The Second Battle of the Sambre: A Decisive European Allied Offensive in World War I

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  • The Second Battle of the Sambre was part of the final European Allied offensives of World War I, with the aim of disrupting the German defensive line along the Meuse.
  • On November 4th, 1918, British and French divisions launched a major attack, overcoming the Sambre Canal and flooded ground. The Allies advanced north and south, capturing important cities and creating a bridgehead along a 50-mile front.
  • The battle resulted in significant casualties on both sides, including the loss of celebrated war poet Wilfred Owen. The Allies continued their advance, pushing the German forces back until the Armistice Line was established on November 11th, ending the war.
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The Second Battle of the Sambre (4 November 1918) (which included the Second Battle of Guise (French: 2ème Bataille de Guise) and the Battle of Thiérache (French: Bataille de Thiérache) was part of the final European Allied offensives of World War I. Background At the front, German resistance was falling away. Unprecedented numbers of prisoners were taken in the Battle of the Selle, and a new attack was quickly prepared. The French First Army and the British First, Third, and Fourth Armies were tasked with advancing from south of the Condé Canal along a 30-mile (48 km) front toward Maubeuge-Mons, threatening Namur. Together with the American forces breaking out of the forests of Argonne, this would, if successful, disrupt the German efforts to reform a shortened defensive line along the Meuse. At dawn on November 4th, 17 British and 11 French divisions headed the attack. The Tank Corps, its resources badly stretched, could provide only 37 tanks for support. Battle The first barrier to the northern attack was the 60–70-foot (18–21 m)-wide Sambre Canal and the flooded ground around it. It was there that the BEF had fought over four years earlier. The XIII and IX Corps reached the canal first. German guns quickly ranged the attackers, and bodies piled up before the temporary bridges were properly emplaced under heavy fire. The 1st and 32nd Divisions of IX Corps lost around 1,150 men in the crossing, including celebrated war poet Wilfred Owen. Even after the crossing the German forces defended in depth amid the small villages and fields, and it was not until midday that a 2-mile-deep (3 km) by 15-mile-wide (24 km) breach was secured. Lieutenant Colonel D.G. Johnson was awarded the Victoria Cross for leading the 2nd Battalion Sussex Regiment's crossing of the canal. Further information: Capture of Le Quesnoy (1918) Further north, IV and V Corps attacked into Forêt de Mormal. At Le Quesnoy, the Germans defence was haphazard: the 13th Royal Welsh Fusiliers hardly needed to use their guns, while the 9th Battalion of the 17th Division lost all but two officers and 226 of 583 soldiers. Despite this, the advance continued and the battle objectives were reached on the 4th or the following day. To the south, the French First Army attacked, capturing the communes of Guise (the Second Battle of Guise) and Origny-en-Thiérache (the Battle of Thiérache). This resulted in a bridgehead almost 50 miles (80 km) long being made, to a depth of 2–3 miles (3–5 km). From this point, the northern Allies advanced relentlessly, sometimes more than five miles a day, until the Armistice Line of 11 November from Ghent, through Hourain, Bauffe, Havré, to near Consoire, and Sivry.

