushed back during the night. The Germans focused on making their new positions stronger.
The surviving British soldiers retreated to a reserve line. This was along the Zouave Valley embankment. The German attack to the south was less successful. But some outpost lines and a crater were lost. The Germans captured almost all the entrances to the British mine tunnels. The Germans began to dig in. Their guns continued to fire for another eight hours.
Small British groups tried quick counter-attacks. But until the German firing slowed down around 10:00 p.m., British headquarters did not know what was happening.
Consolidating Gains
The Germans had difficulty making their new positions strong. It was dark, and British artillery was still firing. British soldiers threw grenades into the craters. The captured trenches had a lot of British equipment. The Germans used this to fight off counter-attacks.
About an hour after the attack, the German troops found a mine tunnel. Sixteen British soldiers were inside, behind a barricade. They surrendered once discovered.
May 22–24: British Counter-attacks
On May 22, British planes flew early in the morning. They saw little activity on the German side. Later, more British planes joined the patrol. They reported that German artillery fire was increasing. British fighter planes kept German planes away from the area. The day was relatively quiet. British officers went forward to find out where the new front line was.
British commanders decided to launch a counter-attack on May 23. But the main commander, Haig, stepped in. He insisted that no hasty attack should be made. So, the counter-attack was postponed until dusk on May 24. More British artillery guns were brought in. They fired on the new German positions.
On May 23, the weather was still hazy. British planes did a reconnaissance flight. They saw suspicious rail movements at Lens. Later, a meeting was held with top British generals. They agreed that an attack should go ahead before the Germans could finish digging in. The attack was planned for 8:25 p.m. after a one-hour intense bombardment. The goal was to recapture the old support line and, if possible, the old front line.
Just before 8:00 p.m., German artillery began firing heavily. This destroyed the British jumping-off trenches. One British battalion lost 100 men. The attack was cancelled in some areas due to heavy losses. However, some British companies did not get the message. They attacked and reached the German front line despite heavy machine-gun fire. Officers went forward to call them back, but found only dead and wounded soldiers.
Other British battalions on the flanks did attack. One battalion captured its objective. On the left flank, British soldiers fought their way into the old support line. They were pushed out, recaptured it, and were pushed back a second time.
Later, British officers decided the attack could begin at 1:30 a.m. on May 24. The main commander, Munro, said that a piecemeal attack would make things worse. He ordered that if the attack had not started by 1:00 a.m., it should only go ahead if it was vital. In the early hours of the morning, British brigades managed to advance into line with the flanking brigades. British reconnaissance planes saw little German activity. This suggested that the German attack was only meant to achieve local goals.
Aftermath
Battle Losses
The German attack on Vimy Ridge resulted in significant losses for both sides. The Germans had 1,344 casualties. This included 615 men during the attack itself and 729 during British counter-attacks. The British suffered 2,475 casualties. This number included 300 prisoners taken by the Germans.
What Happened Next
After May 24, the fighting on Vimy Ridge became less intense. The Germans did not try to take over the old British support line. British commanders decided to relieve the tired 47th Division. The 2nd Division would take its place. They planned another attack for June 3.
British troops moved forward and dug a new line. This line was about 270 meters (300 yards) up the slope from Zouave Valley. Mining in the Berthonval sector stopped. Instead, German mine entrances were constantly bombarded by guns and mortars. Tunnels were dug on the east slope of Zouave Valley for infantry shelter. The situation on Vimy Ridge did not change much until the much larger Canadian attack on April 9, 1917.
