27/9/1918 Canadian troops storm the Canal du Nord, prepare to march on Cambrai

Yesterday the Americans attacked the Germans in the Argonne forest. Progress has been slow and casualties heavy. The Allies however are intent on applying pressure all along the line to prevent the Germans concentrating reserves against any one threat. British artillery has started blasting German positions defending the St. Quentin Canal, aided by the capture in fighting at Amiens of a detailed map of the German defences here. This is allowing the guns to precisely target enemy positions in preparation for an attack in the next few days, which if successful will see the Hindenburg Line breached.

Today however it is a different canal that comes under attack by the Allies, the Canal du Nord, which lies between British and Canadian forces and the town of Cambrai. The attack is preceded by the kind of short artillery bombardment that has become the norm in fighting now. This canal and the…