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.

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 British, Canadians, Australians and French soldiers went forward at Amiens. They were supported by some 450 tanks and an expertly conducted creeping barrage, protecting the infantry

The attack came so unexpectedly that the Germans only began to return fire after 5 minutes, because they thought it was just a distraction. 

The Allied artillery, infantry and tank coordination proved very effective as the French, Canadians and Australians broke through the German lines and advanced rapidly. The British faced more resistance further north, but still advanced nevertheless.

By the end of the day, the Allies had advanced 11 km and inflicted 27,000 casualties on the Germans, including upwards of 16,000 prisoners.

German Chief-of-Staff Erich Ludendorff famously called August 8, 1918 "the Black day of the German Army", for the plummeting morale of the German troops following the Allied breakthrough at Amiens.