The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-09-18
According to Report AL
lies Have Advantage
In Great Struggle
For Supremacy.
tBy Associated Press,

toy AsNOClaLeu PFGSS.p
London, Sept 17.-An account of
the operations of the British army in
France and of the French armies I'm
immediate touch with Il during tbo
period from September 10 TO 13, writ.
ten by all officer attached 10 Field
Marchal Sir John French's staff. was
Issued tonight by the official press i1u-
reau. The account in part foIIows.
since Thursday. September 10, the
british army made steady progress In
itS endeavor to drive back the enemy
In cooperation with the French. .The
country across which II had to force
It's way and will have to continue to
do SO, is undulating and covered with
patches of thick wood.
within the area which faced the
British before the advance Commerce
ed. right up to Laon, the chief feature
OF tactical Importance In the fact that
there are six rivers running across the
, direction OF the advance, at ali OF
which 1t was possible that the Ger
mans might make resistance. These
;s:s, Ia order, fsroofii the s5iitt.h. lie
Marne, Ourcq. vesle, Aisne, .Ailette
and Disc. ;3 y. So.
! "rhe enemy held the line or the
Marine, which was crossed by our
forces September o, as a purely rear
, guard operation. Our passage OF the
Ourcq was not contested. The yesle
: was only lightly held, while resistance
along the Aisne, both :. against III f,le
French and British. has been ana attn
is OF determined character.
"On Friday. September IL, but lit
tie opposition was met ssiIh along any
I part of our front and the dirsction of
, the advance. for tie purpose of Coz
operating With our eilies. s,sa ssrnAd
/ slightly 10 tine northeast. The day
was spent in rushing forward and
gathering in various hostile detach-
iments.- BY nightfail our, forces had
reached line north of the Olircq, ex-
tending from OuIchy-Le-C Chateau to
Longpont. &;
"on this day there also was gem
eral advance of the French aIonE their
whole line, which. ended In substan-
tial success. In one portion OF the
field, Duke Abrecht. OF Wuftemherg's
army was driven back across the
4, Saul, and elsewhere the Mhois OF the
corps Of artillery OF q German corps
was captured. Several German coiors
were taken.
at was only on thi sday that the
fuil extent OF the victory gained By
ithe allies on September was appre-
sciated by them. and the moral eject
or this success has been enormous.
!, An order dated September 8 and q,
issued by the commander OF the Ger
man seventh corps. was picked up. II
stated that the great object OF the
7 ! nh ta hn ~.
the French were going TO eceept bat
tie, and that upon the result of this
battle would depend the issue Of the
war and the honor or the German
armies.
!, at seems probable the Germans not
only expected to- find that the Britisl.
army was beyond the power OF as
, suming the offensive for some time,
but counted on the French having
been driven back on to the line OF the
! Seine and that, though slrprisea to
find the latter moving forward against
them after they had crossed the
Merne. they were IN No waee deferred
from making a great effort.
| On Saturday, the 18th, the enemy
were found to be occupying % very
formidable position opposite us n the
north OF the line at Soissons. They
! held both sides OF the river. and AN
entrenched line on the hills to the
north of eight road bridges and two
railway bridges crossing the Aisne,
within our section OF the front Seven
of the former and both OF the latter
! had been demolished. sis 33
Working from the west to aie east
our third army corps gained some
! high ground south of the AisnH cyees
looking the Aisne valley, east of Sois-
sons. Here q long range artillery,
duel between our guns ana those of
/ the French on our left aud the enes,
| imy's artillery ON the h.tls continued
during the greater part OF the day and
did not cease until nearly midaight.
The enemy had many beayy heHitzers
in we'll concealed positions.
rThe movement OF this army CORPS
was effected In co-operation With TIE
French sixth army on our left witch
gained the southern half OF the town
during the night. ~
rirbe second army corps llid not
cross the .Aisne. The FIRST atgns ccrps
got over the river Vesle. south Of the
Aishe, after the crossing Haa been
secured by the first cavalry aIviSi0n.
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