page_title: Capture of Oppy Wood
section_title: Analysis
hierarchical_section_title: Capture of Oppy Wood / Aftermath / Analysis
caption_attribution_description: English: Photography Oppy Wood - Air section.
context_page_description: The Capture of Oppy Wood was an engagement on the Western Front of the First World War on 28 June 1917. The Arras Offensive of 1917 ended with the Germans in possession of a fortified wood to the west of Oppy, Pas-de-Calais, which overlooked British positions. The wood was 1 acre in area and contained many German observation posts, machine-guns and trench mortars. New German defensive tactics adopted after the Battle of the Somme of defence in depth and rapid counter-attack, had been enforced on the German 6th Army after the disaster of 9 April. A British attack was defeated everywhere on 3 May except at Fresnoy, which was captured by the 1st Canadian Division. The attack on Oppy Wood by the 92nd Brigade of the 31st Division during the Third Battle of the Scarpe, was repulsed with many British casualties. The area was defended by the 1st Guard Reserve Division and the 15th Reserve Division, which had not needed to call on specialist Eingreif divisions.
  A second attack took place on 28 June, as part of a series of feints, intended to simulate a threat to the cities of Lens in the First Army area and Lille in the Second Army area.
context_section_description: The British divisions had begun the Arras offensive well trained and equipped but casualties had been replaced by poorly trained men and the British divisions moving north to Flanders had received the pick of the replacements. In the Canadian divisions, the new men tended to be older, of better build and had received a longer period of training. The Canadians were able to maintain their fighting-power, despite participating in a number of attacks at short intervals. The German defences between Oppy and Méricourt had proved to be difficult to capture, because the Germans had elaborately fortified the area to protect Fresnoy, which commanded much of the ground on either flank. The 31st Division headquarters had expected that the attack of 3 May, would encounter demoralised troops and that the creeping barrage would neutralise all resistance. On part of the front, the British found that rather than being shaken, the Germans were massing for an attack and that some of the German wire at the south-western corner of the wood was uncut. One company fought their way into the village but the rest were held up despite attacking three times.
  The attack on 28 June, captured the German first line from Gavrelle to Oppy Wood and advanced the British line about 0.5 mi (0.80 km). The Germans were pushed back to an inferior second position trench and the village of Oppy. With the British in possession of the high ground north of Gavrelle, which had been captured by the 63rd Division at the Battle of Arleux on 28 April, a German counter-attack from Oppy village was impossible and the area was consolidated by 4–5 July. The attack by the Canadian Corps and I Corps to the north was also successful, the 3rd Canadian Division forming a defensive flank on the Arleux–Avion road and linking with the 4th Canadian Division in Avion. Most of Avion, Eleu dit Leauvette and the German defences on the east side of Hill 65, were captured by the 4th Canadian and 46th divisions.
caption: Oppy Wood, from the air
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