Battle of the Canal du Nord

Battle of Canal du Nord
Part of the Hundred Days Offensive of the First World War
Canadian engineers building a bridge across the Canal du Nord, September 1918
Date September 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  Canada  New Zealand	German Empire
Commanders and leaders
Henry Horne Julian Byng	Otto von Below Georg von der Marwitz
Strength
13 divisions
Casualties and losses
30,000	36,500 POW 380 guns

v t e 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 Hundred Days Offensive of the First World War by the Allies against German positions on the Western Front. The battle took place in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, along an incomplete portion of the Canal du Nord and on the outskirts of Cambrai between 27 September and 1 October 1918. To prevent the Germans from sending reinforcements against one attack, the assault along the Canal du Nord was part of a sequence of Allied attacks at along the Western Front. The attack began the day after the Meuse-Argonne Offensive commenced, a day before an offensive in Belgian Flanders and two days before the Battle of St. Quentin Canal.^[1]

The attack took place along the boundary between the British First Army and Third Army, which were to continue the advance started with the Battle of the Drocourt-Quéant Line, Battle of Havrincourt and 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.