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History |
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Wars & Campaigns |
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►Boer
War
►First
World War
►►Western
Front
►►►Trench
Warfare: 1914-1916
►►►Allied
Offensive: 1916
►►►Allied
Offensives: 1917
►►►German
Offensive: 1918
►►►Advance
to Victory: 1918
►►Siberia
►Second
World War
►►War
Against Japan
►►North
Africa
►►Italian
Campaign
►►►Sicily
►►►Southern
Italy
►►►The
Sangro and Moro
►►►Battles
of the FSSF
►►►Cassino
►►►Liri
Valley
►►►Advance
to Florence
►►►Gothic
Line
►►►Winter
Lines
►►North-West
Europe
►►►Normandy
►►►Southern
France
►►►Channel
Ports
►►►Scheldt
►►►Nijmegen
Salient
►►►Rhineland
►►►Final
Phase
►Korean
War
►Cold
War
►Gulf
War |
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Operations |
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Battle Honours |
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Boer War
First World War
Western Front
Trench Warfare: 1914-1916
Allied Offensive: 1916
|
►Somme, 1916 |
1
Jul-18 Nov 16 |
|
►Albert |
.1-13
Jul 16 |
|
►Bazentin |
.14-17
Jul 16 |
|
►Pozieres |
.23
Jul-3 Sep 16 |
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►Guillemont |
.3-6
Sep 16 |
|
►Ginchy |
.9
Sep 16 |
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►Flers-Courcelette |
15-22
Sep 16 |
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►Thiepval |
26-29
Sep 16 |
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►Le Transloy |
.
1-18 Oct 16 |
Allied
Offensives: 1917
|
►Arras 1917 |
8
Apr-4 May 17 |
|
►Vimy, 1917 |
.9-14
Apr 17 |
|
►Arleux |
28-29 Apr 17 |
|
►Scarpe, 1917 |
.3-4
May17 |
|
►Hill 70 |
.15-25
Aug 17 |
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►Messines, 1917 |
.7-14
Jun 17 |
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►Ypres, 1917 |
..31
Jul-10 Nov 17 |
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►Pilckem |
31
Jul-2 Aug 17 |
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►Langemarck, 1917 |
.16-18
Aug 17 |
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►Menin Road |
.20-25
Sep 17 |
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►Polygon Wood |
26
Sep-3 Oct 17 |
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►Broodseinde |
.4
Oct 17 |
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►Poelcapelle |
.9
Oct 17 |
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►Passchendaele |
.12
Oct 17 |
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►Cambrai, 1917 |
20
Nov-3 Dec 17 |
German Offensive: 1918
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►Somme, 1918 |
.21
Mar-5 Apr 18 |
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►St. Quentin |
.21-23
Mar 18 |
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►Bapaume, 1918 |
.24-25
Mar 18 |
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►Rosieres |
.26-27
Mar 18 |
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►Avre |
.4
Apr 18 |
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►Lys |
.9-29
Apr 18 |
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►Estaires |
.9-11
Apr 18 |
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►Messines, 1918 |
.10-11
Apr 18 |
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►Bailleul |
.13-15
Apr 18 |
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►Kemmel |
.17-19
Apr 18 |
Advance to Victory: 1918
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►Arras, 1918 |
.26
Aug-3 Sep 18 |
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►Scarpe, 1918 |
26-30 Aug 18. |
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►Drocourt-Queant |
.2-3
Sep 18 |
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►Hindenburg Line |
.12
Sep-9 Oct 18 |
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►Canal du Nord |
.27
Sep-2 Oct 18 |
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►St. Quentin Canal |
.29
Sep-2 Oct 18 |
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►Epehy |
3-5
Oct 18 |
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►Cambrai, 1918 |
.8-9
Oct 18 |
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►Valenciennes |
.1-2
Nov 18 |
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►Sambre |
.4
Nov 18 |
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►Pursuit to Mons |
.28 Sep-11Nov |
Second World War
War Against Japan
South-East Asia
Italian Campaign
Battle of Sicily
Southern
Italy
The Sangro and Moro
Battles of the FSSF
|
►Anzio |
22
Jan-22 May 44 |
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►Rome |
.22
May-4 Jun 44 |
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►Advance
|
.22
May-22 Jun 44 |
|
to the Tiber |
. |
|
►Monte Arrestino |
25
May 44 |
