The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of the Battle of Arras, in the Pas-de-Calais department of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the four divisions of the Canadian Corps in the First Army, against three divisions of the German 6th Army. The battle took place from 9 to 12 April 1917 at the beginning of the Battle of Arras, the first attack of the Nivelle Offensive, which was intended to attract German reserves from the French, before the French attempt at a decisive offensive on the Aisne and the Chemin des Dames ridge further south, several days later.
Military engineering is loosely defined as the art, science, and practice of designing and building military works and maintaining lines of military transport and military communications. Military engineers are also responsible for logistics behind military tactics. Modern military engineering differs from civil engineering. In the 20th and 21st centuries, military engineering also includes CBRN defense and other engineering disciplines such as mechanical and electrical engineering techniques.
A sapper, also called a combat engineer, is a combatant or soldier who performs a variety of military engineering duties, such as breaching fortifications, demolitions, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, preparing field defenses, and road and airfield construction and repair.
A combat engineer is a type of soldier who performs military engineering tasks in support of land forces combat operations. Combat engineers perform a variety of military engineering, tunnel and mine warfare tasks, as well as construction and demolition duties in and out of combat zones.
The Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers is the administrative corps of the New Zealand Army responsible for military engineering. The role of the Engineers is to assist in maintaining friendly forces' mobility, deny freedom of movement to the enemy, and provide general engineering support. The corps has been involved in numerous conflicts over the course of its history including World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the war in Afghanistan. The corps consists of a single regiment, 2nd Engineer Regiment, primarily based at Linton Military Camp near Palmerston North.
41 Combat Engineer Regiment is an Army Reserve (militia) unit of the Canadian Military Engineers/Royal Canadian Engineers (RCE) in Alberta, Canada. The unit consists of:
The Canadian Military Engineers is the military engineering personnel branch of the Canadian Armed Forces. The members of the branch that wear army uniform comprise the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers.
The South African Army Engineer Formation is the controlling entity of all South African Army military engineering units. The Formation is currently commanded by the General Officer Commanding (GOC); Brigadier General D.W. Nkosi, as of early 2013.
4 Engineer Support Regiment is a regiment of the Canadian Military Engineers headquartered at CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick. It is tasked to provide general engineer support to the whole of the Canadian Armed Forces.
5 Combat Engineer Regiment is a regular combat engineer unit of the Canadian Forces stationed at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier in Quebec. 5 CER is the only Canadian combat engineer regiment operating in French. The mission of 5 CER is to provide combat engineer support to the formation or task force created by 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group.
32 Combat Engineer Regiment is the Primary Reserve unit of the Royal Canadian Engineers in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is assigned to 32 Canadian Brigade Group, part of 4th Canadian Division.
The Royal Australian Engineers (RAE) is the military engineering corps of the Australian Army. The RAE is ranked fourth in seniority of the corps of the Australian Army, behind the Staff Cadets, Armoured and Artillery Corps. The corps was formed by the amalgamation of the various colonial engineer corps of the states and territories of Australia in 1902 and since then has served in various conflicts including World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War. The corps has also served on numerous peacekeeping operations and was heavily involved in the Australian contribution to the war in Afghanistan.
The Corp of Sri Lanka Engineers (SLE) is a combat support arm of the Sri Lanka Army which provides military engineering. It is made up of ten regular regiments and one volunteer regiment. Headquartered at Panagoda Cantonment, it is headed by the Centre Commandant.
The Indian Army Corps of Engineers is a combat support arm which provides combat engineering support, develops infrastructure for armed forces and other defence organisations and maintains connectivity along the borders, besides helping the civil authorities during natural disasters. College of Military Engineering, Pune (CME) is the premier technical and tactical training institution of the Indian Army Corps of Engineers.
6 Engineer Squadron is a Primary Reserve Canadian Military Engineer unit of the Canadian Forces. 6 Engineer Squadron is part of the 39 Canadian Brigade Group, headquarters for all Primary Reserve units in British Columbia. 6 Engineer Squadron is a sub unit of 39 Combat Engineer Regiment.
The 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment (2 CER) is an Australian Army combat engineer regiment located at Gallipoli Barracks in Brisbane, Queensland. It is part of the Australian 7th Brigade, attached to Forces Command (Australia).
The 1st Combat Engineer Regiment is a combat engineer regiment of the Australian Army. Based in the Northern Territory and attached to 1st Brigade, it is a Regular Army unit of the Royal Australian Engineers and is tasked with providing mobility and counter mobility support.
4th Combat Engineer Regiment was an Australian Army Reserve engineer regiment based at East Ringwood, Victoria. Raised on 1 July 1995, upon formation, the regiment consisted of the 10th and 35th Field Squadrons and the 38th Support Squadron. It is an Army Reserve unit that provides engineering support to the 4th Brigade, and played a pivotal role in the ADF support to the 2003 Victorian Alpine Fires and the 2009 Black Saturday Fires. Throughout 2009, the regiment also contributed personnel to operations overseas, including deployments to Afghanistan and the Sinai; other personnel took part were detached to Rifle Company Butterworth and Operation Resolute. In 2013, 4 CER merged with the 22nd Construction Regiment, to form the 22nd Engineer Regiment.
The 11th Engineer Regiment(11ER) is an Australian Army Reserve engineer regiment trained for sapper/combat engineer and construction engineer operations. While 11 ER was formed on 1 January 2014 as a result of recent Australian Army modernisation efforts, 11 ER's lineage is traced back to early Queensland volunteer engineer units as early as 1879. In 1916, 11th Field Company was formed and during World War I, this unit was renowned for action during the Battle of the Somme and the Hindenburg Line. During World War II, it fought the Japanese during the Kokoda Track campaign and on Bougainville Island. The Regiment's Headquarters is located at Gallipoli Barracks in Brisbane, Queensland with subunits located across Queensland. 11ER is part of 11th Brigade, attached to Forces Command.
The School of Engineers is part of the South African Army Engineer Formation, which provides combat engineering corps training and teaching to military officers and personnel as well as other Military Schools throughout the South African National Defence Force. They are currently the only Military School in Southern Africa to formally present IEDD.
