Le Cateau, Battles of

In World War I, two battles between British and German forces near Le Cateau, a French town in the département of Nord, occupied by the Germans throughout the war.

first battle 26-27 August 1914. The British 2nd Corps, worn out by three days of marching in the retreat from Mons, began digging in near Le Cateau. A dispute between the British commanders, General Horace Smith-Dorrien and General John French, led to indecision over whether to make a stand or continue an orderly retreat. The Germans took advantage and attacked in vastly superior numbers. The British gun batteries were obliterated but Smith-Dorrien was able to make a good enough holding action to withdraw his troops under cover from French cavalry and British artillery.

second battle 6-12 October 1918. Part of the general Allied advance after breaking the Hindenburg line. Liberally supported by tanks and bombing aircraft, the British forces simply rolled the Germans up in front of them and it was less a battle than a pursuit action.