Canadian National Vimy Memorial

July 1st. A historically symbolic date for our brave Canadian friends. It was July 1st 1867 when Canada became an independent confederation of the United Kingdom, when four British colonies were combined together to create what we now know as Canada. Let’s take some time to learn more about the war history of this great nation where the English and French language coexist like two lovers sharing the same passion. We should, first of all, acknowledge that Canada earned it’s actual Independence December 11, 1931 due to the war effort provided by Canadians during the first world war to support the British empire. The most notable fight will no doubt be the conquest of Vimy Ridge, resulting in a victory for the Canadians while even the powerful French and English armies were broken on the German defenses like a wave on the shores of a steep cliff. A memorial made in Seget stone, a very rare material, was erected in memory of the Canadians who gave their lives to capture this place. The casualities for the capture of Vimy Ridge was over 150,000 dead on the side of the British and French, and around 3,600 Canadians to capture the German trenches.

At the beginning of the Second World War, Canada appeared as a centerpiece in the supplying of weapons, food and even pilots for the British forces. The great country was indeed a place where many pilots for the RAF and the rest of the Commonwealth trained and were taught.

German submarine U-190

There were approximately 130,000 airmen educated. The land of eternal winter also demonstrated its talent in the tragic Battle of the Atlantic Ocean, where the Canadian Navy was continually confronted by the aggression of German submarines, even in its own waters, as far as in the St-Lawrence river. The Kriegsmarine even managed to install a weather station in Labrador, it was only discovered in 1980! A fact unknown to numerous people and totally interesting was the surrender of U-190 in the waters of Newfoundland. The crew, following the directive of Dönitz, went toward Canadian authorities and surrended unconditionally, allowing the capture of the submarine. It was included and served in the canadian navy fleet as a training ship against the submarine threat, the ship was renamed HMCS U-190 (Her Majesty's Canadian Ship). In a show of force, HMCS U-190 was towed to the precise point where the last Canadian ship was sunk by U-boats. Yellow and red stripes were painted and the captured vessel was supposed to be sunk by the combined forces of the Canadian naval aviation and Canadian navy destroyers. Unfortunately for these destroyers, they had no time to launch a shell since a rocket fatally shot the U-190, and as a result it sank in less than 20 minutes.

Canada was also the birthplace of many heroes of extraordinary feats, to name a few. Sydney Walters, famous tanker and Ace of Aces of the Western Front with 18 credited tanks destroyed, confirming his position and title. He received the Distinguished Service Order and the Military Cross. He is still alive today.

Léo Major, also a great hero, performed many superhuman feats. He first joined the army in summer 1940 and in early 1941 was shipped overseas for an intensive training that lasted 3 years. His specialty was commando operations and scouting. He captured, with the help of another canadian scout on June 6, 1944, a SdKfz 251/22 with books containing german communication codes. Sadly, on June 8, he was wounded by a phosphorus grenade and lost the use of his left eye in a skirmish between Germans and Canadians. This did not prevent him to refuse his revocation, saying he only needs one eye to use his rifle and that ‘’he has a war to end’’, happily for the Allied forces. In Holland in 1944, he managed to capture 93 German soldiers alone. His back was broken later that year, when a bren-carrier in which he was rolled over a mine, killing the driver and propulsing Major feet away. But as before, that didn’t stop him from fighting. He fled from his regiment to hide, in hopes that he would prevent his revocation again, with a dutch family, and came back a month later, fully rehabilitated and ready to fight.

Léo Major

He also freed the city of Zwolle in the Netherlands, also by himself, in April 1945. By this feat, he is the only soldier to have released a city alone and received the Distinguished Conduct Medal for it. He received a second DCM when he captured and held with, twenty Canadian soldiers facing two Chinese divisions, Hill 335 for three days during the Korean War.

Canada is home to many heroes, and today we honour them, A mari usque ad mare.

The War Thunder Team