translate English to French: Two canals, the Leopold Canal and the Canal de Dérivation de la Lys, run side by side here for a dozen miles from the sea, making a very effective moat for the Germans’ position; the former, swinging back almost to the southern point of the Braakman, completed the protection of their pocket, the land front of which was about 25 miles long.
À cet endroit, deux canaux, le canal Léopold et le canal de Dérivation de la Lys, coulant parallèlement sur une distance de douze milles à partir de la mer, constituent une tranchée très efficace pour la position des Allemands.