ABSTRACT
The Second Battle of Artois, which ranged from 9 May to 18 June, was the largest and best-supplied trench battle on the Western Front to date. Victor d'Urbal's Tenth Army would attempt to capture two crucial pieces of high ground: Notre Dame de Lorette (NDL) and Vimy Ridge. The main thrust eastward against Vimy Ridge would be across a narrow, flat plain against the relatively thin German trench network arrayed between Neuville-Saint-Vaast and Souchez. To the south, Neuville-Saint-Vaast and the tiny satellite village aptly named La Targette posed substantial problems. As with the other villages, the Germans had built extensive defences in Neuville, and even connected many of the buildings with underground tunnels. This daunting town was further protected to the south and south-west by a formidable defensive network known as the Labyrinthe. Beyond the Labyrinthe, Tenth Army's front began to curve east from where secondary operations would be launched to protect the southern flank of the main assault.
