Evening star., 1915-03-28
Met the Whole German Army and From
Time They Marched Forward Never
Fell Back. in s. pite of Fatigue
and Heavy Artillery.

september 1s to October 23," and is as
follows:
General Character Of the Action.
AS early as the 18th Of September the
commander-in-chie had directed our
left army to have as important FORCES
as possible on the right bank or the
Disc. On September II he made that IN
struction more precise by ordering a
mass to be constructed on the le1t
wing of our disposition capable OF
coping with the outfanking movement
of the enemy. 4.,.
Everything led US to expece rnas ans
hanking movement, for the 1eiinai''
are lacking in invention.
Indeed. their effort at that time tend
ed to a renewal Of their maneuVef VI
August In this parallel race the ".
ponents were bound in the emu " oe
stopped only by the sea: tnat Is whae
happened about October 20.
The Germans had an advantage over
us which is obvious from a glance AZ
the map-the concentric form OF thea af
front. which shortened the leng.n ol
tiai inferiority we arrived in time.
From the middle of September to the
last week in October fighting went on
continually to the north OF the use,
but all the time we were ngnt,asc hn go we
man side this movement brought into
line more than eighteen new army
corps (twelve active army CORPS SIX 81.
reserve corps, four cavalry corpso. on
our side it ended in the constitution OF
three fresh armies on our left, and in
the transport into the same district OF
the British army and the belgian
army from Antwerp.
For the conception and realization OF
I'D
French command, in the first place,
had to reduce to a minimum the needs
for electives of our armies to the east
Of the Disc and afterward to utilize 70
the utmost our means OF transport. !!
succeeded in this, and when at the end
of October the battle of Flanders
opened, when the Germans having COM
pleted the concentration OF their FORCES
attempted with fierce energy to turn
or to pierce our left. they flung them
selves upon a resistance which infiict-
ed upon them a complete defeat.
Deployment of a First Army.
The movement began on our side only
with the resources Of the army which
had held the left Of our front during
the battle Of the Marne, reinforced
September Is by one army corps.
This reinforcement, not being sufh-
cient to hold the enemy's offensive
district OF Vaudelincourt - Mouchy-
Baugy). fresh army vas transported or
more to the left, with the task of act
ing against the German right wing, In
order to disengage its neighbor, while
preserving a fianking direction In It's
march in relation to the fresh units
into line"
To cover the detrainments Of this
fresh army in the district Clermont--
Beauvats- Boix-a cavalry corps and
,t-t~ N~@n RI
to establish themselves on both banks
Of the Somme. In the wooded hills.
however, which extend between the
Disc and Lassigny. the enemy displayed
increasing activity. Nevertheless, the
movement toward the left was main
tanned, while the territorial divisions
were to move toward Bethune and
Aubigny. The march to the sea went
From the 21st to the 26th all our
forces were engaged in the district
Lassigny- Roye- ye-Peronne-with alterna-
tions Of reverse and success. 1t was
the first act of the great struggle
On the 2sth the whole of the sixth
German army was deployed against us.
We retained all our positions. But we
could do no more. Consequently there
was still the risk that the enemy: by
means of a fresh affiux of forces. might
succeed in turning US.
Once more reinforcements, two army
corps. were directed, no longer on
Beauvais, but toward Amiens. The
front was then again to extend. A
fresh army was constituted more to
the north.
Deployment Of a Second Army.
From September 80 onward we could
not but observe that the enemy. al
ready strongly posted on the plateau
of Thiepval. was continually slipping
his forces from south to north, and
everywhere confronting US with re-
markable energy.
Accordingly, October /. two cavalry
corps were directed to make a leap for
ward. and, operating on both banks OF
the Scarpe, to put themselves in touch
with the garrison of Dunkirk, which,
on its side, had pushed forward as far
as Douai. But. October 2 and 3. the
bulk Of our fresh army was very
strongly attacked IN the district OF
two corps of cavalry, the guards. four
active army corps and two reserve
corps. A fresh French army corps was
transported and detrained
in the Lille. district.
But once more the attacks became
more pressing. and October 4 it was
a question whether. In view OF the enc
my's activity both west of the Disc and
SOutn OF lne ooIlhe dho aAeo ~ liio
north, a retreat would not have to be
made Gen. Joffre resolutely put this
hypothesis aside and ordered the Of !
fensive to be resumed with the rein i
forcements that had arrived. 1t was,
however. clear that, despite the efforts |,
of all, our front, extended to the sea
as It was by a mere ribbon of troops.
did not yet possess the solidity to en-
able it to resist with complete safety i
a German attack, the violence of which |
could well be fOreSeen,
In the Arras district the position was
fairly good. But between the Disc and
Arras we were holding our own only |
with difficulty. Finally. to the north !
of the Lille-Estaires-M es-Merville-M Maze
front our cavalry and our |
had their work cut out
against either divisions of German cavalry |
was at this moment that the transport
of the British army to the northern
theater of operation began.
The Transport Of British Army.
Field Marshal French had. as early as
the end of September. expressed the
wish to see his army resume it's initial /
place on the left of the allied armies. |
He explained this wish on the ground |
OF the greater facility of which his COM
would have the ADVANTAGE |
in this new position. and also of the |
impending arrival of two divisions of |
infantry from home and of two infantry !
India, which would be able to deploy |
more easily on that terrain. In spite |
of the difficulties which such a removal |
involved, owing to the intensive use of |
the railways by our own units, Gen. |
Joffre decided at the beginning of Octo-