Various - The New York Times Current History of the European War, Vol 1, Issue 4, January 23, 1915

V >> Various >> The New York Times Current History of the European War, Vol 1, Issue 4, January 23, 1915

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On Saturday, Sept. 5, I met the French Commander in Chief at his
request, and he informed me of his intention to take the offensive
forthwith, as he considered conditions very favorable to success.

Gen. Joffre announced to me his intention of wheeling up the left flank
of the Sixth Army, pivoting on the Marne and directing it to move on the
Ourcq; cross and attack the flank of the First German Army, which was
then moving in a southeasterly direction east of that river.

He requested me to effect a change of front to my right--my left resting
on the Marne and my right on the Fifth Army--to fill the gap between
that army and the Sixth. I was then to advance against the enemy in my
front and join in the general offensive movement.

These combined movements practically commenced on Sunday, Sept. 6, at
sunrise; and on that day it may be said that a great battle opened on a
front extending from Ermenonville, which was just in front of the left
flank of the Sixth French Army, through Lizy on the Marne, Mauperthuis,
which was about the British centre, Courtecon, which was on the left of
the Fifth French Army, to Esternay and Charleville, the left of the
Ninth Army under Gen. Foch, and so along the front of the Ninth, Fourth
and Third French Armies to a point north of the fortress of Verdun.

[Illustration: Map 5.--Sept. 8. Battle of the Marne.
The great advance to the Petit Morin and the Marne, where important
captures were made by the British.]

This battle, in so far as the Sixth French Army, the British Army, the
Fifth French Army, and the Ninth French Army were concerned, may be said
to have concluded on the evening of Sept. 10, by which time the Germans
had been driven back to the line Soissons-Rheims, with a loss of
thousands of prisoners, many guns, and enormous masses of transport.

About Sept. 3 the enemy appears to have changed his plans and to have
determined to stop his advance south direct upon Paris, for on Sept. 4
air reconnoissances showed that his main columns were moving in a
southeasterly direction generally east of a line drawn through Nanteuil
and Lizy on the Ourcq.

On Sept. 5 several of these columns were observed to have crossed the
Marne, while German troops, which were observed moving southeast up the
left flank of the Ourcq on the 4th, were now reported to be halted and
facing that river. Heads of the enemy's columns were seen crossing at
Changis, La Ferte, Nogent, Chateau Thierry, and Mezy.

Considerable German columns of all arms were seen to be converging on
Montmirail, while before sunset large bivouacs of the enemy were located
in the neighborhood of Coulommiers, south of Rebais, La Ferte-Gaucher,
and Dagny.

I should conceive it to have been about noon on Sept. 6, after the
British forces had changed their front to the right and occupied the
line Jouy-Le Chatel-Faremoutiers-Villeneuve Le Comte, and the advance of
the Sixth French Army north of the Marne toward the Ourcq became
apparent, that the enemy realized the powerful threat that was being
made against the flank of his columns moving southeast, and began the
great retreat which opened the battle above referred to.

On the evening of Sept. 6, therefore, the fronts and positions of the
opposing armies were roughly as follows:

Allies.

_Sixth French Army_.--Right on the Marne at Meux, left toward Betz.

_British Forces._--On the line Dagny-Coulommiers-Maison.

_Fifth French Army._--At Courtagon, right on Esternay.

_Conneau's Cavalry Corps._--Between the right of the British and the
left of the French Fifth Army.

Germans.

_Fourth Reserve and Second Corps._--East of the Ourcq and facing
that river.

_Ninth Cavalry Division._--West of Crecy.

_Second Cavalry Division._--North of Coulommiers.

_Fourth Corps._--Rebais.

_Third and Seventh Corps._--Southwest of Montmirail.

All these troops constituted the First German Army, which was directed
against the French Sixth Army on the Ourcq, and the British forces, and
the left of the Fifth French Army south of the Marne.

The Second German Army (IX., X., X.R., and Guard) was moving against the
centre and right of the Fifth French Army and the Ninth French Army.

On Sept. 7 both the Fifth and Sixth French Armies were heavily engaged
on our flank. The Second and Fourth Reserve German Corps on the Ourcq
vigorously opposed the advance of the French toward that river, but did
not prevent the Sixth Army from gaining some headway, the Germans
themselves suffering serious losses. The French Fifth Army threw the
enemy back to the line of the Petit Morin River after inflicting severe
losses upon them, especially about Montceaux, which was carried at the
point of the bayonet.

