RANGERS ROADS - September 15th 1916: The Rangers at Courcelette

The maelstrom of the Somme Offensive of 1916 drew in the Canadians, including the 20th Battalion, from a year in the Ypres Salient. The first three Canadian Divisions were assigned to be part of the next big “push” and were aimed at the battered village of Courcelette, further up the Albert-Bapaume Road.

The job for the Rangers was to “hop the bags” at 0624, four minutes after the barrage opened. The barrage would then move forward at 0625 and the Rangers would seize the front-line German “Candy” trench. Then they would grab the support trench behind it, and then take “Sugar” Trench. Finally, as most of the Rangers repurposed the captured trench, some would aid the 21st Battalion in taking the German strongpoint at the Sugar Factory, 1.3 km inside German lines that morning.

The assault succeeded brilliantly with all objectives taken by 0800. A German counter-attack was soundly repulsed that afternoon, and then the 6th Canadian Brigade went on to capture Courcelette.

The attack involved seven of the first tanks, but only one made it to Sugar Trench, the rest broke down. The Canadians had earlier practiced “leaning” into the barrage, closing to within 50m of their own shellfire, so that they could leap into a German trench before their foes could come out of cover when it lifted. This would be a Canadian speciality in the next two years. The tactic worked here, mostly, but would require fine tuning in the coming months.

The other British attacks that day did not go as well, but the Canadian success marked them as daring experts to British and German generals. Everything, however, did not go perfectly: After coming off the line on 17 September, 78 Rangers had fallen, and 211 were wounded.