Battle of the Sambre (1918)

Battle of the Sambre (1918)

The Second Battle of the Sambre (November 4, 1918) was part of the final European Allied offensives of World War I.

At the front German resistance was falling away, unprecedented numbers of prisoners were taken in the Battle of the Selle, and a new attack was quickly prepared. The French First Army, together with the British First, Third, and Fourth Armies were tasked with advancing from south of the Condé Canal along a thirty mile front towards Maubeuge-Mons - threatening Namur. Together with the American forces breaking out of the forests of Argonne this would, if successful, disrupt the German efforts to reform a shortened defensive line along the Meuse.

At dawn on November 4, 17 British divisions headed the attack. The Tank Corps, its resources badly stretched, could provide only 37 tanks for support.

The first barrier to the northern attack was the 60 to 70-foot wide Sambre Canal and the flooded ground around it. It was there that the BEF had fought over four years ago. The XIII and IX Corps reached the canal first. German guns quickly ranged the attackers, and bodies piled up before the temporary bridges were properly emplaced under heavy fire. The 1st and 32nd Dvisions of IX Corps lost around 1150 men in the crossing. Even after the crossing the German forces defended in depth amid the small villages and fields and it was not until midday that a two mile deep, by fifteen mile wide breach was secured.

Further north, V and IV Corps attacked into Forêt de Mormal. At Le Quesnoy, the Germans defence was haphazard: the 13th Royal Welsh Fusiliers hardly needed to use their guns, while the 9th Battalion of the 17th Division lost all but two officers and 226 of 583 soldiers. Despite this, the advance continued and the battle objectives were reached on the 4th or the following day. A bridgehead almost fifty miles long had been made, and from two to three miles deep.

From this point, the northern Allies advanced relentlessly, sometimes more than five miles a day, until the Armistice Line of November 11 from Ghent, through Hourain, Bauffe, Havre, to near Consoire, and Sivry.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Battle of the Sambre — The Battle of the Sambre refers to two battles fought along the Sambre River during the First World War:* Battle of the Sambre (1914), commonly known as the Battle of Charleroi * Battle of the Sambre (1918) the final British offensive of the war …   Wikipedia

  • Battle of the Frontiers — Infobox Military Conflict conflict=Battle of the Frontiers caption=German infantry marching through a burning village. partof=the Western Front of World War I date=14 ndash;24 August, 1914 place=Lorraine, the Ardennes and southern Belgium… …   Wikipedia

  • Sambre-Oise Canal — The Sambre Oise Canal (French: Canal de la Sambre à l Oise ) is located in northern France. It forms a connection between the river Sambre (Meuse basin) at Landrecies and the Oise (Seine basin) at Tergnier. The canal is 71 km long, and has 38… …   Wikipedia

  • Sambre — Infobox River | river name = Sambre caption = The Sambre in the centre of Namur. origin = Picardie mouth = Meuse coord|50|27|43|N|4|52|15|E|name=Meuse Sambre|display=inline,title basin countries = Belgium, France length = 193 km elevation = 199 m …   Wikipedia

  • The Winnipeg Grenadiers — was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army formed in 1908. In 1965 it was placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle.The regiment is perpetuated by a Royal Canadian Army Cadets unit of the same name which parades at Minto Armoury in Winnipeg …   Wikipedia

  • The Nova Scotia Highlanders — Active 1871–present Country …   Wikipedia

  • The Canadian Grenadier Guards — Infobox Military Unit unit name=Canadian Grenadier Guards caption=Cap badge of the Canadian Grenadier Guards dates=1764 country=Canada branch=Militia type=Foot Guards role=Light Role size= One battalion command structure= Royal Canadian Infantry… …   Wikipedia

  • The Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal) — Infobox Military Unit unit name=The Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal) caption= dates=16 September 1958 country=Canada branch=Army type=Line Cavalry command structure=Royal Canadian Armoured Corps role=Armoured Reconnaissance size= One regiment… …   Wikipedia

  • The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada — Infobox Military Unit unit name=The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada caption=Seaforth Highlanders of Canada Heraldry dates=1910–present country=Canada allegiance= branch=Militia type=Line Infantry role= Light infantry size= One battalion command… …   Wikipedia

  • The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own) — Infobox Military Unit unit name=The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother s Own) caption=Cap badge of the Toronto Scottish Regiment dates=1920 Present country=Canada branch=Militia type=Line Infantry role=Light Infantry size …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”