The enemy retreated before our advance, covered by his Second and Ninth
and Guard Cavalry Divisions, which suffered severely.

Our cavalry acted with great vigor, especially Gen. De Lisle's brigade,
with the Ninth Lancers and Eighteenth Hussars.

On Sept. 8 the enemy continued his retreat northward, and our army was
successfully engaged during the day with strong rearguards of all arms
on the Petit Morin River, thereby materially assisting the progress of
the French armies on our right and left, against whom the enemy was
making his greatest efforts. On both sides the enemy was thrown back
with very heavy loss. The First Army Corps encountered stubborn
resistance at La Tretoire, (north of Rabais.) The enemy occupied a
strong position with infantry and guns on the northern bank of the Petit
Morin River; they were dislodged with considerable loss. Several machine
guns and many prisoners were captured, and upward of 200 German dead
were left on the ground.

[Illustration: Map 6.--Sept. 9. Forcing the passage of the Marne.
This day the German retreat degenerated into a rout, and many captures
were made.]

The forcing of the Petit Morin at this point was much assisted by the
cavalry and the First Division, which crossed higher up the stream.

Later in the day a counter-attack by the enemy was well repulsed by the
First Army Corps, a great many prisoners and some guns again falling
into our hands.

On this day (Sept. 8) the Second Army Corps encountered considerable
opposition, but drove back the enemy at all points with great loss,
making considerable captures.

The Third Army Corps also drove back considerable bodies of the enemy's
infantry and made some captures.

On Sept. 9 the First and Second Army Corps forced the passage of the
Marne and advanced some miles to the north of it. The Third Corps
encountered considerable opposition, as the bridge at La Ferte was
destroyed and the enemy held the town on the opposite bank in some
strength, and thence persistently obstructed the construction of a
bridge; so the passage was not effected until after nightfall.

During the day's pursuit the enemy suffered heavy loss in killed and
wounded, some hundreds of prisoners fell into our hands and a battery of
eight machine guns was captured by the Second Division.

On this day the Sixth French Army was heavily engaged west of the River
Ourcq. The enemy had largely increased his force opposing them; and very
heavy fighting ensued, in which the French were successful throughout.

The left of the Fifth French Army reached the neighborhood of Chateau
Thierry after the most severe fighting, having driven the enemy
completely north of the river with great loss.

The fighting of this army in the neighborhood of Montmirail was very
severe.

The advance was resumed at daybreak on the 10th up to the line of the
Ourcq, opposed by strong rearguards of all arms. The First and Second
Corps, assisted by the cavalry divisions on the right, the Third and
Fifth Cavalry Brigades on the left, drove the enemy northward. Thirteen
guns, seven machine guns, about 2,000 prisoners, and quantities of
transport fell into our hands. The enemy left many dead on the field. On
this day the French Fifth and Sixth Armies had little opposition.

As the First and Second German Armies were now in full retreat, this
evening marks the end of the battle which practically commenced on the
morning of the 6th inst.; and it is at this point in the operations that
I am concluding the present dispatch.

Although I deeply regret [Transcriber: original 'regreat'] to have had
to report heavy losses in killed and wounded throughout these
operations, I do not think they have been excessive in view of the
magnitude of the great fight, the outlines of which I have only been
able very briefly to describe, and the demoralization and loss in killed
and wounded which are known to have been caused to the enemy by the
vigor and severity of the pursuit.

In concluding this dispatch I must call your Lordship's special
attention to the fact that from Sunday, Aug. 23, up to the present date,
(Sept. 17,) from Mons back almost to the Seine, and from the Seine to
the Aisne, the army under my command has been ceaselessly engaged
without one single day's halt or rest of any kind.

Since the date to which in this dispatch I have limited my report of the
operations, a great battle on the Aisne has been proceeding. A full
report of this battle will be made in an early further dispatch.

[Illustration: Map 7--Sept. 10 (evening). End of the battle of the
Marne.
The Germans were driven over the Ourcq and retreated to the Aisne.]