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►Rocca Massima |
27
May 44 |
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►Colle Ferro |
2
Jun 44 |
Cassino
|
►Cassino II |
11-18
May 44 |
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►Gustav Line |
11-18
May 44 |
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►Sant' Angelo in
|
13
May 44 |
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Teodice |
. |
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►Pignataro |
14-15 May 44 |
Liri Valley
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►Hitler Line |
18-24 May 44 |
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►Melfa Crossing |
24-25 May 44 |
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►Torrice Crossroads |
30
May 44 |
Advance to Florence
Gothic Line
|
►Gothic Line |
25 Aug-22 Sep 44 |
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►Monteciccardo |
27-28 Aug 44 |
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►Point 204 (Pozzo Alto) |
31 Aug 44 |
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►Borgo Santa Maria |
1 Sep 44 |
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►Tomba di Pesaro |
1-2 Sep 44 |
Winter Lines
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►Rimini Line |
14-21 Sep 44 |
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►San Martino- |
14-18 Sep 44 |
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San Lorenzo |
. |
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►San Fortunato |
18-20 Sep 44 |
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►Sant' Angelo |
11-15 Sep 44 |
|
in Salute |
. |
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►Bulgaria Village |
13-14 Sep 44 |
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►Pisciatello |
16-19 Sep 44 |
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►Savio Bridgehead |
20-23
Sep 44 |
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►Monte La Pieve |
13-19
Oct 44 |
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►Monte Spaduro |
19-24 Oct 44 |
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►Monte San Bartolo |
11-14
Nov 44 |
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►Lamone Crossing |
2-13
Dec 44 |
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►Capture of Ravenna |
3-4
Dec 44 |
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►Naviglio Canal |
12-15 Dec 44 |
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►Fosso Vecchio |
16-18 Dec 44 |
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►Fosso Munio |
19-21 Dec 44 |
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►Conventello- |
2-6 Jan 45 |
|
Comacchio |
. |
Northwest Europe
Battle of Normandy
|
►Quesnay Road |
10-11 Aug 44 |
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►St. Lambert-sur- |
19-22 Aug 44 |
Southern France
Channel Ports
The Scheldt
Nijmegen Salient
Rhineland
|
►The
Reichswald |
8-13 Feb 45 |
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►Waal
Flats |
8-15 Feb 45 |
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►Moyland
Wood |
14-21 Feb 45 |
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►Goch-Calcar
Road |
19-21 Feb 45 |
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►The
Hochwald |
26
Feb- |
| . |
4
Mar 45 |
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►Veen |
6-10 Mar 45 |
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►Xanten |
8-9
Mar 45 |
Final Phase
|
►The
Rhine |
23
Mar-1 Apr 45 |
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►Emmerich-Hoch
|
28
Mar-1 Apr 45 |
|
Elten |
. |
Korean War
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Domestic Missions |
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►FLQ
Crisis |
|
International
Missions |
|
►ICCS
Vietnam 1973
►MFO
Sinai 1986- |
|
Peacekeeping |
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►UNTEA |
W. N. Guinea 1963-1964 |
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►ONUCA |
C. America
1989-1992 |
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►UNTAC |
Cambodia
1992-1993 |
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►UNMOP |
Prevlaka
1996-2001 |
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|
Exercises |
|
Arleux
|
Arleux was a
Battle Honour granted to Canadian units participating in the battle
to take that town in Apr 1917, during the battles on the Western
Front during the First World War.
While the Canadians
had been very successful in their capture of Vimy Ridge, British
formations were still floundering as the Battle of Arras raged on.
One position that proved troublesome to the British was the Arleux
Loop at the village of Arleux-en-Gohelle, which lay at the end of a
low spur reaching into the Hindenburg Line at Quéant (twelve miles
south-east of Arras).
