In September 1918 during the battle for the Hindenburg line this bridge in Riqueval was captured by the allies intact (the Germans had prepared it with explosives but failed to detonate them) and therefore played a vital part in the final stages of the war.
The bridge today….
This photo was taken after the bridge had been captured...
One of the many small cemeteries in L’Aisne, in this case a British one. As always, these are poignant places to be in…..
In 1810 this 5760 metre long tunnel which is part of the Canal de Saint Quentin was opened. It runs between Bellicourt and Venhuille and since 1906 uses electrically driven chain ‘tugs’ which can tow up to 30 barges at a time. The tunnel is ‘one way’ every 3 hours.
This is the tug exiting the tunnel at Bellicourt….
and the ‘chain drive’ which lies on the canal bottom and is picked up, passed through the tug pulling it along….
and comes out the back… ‘voila'
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