As early as Sept. 8 the menace directed by Gen. Maunoury against the
German right was beginning to tell.
The enemy brought back from the south to the north two army corps and
wheeled about facing west.
Thus it presented a weak point to the English Army, which, having
advanced from the line stretching from Rozoy to Lagny, (on the 6th,)
straightened its line toward the north, crossed the Marne on the 9th,
thus flanking the German Army already battling with Gen. Maunoury.
On the right of the British d'Espéray's army also crossed the Marne,
forcing the enemy to retreat, and at the same time supporting the
action of its neighbors, that is to say, the English Army on the left
and Foch's army on the right.
[Illustration: Map of Operations in France During First Four Months of
the War
(1) Point where Germans failed to hold Nancy, Sept. 12, 1914.
(2) Extreme limits of the dash to Paris, terminating Sept. 8, 1914.
(3) Point to which the first unsuccessful flanking movement against
the French left wing extended, Aug. 30, 1914.
(4) Point of extension of similar flanking operations, balked Nov. 12,
1914.
(5) Scene of frustrated efforts to break through French centre, Sept.
26, 1914.
(6) Line of attacks upon Calais and Dunkirk, defeated Oct. 18, 1914.
(7) Ypres, where desperate and fruitless assaults, ending Nov. 15,
1914, were made by the Germans.
(8) Intrenched line of battle, Feb. 1, 1915.]
For it was on our centre, made up of Foch's army, which had been
constituted on Aug. 20, that the Germans were going to seek revenge
for the check of their right wing; if they had succeeded in cutting us
off between Sézanne and Mailly, the situation would have been reversed
with the advantage on their side.
From Sept. 6 to Sept. 9 Foch's army met with repeated assaults, but on
the evening of the 9th the left of his army, shifting from west to
east toward Fère-Champenoise, flanked the Prussian Guard and the
Saxons who were advancing southeast of this town.
This bold manoeuvre insured success. The Germans withdrew in great
haste, and on the 11th in the morning Gen. Foch entered
Châlons-sur-Marne.
On his right Langle de Gary's army had also moved forward, and on the
12th, after spirited encounters, it joined, and added to, the line of
Gen. Foch's army.
Meanwhile Ruffey's army (now Darrail's) had succeeded in stretching
its lines north, and, although meeting with a stubborn resistance,
hastened the German retreat, which was accelerated by the offensive
taken by Castelnau's and Dubail's armies from Nancy to the Vosges.
Thanks to this strategic offensive, the campaign turned in our favor.
We have maintained this advantage over the enemy ever since.