ritish troops took Fampoux and its defenses on
both sides of the Scarpe River. The fiercest fighting on April 10,
1917, was on the northern part of Vimy Ridge, where from isolated
positions to which they still clung, the Germans attempted a
counterattack. They were driven out of these positions and from the
slopes of the ridge which was now strongly held by the British.

Vimy village was one of the vaunted German field fortresses, and was
strongly defended. Here the Canadians gathered in over 3,000 prisoners
garrisoning the stronghold and 100 officers. The final British
bombardment had sent most of the German defenders into the deepest of
the dugouts from which they did not venture forth until the British
called upon them to surrender. Among the officers captured on the
ridge were seven lieutenant colonels and several doctors, who
surrendered with all their staffs. They blamed their predicament to
the failure of supports to come up as promised.

The British had carried out their successful onward sweep in the face
of unfavorable weather conditions. During April 10, 1917, when the
last German was being cleared out of the Vimy area, the snow fell
heavily.

Throughout the day following the weather continued unfavorable,
impeding the operation of troops and making observation impossible. In
the morning the Germans attempted two counter attacks on the new
British positions in the neighborhood of Monchy-le-Preux, but were
beaten off with heavy losses. Prisoners reported that they had been
ordered to hold the village at all costs.

To the south bodies of British troops penetrated a German position
near Bullecourt, where they gained a number of prisoners and damaged
the enemy's defenses. This small success was forfeited at midday when
the Germans, attacking with strong forces, drove the British back to
their lines.

The village of Monchy was captured by the British in the morning of
April 12, 1917. Throughout the previous day this tiny village perched
on a hill had been the storm center around which the battle raged.

The attack was made by British and Scottish troops, who fought for
three hours to clear the Germans out of the railway triangle. Having
dispersed the enemy, they fought on to the Feuchy Redoubt, only to
find that the entire German garrison there had been buried by the
British bombardment so that not a man escaped alive.

At 5 o'clock in the morning of April 12, 1917, British troops on the
right, linking u