2. Battle of the Canal du Nord
The Battle of Canal du Nord was a military of
fensive of World War I by the British First Arm
y and British Third Army against the German t
roops along the Western Front in the Nord-Pa
s-de-Calais region of France, from 27 Septem
ber 1918 to 1 October 1918. The Canadian Cor
ps, under the command of Lieutenant-Gener
al Sir Arthur Currie, spearheaded the assault.
3. Back Ground
The British assault on the Drocourt-Quéant Line on 2
September 1918 resulted in the Germans being overr
un along a 7,000-yard (6,400 m) front.A number of fo
rmations in the German forward line quickly yielded
to the British advance, but as the British advanced th
ey met more resolute opposition from regiments of t
he German 1st Guard Reserve Division, 2nd Guard Re
serve Division and the 3rd Reserve Division. In an eff
ort to gain direct observation of all bridges over the
Sensée River and the Canal du Nord the British attac
k was supposed to continue the following day. Howe
ver, the German preempted the British attack by wit
hdrawing along a wide front.
4. Battle
Over the next week, Currie and Byng prepared fo
r the engagement. Two divisions were sent south
, to cross the canal at a weaker point, while Cana
dian combat engineers worked to construct the
wooden bridges for the assault. In the early morn
ing of September 27, all four divisions attacked u
nder total darkness, taking the German defender
s by absolute surprise. By mid morning, all defen
ders had retreated or been captured. Stiffening r
esistance east of the canal proved that only a sur
prise attack had the possibility of ending in victor
y. Because of Canal du Nord's capture, the final r
oad to Cambrai was open
5.
6. Memorial
The Canadian participation in the Battle of th
e Canal du Nord is commemorated at the Can
adian Bourlon Wood Memorial in Bourlon Wo
od, just southeast of the town of Bourlon.