[Illustration: LIEUT. GEN. SIR DOUGLAS HAIG
Commanding one of Gen. French's Corps
(_From Painting by John St. Helier Lander._)]

[Illustration: CROWN PRINCE WILHELM
(_Copyright, Photographische Gesellschaft, by permission of the Berlin
Photographic Co., N.Y._)]

It will, however, be of interest to say here that, in spite of a very
determined resistance on the part of the enemy, who is holding in
strength and great tenacity a position peculiarly favorable to defense,
the battle which commenced on the evening of the 12th inst. has, so far,
forced the enemy back from his first position, secured the passage of
the river, and inflicted great loss upon him, including the capture of
over 2,000 prisoners and several guns. I have the honor to be your
Lordship's most obedient servant,

(Signed.) J.D.P. FRENCH,
Field Marshal,
Commanding in Chief, the British forces in the field.

III.

*The Battle of the Aisne.*

8th October, 1914.

My Lord: I have the honor to report the operations in which the British
forces in France have been engaged since the evening of Sept. 10:

1. In the early morning of the 11th the further pursuit of the enemy was
commenced, and the three corps crossed the Ourcq practically unopposed,
the cavalry reaching the line of the Aisne River, the Third and Fifth
Brigades south of Soissons, the First, Second and the Fourth on the high
ground at Couvrelles and Cerseuil.

On the afternoon of the 12th, from the opposition encountered by the
Sixth French Army to the west of Soissons, by the Third Corps southeast
of that place, by the Second Corps south of Missy and Vailly, and
certain indications all along the line, I formed the opinion that the
enemy had, for the moment at any rate, arrested his retreat and was
preparing to dispute the passage of the Aisne with some vigor.

South of Soissons the Germans were holding Mont de Paris against the
attack of the right of the French Sixth Army when the Third Corps
reached the neighborhood of Buzancy, southeast of that place. With the
assistance of the artillery of the Third Corps the French drove them
back across the river at Soissons, where they destroyed the bridges.

The heavy artillery fire which was visible for several miles in a
westerly direction in the valley of the Aisne showed that the Sixth
French Army was meeting with strong opposition all along the line.

On this day the cavalry under Gen. Allenby reached the neighborhood of
Braine and did good work in clearing the town and the high ground beyond
it of strong hostile detachments. The Queen's Bays are particularly
mentioned by the General as having assisted greatly in the success of
this operation. They were well supported by the Third Division, which on
this night bivouacked at Brenelle, south of the river.

The Fifth Division approached Missy, but were unable to make headway.

The First Army Corps reached the neighborhood of Vauxcere without much
opposition.

In this manner the battle of the Aisne commenced.

2. The Aisne Valley runs generally east and west, and consists of a
flat-bottomed depression of width varying from half a mile to two miles,
down which the river follows a winding course to the west, at some
points near the southern slopes of the valley and at others near the
northern. The high ground both on the north and south of the river is
approximately 400 feet above the bottom of the valley, and is very
similar in character, as are both slopes of the valley itself, which are
broken into numerous rounded spurs and re-entrants. The most prominent
of the former are the Chivre spur on the right bank and Sermoise spur on
the left. Near the latter place the general plateau, on the south is
divided by a subsidiary valley of much the same character, down which
the small River Vesle flows to the main stream near Sermoise. The slopes
of the plateau overlooking the Aisne on the north and south are of
varying steepness, and are covered with numerous patches of wood, which
also stretch upward and backward over the edge on to the top of the high
ground. There are several villages and small towns dotted about in the
valley itself and along its sides, the chief of which is the town of
Soissons.

The Aisne is a sluggish stream of some 170 feet in breadth, but, being
15 feet deep in the centre, it is unfordable. Between Soissons on the
west and Villiers on the east (the part of the river attacked and
secured by the British forces) there are eleven road bridges across it.
On the north bank a narrow-gauge railway runs from Soissons to Vailly,
where it crosses the river and continues eastward along the south bank.
From Soissons to Sermoise a double line of railway runs along the south
bank, turning at the latter place up the Vesle Valley toward Bazoches.

The position held by the enemy is a very strong one, either for delaying
action or for a defensive battle. One of its chief military
characteristics is that from the high ground on neither side can the top
of the plateau on the other side be seen, except for small stretches.
This is chiefly due to the woods on the edges of the slopes. Another
important point is that all the bridges are under direct or high-angle
artillery fire.

The tract of country above described, which lies north of the Aisne, is
well adapted to concealment, and was so skillfully turned to account by
the enemy as to render it impossible to judge the real nature of his
opposition to our passage of the river or accurately to gauge his
strength; but I have every reason to conclude that strong rearguards of
at least three army corps were holding the passages on the early morning
of the 13th.

