Canadian soldier examining the equipment of a fallen German soldier during the Battle of Amiens, August 1918.
Canadian soldier examining the equipment of a fallen German soldier during the Battle of Amiens, August 1918. Today 105 years ago, on August 8, 1918, the Battle of Amiens began, the beginning of the Allied Hundred Days Offensive, eventually leading to victory in November 1918. During their Spring Offensive, the German advance was halted at the railway-hub city of Amiens west of the Somme. A joint British, Australian, Canadian and French offensive was planned here to eliminate the German threat to Amiens. The offensive was planned and prepared in complete secrecy. The Canadian Corps was transferred from Ypres to Amiens, while just two Battalions were left behind, disguising themselves as the entire Canadian Corps. The Allies only moved their troops during the night and had evened out their local day-to-day artillery bombardment on the whole Western Front, thus there was no sign the attack would come at Amiens. On August 8, 1918, without a big preliminary artillery bombardment, 100,000 B...