Battle of the Sambre (1918)
Le Quesnoy, Nord, France
What happened
On 4 November, 17 British and 11 French divisions attacked along a front of about 30 miles. British troops crossed the Sambre Canal under fire, while to the north New Zealand troops captured the walled town of Le Quesnoy, some climbing its ramparts with a ladder. By midday the Allies had made a large gap in the German lines.
Why it matters
Together with the American advance from the Argonne, it threatened to stop Germany from forming a new, shorter defence line along the Meuse. The French and British gained a bridgehead nearly 50 miles long.
What came next
The Allies kept advancing until the Armistice of 11 November 1918, a week later.
Did you know?
Le Quesnoy now has a New Zealand Liberation Museum whose centrepiece is a giant ladder, remembering the climb over the walls.
Timeline
- 4 Nov 1918Battle of the Sambre; New Zealanders take Le Quesnoy.
- 11 Nov 1918Armistice.
- 2018Centenary of the liberation of Le Quesnoy.
- Oct 2023New Zealand Liberation Museum opens.