In April 1917, the quaint French towns and budding fields of Artois were transformed into hell on earth. Hundreds of thousands of British and German soldiers clashed in a series of brutal engagements known as the Battle of Arras. It would be yet another bloody chapter in the horrific saga of attrition along the Western Front.
Attacking the Vaunted Hindenburg Line
The Battle of Arras was launched as part of a larger Allied spring offensive masterminded by French General Robert Nivelle. While the French attacked in Champagne, the British were tasked with tying down German reserves by assaulting the Hindenburg Line – a formidable belt of new German defenses.
The Hindenburg Line was the ultimate in trench warfare fortifications. Over the winter of 1916-1917, German troops labored to construct a vast network of hardened concrete bunkers, deep dug-outs, and underground tunnels. Thousands of miles of trenches were excavated, fronted by dense belts of barbed wire up to 100 feet deep. Carefully sited machine gun nests, trench mortars, and artillery promised to decimate any attacking forces. German commanders were confident it was impregnable.
"In all the tragic records of trench-warfare there has never been such a tremendous and terrifying concentration of explosives employed by the attacking side as at the Battle of Arras."
- British war correspondent Philip Gibbs
The British troops at Arras faced a daunting challenge to pierce this bristling defensive crust. In preparation, they stockpiled massive amounts of artillery shells, dug extensive underground assault tunnels, and massed tanks, cavalry and aircraft. Commanders pinned their hopes on new tactics like the "creeping barrage" where infantry advanced behind a carefully timed curtain of artillery fire.
Hell Erupts at Easter
At dawn on Easter Monday, April 9th, 1917, the British unleashed their assault. The earth literally shook as 2.7 million artillery shells rained down on the German positions in a horrific drumbeat. Dazed German defenders staggered out only to be cut down by machine gun fire or impaled on bayonets as tens of thousands of Allied troops swarmed forward.
Initially, fortune favored the attackers. In the north, the Canadian Corps seized the heights of Vimy Ridge in a meticulously planned assault, while British divisions overran German forward positions near Arras. Enemy trenches were found choked with blasted corpses. Defenses were pulverized. It appeared a breakthrough might be possible.
However, the offensive quickly began to lose momentum as troops outran their artillery support and the Germans rushed in reserves. The Hindenburg Line‘s depth proved its worth. Counterattacks and carefully hidden strongpoints took a terrible toll. By April 14th, a grim stalemate returned as the battle devolved into a slugging match of attrition.
*Canadian troops advancing through German barbed wire during the Battle of Arras. (Source: Canada Dept. of National Defence)*
Bloody Sacrifices, Paltry Gains
When the guns finally fell silent in mid-May, the toll was staggering:
| Forces | Troops Involved | Casualties | Gains |
|---|---|---|---|
| British | 27 divisions | 159,000 | 5-8 km |
| Canadian | 4 divisions | 10,600 | Vimy Ridge |
| German | 38 divisions | 125,000+ | – |
The British had fired an incredible 12 million artillery rounds and made initial advances, but the Hindenburg Line held firm. German reserves restored the front in brutal see-saw fighting. In the end, the Allies suffered 170,000 casualties for paltry territorial gains.
Arras showcased innovative new offensive tactics and the courage of attacking troops, but also the deadly efficacy of the German defenses. Despite hurling in dozens of divisions, the British fell well short of a breakthrough. The larger Nivelle Offensive also failed amid ghastly French losses. 1917 became a year of dashed hopes and terrible sacrifice on the Western Front.
"Attacks which were made with the greatest gallantry were repulsed with the heaviest losses… We have reached the limits of our endurance and our man-power."
- Field Marshal Haig after the failed offensives
A Forgotten Horror in a Stalemated War
Today, the Battle of Arras is often overshadowed by the dramas of Passchendaele and Cambrai later in 1917. It lacked a decisive result and was subsumed in the larger disappointment of the Nivelle Offensive. But for hundreds of thousands who fought and died there, Arras was a tragic trial of courage and sacrifice.
The battle demonstrated how even brilliantly planned and supported assaults could still be shattered by resolute defenders in hardened positions. It showed there would be no easy solutions or quick end to the agony on the Western Front. Only by relentlessly grinding down the enemy – at enormous cost – could the stalemate finally be broken. Victory would be measured in blood and inches along the trenches.
So as the poppies bloom again in Artois fields and cemeteries, we should remember the lost legions who gave their all in that "lousy little town" of Arras a century ago. Their struggle was a tragic epitaph of the Great War – a heroic effort drowned in mud, blood and futility. We must never forget their sacrifices.
