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292 TRENCH WARFARE

1914–1945 THE BATTLE

ARS OF ARRAS

Caught in the stalemate of trench warfare, armies on the

ORLD W Western Front in World War I sought a fresh approach. In
the Battle of Arras in April 1917, British and Commonwealth
forces had initial success in infantry assaults on German
lines, but fell short of the longed-for breakthrough.
THE W British commanders at Arras were guns subdued the German batteries

and fired poison gas shells into their
determined to avoid the disasters
of the Somme offensive the previous
defenses. Massed British machine-guns
year, when troops had plodded in lines meanwhile fired over advancing troops
toward machine-gun fire. Artillery and and onto German trenches, while
infantry planned to mount a skillful dozens of tanks lumbered forward
combined assault on the German in support of the infantry.
positions, including the well-held The first wave of attackers reached
Vimy Ridge. Before the operation, the German frontline trenches in
tunnels leading to the front were most places, at which point a fierce
excavated to shelter the assembling close-quarters struggle ensued with
troops. The longest of these tunnels grenades and bayonets. A second wave
was over a mile in length. Short of troops then passed through the first
trenches or “saps” stretched into the to continue the advance. British troops
no-man’s-land between the trench overcame German machine-gun nests
lines to provide advanced jumping- using flexible small-unit tactics: one
off points for the assault. Artillery half of a platoon gave covering fire
observers, meanwhile, plotted the as their comrades dashed forward to
positions of German heavy guns, using attack. By the end of the first day’s
sophisticated sound-ranging techniques fighting, Vimy Ridge was in Canadian
and spotting their muzzle flashes hands and other British troops had
when they fired. This enabled British advanced about 3 miles (5km).
gunners to deliver accurate counter-
battery fire, suppressing the German RETURN TO STALEMATE
artillery when the attack began. On April 11 British General Edmund
Infantry and artillery officers also Allenby claimed that his army was
worked on coordinating a “creeping “pursuing a defeated enemy.” Cavalry
barrage”—a moving screen of were sent forward in expectation of a
exploding shells in front of advancing breakthrough into open country, but
Allied troops. this proved vastly overoptimistic. The
The offensive was preceded by artillery had performed impressively,
a week-long bombardment of the but had also churned up the ground
German lines by more than 900 guns. over which the advance had to
This sacrificed any hope of surprise, proceed. While engineers prepared a
but special fuses allowed shells to path on which the British heavy guns
effectively break up the barbed wire could move forward, the Germans
in front of the German trenches—an reinforced their defenses. By April 14,
essential preparation for the infantry the advance had ground to a halt
advance. The attack was launched at in the face of fresh German troops
5:30am on Easter Monday, April 9, and uncut barbed wire. As was
with Canadian troops assigned to so often the case in World War I,
the sector in front of Vimy Ridge. doomed attempts to revive the
Soldiers moved forward, keeping offensive then went on for far too
some 50 yards (46m) behind the long, producing heavy casualties
creeping artillery barrage. Other for little or no further gain.