The sun., 1914-09-18
special cable Despotch 70 TuE SrN.
LONDON, September II.

LONDON, September II.
The following is an official descriptive
account. compiled by an officer attached
to Field Marshal French's staff. of the
movements OF the British force and the
French armies in immediate touch with
II from September 10 to September Il
| inclusive:
THE Tenth Army Corps made steady
progress in cooperation with the French
| in it's endeavor to drive back the enemy
| The country across which II has had
and will have TO continue to force its
way Is undulating and covered with
patches OF thick wood. Within the area
which faced the British before the nd
vance commenced and right up TO Laon
the chief feature Of tactical importance
Is the fact that there are six rivers
running right across the direction of
the advance. at all OF which the Cor
mans might make resistance.
These In order from south to north
are the Marne, the Ourcq, the Vesle.
the Aisne. the Ailette and the Oise. The
enemy held the line OF the Marine, which
was crossed by our forces on September
as purely rear guard operation. our
passage OF the Ourcq was uncontested.
The Ncsle was only lightly held. Re
sis,ance along the Aisne against the
French and British has been and still
is great. The enemy not only expected
to md the British army beyond the
power of assuming the offensive, but
counted that the French had been
driven back on the Seine.
"On September IL the enemy was
found occupying a formidable position
opposite us north OF the Aisne On this
day the battle Of the Aisne began. The
action continued on September 10,
mostly by long range gun fire. BY that
night or early the next morning three
pontoon bridges had been built over the
Ourcq. extending from Oulchy-ie-Cha-
teau to Longpont. On this day there
also was a general advance OF the
French along their whole line, which
ended In n substantial success, at one
portion of the field Duke Alhrecht of
Wurttembcrg's fourth army being
driven across the SauIx. Elsewhere
all the artillery of German army corps
was, captured.
"Only by this day was the full extent
of tho allies victory on September
appreciated by them. The moral effect
has been enormous. An order by the
-' commander OF the German Seventh
i IN, nh
y stated that the great object OF the wal
y was about to be attained and that upor
= the result OF this battle the issue OF th'
war and tho honor OF the German
e armies depended.
THE Second Army Corps did not eros
q the Aisne. The First Army Corps 90
=. over the River Vesle, TO the south o
the Aisne, after the crossing had bee
secured by the First Cavalry Division
Il then reached line south Of Aisn
practically without lighting.
AT Braisne the First Cavalry Div
sion met with considerable oppositio
Il from infantry and machine guns hold
IL ing the town and guarding the bridg
70 with the aid of some OF our infantr
10 IL gained possession OF the town abor
n midday, driving the enemy to tn
le north. Some hundred prisoners wer
captured around Braisne, where III
Germans had thrown a large amour
Of fed gun ammunition into the rive
=. where It was visible under two &c,
OF water,
"The course OF operations on Septen
ber II. II and - was as follows:
ed ""On September IL little oppositio
ID was met by us at any part Of our from
no The direction of the advance was (,
the purpose Of cooperation with o,
+. ally, turned slightly to the northeas
as The day was spent in pushing forwal
and gathering In various hostile detacl
ments. by nightfall our forces ht
reached a line to the north al
N. our troops crossed the river TT
Its French were prevented by artillery II
a. from building pontoon bridges and
number Of their infantry crossed