Sambre, Battle of the

In World War I, the final part of the British advance across Flanders November 1918 along the line of the River Sambre, which rises in the French département of the Aisne, flows northeast, and joins the Meuse at Namur.

The battle began 1 November 1918 with British and Canadian troopss taking the town of Valenciennes, then advancing through Le Quesnoy to attack the main German defensive line, known as the Hermann Line, which ran along the Sambre. By 8 November this line had been broken and the town of Landrécies taken; German troops began destroying stores dumps and burning equipment, and Canadian troops entered Maubeuge 9 November with no German resistance. On the night of 10 November the Canadians entered Mons, drove out the German occupants and pressed their advance until three minutes before 11 a.m. on 11 November, when the Armistice took effect.