3. On that morning I ordered the British forces to advance and make good
the Aisne.

The First Corps and the cavalry advanced on the river. The First
Division was directed on Chamouille via the canal bridge at Bourg, and
the Second Division on Courtecon and Presles via Pont-Arcy, and on the
canal to the north of Braye via Chavonne. On the right the cavalry and
First Division met with slight opposition and found a passage by means
of the canal, which crosses the river by an aqueduct. The division was
therefore able to press on, supported by the cavalry division on its
outer flank, driving back the enemy in front of it.

On the left the leading troops of the Second Division reached the river
by 9 o'clock. The Fifth Infantry Brigade were only enabled to cross, in
single file and under considerable shell fire, by means of the broken
girder of the bridge, which was not entirely submerged in the river. The
construction of a pontoon bridge was at once undertaken, and was
completed by 5 o'clock in the afternoon.

On the extreme left the Fourth Guards Brigade met with severe opposition
at Chavonne, and it was only late in the afternoon that it was able to
establish a foothold on the northern bank of the river by ferrying one
battalion across in boats.

By nightfall the First Division occupied the area of
Moulins-Paissy-Geny, with posts at the village of Vendresse.

The Second Division bivouacked as a whole on the southern bank of the
river, leaving only the Fifth Brigade on the north bank to establish a
bridge-head.

The Second Corps found all the bridges in front of them destroyed except
that of Conde, which was in possession of the enemy, and remained so
until the end of the battle.

In the approach to Missy, where the Fifth Division eventually crossed,
there is some open ground which was swept by a heavy fire from the
opposite bank. The Thirteenth Brigade was therefore unable to advance;
but the Fourteenth, which was directed to the east of Venizel at a less
exposed point, was rafted across, and by night established itself with
its left at St. Marguerite. They were followed by the Fifteenth Brigade;
and later on both the Fourteenth and Fifteenth supported the Fourth
Division on their left in repelling a heavy counter-attack on the Third
Corps.

On the morning of the 13th the Third Corps found the enemy had
established himself in strength on the Vregny plateau. The road bridge
at Venizel was repaired during the morning, and a reconnoissance was
made with a view to throwing a pontoon bridge at Soissons.

The Twelfth Infantry Brigade crossed at Venizel, and was assembled at
Bucy le Long by 1 P.M., but the bridge was so far damaged that
artillery could only be man-handled across it. Meanwhile the
construction of a bridge was commenced close to the road bridge at
Venizel.

At 2 P.M. the Twelfth Infantry Brigade attacked in the direction of
Chivres and Vregny with the object of securing the high ground east of
Chivres, as a necessary preliminary to a further advance northward. This
attack made good progress, but at 5:30 P.M. the enemy's artillery and
machine gun fire from the direction of Vregny became so severe that no
further advance could be made. The positions reached were held till
dark.

The pontoon bridge at Venizel was completed at 5:30 P.M., when the Tenth
Infantry Brigade crossed the river and moved to Bucy le Long.

The Nineteenth Infantry Brigade moved to Billy-sur-Aisne, and before
dark all the artillery of the division had crossed the river, with the
exception of the heavy battery and one brigade of field artillery.

During the night the positions gained by the Twelfth Infantry Brigade to
the east of the stream running through Chivres were handed over to the
Fifth Division.

The section of the bridging train allotted to the Third Corps began to
arrive in the neighborhood of Soissons late in the afternoon, when an
attempt to throw a heavy pontoon bridge at Soissons had to be abandoned,
owing to the fire of the enemy's heavy howitzers.

In the evening the enemy retired at all points and intrenched himself on
the high ground about two miles north of the river, along which runs the
Chemin-des-Dames. Detachments of infantry, however, strongly intrenched
in commanding points down slopes of the various spurs, were left in
front of all three corps with powerful artillery in support of them.

During the night of the 13th and on the 14th and following days the
field companies were incessantly at work night and day. Eight pontoon
bridges and one foot bridge were thrown across the river under
generally very heavy artillery fire, which was incessantly kept up on to
most of the crossings after completion. Three of the road bridges, i.e.,
Venizel, Missy, and Vailly, and the railway bridge east of Vailly, were
temporarily repaired so as to take foot traffic, and the Villiers Bridge
made fit to carry weights up to six tons.

Preparations were also made for the repair of the Missy, Vailly and
Bourg bridges so as to take mechanical transport.

The weather was very wet and added to the difficulties by cutting up the
already indifferent approaches, entailing a large amount of work to
repair and improve.

