Battle of Hill 70

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Battle of Hill 70

Part of World War I

Canadian soldiers relaxing prior to the battle

Date	August 15 - August 25, 1917
Location	50°27′20″N 2°49′8.50″E / 50.45556, 2.8190278 (Battle of Hill 70)Coordinates: 50°27′20″N 2°49′8.50″E / 50.45556, 2.8190278 (Battle of Hill 70) Lens, France
Result	Marginal Allied Victory

Belligerents

Commanders

Strength

4 Canadian Divisions
2 British Divisions

3 Infantry Divisions

Casualties and losses

9,200

The Battle of Hill 70 was an Anglo-Canadian offensive during World War I. It took place near the French city of Lens between 15 August and 25 August 1917. The assault was a diversionary tactic, intended to relieve German pressure on Lens. This goal was only partially accomplished, and the Canadians in particular suffered a large number of casualties.

1 Preparations
2 Opposing forces
3 The battle
4 Victoria Crosses
5 External links

[edit] Preparations

Hill 70 was a terrain feature rising only fifteen feet over surrounding terrain, located north of Lens, France.

[edit] Opposing forces

The attacking forces consisted of the Canadian Corps under the command of General Arthur Currie and British I Corps (6th and 46th divisions), and the defending German units of the 7th and 185th Infantry Divisions as well as the 4th Guard Infantry Division.

[edit] The battle

v • d • e

Western Front

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

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. Although they were repulsed each time, the number of casualties incurred by the Canadians in doing so was high. By the end of the battle, the Canadian Corps had suffered nearly 9,200 casualties.

[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.