March On Paris And The Battle Of The Marne 1914 by General Alexander Von Kluck

Author:General Alexander Von Kluck [Kluck, General Alexander Von]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Military, World War I, Europe, Great Britain, General, Germany, France
ISBN: 9781782892151
Google: rndvCwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Published: 2014-06-13T05:00:36+00:00

CHAPTER IV —THE BATTLE ON THE OURCQ

The Crisis and the Break-away—The March Back to the Aisne

BEFORE describing the important events that occurred during the second week in September with the help of Army Orders and of the Memorandum of 1915, and showing what calls were made on the moral strength and manoeuvring capacity of the corps of the First Army and its Cavalry Corps, it seems an appropriate moment to discuss the enemy's appreciation of the general situation.

According to Major Gedel's book,{57} “The Origin of the World War and its Progress on the Belgian—North French Theatre till Mid-September, 1914,” as well as other authorities, it appears that on the 4th September General Gallieni, as Governor of Paris, ordered the French Sixth Army of General Maunoury, which was under his orders, to hold itself in readiness to march from its billeting area between the northern front of Paris and the advanced position of Dammartin, which was a strong one, and (apparently) fortified with heavy artillery.{58} Early on the morning of the 5th September, Maunoury was to attack the flank of the German First Army. The Commander-in-Chief, Marshal Joffre, had received a wireless report of Gallieni's decision on the morning of the 4th September, and he thereupon issued the following Operation{59} Orders on the evening of the 4th :

“1. Every advantage is to be taken of the dangerous situation of the German First Army by a combined movement of all forces of the Allied Armies on the extreme left (French) wing. All preparations will be made on the 5th to begin an offensive on the 6th.

“2. The general position to be occupied by the evening of the 5th is as follows:

“(a) All the available strength of the Sixth Army will be in a position of readiness in the north-eastern zone of Paris, so as to be able to cross the Ourcq between Lizy and May-en-Multien in the general direction of Château Thierry; the available forces of General Sordêt's cavalry will be under the orders of General Maunoury to assist this movement. The opponent will be Von Kluck.{60}

“(b) The British Army is on a line Mangis-Coulommiers ready to attack facing east in the general direction Montmirail. The opponent will be Von Kluck.{61}

“(c) The Fifth Army will extend slightly to its left and take up a general line Courtacon-Esternay-Sézanne, ready to attack in a general direction south to north; the II. Cavalry Corps (General Conneau) will be responsible for maintaining touch with the British Army. The opponents here will be Von Kluck and Von Bülow.{62}

“(d) The Ninth Army (General Foch) will cover the right flank of the Fifth Army; it will hold the southern exits of the marshes of St. Gond, and part of it will deploy into the plain north of Sézanne. The opponents will be Von Bülow and Von Hausen.{63}

“3. The offensive will be commenced by the various Armies on the morning of the 6th September.”

Similarly the Fourth Army (De Langle), on the right of the Ninth{64} Army, was to attack in a northerly direction: opponent, Duke Albrecht of Württemburg.

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