Prelude Battle of Albert (1914)

1 prelude

1.1 german offensive preparations
1.2 french offensive preparations
1.3 first battle of picardy

prelude
german offensive preparations

general erich von falkenhayn replaced colonel-general helmuth von moltke younger chief of german general staff on 14 september, when german front in france being consolidated in lorraine , on aisne. open western flank beyond 1st army , danger of attacks national redoubt of belgium, siege of antwerp had begun on 20 august, created dilemma. german positions in france had maintained, when offensive operations lead decisive victory. appeals reinforcement of eastern front not ignored , falkenhayn cancelled plan 6th army break through near verdun. army sent right wing of german armies, flank of 1st army @ compiègne, beyond there no german forces until antwerp. falkenhayn reinforce 1st army 6th army, send antwerp or divide army reinforcing 1st army , antwerp siege part of army, while rest operated in area between. falkenhayn chose move 6th army maubeuge , outflank franco-british left wing, withdrawing 1st, 7th , 2nd armies la fère, laon , reims while 6th army redeploying. 3rd, 4th , 5th armies defend if french attacked first , attack south-west beginning on 18 september.

general karl von bülow, 2nd army commander , colonel gerhard tappen of operations branch of oberste heeresleitung (ohl, supreme army command) objected because time needed move 6th army, concede initiative french. bülow , tappen recommended attack 1st , 7th armies, reinforcements armies east, offensive reims fismes , soissons, since french redeploy troops on undamaged railways. risk of separating 1st , 2nd armies again avoided; falkenhayn agreed , ordered 6th army assemble @ st. quentin. attacks encircle verdun south , soissons reims pin down french troops. on 21 september, falkenhayn met bülow , agreed 6th army should concentrate close amiens, attack towards channel coast , envelop french south of somme, in schlachtentscheidung (decisive battle). xxi corps, had moved lunéville on 15 september , bavarian corps marched namur, arrived during 24 september diverted against second army arrived on 24 september, orders extend front northwards chaulnes péronne, attack french bridgehead , drive french on somme.

french offensive preparations

french attempts advance after german retirement aisne frustrated after 14 september, when german troops discovered have stopped retirement , dug in on north bank of aisne. joffre ordered german 1st , 2nd armies attacked attempts fifth, ninth , sixth armies advance 15–16 september had little success. french military intelligence reported german troop movements east west, led joffre continue moving french troops east, had begun on 2 september iv corps , continued on 9 september xx corps, 11 september xiii corps , xiv corps on 18 september. depletion of french forces in east, took place before battle of flirey(19 september – 11 october), german offensive against third army on either side of verdun, fifth army north of reims , sixth army along aisne, ended creation of st. mihiel salient. joffre maintained french emphasis on western flank, after receiving intercepted wireless messages, showed germans moving army western flank. joffre continued send units second army, north of sixth army. on 24 september, second army attacked , found difficulty in holding ground, rather advancing round german flank intended.

general ferdinand foch ordered left flank of french armies move northward arras, lens , lille, recreate threat german northern flank, moving through arras cambrai , le cateau , lens valenciennes , maubeuge. if french occupied area between cambrai, valenciennes, maubeuge , le cateau, german forces on upper somme, oise , aisne lose use of 2 main railways liege, although not decisive, since line laon vervins, hirson, charleroi, namur , liege , laon mézières , montmédy either luxemburg , treves or thionville , metz, still available germans. french moves north influenced events in siege of antwerp, termonde fell on 26 september , increased danger city , belgian army lost. new tenth army ordered concentrate around arras , lens.

first battle of picardy

on 18 september, sixth army advance stopped on south-east north-west line @ carlepont on south bank of oise , noyon on north bank, ended first french outflanking move. joffre dissolved second army in lorraine , sent castelnau , second army headquarters north of sixth army, take on iv , xiii corps, along 1st, 5th, 8th , 10th cavalry divisions of french ii cavalry corps (general louis conneau) sixth army. xiv corps transferred first army , xx corps original second army, assemble south of amiens, behind screen of 81st, 82nd, 84th , 88th territorial divisions protecting french communications. second army prepared advance on 22 september, on line lassigny northwards roye , chaulnes, around german flank. next day, german ii corps joined right flank of 1st army, attack south-west iv corps, ix reserve corps , 4th , 7th cavalry divisions. bülow, ordered kluck cancel offensive , withdraw 2 corps behind right flank of 1st army. on 16 september, 2nd , 9th cavalry divisions dispatched aisne front reinforcements before retirement began, french xiii , iv corps on left flank of sixth army, 61st , 62nd divisions of 6th group of reserve divisions, began advance along oise , met right flank of 1st army between carlepont , noyon on 17 september. on right flank, french 17th , 45th divisions attacked near soissons , gained foothold on plateau of cuffies, north of city.

the first battle of picardy (22–26 september 1914), first of reciprocal outflanking attempts french , german armies after first battle of aisne (13 september – 28 september) , resulted in encounter battle in picardy. french sixth army attacked oise river valley towards noyon, second army assembled further north, ready advance round northern flank of german 1st army. second army crossed avre on line lassigny northwards roye , chaulnes met german ii corps 1st army had arrived aisne front, new entrenchments had enabled fewer men garrison front line. corps moved line on 18/19 september, on right flank of ix reserve corps. despite assistance of 4 divisions of ii cavalry corps (lieutenant-general georg von der marwitz), germans pushed line ribécourt lassigny , roye, menaced german communications through ham , st. quentin.

on 21 september, german xviii corps had begun 80 km (50 mi) forced march reims , reached ham on evening of 23 september. on 24 september, corps attacked towards roye , ii corps, forced french iv corps of sixth army. north, second army reached péronne , formed bridgehead on east bank of somme, exhausted offensive capacity of second army. joffre sent xi corps, last french reserve, second army , began withdraw 3 more corps dispatch second army. on 25 september, german attack near noyon pushed second army. french reinforcements attacked again , 25–27 september, general action took place along western front vosges péronne, after main effort of both sides took place further north.

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