The Battle of the Frontiers by Terence Zuber

Author:Terence Zuber [Zuber, Terence]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Military, Non-Fiction, War & Military, World War I
ISBN: 9780752496726
Google: ll6PAwAAQBAJ
Amazon: 075245255X
Publisher: History Press
Published: 2009-12-07T00:00:00+00:00

8

Virton1

German 9 ID

On 20 August the German V AK, on the right flank of the 5th Army, marched only 15km west to Etalle. On 21 August the corps stood fast, mostly bivouacked in or near towns. This lack of movement on the roads and the difficulty of detecting troops in towns would surely have made French air reconnaissance much less effective and contributed to the lack of French intelligence concerning the location of the German 5th Army.

To the west and south of Etalle lay a wooded zone 9km deep. For local security, 9 ID established an outpost line at the edge of the forest, 2.5km from the bivouac, using I/IR 19, II/IR 19 and III/IR 58. 1st Uhlan Regiment sent patrols beyond this zone to the south in the direction of Meix devant Virton, Robelment, Virton and Éthe, and to the west of the woods towards Florenville. At 1200 on 21 August 1st Uhlan reported a column of all arms marching from St. Mard, 1km southwest of Virton, in the direction of Latour, and another about 12km south of Etalle. At 1400 French infantry was reported dug in at Robelment. At 1300 a column of all arms was seen at Houdlément, some 5km to the left front of the XIII AK. Between 1230 and 1600 the German 3 KD fought with two to three battalions of French infantry west of Jamoigne, about 12km or 13km due west of Etalle. Foot patrols from the German 17th Brigade reported detecting French infantry at Virton and Robelmont and artillery in Virton.

One of the 15-man 1st Uhlan patrols was led by Lieutenant Freiherr Manfred von Richthofen, the future Red Baron.2 Richthofen sighted a French dragoon patrol and, in keeping with German cavalry doctrine as well as his own personal inclinations, charged. The French cavalry disappeared and Richthofen’s patrol ran into French infantry. Only Richthofen and four men were able to escape on horseback; others showed up later on foot, and some were killed or wounded. Richthofen later wrote that ‘This baptism of fire was not as much fun as I thought.’

Upon hearing of the advance of French forces, the V Corps commander sent a warning order at 2000 on 21 August, telling the divisions to occupy alarm quarters just to the north and east of the large band of forest, and to be ready to move on short notice. This involved considerably difficult night marching, but from the new location V Corps was as far forward as possible while remaining out of the forest, and thereby retaining full freedom of movement. Once the corps began marching through the woods, changes in direction would be impossible.

The Germans patrolled intensely. Richthofen was sent out with another patrol. At 0130 on 22 August he reported that he had taken fire north of Virton from what he thought was the security detachment of the French troops bivouacked in Virton. 10/IR 58 was sent out as a night patrol to Bellevue. At 0155 on 22 August it reported by

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