The spring of 1917 began as a continuation of the previous year’s endeavors for the allied armies. The French were recovering from the brutal Verdun campaign, which had bled its army almost dry, while the British were still stalemated and attempting to recover from the disastrous Somme campaign. Plans included a renewed offensive in the Somme region by the Forth and Fifth Army while the French renewed there attacks in the south.
Before any offensives were scheduled, the allies moved forces around so that the British Army held a larger section of the line that it had previously in the war. This led to the British high command planning a new offensive to the south of the Somme around Vimy ridge, which the French had failed to take in 1915. Also, as a shock to the allied commanders, the German forces between Arras and Vauxaillon withdrew almost at once to the Hindenburg Line. This played against and in favor of the allies in different ways. Now the offensives would have to revolve around the flanks of the German line that still remained intact. It also meant that the German forces that had withdrawn were now positioned in a very fortified line, while at the same time, the Germans had given up a substantial amount of land. The allied commanders felt that in order to take this land and hold it, the flanks had to be dealt with to keep the Germans from encircling them in a counter-attack.
The British decided to attack the remnant of the German old line furthest south in their area of operations which was located at Arras and Vimy Ridge. The attack fell to Gen. Edmund Allenby and his Third Army and the Canadian Corps of the First Army under Gen. Horne. They would be backed up by elements of the Fifth Army in the south.
The attack opened on April 9. The British barrage used some over 2,500 guns and lasted for 5 days. Still the Germans held their positions. Then the British launched a gas attack which all but crippled the German artillery support. The infantry then advanced following a creeping barrage. With all these tactics in play, the German line fell easily. The Canadians took Vimy Ridge within an hour with few casualties while taking several thousand German prisoners and several weapons.
The advance continued as the British Third Army swept through the Scarpe River Valley towards Fampoux and Monchy. After a long struggle on the south end of the advance, the British managed to push back the German forces and took both towns.
The Fifth Army attacked the Hindenburg line itself but were beaten back quickly. The advance stopped on the 14th with a rather substantial gain in territory as World War I advances go. From here, the British looked to renew operations in Ypres and other points in the north.
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