The Battle of St Quentin Canal achieved the first full breach of the Hindenburg Line, persuading German high command that victory was unattainable.
Key Facts
- Start date
- 29 September 1918
- Fourth Army front width
- 19 km (12 mi)
- French First Army front width
- 9.5 km (6 mi)
- Overall Allied commander
- General Sir Henry Rawlinson
- Target defensive line
- German Siegfriedstellung (Hindenburg Line)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The German Hindenburg Line represented one of the most heavily fortified defensive positions on the Western Front. In the sector around St Quentin, it incorporated the St Quentin Canal as a natural obstacle, making a breakthrough exceptionally difficult. Allied commanders judged that breaking this line was essential to ending the war and planned a coordinated assault involving British, Australian, American, and French forces.
On 29 September 1918, the British Fourth Army, with support from the British Third Army and the French First Army, attacked the Hindenburg Line along a combined front. Despite heavy German resistance and delays to the planned timetable, Allied forces achieved their objectives, producing the first complete breach of the Hindenburg Line in its entire length.
The successful breach of the Hindenburg Line, combined with other attacks along the Grand Offensive, convinced the German high command that there was little realistic hope of ultimate victory. This conclusion accelerated the collapse of German strategic resolve and contributed directly to the Armistice of 11 November 1918 that ended World War I.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
3 belligerents
General Sir Henry Rawlinson.
Side B
1 belligerent