Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-09-11
FIELD MARSHAL Sir JOHN
FRENCH MAKES announcement
COVERING BRITISH OPERATIONS
Work Army France Reported to Secretary for War Earl
Observation-Disclosures Demand for Fuller
information to Public

and Bruay, and cavalry on the outer
flank. The French were still retiring
and | had no support except such as
was afforded by the fortress of Maui
beuge, and determined efforts of the
| enemy to get around my flank, as
| sured me that IL was his intention to
hem me against that place and sur
round me.
| Il felt that not a moment must be
| lost in retiring to another position.
| L had every reason to believe that the
| enemy's forces We're somewhat ex
| hausted and / knew that they had
suffered heavy losses. knew there
fore that his pursuit could not be too
vigorous to prevent me obtaining my
objection. The operation was full of
danger, however, owing to the very
| superior forces in my front but also
to the exhaustion of the troops.
1.-THE retirement was commenced in
the morning of the 26th to a position
in the neighborhood of lie Cateau.
THE fourth division commenced its
detrainment at LIE Cateau on Sunday,
the 23rd, and by the morning of the
25th IL battalions and a brigade of
available for service. l ordered Gen.
eral Snow to move out and take
position with his right south of Soles-
mos, his left rseting on the Cambria
lie Cateau road south of La Chapris.
In this position the division rendered
great help to the effective retirement
of the second and first corps to new
positions.
Although the troops had been or
dered to occupy the Cambrai-Le Ca
teauLandreceis position and ground
had been partially prepared and en-
trenches, l had grave doubts-owing
to information had received as to the
accommodating strength of the enemy
against meas to the wisdom of
standing there to fight.
Having regard to the continued re-
tirement of the French on my right,
my exposed left flank, the tendency of
the enemy's western corps to envelop
me and, more than all, the exhausted
condition of the troops, I determined to
make a great effort to continue the
retreat till I could put some substan-
tial obstacle, such as the Somme or
the Disc, between my troops and the
enemy and afford the former some op-
portunity for rest and reorganization.
Orders were, therefore, sent to the
corps commanders 10 continue their
retreat as soonTas they possibly could
towards the general line of Vermand,
st. Quentin and Ribemont, and the
cavalry under General Allenby were
ordered to cover the retirement.
Throughout the 25th and far into the
evening the first corps continued to
march on Landrecies. following the
road along the eastern border of the
Forest Of Normal and arrived at
Landrecies about 10 o'clock. had in
tended that the corps should come
further west so as to fill up the gap
between La Gateau and LandrecieS
but the men were exhausted and could
get no further in without a rest
1.-THE enemy, however. would not al
low them this rest, and about $50 that
evening the report was received that
the fourth guards brigade in Landre-
cies was heavily attacked by troops
of the ninth German army corps. who
were coming through the forest to the
north of the town. This brigade fought
most CALAMITY and caused the enemy
to suffer tremendous loss in issuing
from the forest into the narrow streets
of the town. This loss has been esti-
mated from reliable sources at be-
tween 700 and 1000.
AT the same time information
reached me from Sir Douglas Haig
that his first division was also heav-
lily engaged south and east of Marbles.
/ sent urgent messages to the COM
mander of two French divisions on
my right to come up to the assistance
of the first corps, which they event
ually did. Partly owing to this assist
ance but mainly to the skilful man
ner in which Sir Douglas Haig extri-
Gated his corps from an exceptionally
difficult position in the darkness of
night, they were able at dawn to re-
sumo their march towards Wassigny
and Guise.
by about in the afternoon the second
corps had got into position with their
right on LIE Cateau and their left in the
neighborhood of Caudry, and the line of
defence was continued thence by the
fourth division toward Seranvillers.
During the lighting on the oath and
18th the cavalry became a good deal scat
tered but by early morning of the 2sth
General Allenby had succeeded In ooncen-
trating two brigades to the south of Cam
brai. The fourth division was placed I'M
ner the orders of the general officer COM
handing the second army corps.
'on the oath the French cavalry corps,
consisting Of three divisions under Gen.
Sordet, had been in billets north of
Avesnes. On my way back from vavay,
which was my poste de commandments
during the fighting of the 23d and the
2Ath, 1 visited General Sordet and earn
estly requested his cooperation and sup
port. He promised to obtain sanction
from his army commander to act on my
left flank but said that his horses were
too tired to move before the next day.
Although he rendered me valuable as
sistance later on in the course of the re-
tirement. he was unable for the reasons
given, to afford me any support on the
most critical day of all. namely, the 2eth.
AT daybreak it became apparent that
the enemy was throwing the bulk of his
strength against the left of the position