The operations of the field companies during this most trying time are
worthy of the best traditions of the Royal Engineers.

4. On the evening of the 14th it was still impossible to decide whether
the enemy was only making a temporary halt, covered by rearguards, or
whether he intended to stand and defend the position.

With a view to clearing up the situation I ordered a general advance.

The action of the First Corps on this day under the direction and
command of Sir Douglas Haig was of so skillful, bold, and decisive a
character that he gained positions which alone have enabled me to
maintain my position for more than three weeks of very severe fighting
on the north bank of the river.

The corps was directed to cross the line Moulins-Moussy by 7 A.M.

On the right the General Officer commanding the First Division directed
the Second Infantry Brigade (which was in billets and bivouacked about
Moulins), and the Twenty-fifth Artillery Brigade (less one battery),
under Gen. Bulfin, to move forward before daybreak, in order to protect
the advance of the division sent up the valley to Vendresse. An
officer's patrol sent out by this brigade reported a considerable force
of the enemy near the factory north of Troyon, and the Brigadier
accordingly directed two regiments (the King's Royal Rifles and the
Royal Sussex Regiment) to move at 3 A.M. The Northamptonshire Regiment
was ordered to move at 4 A.M. to occupy the spur east of Troyon. The
remaining regiment of the brigade (the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment)
moved at 5:30 A.M. to the village of Vendresse. The factory was found to
be held in considerable strength by the enemy, and the Brigadier ordered
the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment to support the King's Royal Rifles
and the Sussex Regiment. Even with this support the force was unable to
make headway, and on the arrival of the First Brigade the Coldstream
Guards were moved up to support the right of the leading brigade (the
Second), while the remainder of the First Brigade supported its left.

[Illustration: Map 8.--Sept. 10 to 12. Showing the Germans' headlong
retreat to their intrenched positions beyond the Aisne.]

About noon the situation was, roughly, that the whole of these two
brigades were extended along a line running east and west, north of the
line Troyon and south of the Chemin-des-Dames. A party of the Loyal
North Lancashire Regiment had seized and were holding the factory. The
enemy had a line of intrenchments north and east of the factory in
considerable strength, and every effort to advance against this line was
driven back by heavy shell and machine-gun fire. The morning was wet and
a heavy mist hung over the hills, so that the Twenty-fifth Artillery
Brigade and the divisional artillery were unable to render effective
support to the advanced troops until about 9 o'clock.

By 10 o'clock the Third Infantry Brigade had reached a point one mile
south of Vendresse, and from there it was ordered to continue the line
of the First Brigade and to connect with and help the right of the
Second Division. A strong hostile column was found to be advancing, and
by a vigorous counterstroke with two of his battalions the Brigadier
checked the advance of this column and relieved the pressure on the
Second Division. From this period until late in the afternoon the
fighting consisted of a series of attacks and counter-attacks. The
counter-strokers by the enemy were delivered at first with great vigor,
but later on they decreased in strength, and all were driven off with
heavy loss.

On the left the Sixth Infantry Brigade had been ordered to cross the
river and to pass through the line held during the preceding night by
the Fifth Infantry Brigade and occupy the Courtecon Ridge, while a
detached force, consisting of the Fourth Guards Brigade and the
Thirty-sixth Brigade Royal Field Artillery, under Brig. Gen. Perceval,
were ordered to proceed to a point east of the village of Ostel.

The Sixth Infantry Brigade crossed the river at Pont-Arcy, moved up the
valley toward Braye, and at 9 A.M. had reached the line
Tilleul-La-Buvelle. On the line they came under heavy artillery and
rifle fire, and were unable to advance until supported by the
Thirty-fourth Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, and the Forty-fourth
Howitzer Brigade and the Heavy Artillery.

The Fourth Guards Brigade crossed the river at 10 A.M. and met with very
heavy opposition. It had to pass through dense woods; field artillery
support was difficult to obtain; but one section of a field battery
pushed up to and within the firing line. At 1 P.M. the left of the
brigade was south of the Ostel Ridge.

At this period of the action the enemy obtained a footing between the
First and Second Corps, and threatened to cut the communications of the
latter.

Sir Douglas Haig was very hardly pressed and had no reserve in hand. I
placed the cavalry division at his disposal, part of which he skillfully
used to prolong and secure the left flank of the Guards Brigade. Some
heavy fighting ensued, which resulted in the enemy being driven back
with heavy loss.

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