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 Lock No. 1 (Palluel) Rue d'en Haut, Palluel Rue des Stations, Sauchy-Cauchy A26 autoroute Port of Marquion Route National (D939) Lock No. 2 (Marquion) Rue du Sains, Sains-lès-Marquion Lock No. 3 (Sains-lès-Marquion) Rue du Sains-lès-Marquion Lock No. 4 (Inchy-en-Artois) Rue d'en Haut, Mœuvres Lock No. 5 (Mœuvres) Route de Cuquiche, Mœuvres Route de Bapaume (D930) Lock No. 6 Lock No. 7 Rue d'Hermies Ruyaulcourt Tunnel Ruyaulcourt A2 autoroute Chaussee Brunehaut (D58) Rue d'Equancourt (C6) Rue de Douai (C7) Rue de la Taille, Manancourt Side Wharf Rue Canal, Moislains Rue Garre, Moislains Moislains Public Quay Lock No. 8 (Moislains) Lock No. 9 Lock No. 10 (Allaines) Route d'Allaines, Allaines Rue d'Arras (D1017), Feuillaucourt Lock No. 11 (Feuillaucourt) Route d'Albert (D938) Lock No. 12 (Halles) River Somme Junction with the Somme Canal Port de Plaisance, Péronne Faubourg de Paris (D1017), Péronne Lock No. 13 (La Chalelette) Chaussee Brunehaut (D1029), Brie Saint-Christ-Briost Wharf Saint-Christ-Briost Bridge A29 autoroute Lock No. 14 (Épénancourt) Pargny Bridge Béthencourt-sur-Somme Bridge Junction with the Somme Canal Route de Rouy, Rouy-le-Petit Railway Bridge Route de Nesle (D930) Lock No. 15 (Languevoisin-Quiquery) 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 Lock No. 16 (Campagne) Campagne Bridge Rue de Catingy, Catigny Rue de Genets, Béhencourt Rue de l'Eglise, Haudival Lock No. 17 (Haudival) Rue de Beaurains, Beaurains-lès-Noyon D934 Coopérative Agora wharf Route de Montdidier (D938), Noyon Lock No. 18 (Noyon) Noyon Bridge D1032 Lock No. 19 (Pont-l'Évêque) Rue du Mont Renaud Creil–Jeumont 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.