The Final 100 Days: October 5, 1918
/Quiet persisted on the Canadian front.
Although the Canadian Offensive had petered out, the joint Franco-British assault on the St. Quentin Canal had succeeded in penetrating the Hindenburg Line along a (roughly) 12 KM front.
During the Amiens campaign, Canadian troops had captured defence plans for St. Quentin. In a similar fashion to the Canal du Nord, German engineers had integrated the Canal into their defence system itself - but to a much greater extent. Barbed wire was laid on the edges of the 3 metre high walls, and in the canal itself. Mud, water, and broken concrete made it impossible for tanks and guns to cross, unless a stable bridge was captured.
The Canadian capture of these plans allowed for in-depth planning by the assaulting forces on St. Quentin, and undoubtedly saved hundreds of lives.
The capture of St. Quentin allowed for a safe and stable crossing for guns, tanks, and other war materiel, in an effort to finish the fight against Germany. While the Americans were held up in the Argonne, the Canadian Corps licked their wounds and anticipated the assault on Cambrai.