The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-09-23
DESCRIBES PURSUIT
ACCOUNT OF OPERATIONS FROM
RIVER MARINE TO AISNE
between TWO BATTLES

: British Staff Officer Narrates Happen
ings After the Battle of the Marine
and Leading Up to the Presen;
: Struggle Now Going on at the
River Aisne.
An account Of the operations OF
the British army in France and OF
the French armies in immediate
touch with it during the period from
September 10 to IS, written by an
officer attached to Field Marshal Sir
John French's staff, was issued
Thursday night by the London Off
cial press bureau. The account fol-
lows in part:
"Since Thursday, September 10,
the British army made steady pro-
gress in it's endeavor to drive back
the enemy in cooperation with the
French. The country across which it
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 commenc-
ed, right up to Laon, the chief fea-
ture of tactical Importance is the
fact that there are six rivers running
Iacross the direction of the advance,
at all of which it was possible that
the Germans might make resistance.
These are, in order from the south,
the Marne. Ourcq, Vesle, Aisne, ALL
ette, and Disc.
"The enemy held the line of the
! Marne which was crossed by our
forces September 8, as purely rear
guard operation. Our passage of the
Ourcq, which here runs almost due
east and west, was not contested.
The vesle was only lightly held,
while resistance along the Aisne, both
against the French and British, has
been and still is of determined
character.
On Friday. September II, but lit
| tie opposition was met with along
any part of our front and the direc-
ton of the advance. for the purpose
of cooperating with our allies, and
was turned slightly to the northeast.
The day was spent in rushing for
ward and gathering N various hos
tile detachments. BY nightfali our
forces had reached a line north of
the Ourcq, extending from Oulchy lie
! Chateau to Longpont.
"On this day there also was gen.
eral advance of the French along
their whole line. which ended in
substantial success. In one portion
of the field Duke Albrecht of Wuert-
temberg's army was driven back
across the Saul, and elsewhere the
whole of the corps artillery of a Ger
man corps was captured. Several
German colors were taken.
''It was only on this day that the
full extent of the victory gained by
the allies on September S was appre-
| ciated by them, and the moral effect
OF this success has been enormous.
An order dated September 6 and Z
issued by the commander of the Ger
man Seventh corps was picked up.
1t stated that the. great object of the
war was about to be attained since
the French were going to accept bat
tie and that on the result Of this bat
tie would depend the issue OF the
war and the honor Of the German
armies.
1T seems probable that the Ger
mans not only expected to find that
the British army was beyond the
| power of assuming the offensive for
some time, but counted on the French
having been driven back on to the
! line of the Seine.
"On Saturday, the 18th, the enemy
were found to be occupying a very
formidable position opposite US on
the north of the line at scissors.
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.
working from the west to the
east our third army corps gained
some high ground south of the Aisne
Overlooking the Aisne valley east of
scissors. Here long range artil-
lery duel between our guns and those
of the French on our left and the
enemy's artillery on the hills con-
tinued during the greater part Of the
day and did not cease until nearly
midnight. The enemy had many
reavy Howitzers in we'll concealed
positions.
"The movement of this army corps
was effected in cooperation with the
French Sixth army on our left, which
gained the southern half of the town
during the night.
"The Second army corps did not
/ cross the Aisne The first army corps
| got over the river Vesle, south of
the Aisne after the crossing had
been secured by the first cavalry divi-
sion. 1t then reached line south
! of Aisne practically without fighting.
cat Braisne the first cavalry divi-
sion met with considerable opposi-
ton from infantry and machine guns
| holding the town and guarding the
bridge. With the aid of some of our
infantry it gained possession of the
town about midday, driving the enc
my north.
ION our right the French reached
the line of the river Fesle. On this
ldav begun an action along the Aisne