Passage of the Grande Honnelle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Passage of the Grande Honnelle
Part of Hundred Days Offensive, World War I
Bridge over Honnelle River, November 1918.
Date 5–7 November 1918 Location Honnelles, Hainaut, Belgium 50°22′06″N 03°41′53″E / 50.36833°N 3.69806°E / 50.36833; 3.69806 Result Allied victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom  Canada	German Empire

The Passage of the Grande Honnelle was an important battle during the final days of World War I. It happened in Honnelles, Belgium, from November 5 to 7, 1918. British and Canadian soldiers fought against German forces.

The main goal for General Henry Horne's British forces was to push across the border from France into Belgium. They aimed to cross two rivers, the Grande Honnelle and Petite Honnelle. This would move the battle line closer to the cities of Mons and Aulnois.

Why This Battle Was Fought

In October 1918, the British First and Third Armies broke through the strong Hindenburg Line. This happened during the Second Battle of Cambrai. This major breakthrough made the German leaders realize they had to end the war.

German soldiers were also losing their morale, meaning they were losing hope and spirit. This convinced many Allied leaders that the war could end in 1918. Before this, they thought they would need to wait until 1919 for a big attack.

After the Battle of Valenciennes on November 1, the German Army was retreating. Field Marshal Douglas Haig ordered a general advance. He told his divisions to push hard and not let the Germans set up new strong defenses.

By November 4, the 3rd and 4th Canadian divisions arrived near the Valenciennes–Mons road. Their front stretched from Condé in the north to Marchipont in the south. Further south, the 56th (London) Infantry Division and 11th (Northern) Division were ready.

The Battle Begins

November 5: First Moves

On November 5, patrols from the 87th Battalion (Canadian Grenadier Guards) crossed the Aunelle River. This marked the first time Canadians liberated part of occupied Belgium.

The 56th (London) Infantry Division tried to take Honnelles. The 13th and 14th London Regiments struggled to clear the area. However, the 1/5th London Regiment successfully captured Angreau after a tough fight along the Grande Honnelle river.

To the south, the 11th (Northern) Division had already crossed the Aunelle River the day before. Four battalions advanced through Roisin. German artillery shelled the village, even though many civilians were still there.

Further south, General Julian Byng's Third Army completely pushed the enemy out of Forêt de Mormal.

The fighting happened in very cold weather. General Henry Horne worried that muddy roads would slow down the advance. But there was no stopping. Both XXII Corps and the Canadian Corps were ordered to keep pushing forward. Their next goal was the railway line between Mons and Aulnois.

November 6: Tough Resistance

XXII Corps attacked again at 5:30 AM on November 6. They immediately met strong German resistance. When the 11th (Northern) Infantry Division reached the Grande Honnelle river, they couldn't cross. Heavy enemy fire came from the wooded slopes on the other side.

When soldiers of the 56th (London) Infantry Division crossed the river east of Angreau, they were quickly pushed back. Further north, men of the 56th Division crossed the Grande Honnelle twice at Angre. They reached higher ground but were again pushed back. Still, they managed to hold a small area on the other side of the river.

During the night, the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division moved forward to help. The 56th Division then had a smaller front line to defend.

To the north, the Canadian Corps had more success. The 4th Canadian Division advanced through easier land. This allowed them to use artillery, which helped them capture Quievrechain in France. The Canadians then crossed the border into Belgium. They forced their way across the Grande Honnelle between Angre and Quivrain. They then took part of Baisieux, a village on the Petite Honnelle river. Taking Baisieux was a big loss for the Germans. It threatened their escape route from the XXII Corps attack in the south. This battle was the last major fight for the 4th Canadian Division in the war. They were replaced by the 2nd Canadian Division during the night.

Further north, the 3rd Canadian Division kept advancing. They reached the edge of the French village of Crespin. Floating bridges were set up on the Aunelle and Honnelle rivers.

Major Dudley Ward of the 56th Division described the situation:

• The German rearguards could only slow down the advance in a few good spots.
• Mostly, the rearguards were being pushed back into the main German army.
• Roads were full of enemy troops and vehicles.
• Airplanes flew low, dropping bombs and firing machine guns. This caused panic and confusion.

During the night of November 6–7, the 63rd Division joined the front line. The 56th Division was then on a single brigade front.

November 7: The Final Push

At dawn on November 7, patrols found the enemy still in front of them. At 9 AM, the 8th and 7th Middlesex Regiments attacked. They moved through the northern part of the wood. By 10:30 AM, the 7th Middlesex entered Onnezies. They crossed the Petite Honnelle River and took the village of Montignies in the afternoon. But after crossing the Bavai-Hensies Road, the German resistance became stronger. Artillery and machine-gun fire were heavy. The British held a line of outposts east of the road for the night.

The 2nd Canadian Division liberated the rest of Baisieux and the village of Elouges. The 2nd and 3rd Canadian Divisions together freed Quiévrain and captured 500 German prisoners. The 3rd Canadian Division continued its advance and liberated La Croix and Hensies. Just before midnight, the 2nd Division took several villages: Bois-de-Boussu, Petit Hornu, Bois-de-Epinois, and part of Bois-de-Leveque. In every village they freed, Canadian soldiers were warmly welcomed as heroes.

The troops then entered an area with many mining villages. They faced the German army, which was retreating but still fighting to slow them down. Meanwhile, rumors were already spreading that peace was very close.

Major Dudley Ward continued his description:

• Explosions and fires were seen behind enemy lines every night. They were even more numerous on the night of November 7–8.
• When the advance continued at 8 AM, the two Middlesex battalions took the villages of Athis and Fayt-le-Franc with almost no resistance.
• By nightfall, outposts were covering several areas.
• The road situation was terrible. Supply trucks could not go past the Honnelle River because bridges were destroyed.
• Rain fell constantly, and cross-country paths were impossible to use. All traffic was on the main roads, which were in such bad condition that supplies were late.
• Plans were made for airplanes to drop food to the front-line troops, but luckily, this was not needed.

The enemy was now fully retreating along the entire British front. To the south, the Guards Division entered Maubeuge. To the north, the Canadians were getting close to Mons. The 56th Division marched through several villages. By evening, they were on the Mons-Maubeuge road, behind a line of outposts held by the 1st London Regiment.

Who Fought in the Battle

Here are some of the main military groups involved in the Passage of the Grande Honnelle:

Order of Battle for the Passage of the Grande Honnelle

Army	Corps	Division
First Army (Horne)	XXII Corps (Godley)	11th (Northern) Division
		56th (1st London) Division
		63rd (Royal Naval) Division
	Canadian Corps (Currie)	2nd Canadian Division
		4th Canadian Division
Third Army (Byng)	XVII Corps (Fergusson)	19th (Western) Division
		24th Division