Battle of Hill 70
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| Battle of Hill 70 | |||||||
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| Part of World War I | |||||||
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| Combatants | |||||||
| Image:Flag of Canada-1868-Red.svg Canadian Corps Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg British I Corps | Image:Flag of the German Empire.svg German Empire | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| Image:Flag of Canada-1868-Red.svg Arthur Currie | |||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 4 Canadian Divisions 2 British Divisions | 3 Infantry Divisions | ||||||
| Casualties | |||||||
| 9,200 | |||||||
Western Front |
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| Frontiers – Liège – Antwerp – Great Retreat – Race to the Sea – Neuve Chapelle – 2nd Ypres – 2nd Artois – Hill 70 – 3rd Artois – Loos – Verdun – Hulluch – Mont Sorrel – Somme – Arras – Vimy Ridge – 2nd Aisne – Messines – Passchendaele – Cambrai – Michael – Lys – 3rd Aisne – Belleau Wood – 2nd Marne – Château-Thierry – Hamel – Hundred Days |
The Battle of Hill 70 took place near the French city of Lens on 15 August and 25 August 1917 and was fought between attacking units of the Canadian Corps under the command of General Arthur Currie and British I Corps (6th Division and 46th Division), and the defending German units of the 7th and 185th Infantry Divisions as well as the 4th Guard Infantry Division.
Hill 70 was a terrain feature rising only fifteen feet over surrounding terrain, located north of Lens, France. The Canadian operation was a diversionary attack to relieve pressure on the city of Lens itself.
Like the Battle of Vimy Ridge, the attack began with a creeping barrage with the infantry advancing close behind. By the end of the morning, the Canadians occupied the high ground overlooking Lens, with the remaining objectives in Canadian hands by the end of the next day. Having been asked to capture a much larger area, Currie recognised the importance of this one dominating feature and that German doctrine would result in immediate counter attacks. Using 'Bite and Hold' operational doctrine, the Canadians took only this feature and dug in. During the battle, the Germans counter-attacked numerous times, using mustard gas and flamethrowers, but were beaten off each time at an enormous cost. By the end of the battle, the Canadian Corps had suffered nearly 9,200 casualties.
Contents |
[edit] Victoria Crosses
Several awards of the Victoria Cross were made for individual acts of heroism during the Battle of Hill 70.
- On 15-16 August 1917, a strong German counter-attack was repulsed by the 10th Battalion, CEF and Private Harry Brown, who was killed acting as a courier during this battle, was posthumously awarded the VC. In addition to the VC, three DSOs, seven MCs, nine DCMs and 60 MMs were awarded to men of the Tenth Battalion for this single action.
- Private Michael James O'Rourke, 7th Battalion, CEF, Lens, France, 15 - 17 August 1917
- Sergeant Frederick Hobson, 20th Battalion, CEF, Lens, France, 18 August 1917
- Major Okill Massey Learmonth, 2nd Battalion, CEF, Loos, France, 18 August 1917
- Warrant Officer II Class (Company Sergeant Major) Robert Hill Hanna, 29th Battalion, CEF, Lens, France, 21 August 1917
- Corporal Filip Konowal of the 47th Battalion, CEF, was the only Ukrainian ever to be awarded the VC. He received the supreme award for his actions at the Lens-Arras Road on 21 August 1917.
[edit] See also
[edit] Trivia
- The 10th Battalion, CEF awarded no less than sixty Military Medals for Hill 70, giving the 10th Battalion the distinction of winning more medals than any other Canadian combat unit in a single action in the course of the First World War.
[edit] External links
- Hand-to-hand on Hill 70 (Article by Arthur Bishop in Legion Magazine)
- Hill 70 and Lens (Article at Canadian Veterans Affairs)
- Hill 70 & the Lens Offensive: August & September of 1917 (Article by John Stephens)
- Canadian Great War Project on Battle for Hill 70fi:Kukkula 70
fr:Bataille de la Côte 70
