Battle of the Canal du Nord

Coordinates: 50°17′N 3°07′E / 50.283°N 3.117°E / 50.283; 3.117
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Battle of Canal du Nord
Part of the
First World War

Canadian engineers building a bridge across the Canal du Nord, September 1918
DateSeptember 27 - October 1, 1918
Location
Canal du Nord
50°17′N 3°07′E / 50.283°N 3.117°E / 50.283; 3.117
Result Allied victory
Belligerents

 United Kingdom

 German Empire
Commanders and leaders
Julian Byng
 German Empire Otto von Below
German Empire Georg von der Marwitz
Strength
13 divisions
Casualties and losses
30,000 36,500 POW
380 guns
Canal du Nord
Legend
 Sensée Canal
Arleux
Rue du Bias, Arleux
Malderez Canal
Palluel Lock
Rue d'en Haut, Palluel
Rue des Stations, Sauchy-Cauchy
A26 autoroute
Port of Marquion
Route National (D939)
Marquion Lock
Rue du Sains, Sains-lès-Marquion
Sains-lès-Marquion Lock
Rue du Sains-lès-Marquion
Inchy-en-Artois Lock
Rue d'en Haut, Mœuvres
Mœuvres Lock
Route de Cuquiche, Mœuvres
Route de Bapaume (D930)
Lock #xxx
Lock #xxx
Rue d'Hermies
Ruyaulcourt Tunnel
Ruyaulcourt
A2 autoroute
Chaussee Brunehaut (D58), Étricourt-Manancourt
Grand Rue, Étricourt-Manancourt
Rue de la Taille, Manancourt
Side Wharf
Rue Canal, Moislains
Rue Garre, Moislains
Moislains Public Quay
Moislains Lock
xx Lock
Allaines Lock
Route d'Allaines, Allaines
Rue d'Arras (D1017), Feuillaucourt
Feuillaucourt Lock
Route d'Albert (D938)
Halles Lock
River Somme
 Junction with the
Somme Canal
 Port de Plaisance, Péronne
Faubourg de Paris (D1017), Péronne
La Chalelette Lock
Chaussee Brunehaut (D1029), Brie
Saint-Christ-Briost Wharf
Saint-Christ-Briost Bridge
A29 autoroute
Épénancourt Lock
Pargny Bridge
Béthencourt-sur-Somme Bridge
Junction with the
Somme Canal
 Route de Rouy, Rouy-le-Petit
Railway Bridge
Route de Nesle (D930)
Languevoisin-Quiquery Lock
Grand Rue, Languevoisin-Quiquery
Languevoisin-Quiquery Public Port
Rue du Coquis, Breuil
Buverchy Bridge
Lannoy Wharf
Lannoy Bridge
Libermont Bridge
Panneterie Tunnel
Rue de la Gare, Frétoy-le-Château
Campagne Lock
Campagne Bridge
Rue de Catingy, Catigny
Rue de Genets, Béhencourt
Rue de l'Eglise, Haudival
Haudival Lock
Rue de Beaurains, Beaurains-lès-Noyon
D934
unidentified port facility
Route de Montdidier (D938), Noyon
Noyon Lock
Avenue Jean Jaures (D145e), Noyon
D1032
Pont-l'Évêque Lock
Rue du Mont Renaud
Railway bridge
Pont-l'Évêque public wharf
Oise Lateral Canal

The Battle of Canal du Nord was part of the

Battle of St. Quentin Canal.[1]

The attack took place along the boundary between the British

Battle of Epehy. The First Army was to lead the crossing of the Canal du Nord and secure the northern flank of the British Third Army as both armies advanced towards Cambrai. The Third Army was also to capture the Escaut (Scheldt) Canal, to support the Fourth Army
during the Battle of St. Quentin Canal.

Background

Construction of the Canal du Nord began in 1913 to link the

Oise River to the Dunkirk–Scheldt Canal. When the First World War began, work stopped with the canal in varying stages of completion.[2] During their retreat, the Germans made the area along the canal north of Sains-lès-Marquion virtually impassable by destroying bridges and flooding the already swampy ground surrounding the canal.[3] [4] The only passable ground was to the south, where a small 4,000 yd (2.3 mi; 3.7 km) section of the canal between Sains-lès-Marquion and Mœuvres remained largely dry, on account of its incomplete state.[5] Even in a partially excavated state, the dry section of the canal was still a serious obstacle. The canal was approximately 40 yd (37 m) wide, with a western bank that was between 10 and 15 ft (3.0 and 4.6 m) high and an eastern bank about 5 ft (1.5 m) high.[3] The British First Army (General Henry Horne) was forced to stop its offensive until a route was secured across the canal.[6]

The British assault on the

Drocourt-Quéant Line on 2 September 1918 resulted in the Germans being overrun along a 7,000 yd (4.0 mi; 6.4 km) front.[7] Several formations in the German forward line quickly yielded to the British advance but then the British met more resolute opposition from regiments of the German 1st Guards Reserve Division, 2nd Guards Reserve Division and the 3rd Reserve Division.[7] To gain observation of all bridges over the Sensée River and the Canal du Nord, the British attack was supposed to continue the following day but the Germans forestalled the British by withdrawing along a wide front.[7]

Oberste Heeresleitung (OHL, the German army high command) had ordered the 17th Army to retreat behind the Sensée River and the Canal du Nord on the night of 2 September and the 2nd Army to withdraw to the Hindenburg Line the following night.[8] Further to the south, the 18th and 9th Armies were to follow in succession, resulting in the abandonment of the salient gained during the Spring Offensive by 9 September.[8] In the north the 4th and 6th Armies retreated between Lens and Ypres, abandoning the Lys salient and the gains made during the Battle of the Lys.[8]

British air patrols on the morning of 3 September reported seeing no Germans between the Dury Ridge and the Canal du Nord.