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Allied Offensives 1917 |
|
|
Arras,
1917 – Vimy, 1917 –
Arleux – Scarpe, 1917 – Hill 70 –
Ypres, 1917 – Pilckem – Langemarck, 1917 – Menin Road –
Polygon Wood – Broodseinde – Poelcappelle –
Passchendaele – Cambrai, 1917
|
|
On the morning of 28
April British General Douglas Haig launched a preliminary offensive
aimed at eliminating the Arleux Loop and linking together two salients
which had been formed on the 23rd by advances north and south of the
Scarpe. Three divisions of the Third Army attacked astride the river;
the British 2nd Division (First Army) assaulted opposite Oppy; and on
its left the 1st Canadian Division stormed the Arleux Loop. The six
miles of front were being held by four German divisions, with the 111th
Infantry Division facing the Canadians.1
Defences
See also article on
Scarpe
The Canadian assault on
the Arleux Loop was, in the words of the British Official Historian,
"the only tangible success of the whole operation." The 2nd Brigade,
with the support of the 1st Brigade and with a battalion of the 2nd
Canadian Division under command, began patrolling on 27 Apr, finding
uncut wire and an "unusually large number of machine-guns" in place,
with a German support line under construction beyond the loop.
Defending the
Arleux Loop was the 73rd Fusilier Regiment of the 111th Division.
Recent operations had demonstrated the German tactics of delivering
counter-attacks in great strength within a short time of the
assaulting troops’ arrival on the objective. Artillery barrages were
therefore arranged to meet such a counter-attack, and the 1st
Canadian Infantry Brigade, which was in reserve, was ordered to
reconnoitre covered approaches for moving up reinforcements. Special
patrols of No. 16 Squadron R.F.C. were to watch for signs of a
counter blow. At 4:25 am. on the 28th three Canadian battalions
assaulted on a front of 2600 yards - the 8th on the right, the 10th
in the centre, and the 5th on the left.2
- 8th Battalion
The 8th Battalion, CEF
attacked Arleux over a low rise, but was hit by "heavy automatic fire
from the town and from the woods to the south. Their centre company lost
all its officers and was held up by barbed wire; the two flank companies
managed to gain their objectives on schedule, midway between Arleux and
the village of Fresnoy 1,000 yards to the east. The centre company,
reinforced from the battalion reserve, managed to clear the village and
established a strong point on the right flank just as a counter-attack
formed up against the left flank of the neighbouring 2nd British
Division.
-
German prisoners carry a
wounded Canadian to the rear after the battle of Arleux. LAC
Photo.
- 10th Battalion
The 10th Battalion
advanced through the northern outskirts of Arleux, marching astride the
road to Drocourt, and were held up on the right by fire from the
village. They managed to clear the Germans from the village and reach
their objective in a timely manner.
- 5th Battalion
The 5th Battalion, CEF on
the left of the Brigade also faced "spirited resistance" but overcame it
to link up with the other battalions. The 25th Battalion, CEF of the 2nd
Division was halted in its advance only 300 yards from the Start Line,
taking cover in a sunken road in the belief it was their objective which
in reality lay much further ahead. The 5th Battalion's flank company
became enfiladed by machine gun fire and went into defensive positions
short of the true objective.
Except for
this check the 2nd Brigade had gained all its objectives by 6:00 am.
During the afternoon elements of supporting battalions came forward
to reinforce against possible counter-attack. The enemy’s movements
were in full view of our artillery observers, and two attempts to
dislodge the Canadians were broken up by shelling and small-arms
fire. Deciding that the exposed Arleux salient would have to be
abandoned, the commander of the German 111th Division cancelled
further counter-attacks and withdrew his troops to the
Oppy-Méricourt line in front of Fresnoy. On the left the 25th
Battalion completed its advance. By taking full advantage of ground
better suited to an attack than that on the British front the
Canadians had turned the Arleux Loop into a small salient facing
eastward some 400 yards from the enemy’s next line of resistance.
Canadian casualties in the operation approached the thousand mark;
some 450 Germans had been captured.3
- Battle Honours
The Battle Honour "Arleux"
was awarded to the following units for participation in these actions:
2nd Canadian Brigade
-
5th Battalion, CEF
-
8th Battalion, CEF
-
10th Battalion, CEF
The Battle Honour "Arleux"
was also awarded to the perpetuating units of the CEF battalions cited
above:
-
The Saskatoon Light Infantry (5th
Battalion, CEF)
-
The Royal Winnipeg Rifles (8th
Battalion, CEF)
-
The Calgary Highlanders (10th Battalion,
CEF)
-
The Winnipeg Light Infantry (10th
Battalion, CEF)
Notes
-
Nicholson, Official History
-
Ibid
-
Ibid
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