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>The Second Battle of the Sambre (4 November 1918) (which included the Second Battle of Guise (French: 2ème Bataille de Guise) and the Battle of Thiérache (French: Bataille de Thiérache) was part of the final European Allied offensives of World War I. ⇒「第2次サンブルの戦い」(1918年11月4日)(それは「第2次ギーズの戦い」〈フランス語:2eme Bataille de Guise〉および「ティエラシュの戦い」〈フランス語:Bataille deThiérache〉を含む)は、第一次世界大戦の最後のヨーロッパ連合国軍攻勢の一部であった。 >Background  At the front, German resistance was falling away. Unprecedented numbers of prisoners were taken in the Battle of the Selle, and a new attack was quickly prepared. The French First Army and the British First, Third, and Fourth Armies were tasked with advancing from south of the Condé Canal along a 30-mile (48 km) front toward Maubeuge-Mons, threatening Namur. Together with the American forces breaking out of the forests of Argonne, this would, if successful, disrupt the German efforts to reform a shortened defensive line along the Meuse.  At dawn on November 4th, 17 British and 11 French divisions headed the attack. The Tank Corps, its resources badly stretched, could provide only 37 tanks for support. ⇒背景  前線ではドイツ軍の抵抗は遠ざかっていった。空前の数の捕虜が「セールの戦い」で捕縛され、新たな攻撃が迅速に準備された。フランス第1方面軍と英国第1、第3、第4方面軍がコンデ運河の南からモベージュ‐モンに向かって、30マイル(48キロ)の前線に沿って進み、ナムールを脅かした。これがうまくいけば、アルゴンヌの森林から飛び出す米国軍団と一緒に、ドイツ軍が立て直しの努力をする縮小されたミューズ沿いの防御線を分断するだろう。  11月4日の夜明け、英国・フランス軍の11個師団が攻撃に向かった。資源的にひどく手薄になっている戦車軍団は、その支援にわずか37台の戦車を提供することしかできなかった。 >Battle  The first barrier to the northern attack was the 60–70-foot (18–21 m)-wide Sambre Canal and the flooded ground around it. It was there that the BEF had fought over four years earlier. The XIII and IX Corps reached the canal first. German guns quickly ranged the attackers, and bodies piled up before the temporary bridges were properly emplaced under heavy fire. The 1st and 32nd Divisions of IX Corps lost around 1,150 men in the crossing, including celebrated war poet Wilfred Owen. Even after the crossing the German forces defended in depth amid the small villages and fields, and it was not until midday that a 2-mile-deep (3 km) by 15-mile-wide (24 km) breach was secured. Lieutenant Colonel D.G. Johnson was awarded the Victoria Cross for leading the 2nd Battalion Sussex Regiment's crossing of the canal. ⇒戦い  北部の攻撃に対する最初の障壁は、60~70フィート(18~21メートル)幅のサンブル運河とその周りの浸水した土地であった。BEF(英国遠征軍)が4年以上前に戦ったのはそこであった。第XIII、第IX軍団が一番乗りで運河に到着した。ドイツ軍の銃砲隊はすぐに攻撃隊を繰り出したので、重砲撃の下で臨時の橋を敷設しようとしたが、それが十分できないうちに兵隊団の塊が多数できた。第IX軍団の第1、第32師団は渡河で約1,150人の兵士を失ったが、その中には著名な戦争詩人ウィルフレッド・オーウェンも含まれていた。渡河した後でさえ、ドイツ軍団は小さな村や畑の奥で守備を固めていたが、真昼までかからずに奥行き2マイル(3キロ)で15マイル(24キロ)幅の突破口が確保された。D.G.ジョンソン中佐は、運河の渡河で第2大隊サセックス連隊を主導してビクトリア十字章を受章した。 >Further information: Capture of Le Quesnoy (1918)  Further north, IV and V Corps attacked into Forêt de Mormal. At Le Quesnoy, the Germans defence was haphazard: the 13th Royal Welsh Fusiliers hardly needed to use their guns, while the 9th Battalion of the 17th Division lost all but two officers and 226 of 583 soldiers. Despite this, the advance continued and the battle objectives were reached on the 4th or the following day. ⇒詳細補充情報:「ル・ケズノイの攻略」(1918年)  さらに北では、第IV、第V軍団がフォレー・ド・モルマルに侵入攻撃した。ル・ケズノイでは、ドイツ軍の防衛はでたらめ(やけばち)であった。それで、第17師団の第9大隊は2人の将校と583人の兵士のうち226人を失ったが、第13王立ウェールズ火打石銃隊(フージリヤ連隊)はほとんど銃を使う必要がなかった。それにもかかわらず、進軍は続けられ、戦闘目標は第4日目かその翌日に達成された。 >To the south, the French First Army attacked, capturing the communes of Guise (the Second Battle of Guise) and Origny-en-Thiérache (the Battle of Thiérache).  This resulted in a bridgehead almost 50 miles (80 km) long being made, to a depth of 2–3 miles (3–5 km).  From this point, the northern Allies advanced relentlessly, sometimes more than five miles a day, until the Armistice Line of 11 November from Ghent, through Hourain, Bauffe, Havré, to near Consoire, and Sivry. ⇒南では、フランス第1方面軍がギーズの共同社会(第2次ギーズの戦い)とオリニー‐アン‐ティエラシュを攻撃(ティエラシュの戦い)し、攻略した。  これにより、長さ約50マイル(80キロ)の橋頭堡が2~3マイル(3~5キロ)の奥行きをもって造られた。  この時点から、北部連合国軍は、絶え間なく進軍し、時には1日5マイル以上も進んで、ゲントから、ホウレン、ボーフ、ハヴルを通ってコンソアやシヴリーまで到達して、ついに11月11日「平和条約戦線」に至った。

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