Background Battle of Albert (1914)

on 18 august, general albert d amade formed defence line maubeuge dunkirk, prevent disruption of railways german cavalry raids. scarpe, escaut , rhonelle sluices opened extend floods of scarpe , old forts of de maulde, flines, curgies, condé , le quesnoy around valenciennes re-occupied. on 20 august, d amade formed line of 3 territorial divisions de campagne, 84th territorial division scarpe sambre, 82nd territorial division sambre lys , 81st territorial division lys sea. when bef advanced west of maubeuge, 84th territorial division advanced condé , formed new defensive line along escaut, condé maulde. on 23 august, 88th territorial division arrived near lille paris, orders recapture tournai. division bombarded heavy artillery when close cysoing next morning , retired templeuve , arras. after battle of charleroi (21 august) , battle of mons (23 august), amiens became vulnerable advance of 1st army pursued british expeditionary force (bef) , fifth army. @ 2:00 a.m. on 24 august, siege of maubeuge began , 84th territorial division fell towards cambrai , marquion. rearguard attacked near fresnes, south of condé , next day, division engaged near haspres , defeated.

orders came paris abandon lille, evacuated on 24 august , 82nd territorial division formed line la bassée corbehem, 81st territorial division forming line aire sea. sixth group of reserve divisions (also known group ebener, 61st , 62d reserve divisions) sent paris, increasing d amade s force 6 divisions, hold 70-mile (110 km) line douai béthune , aire, sea, 25,000 troops of lille garrison. on 25 august, german ii corps advanced westwards through denain, behind left flank of bef , after dark reached vicinity of cambrai, rearguards of 84th territorial division defended sensée canal @ bouchain, against german attempt cross. during 26 august, division retreated west of cambrai; group ebener arrived @ marquion , ordered joffre combles , péronne, become part of sixth army. divisions retreated westwards, covered 84th territorial division, in actions diverted part of german ii corps bef during battle of le cateau (26 august).

action of mesnil

early on 28 august, 2 reserve divisions advanced bapaume, taking german ii cavalry corps surprise in billets around péronne. action continued next day , french divisions driven manancourt, south-west of bapaume, elements of ii corps , iv reserve corps. further east, french ii cavalry corps on left of bef, failed prevent germans reaching outskirts of péronne on evening of 27 august. cavalry withdrew south of somme , next day péronne captured. german advance continued towards amiens , on 29 august, sixth army counter-attacked german advance guards, had reached bray-sur-somme, chuignolles , framerville near amiens. moroccan chasseur brigade, 14th division of vii corps, 45th , 55th battalions of chasseurs , 55th division on right flank near nesle, captured proyart 4 territorial divisions advanced on amiens. during evening, german counter-attack retook proyart , forced french south. territorial divisions retreated amiens on 30 august, skirmishing german patrols near cagny. on 11 september, german garrison withdrew amiens , next day territorial divisions arrived rouen , captured few stragglers. territorial divisions advanced north-east towards péronne , fricourt on 17 september.