Pronville unopposed and saw that the Germans were withdrawing on a wide front.[7] As the British advanced to the new German front line they reported that the east bank of the Canal du Nord was strongly held and that the canal crossings had been destroyed except at Palluel, where the Germans held a bridgehead on the western side of the canal.[8][6]

Tactical plan and preparations

Battle planning map detailing the brigade boundaries and objectives of the Canadian Corps.

On 3 September Supreme Commander of the Allied Armies

Meuse River and through the Argonne Forest.[2]

The Canal du Nord defensive system was the Germans' last major prepared defensive position opposite the British First Army.

Battle of St. Quentin Canal.[1]

The British First Army was operating in a framework whereby its main task was to secure the northern flank of the British Third Army. The British Third Army was tasked with securing the Escaut (Scheldt) Canal so as to be in a position to support the British Fourth Army during the Battle of St. Quentin Canal. On the British First Army front, the Canadian Corps would lead the attack under the direction of Arthur Currie, crossing the largely dry canal on a front of only 2,700 yards (2,500 m) between Sains-lès-Marquion and Mœuvres.[5] Once over the canal the corps was to capture the Marquion Line, the villages of Marquion and Bourlon, Bourlon Woods and lastly secure a general line running from Fontaine-Notre-Dame to Sauchy-Lestrée.[5] Currie separated the Canadian Corps' objectives into two phases; the first to take Canal du Nord and Bourlon Wood, the second taking the bridges at Canal de l'Escaut and "high ground near Cambrai".[15]

In an attempt to make the Germans second guess or question the location of the main assault, XXII Corps was instructed to engage German positions along the Canal du Nord between Sauchy-Lestrée and

Scarpe River to prevent the Germans from moving units from that area to the location of the main attack.[5]
If the Canadian Corps was successful in its advance the intention was to immediately and quickly exploit the territorial gain with the support of the British Third Army's XVII, VI and IV Corps.

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.[16] The bridges were necessary because where the Canadians were crossing the Canal du Nord was flooded and the only locations that had no flooding were being guarded by the German defences.[15] Currie had the Canadians cross mostly through a flooded area but included a "narrow strip" of the unflooded area to hit the German flank.[15]

At 5:20 on the morning of 27 September, all four divisions attacked under total darkness, taking the German defenders of the 1st Prussian Guards Reserve Division and the 3rd German Naval Division by absolute surprise.[17] 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.

The Canadian Corps had the important objective of capturing Bourlon Woods, the German army used the high ground of the woods for their guns.[15] The objectives of the Canadian Corps were reached by the end of the day, including the Red, Green and Blue lines.[15]

The British attack was supported to the south by the

French First Army during the Battle of Saint Quentin (French
: Bataille de Saint-Quentin). (However, this attack was a secondary attack, and did not start until after the Canadian Corps had penetrated the German defences along the canal.)

Because of Canal du Nord's capture, the final road to Cambrai was open.

Aftermath

The battle penetrated a majority of the defenses of the Hindenburg Line and allowed the next attack (the Battle of Cambrai (1918)) to complete the penetration and begin the advance beyond the Hindenburg Line.

Twelve

Victoria Crosses, the highest military decoration for valour awarded to British and Commonwealth
forces, were awarded for actions during the battle, with 8 surviving the war;

Commemoration

The Canadian participation in the Battle of the Canal du Nord is commemorated at the Canadian Bourlon Wood Memorial, located southeast of the town of Bourlon. The memorial is located on high ground beside the Bourlon Woods, giving a view of the town.

Notes

  1. ^ a b Tucker 1996, pp. 421–422.
  2. ^ a b c Nicholson 1962, p. 442.
  3. ^ a b c d e Farr 2007, p. 211.
  4. ^ "Canal du Nord 27 September to 1st October 1918". Government of Canada. 22 November 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e Farr 2007, p. 212.
  6. ^ a b Farr 2007, p. 207.
  7. ^ a b c d e Nicholson 1962, p. 438.
  8. ^ a b c d Nicholson 1962, p. 440.
  9. ^ Nicholson 1962, p. 441.
  10. ^ Nicholson 1962, pp. 441–442.
  11. ^ Nicholson 1962, p. 441-442.
  12. ^ a b Farr 2007, p. 209.
  13. ^ Monash 1920, Chapter 13.
  14. ^ Edmonds 1947, p. 46.
  15. ^ a b c d e Borys, David (2011). "Crossing the Canal: Combined Arms Operations at the Canal Du Nord, Sept - Oct 1918". Canadian Military History. 20: 4.
  16. ^ Berton, Pierre, Marching as to War, Berton Books, 2001
  17. ^ Livesay, John Frederick Bligh (1919). Canada's Hundred Days: With the Canadian Corps from Amiens to Mons, Aug. 8—Nov. 11, 1918. Toronto: Thomas Allen. p.217

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Battle of the Canal du Nord.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission: https://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/65904/BOURLON%20WOOD%20CEMETERY

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