First Battle of Picardy Battle of Albert (1914)

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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