Arras, Battle of

Battle of World War I, April–May 1917; an effective but costly British attack on German forces in support of a French offensive, which was only partially successful, on the Siegfried Line. British casualties totalled 170,000 as compared to 75,000 German casualties.

Arras, Battle of

In World War II, Allied attack on German forces holding the French town of Arras on 21 May 1940. Although the Allies were eventually beaten off, the German general Rommel's report of being attacked by ‘hundreds of tanks’ led to a 24-hour delay in the German advance which gave the British vital time to organize their retreat through Dunkirk.