History Browser

Listing of films from the National Film Board. The Canadian Navy, a powerful force during times of maritime conflict, has a variety of specialized vessels and equipment. Training films are available on this site as are informational clips regarding this equipment. The role our fleet has played on the international stage is also examined.

The tank was a technical marvel of war and an antidote to the rule of the machine gun. The tank was able to penetrate any defensive position and was employed in ever increasing numbers.

The role and importance of artillery to the Canadian Army evolved as artillery technology improved. Canadian gunners began to use artillery in 1871 with 9-pound muzzle loaders and, by 1918, had adopted 18-pound field guns and 60-pound howitzers.

Listing of films looking at various aspects of enginneering as it applies to Canada and her armed forces. The subjects of the films include recruiting of engineers for the Armed Forces, how military engineers construct bridges and airfields, and the affect these constructs have on Canada and its more isolated provinces.

Machine guns were invented during the latter half of the 19th century. The Gatling gun was used during the North-West Rebellion but was seen more by the Metis as a irritant, than a new way of fighting war.

The summer of 1918 found the Egyptian Expeditionary Force under General Sir Edmund Allenby holding a front which stretched between the Mediterranean coast and the river Jordan. The British depended on the railway from Egypt for supplies, and were vulnerable to railway demolitions by the enemy. Allenby requested the War Office to provide a company of expert bridge builders, and the 1st Canadian Bridging Company was formed from Canadian Railway Troops battalions then in France, and sailed to Palestine in September, 1918. This report is an account of their activities.

The Canadian solution to the German submarine threat were corvettes – small ships which were very manoeuvrable and equipped with ASDIC (Sonar). The small size of the Canadian navy was not able to meet the need for a vast expansion, and new ships were often ill-equipped with untrained crews and inexperienced officers. The escort force suffered serious losses calling into question the Navy's ability to carry out its job.

Artillery technology underwent some radical changes in the 19th century with improvements in rifling, breech-loading mechanisms, greater range, and better ammunition. The biggest change occurred during the First World War with the shift from open sight firing to indirect fire. Trench warfare restored the prominence of artillery that had been eclipsed by rifled infantry fire.

The Saint-Louis forts and châteaux site is complex. It consists of three elements: the forts, châteaux and gardens. There were a total of four forts and two Châteaux

Drawing on the work done by some soldiers on the bridge over the Drina River in Bosnia and Hercegovina.