Battle of the Canal du Nord

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Battle of Canal du Nord
Part of Hundred Days Offensive (World War I)

Canadian Combat Engineers constructing bridges across Canal du Nord, September 1918
Date 27 September to 1 October, 1918
Location Canal du Nord
Result Allied victory
Belligerents
Flag of Canada Canada
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Flag of New Zealand New Zealand		 German Empire
Commanders
Flag of the United Kingdom Julian Byng
Flag of the United Kingdom Henry Horne
Flag of CanadaArthur Currie
Flag of New ZealandAndrew Hamilton Russell
Strength
13 divisions

The Battle of Canal du Nord was a military offensive of World War I by the British First Army and British Third Army against the German along the Western Front in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, from 27 September 1918 to 1 October 1918.

[edit] Background

For more information, please refer to Canal du Nord

Canal du Nord, building of which started in 1913 but was not completed till 1961, was located approximately 7 km west of the town of Cambrai, and was a major roadblock in the advance towards that town[1]. On September 3, when Canadian forces reached the canal, German resistance began to intensify. When Haig ordered Currie to attack over the newly made canal in early September 1918, Currie flatly refused, since the reverse side contained a heavily defended German trench line. Currie believed, however, that a night attack across bridges might work. Many British generals, including Haig, tried to defuse the idea, without success[2]. Haig then called in Julian Byng, Currie's old colleague, to attempt to dissuade him. Currie, however, managed to persuade Byng to assist him with the attack.

[edit] Battle

Over the next week, Currie and Byng prepared for the engagement. Two divisions were sent south, to cross the canal at a weaker point, while Canadian combat engineers worked to construct the wooden bridges for the assault[3]. In the early morning of September 27, all four divisions attacked under total darkness, taking the German defenders by absolute surprise. By mid morning, all defenders had retreated or been captured. Stiffening resistance east of the canal proved that only a surprise attack had the possibility of ending in victory. Because of Canal du Nord's capture, the final road to Cambrai was open.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Zhuelke, Mark Canadian Military Atlas
  2. ^ Berton, Pierre, Marching as to War, Berton Books, 2001
  3. ^ Berton, Pierre, Marching as to War, Berton Books, 2001