WWII – Canadian Battles

It is 1939 and Canada is an independent
nation.

On 1 September 1939, Germany invades
Poland.
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On the same day, Canada’s Governor
General introduces the War Measures Act
giving the Government control of the
economy.
On the same day, a German U-boat sinks
the passenger liner Athenia. Ten-year old
Margaret Hayworth of Hamilton, Ontario
became Canada’s first WWII casualty.
WWII – Canadian Battles

On 10 September 1939, Canada declares
war.

Following WWI, Canada had reduced the
size of its military. Why?

Immediately, Canada began to build a
modern, well-equipped Armed Force. The
Government of Canada enacted the
Natural Resources Mobilization Act to
ensure all industrial actions helped the
war effort. Tip Top Tailor became the
official uniform supplier to Canada’s
Armed Forces.

Marriages increased. In 1939, 80,000 more
marriages than in 1932 were performed.
WWII – Canadian Battles

Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King
planned to send only 40,000 troops and
serve more as a supplier of war materials.

What events from WWI would King want to
avoid?

King wanted to avoid Canadian
causalities. In WWI, 40% of Canadian
soldiers were killed or wounded.

King wanted to avoid dividing the country
along English and French lines over
conscription. French- Canadians did not
feel loyalty to the British monarchy or
Europe.
WWII – Canadian Battles
German Advance 1940

Germany’s modern army crushed Poland. Next,
the Germans overran Denmark, Norway, Belgium,
Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

In April 1940, Hitler invaded France. By May 1940,
the British and French troops were trapped at
Dunkirk. Over 300,000 soldiers were evacuated,
but military equipment was abandoned. France
surrendered.

On 13 June 1940, Canada sent a battalion into
southwestern France to create a defensive line
against the German advancement. The Canadians
had 50 new trucks, 12 motorcycles and two
mortars. They landed in Brest and advance inland
nearly 350 kilometres to Laval. They met retreating
French and Belgian troops, learned the
technological strength of the Germans, and
retreated to Britain leaving behind much of their
new transport equipment.
WWII – Canadian Battles
German Advance 1940…2

Britain was being bombed night and day by
German planes. The attacks, called Operation Sea
Lion, were designed to destroy British resistance.

This became the BATTLE OF BRITAIN. From July
to October 1940, the Royal Air Force shot down
almost 3,000 Nazi planes. Canadian pilots from the
small Royal Canadian Air Force participated and,
although they suffered many casualties, they were
credited with at least 110 “kills”.

The final fight for the Battle of Britain occurred on
15 September 1940. Germany sent wave after wave
of fighters and bombers. With less equipment and
fire power, the Allies managed to inflict heavy
losses on the Germans. Soon afterwards,
Germany halted Operation Sea Lion.

In this same period, hundreds of British children
were evacuated to Canada.
WWII – Canadian Battles
Hong Kong 1941

With Western eyes focused on Germany, Japan began
capturing European colonies in Asia.

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A small, untrained contingent of Canadians tried to
protect Hong Kong. They were ill equipped to fight the
army, artillery and airplanes of the Japanese.
Sergeant-Major John Osborne won Canada’s first
Victoria Cross. During a Canadian retreat, the Japanese
attacked with grenades. Osborne picked up the
grenades and threw them back. When one grenade
landed too far away, Osborne told his troops to clear out
and threw himself on the grenade. He was killed
instantly.

After 17 days of intense fighting, the Canadians
surrendered on 25 December 1941. Nearly 300
Canadians had been killed and over 500 wounded.

The survivors were sent to Japanese prison camps.
They were used as slave labour. Two hundred and sixtyseven Canadians died in the camps.
WWII – Canadian Battles
Dieppe 1942

To gather information about German defenses along France’s
coastline, Canadian and British troops planned “punch attack”
at Dieppe. Called Operation Jubilee, the attack was a rehearsal
for a large invasion.

On 19 August 1942, 5,000 Canadians landed on the beaches.
The fortified German position killed many soldiers before they
reach the shore. Nearly 900 Canadians were killed, 1,000 were
wounded, 1,900 were captured and only 2,200 returned to
Britain.

Reverend John Foote, Chaplain of the Royal Hamilton Light
Infantry, helped many wounded men into retreating boats. As
the last boat headed for England, Foote returned to the beach
and was taken prisoner. Foote later wrote, “…the men ashore
would need me more in captivity than any of those going
home.” Foote was awarded the Victoria Cross.

