Military history of Canada during World War II

1. Military history of Canada during World War II

MILITARY HISTORY OF
CANADA DURING
WORLD WAR II

2. Introduction

Canada's involvement in world war II began with the declaration of
war on Germany on September 10, 1939, and manifested itself
mainly in Italy and Northern Europe. Canada participated in the
defense of shipping lanes in the North Atlantic, and the canadian
merchant Navy made more than 25,000 voyages across the Atlantic.
The Canadians were also active in the Pacific during the war. At the
beginning of the war, Canada was the oldest dominion in the British
Commonwealth. In General, the country was not eager to participate
in the war. Nevertheless, Canada entered world war II in an Alliance
with great Britain. With a population of only 11-12 million people,
Canada has managed to create a strong enough army.

3. Canadian army

4.

At the beginning of the war, canadian assistance to British-French forces in
Europe was limited to one division, as military mobilization was only completed
by the invasion of Italy in 1943 and Normandy in 1944. During the war, 1.1
million Canadians served in the army, Navy, and air force. Of these, more than
45,000 were killed and more than 54,000 were injured. The difficulties of the war
affected many Canadians.
The war had a major impact on canadian history, although not as much as the
First world war. The conscription crisis in 1944 had a major impact on the unity
of French-and English-speaking Canadians, although the political damage was
not as severe as during the First world war. The success of the war strengthened
the canadian economy, led to the diversification of production, and strengthened
national consciousness. Canada's status as a separate state grew significantly
after 1945.

5. Mobilization

Having suffered from neglect for
about 20 years , the canadian
army was small , poorly
equipped, and virtually
unprepared for war in 1939.
Attempts to modernize the army
began in 1936, but purchases of
weapons were small, and the
government was not willing to
spend money on equipping the
new tank battalions created that
year.

6.

During the war, the army numbered 730,000, the air force
260,000,and the Navy 115,000. In addition, thousands of
Canadians served in the Royal air force. However, as a
percentage of the total population, 1.1 million military
personnel represented a proportionately smaller mobilization
than in the United Kingdom, Australia, or New Zealand. The
canadian fleet of several ships in 1939 grew to more than 400
ships at the end of the war.
These successes in the Navy helped to maintain the transport
lines across the Atlantic open during the entire war.
Virtually the entire canadian army did not take part in combat
until mid-1944. Many of the young soldiers of the 1st
Canadian infantry division who had been overseas since
December 1939 had spent most of their adult lives in England,
rather than in Canada, by 1943.

7. Industrial production

Canada became one of the
world's leading car
manufacturers in the 1920s
thanks to branches of
American car
manufacturers in Ontario.
In 1938, the canadian
automobile industry was
the fourth largest in the
world in terms of the
number of cars and trucks
produced, although most
of the production capacity
was idle due to the great
depression.

8.

During the war, this industrial capacity was used to the
maximum, creating all types of military products and
especially wheeled vehicles , which made Canada the
second largest country in the world in terms of
production during the war (after the United States ).
Canada's production of about 800,000 trucks, for
example, surpassed the combined production of trucks
from Germany, Italy, and Japan.

9.

Competitors Ford
and General
Motors in Canada
combined their
engineering design
teams to produce
standardized
vehicles suitable
for mass
production of the
canadian military
Pattern (CMP)
truck , which was
used throughout
the British
Commonwealth.

10.

Canada also
produced its own
medium tank, the
RAM. Although it
was not suitable
for use in combat,
many were used as
training vehicles,
and the First
Canadian
armoured
personnel carrier
regiment used this
upgraded tank as
an armoured
personnel carrier
in North-Western
Europe

11. Beginning of war

Between the capture of France in June 1940 and the German
invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, Canada supplied Britain
with much-needed food, weapons, and military supplies through sea
convoys and air routes, as well as helping pilots and aircraft that
participated in the Battle of Britain. In case the planned German
invasion of Britain had begun in 1941, the formations later known
as the I Canadian Corps were already stationed for defense between
the English channel and London.
From 1939 until the end of the war in Europe in may 1945, the
Royal canadian Navy and the canadian merchant Navy played a
prominent role in the Second battle of the Atlantic. Canada was the
main location of the British Commonwealth aviation training Plan,
the largest pilot training system in history

12.

more than 167,000 Commonwealth air force personnel, including 50,000 pilots,
trained at canadian air bases from 1940 to 1945.More than half of the graduates
were Canadians who then went on to serve in the Royal Canadian air Force
(RCAF) and the Royal air Force (RAF). One of the six RAF bomb formations
flying in Europe was canadian.
Soldiers of the canadian army participated in the battle of Hong Kong in 1941
against the Japanese and in the Dieppe RAID in 1942, where the second
canadian division, supported by British commandos and a small unit of
American Rangers, made an unsuccessful landing in the French port of Dieppe.
Canadian units also took part in the campaign in North Africa. At the beginning
of the war, Japanese troops invaded Alaska. The canadian air force conducted
anti-submarine patrols while on the ground, canadian forces fought alongside
American forces. As a result, the Japanese attack was repulsed.
RCAF squadrons and individual canadian pilots who flew Spitfires and
hurricanes in the British RAF did well during the Battle of Britain. By 1 January
1943, there were enough RCAF bombers and their crews to create No. 6 group,
one of eight bomber groups in RAF bomber command.

