The Battle of Arras was fought on 9 May 1915 on the Western Front in France. The so-called Bayonne Legion (a

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, Armoured Cavalry Arm, cavalry, Military engineering, engineers, Airborne forces, airborne troops. It was created ...

infantry unit which consisted of ethnic Polish volunteers) clashed with troops of the Imperial German Army, defending the hill of

Vimy Vimy ( or ; ; Dutch: ''Wimi'') is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. Located east of Vimy is the Canadian National Vimy Memorial dedicated to the Battle of Vimy Ridge and the Canadian soldiers ...

, located 10 kilometers north of Arras, France. The

Czechoslovak Czechoslovak may refer to: *A demonym or adjective pertaining to Czechoslovakia (1918–93) **First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–38) **Second Czechoslovak Republic (1938–39) **Third Czechoslovak Republic (1948–60) **Fourth Czechoslovak Repub ...

battalion ''Nazdar'' also took part in the engagement, the first battle of what would become the

Czechoslovak Legion The Czechoslovak Legion (Czech language, Czech: ''Československé legie''; Slovak language, Slovak: ''Československé légie'') were volunteer armed forces composed predominantly of Czechs and Slovaks fighting on the side of the Allies of World ...

, and was nearly wiped out in the process.

Background

In August 1914, after the outbreak of the Great War, several ethnic Poles living in France volunteered to join the French Foreign Legion, hoping that a separate Polish unit would be created within that formation. On August 21, 1914, French authorities agreed to the request of the Committee of Polish Volunteers, and soon afterwards, two Polish units were formed. Some volunteers were sent to Bayonne, where a company of some 180 soldiers was formed and trained. This company came to be called the Bayonne Legion, and it became the 1st Foreign Regiment's 2nd Company, which was in the 1st Infantry Division. Its officers were French, while Poles served in lower ranks. Other volunteers were sent to

Rueil Rueil-Malmaison () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine department, Île-de-France region. It is located from the centre of Paris. In 2017, it had a population of 78,152. It is one of the wealthiest suburbs of Par ...

, where a second company was formed. On October 22, 1914, the Bayonne Legion was sent to the frontline in Champagne, where they took positions near

Sillery, Marne Sillery () is a Communes of France, commune in the north-eastern French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne. Champagne The village's vineyards are located in the Montagne de Reims subregion of Champagne (wine region), ...

, as part of the Moroccan Division. Until April 1915, the Poles kept their positions along the

Aisne river The Aisne ( , , ) is a river in northeastern France. It is a left tributary of the Oise. It gave its name to the French department of Aisne. It was known in the Roman period as Axona. The river rises in the forest of Argonne, at Remberco ...

Battle

On May 9, the Legion attacked the hill of Vimy, located some ten kilometers from Arras. They succeeded in capturing German

trenches A trench is a type of excavation or in the ground that is generally deeper than it is wide (as opposed to a wider gully, or ditch), and narrow compared with its length (as opposed to a simple hole or pit). In geology, trenches result from erosi ...

, but with very heavy losses, i.e. 75% of the manpower. Only 50 soldiers survived the battle, with all officers, including the Legion's commander, major Osmonde, dying in the battle.

Aftermath

Due to these losses, the unit's remnants were withdrawn to the rear. On June 16, several soldiers died in a clash with German forces near Souchez, and in the summer of 1915, the company was dissolved. Most of the survivors joined the Blue Army in 1917.

Commemoration

The Battle of Arras is commemorated on the

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier A Tomb of the Unknown Soldier or Tomb of the Unknown Warrior is a monument dedicated to the services of an unknown soldier and to the common memories of all soldiers killed in war. Such tombs can be found in many nations and are usually high-prof ...

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

with the inscription "ARRAS 9 V 1915".

Sources

* Mieczysław Wrzosek, Polski czyn zbrojny podczas pierwszej wojny światowej 1914–1918, Państwowe Wydawnictwo "Wiedza Powszechna", Warszawa 1990,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arras 1915 Conflicts in 1915 Battles of World War I Czechoslovak Legion May 1915 events