German attack on Vimy Ridge, 21 May 1916
In 1932, Edmonds recorded 1,344 German casualties; 615 men in the attack and 729 during British counter-attacks. British casualties in the 47th Division from 22 to 24 May were 1,571, 2nd Division casualties were 267 and the 7th Brigade (25th Division) had 637 casualties, a total of 2,475. In 1936, the official historians of "Der Weltkrieg", the German official history, recorded that 300 British prisoners had been taken.
East Riding Royal Garrison Artillery
164th Siege Bty moved to First Army where it was attached to the Canadian Corps from 22 March 1917 (joining 28 March) and to 1st Canadian HAG from 8 April. The artillery preparation for the Battle of Vimy Ridge had begun on 20 March, with the batteries of 1st Canadian HAG firing from behind Bois de Berthonval in 1st Canadian Division's sector. The artillery plan for the heavy guns emphasised counter-battery fire in the days before the assault. Then at Zero hour, while the field guns laid down a Creeping barrage to protect the advancing infantry, the howitzers would switch to laying down a 'standing barrage' on the German support trench. When the creeping barrage reached this line, the standing barrage would then lift onto the phase two objectives (the 'Blue Line'). Once the infantry had achieved their phase two objectives, the field guns would move forward into No man's land and the 6-inch howitzers would move up into their vacated positions to shorten the range to targets deeper behind the German lines. The attack went in on 9 April with Canadian Corps and I Corps successfully capturing Vimy Ridge while Third Army attacked further south near Arras. The only hold-up on 9 April was at Hill 145, near the north end of the Canadian attack, and the capture of this position was completed the next day. Fighting in the southern sector (the Battle of Arras) continued into May.