The action was a disaster, but some vital information was
gained. The New York Times wrote, “Brave men died without
hope for the sake of proving there is a wrong way to invade.
They will have their share of the glory when the right way is
tried. However, these deaths achieved nothing except to prove
what was already known: the high quality of the Canadian
troops.”
WWII – Canadian Battles
At Sea

Britain and Russia needed supplies. The transport was by ship
across the Atlantic Ocean. At the start of WWII, German
submarines were sinking 20 Canadian and USA supply ships PER
WEEK.

The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) had only 11 ships and 20,000
sailors at the start of WWII, but by the end of the war, Canada had
the third largest navy in the world with nearly 400 warships and
113,000 sailors

The RCN Corvettes escorted supply ships across the Atlantic in
convoys. The convoys ensured some supplies reached Europe.

The supply ships were called The Merchant Marine. The ships
were the main targets of the German submarines, and when a
supply ship was torpedoed, survivors were often left in the Atlantic
by the convoy because it was too dangerous to slow down.

In 1942, German submarines entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
They sank 19 supply ships, two naval escorts and a ferry.

Many historians believe that getting supplies to Britain was
Canada’s most decisive contribution to the WWII effort.
WWII – Canadian Battles
In the Air

In September 1939, the British Commonwealth Air Training
Program (BCATP) began. Pilots from all parts of the
Commonwealth received training in Canada.
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By 1942, the Allied forces began to bomb German cities. At
first, the aim was to destroy industries, railways, oil
refineries and other vital sites. The target changed to
civilian targets to destroy the fighting spirit of the Germans.
Thousands of civilians were killed.
At the beginning of the war, Canada’s air force was small.
By the end, it was the fourth largest in the world.
The Dam Busters was a joint British, Canadian, Australian
and New Zealand action to destroy key dams on the Möhne
River that provided power to German industry. To destroy
the dams, a bouncing bomb was used. It resembled a
depth charge. When dropped from a plane at a high speed
and low angle, the bomb skipped across the water like a
stone jumping over nets placed in front of the dams to
prevent a torpedo attack. Against the dam, the bomb sank
and exploded at the base to cause a breach. Two of the
three targeted dams were destroyed in a daring night raid.
WWII – Canadian Battles
Italian Campaign 1943

On 10 July 1943, Canadian forces supported by British and
American troops attacked Sicily. The attack was called
Operation Husky. Canadian troops were well trained and
equipped. In one month, Sicily was liberated.

To take pressure off the Russian Front and steal German
troops from Western Europe, an assault of Italy was planned.
Italians hanged fascist dictator Mussolini, but Hitler sent
German troops into Italy to defend the southern front.

On 3 September 1943, Italy was invaded. Strong German
resistance was encountered in central Italy where German
defenses were placed strategically in mountain and rugged
terrain.

In Ortona, the fighting was from house to house. The
Canadians developed a technique called mouse-holing. After
capturing one house, a hole was blasted through the attic into
the next house. Once inside, Canadian used grenades and
machine guns to attack the enemy from above until the house
was taken. The process was slow but successful.
Canadians gained a reputation as elite street fighters.

In June 1944, Rome was captured.
WWII – Canadian Battles
Normandy Invasion, D-Day 1944

An invasion force had been assembled in Britain. It
included 1.25 million USA troops, 1.25 million British
troops and 300,000 Canadians. The troops were
supported by 700 war ships, 4,000 landing craft and
11,000 planes.

The invasion, called Day of Deliverance or D-Day, began
on 6 June 1944.

At 02:00, paratroopers were dropped behind the coast to
protect the landing forces. At 03:15, 2,000 Allied bombers
began to pound German beach defenses. At 05:30, the
air raid was joined by the guns of the Allied war ships. At
06:30, the first troops landed on the beaches.

This was Canada’s largest military operation. The
Canadian troops landed at Juno Beach. It was the
second most heavily defended Normandy landing site.
Canadians met heavy resistance. Over 800 Canadians
were killed or wounded during the landing, but by the end
of the day, the Canadians had met their objectives -- the
only Allied force to do so that day.
WWII – Canadian Battles
Liberation of Europe

Fighting continued for 11 months after D-Day.

Canadian lost 1,000 men for each month of
fighting.

Canadian units had to clear the channel ports.
They entered Dieppe as returning heroes.

In Holland, the retreating Germans flooded the
lowlands. There was no food and the people
ate tulip bulbs to survive. On 5 May 1944, the
Germans surrendered, and Canadian troops
turned to feeding the starving people.

On 7 May 1945, Nazi Germany ceased to exist.
Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) had arrived.