13. Dieppe Raid

There was pressure from the
Canadian government to
ensure that Canadian troops
were put into action. The
Dieppe Raid of 19 August
1942, landed nearly 5,000
soldiers of the inexperienced
Second Canadian Division
and 1,000 British
commandos on the coast of
occupied France, in the only
major combined forces
assault on France prior to the
Normandy invasion.

14.

While a large number of aircraft flew in support, naval gunfire
was deliberately limited to avoid damage to the town and civilian
casualties. As a result, the Canadian forces assaulted a heavily
defended coast line with no supportive bombardment. Of the
6,086 men who made it ashore, 3,367 (60%) were killed,
wounded, or captured. The Royal Air Force failed to lure the
Luftwaffe into open battle, and lost 106 aircraft (at least 32 to
flak or accidents), compared to 48 lost by the Luftwaffe. The
Royal Navy lost 33 landing craft and one destroyer. Two
Canadians received the Victoria Cross for actions at Dieppe:
Lieutenant Colonel Charles Merritt of the South Saskatchewan
Regiment and Honorary Captain John Foote, military chaplain of
the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry.

15.

The lessons learned at Dieppe became the textbook of "what not to do"
in amphibious operations, and laid the framework for the later
(Operation Torch) landings in North Africa and the Normandy landings
in France. Most notably, Dieppe highlighted:
the need for preliminary artillery support, including aerial
bombardment;[35]
the need for a sustained element of surprise;
the need for proper intelligence concerning enemy fortifications;
the avoidance of a direct frontal attack on a defended port city; and,
the need for proper re-embarkation craft.

16.

17. Newfoundland

When war was declared, Britain expected Canada to take responsibility for
defending British North America.[11] In 1939, L. E. Emerson was the
Commissioner of Defence for Newfoundland. Winston Churchill instructed
Emerson to cooperate with Canada and comply with a "friendly invasion" as he
encouraged Mackenzie King to advise the occupation of Newfoundland by the
king as monarch of Canada. By March 1942, Commissioner Emerson had
restructured official organizations, such as The Aircraft Detection Corps
Newfoundland, and integrated them into Canadian units, like The Canadian
Aircraft Identity Corps.
Several Canadian regiments were garrisoned in Newfoundland during the
Second World War: the most famous regiment was The Royal Rifles of Canada
who were stationed at Cape Spear before being dispatched to British Hong
Kong; In July 1941, The Prince Edward Island Highlanders arrived to replace
them; In 1941 and 1942, The Lincoln & Welland Regiment was assigned to
Gander Airport and then St. John's.

18.

All Canadian soldiers assigned to Newfoundland from 1939
to 1945 received a silver clasp to their Canadian Volunteer
Service Medal for overseas service. Because Canada, South
Africa, New Zealand and Australia had all issued their own
volunteer service medals, the Newfoundland government
minted its own volunteer service medal in 1978. The
Newfoundland Volunteer War Service Medal was awarded
only to Newfoundlanders who served overseas in the
Commonwealth Forces but had not received a volunteer
service medal. The medal is bronze: on its obverse is a
crown and a caribou; on its reverse is Britannia and two
lions.

19. Canadian Volunteer Service Medal

20. Newfoundland Volunteer War Service Medal

21. Battles in canadian waters and on the territory of the country

German submarines operated in canadian and Newfoundland waters throughout
the war, sinking many military and merchant vessels. Two significant attacks
were made in 1942, when German u-boats attacked four freighters off bell
island, near Newfoundland. The ships S. S. Saganaga and S. S. Lord Strathcona
were sunk By u-513 on 5 September 1942, and S. S. Rosecastle and P. L. M 27
were sunk by U-518 on 2 November, with the loss of 69 lives. After the
submarine launched a torpedo at the bell island cargo pier, it became the only
place in North America to be directly attacked by German forces in world war
II. German submarines also appeared in the St. Lawrence river. On the night of
October 14, 1942, the Newfoundland railway ferry SS Caribou was torpedoed
by u-69 and sank in Cabot Strait, taking 137 lives. The mainland was also
attacked by the Japanese submarine I-26, which shelled the lighthouse on
Vancouver island on June 20, 1942. Japanese fire balloons were also launched in
the direction of Canada, and some reached British Columbia and other Western
provinces.

22. Thank You for Attention!