Vimy Ridge is an escarpment roughly 7 km in length that rises 60 metres about the Douai Plain northeast of Arras . The ridge rises gradually on its western side, and drops more quickly on the eastern side. From the top of the ridge an observer has a natural unobstructed view for tens of kilometres in all directions.

In 1917 the Germans controlled the ridge. It became a key defensive point on their defensive line. Because of the ridge's terrain the Germans could not mount a "defense in depth". The steep eastern slope of the ridge made reserve trenches impossible. Instead the Germans relied on very heavy front line defences. 25,000 German soldiers defended the ridge with four trench lines bristling with machine guns, massive belts of barbed wire, deep bombproof bunkers, many kilometers of communications tunnels, and supporting artillery. As well there were major reserves located 24 kilometers behind the ridge. French and British attacks in 1915 and 1916 had been repulsed with heavy losses.

The British command gave the four Canadian Divisions the task of attacking the ridge as part of the larger Arras Offensive. The British want the Germans driven off Vimy Ridge because it provided the Germans with an excellent observation point to monitor all British activities near Arras.

The Canadian planners identified six challenges they faced in preparing and launching the attack:

  1. How to hide their build up of men and material from the Germans.

  2. How to locate and eliminate the German artllery

  3. How to make sure that every unit and every soldier knows their task

  4. How to maintain effective communications between the front lines and
   the commanders

  5. How to pin down the Germans in the front line trenches to help our
   men attack with minial casualties.

  6. How to get attackers, reinforcements, and suplies across No Mans Land
   with minial casualties.

Let's see how good you are at solving these challenges!