Analysis Battle of Albert (1914)

the french had been able use undamaged railways behind front move troops more germans, had take long detours, wait repairs damaged tracks , replace rolling stock. french iv corps moved lorraine on 2 september in 109 trains , assembled 6 september. french had been able move troops in 200 trains per day , use hundreds of motor-vehicles, co-ordinated 2 staff officers, commandant gérard , captain doumenc. french use belgian , captured german rail wagons , domestic telephone , telegraph systems. initiative held germans in august not recovered , troop movements right flank piecemeal. until end of siege of maubeuge (24 august – 7 september), single line trier liège, brussels, valenciennes , cambrai available , had used supply german armies on right 6th army travelled in opposite direction, limiting army forty trains day, taking 4 days move corps. information on german troop movements wireless interception, enabled french forestall german moves germans had rely on reports spies, wrong. french resorted more cautious infantry tactics, using cover reduce casualties , centralised system of control german army commanders followed contradictory plans. french did not need obtain decisive result , concentrate on conserving french army.