Battle of the St. Quentin Canal

Battle of St Quentin Canal
Part of the Hundred Days Offensive of World War I
Breaking the Hindenburg Line by William Longstaff.
Date 29 September – 10 October 1918 Location Hindenburg Line, France Result Allied victory
Belligerents
British Empire  Australia  United Kingdom  United States	German Empire
Commanders and leaders
Sir Henry Rawlinson Sir John Monash Sir Walter Braithwaite George Windle Read	Adolph von Carlowitz
Strength
14 divisions (including 2 from the AEF)	At least 13 divisions
Casualties and losses
? 13,182	?

 British Empire

The Battle of St Quentin Canal was a pivotal battle of World War I that began on 29 September 1918 and involved British, Australian and American forces operating as part of British Fourth Army under the overall command of General Sir Henry Rawlinson, 1st Baron Rawlinson. Further north part of the British Third Army also supported the attack whilst to the south of the twelve mile (19 km) Fourth Army front First French Army launched a coordinated attack on a six-mile (9.5 km) front. The objective was to break through one of the most heavily defended stretches of the German Siegfried Stellung of the Hindenburg Line, which in this sector utilised the St Quentin Canal as part of its defences. The assault achieved its objectives (though not according to the planned timetable), resulting in the first full breach of the Hindenburg Line, in the face of heavy German resistance. In concert with other attacks of the Great Offensive along the length of the line, Allied success convinced the German high command that there was little hope of an ultimate German victory.

Rawlinson wanted the Australian Corps, under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir John Monash, with its well-earned reputation, to spearhead the attack. Monash was unhappy, because his Australian force was by now short of manpower and many soldiers were showing signs of strain, having been heavily engaged in fighting for several months. There had been some episodes of mutiny by troops who were feeling unfairly put upon. Monash was however very pleased when Rawlinson offered him the American II Corps (the US 27th and 30th Divisions), which still remained at the disposal of the British command, since American divisions were twice the numerical strength of their British counterparts. U.S. Corps commander Major General Read effectively handed overall direction of his American force for the duration of the action to Monash. However, the American soldiers lacked battle experience. 217 Australian officers and N.C.O.s were therefore assigned to the U.S. troops in an advisory and liaison role. British high command considered that German morale was suffering badly and that their capacity to resist was much weakened. Monash believed that the operation would be "more a matter of engineering and organisation than of fighting". Whilst there had been some evidence of poor German morale from previous operations, this proved to be a dangerous assumption.

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