Selle

For other uses, see Selle (disambiguation).
The Selle

The Selle (or Celle) at Croissy-sur-Celle
Basin
Main source Catheux
River mouth Somme River
49°54′25″N 2°16′50″E / 49.90694°N 2.28056°E / 49.90694; 2.28056 (Somme-Selle)Coordinates: 49°54′25″N 2°16′50″E / 49.90694°N 2.28056°E / 49.90694; 2.28056 (Somme-Selle)
Size 610 km²
Country France
Physiognomy
Length 39 km

The Selle (also spelt Celle in the Oise) is a river of Picardy, France. Rising at Catheux, just north of Crèvecœur-le-Grand, Oise, it flows past Conty, Saleux, Salouël and Pont-de-Metz before joining the Somme River at Amiens.

In many places along its course, the river widens to form or fill lakes, much appreciated by anglers and gravel extractors. Several water-powered mills can still be seen including a paper-mill at Prouzel. Brown trout thrive in the clear waters of the river.

History

In 57 BC, the Selle was the site of the battle between Julius Caesar and the Nervians.[1]

In World War I, during the Hundred Days Offensive of 1918, the German Army had taken up positions along the Selle near Le Cateau. General Rawlinson's Fourth Army spent two weeks preparing to assault these positions. The attack was launched on the night of 17 October when the river was crossed in foggy conditions and continued until the Germans were finally forced to retire on 20 October. The action is known as the Battle of the Selle.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Pierre Turquin ("La Bataille de la Selle (du Sabis) en l' An 57 avant J.-C." in Les Études Classiques 23/2 (1955), 113-156) has proved beyond reasonable doubt that the battle was fought near modern Saulzoir.
  2. ↑ The Western Front Association - Land War - The Battle of the Selle, October 1918

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Selle river.

Notes


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, July 21, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.