The Final 100 Days - August 10, 1918

98 Days Until Armistice

Amiens

The offensive efforts in Amiens carried through August 10th. The Canadian Corps, having advanced some combined 18.5 kilometers over the past two days, continued the push despite mounting German resistance. Battling now over the old Somme battlefields of 1916 and facing a reinforced line of defenses, Arthur Currie divided his sector into two divisions of the 4th and 5th Canadian Divisions and giving the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Canadians a much-needed rest.

The third day in the Amiens offensive resulted in little more than a 2 kilometer gain along the Canadian front. Sweltering heat and a resolute defense put on by the German Army had the Canadians (alongside the British and French forces) paying for every metre of territory. Despite facing this stronger defense, the Canadian Corps once again advanced the furthest into enemy territory over the course of the day, gaining roughly another kilometre and taking the village of Hallu.

Over the past four years, the remains of some 10 men who served with the Canadian Corps have been found around Hallu and subsequently reburied with full military honours in Canadian war cemeteries overseas. With each year, more and more of these men are being found and reburied, a sobering reminder of the sacrifices made.

The Final 100 Days - August 9, 1918

After the initial, stunning successes at Amiens on August 8th, the Allied forces moved to continue their push and hopefully pierce the German lines. However, they faced a far more difficult task. Following the substantial gains made by the Canadian Corps (up to 13 kilometers in some sectors) the German Army had reinforced their front line with 5 divisions, digging in opposite to the Canadians. It became clear the Canadians would be fighting a much more prepared enemy within the days to come.

August 9th was characterized by miscommunication, confusion, and unpreparedness on the Allied side. The distance that the Canadian Corps had travelled made it difficult to bring up ammunition, tanks, fresh water, and more men to replenish those who had fallen. Moreover, the Allies no longer had the element of surprise, and the Germans fought tenaciously for every piece of ground. Astonishingly, the Canadians still went on to advance another 6 kilometers.

The Final 100 Days - August 8, 1918

100 Days Until Armistice

Amiens

Amiens was a pivotal point in the First World War. Acting as a vital railway and communications junction for the Allied forces, the German Army nearly pushed them from it during the spring and summer offensives of 1918. With safeguarding this stronghold a priority for the Allies, an advance on German positions was ordered for the August 8th, 1918, with the elite Canadian Corps spearheading the assault. Although they outnumbered and outgunned the defending German divisions, the Canadian Corps had to overcome significant obstacles, such as the 200 metre wide River Luce. These problems were compounded by the over 20 kilometres they had to cross to reach their objectives. Tasked with leading the Canadians into battle was their Commander, Sir Arthur Currie.

Currie is regarded by many as one of the key figures in the Canadians – nay, Allies – success at Amiens. His deft strategy was vital to the secrecy of the attack; it was Currie who initially sent Canadian medical staff and units north to Ypres in an effort to deceive the Germans. In addition, Currie avoided preliminary bombing of the German defence, rendering their attack on August the 8th as a complete surprise. The effective use of combined arms (such as tanks, airplanes, artillery, and the infantry), coupled with the ambush of the Allies pushed the Canadians to their objectives, and secured the British Army their most successful victory of the war to date. In fact, in German general Erich Ludendorff’s own words, August 8th was “the black day of the German Army”, in large part due to the contribution of the Canadian Corps and Arthur Currie’s work.

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