Posted by Michael Dorosh from Canada on May 20, 2021 at 01:28:49:
In Reply to: Re: British Paras posted by Victor on May 19, 2021 at 09:56:11:
Vimy was won not because Canadians were better able to take the cold, or better endure long hours of hard work - we were no better at that than the Germans, French or British.
We won at Vimy Ridge because scientists like Andy McNaughton figured out how to find enemy artillery batteries through flash spotting and sound ranging. We won because officers like Currie realized that large rehearsals, and the widespread distributions of maps, would put every private soldier "in the picture" on the day.
We won at Vimy because unlike British gunners, we knew that barrel wear and wind affected the fall of our shells. We realized that barbed wire could not be cut by HE.
We knew that dominating No Mans' Land by patrols and raids would yield dividends in intelligence. And that using the Section, rather than the Company, as the smallest unit of maneuver, was the way to defeat massed German emplacements.
The Canadian soldier was tough - but no tougher than the German. It was the brains of those in charge of him, and indeed, in behind him, that saw him through. The Lions Led By Donkeys myth is just that - and it is far from the truth when discussing Canadians.
The DI in Full Metal Jacket said Guts Is Enough. He was wrong. Guts are never enough.