Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-09-15
IMPORTANT DETAILS OF BRITISH
OPERATIONS OF The ARMY IN
FRANCE-REPORT OF WAR OFFICE

/ London, Sept. IA, 2.45 p. MIN
portant details of the operations of
the British army in France are con-
tanned in report which the war Office
issued this afternoon.
Wien the German army began its
eastward movement to cut the French
center. according to General French,
it was ignoring the British as u fac
tor in the fight The allies began
general advance on Sept against the
German rear guard of their right wing
along the river Ourcq. The British
army was reinforced. The Germans
began retreatment on their right on
the 18th. 1t was the first time that they
/ had turned back since the battle of
Mons.
According to letters found on pris-
oners they had expected to enter Paris
in few days, and the order to re-
treat was bitter disappointment. The
British crossed the river Marine on
the ninth, with the French and on the
10th captured 1900 men, four great
guns, six machine guns and 50 trans
port wagons
The Germans of the right army
seem demoralized. They were without
food, and surrendered readily, accord
ing to the British report The conttn-
ued advance General French says, has
delighted the troops who, With the re-
Inducements received, are filled with
zeal and anxious to press on.
The following report is compiled
from information sent from tile mead
quarters of Field Marshal Sir John
French (eommander-in chief of the
British expeditionary forces on the
continent) under date of Sept Il. A
summary Of the operations of the
British army in France was issued by
the war office on the 9Th instant and
an account, stated to be incomplete of
further operations was issued from
the bureau on Saturday night. the 18th
instant.
To-day il is possible to give more
complete reports of the movements OF
the British force and of the French
armies in immediate touch with It,
This account is compiled from data
from the front and covers the opera
lions from the fourth to the 10th OF
September, both inclusive. 1t will be
remembered that the general positions
of our troops on Sunday, Sept. b, was
stated to be south of the river Marine,
with the French forces in line on our
right and left. Practically there has
been no change in the position since
Sept 3, which marked the end of our
army's long retirement from the Bel
gian frontier through Northern
France.
ION Friday, Sept. A, it became ap-
parent that there was an alteration
in the advance of almost the whole of
since the battle near Mons On the 23rd
of August had been playing Its part
in colossal strategic endeayor to
create a Sedan for the allies by out
fanking and enveloping the left of
their whole line SO as to encircle and
drive both the British and French to
I the south.
There was now a change in it's OBJ
jective and it was observed that the
German forces opposite the British
were beginning to move in a south
easterly direction instead Of contln-
uing southeast on to the capital, leav-
ing a strong rear guard along the line
of the river Ourcq to keep off the
French sixth army which by then had
been formed and was to the northwest
of Paris They were evidently execut-
! ing what amounted to a flank march
diagonally across our front.
Prepared to ignore the British as
being driven out of the fight, they
were initiating an effoffrt to attack
| the left flank of the main French
army which stretched in long urved
! line from our right towards the east
and south to carry against it alone an
envelop movement which had SO far
failed against the combined forces OF
| the allies.
ION Saturday, the fifth, this move
ment on the part of the Germans was
continued and advance parties crossed
the Marine to the southwark at Tril-
port Sammeron, La Fere Sous-J ouarre
and Chateau Thierry. There was con-
siderable fighting with the. French
fifth army on the French left, which
fell back from it's position south of
the Marine towards the Seine.
"On Sunday large hostile forces
crossed the Marine and pushed on
through Coulommiers, and past the
British right further to the east. They
were attacked at night by the French
fifth army. which captured three vii
lagos at the point of bayonets
On Monday, Sept. 7, there was d
general advance on the part Of the
allies. In this quarter of the field our
forces. which had now been reinforc-
ed, pushed on in a northeasterly di-
rection in CO. operation with the adj
vance of the French fifth army to the
north and of the French sixth army
to the eastward against the German
rear guard along the river Ourcq
Possibly weakened by the detach-
ment of troops to the eastern thea
ire of operations and realizing that
the action by the French sixth army
against the line of Ourca and the ad-
vance of the British placed their own
thanking movement In considerable
CANCER of being taken in the rear
and on its right flank the Germans
on this day commenced to retire to-
wards the northeast,
This was the first sign that these
troops had turned back since their at
tack on Mons a fortnight before and
from reports received the order to
retreat when SO close to Paris was a
3 = -