Arleux

The Battle of Canal du Nord was part of the Hundred Days Offensive of the First World War by the Allies against German positions on the Western Front. The battle took place in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, along an incomplete portion of the Canal du Nord and on the outskirts of Cambrai between 27 September and 1 October 1918. To prevent the Germans from sending reinforcements against one attack, the assault along the Canal du Nord was part of a sequence of Allied attacks at along the Western Front. The attack began the day after the Meuse-Argonne Offensive commenced, a day before an offensive in Belgian Flanders and two days before the Battle of St. Quentin Canal.The attack took place along the boundary between the British First Army and Third Army, which were to continue the advance started with the Battle of the Drocourt-Quéant Line, Battle of Havrincourt and Battle of Epehy. The First Army was to lead the crossing of the Canal du Nord and secure the northern flank of the British Third Army as both armies advanced towards Cambrai. The Third Army was also to capture the Escaut (Scheldt) Canal, to support the Fourth Army during the Battle of St. Quentin Canal.

The Canal du Nord (French pronunciation: [kanal dy nɔʁ], literally Canal of the North) is a 95-kilometre (59 mi) long canal in northern France. The canal connects the Canal latéral à l'Oise at Pont-l'Évêque to the Sensée Canal at Arleux. The French government, in partnership with coal-mining companies in the Nord and Pas-de-Calais departments, developed the canal to help French coal mining companies withstand foreign competition. Construction of the canal began in 1908 but halted in 1914, because of the First World War. The war caused widespread destruction of the canal and the French government made no attempt to resume construction until 1959. Construction recommenced in 1960 and the waterway opened to the public in 1965. The Canal du Nord and the Canal de Saint-Quentin may be supplanted by the Seine–Nord Europe Canal, a projected high capacity link between the Oise River at Janville and the high capacity Dunkirk-Escaut Canal.

Cantin (French pronunciation: [kɑ̃tɛ̃]) is a commune of the Hauts-de-France region in the Nord department in northern France.It is 8 km (5.0 mi) southeast of Douai.

Hamel (French pronunciation: [amɛl]) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.

Gœulzin (French pronunciation: [ɡœlzɛ̃]) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.

Estrées is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is one of many villages in the north of France bearing the name Estrées. The etymology of the name is from strata (cognate of English "street"), the word for the stone-layered Roman roads in the area (some of which turned into modern highways). Hence Estreti, village on the road which developed into Estrées.

Férin (French pronunciation: [feʁɛ̃]) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is 4 km (2.5 mi) south of Douai.

Gouy-sous-Bellonne (French pronunciation: [ɡwi su bɛlɔn], literally Gouy under Bellonne) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.

Roucourt (French pronunciation: [ʁukuʁ]) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. German Jagdstaffel 11 operated here on 13 April 1917.

Bellonne (French pronunciation: [bɛlɔn]) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region in northern France.

Tortequesne (French pronunciation: [tɔʁtəkɛn]) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.

Erchin (French pronunciation: [ɛʁʃɛ̃]) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.