The Final 100 Days: October 13, 1918 - Reaching the Selle

By now, the Canadian Line ran from Aubencheul-au-Bac in the north, to Le Cateau in the south, covering a distance of around 15 miles. '

The German 2nd Army continued a strategic retreat to the Hermann Position on the Selle River, while trying to delay the Canadian and British forces in hot pursuit. 

In a sign of both desperation and defeat, the German Army began removing guns, planes, and other materiel from their positions along the Belgian coast. They would be utilized elsewhere on the Western Front. 

The difficulties presented by the Canal de la Sensée forced Allied forces to find a solution. Until then, General Henry Horne ordered that contingent forces were to concentrate on rest and resupply. Engagement with the enemy was restricted to patrols, raids, and testing artillery. 

On the north end of the Canadian sector, the British 56th Division had worked through the night constructing a bridge over the Sensée Canal at Aubencheul-au-Bac. Early in the morning, a swift attack over the canal saw the British capture Aubigny on the northern bank. Over 200 prisoners were taken with the village. 

To the south, near St. Quentin, the French continued to reclaim lost territory. The day’s events saw the villages of Laon and La Fere fall to French forces.