Battlefields -- France -- Guidebooks; France -- Guidebooks; Marne, 1st Battle of the, France, 1914
The fine strategic movement of the 42nd (_see p. 14_) is easy to
follow. The Division gained the plain from the plateau north of Sézanne
which we traversed yesterday. The infantry descended the slopes of
Broyes and Allemant. The military wagons followed the N. 34 and the
railway which skirts this road. The batteries stopped on the way at
Broyes, in order to take part in the bombardment of Mondement Castle.
The division formed up between Linthes, Linthelles and Pleurs, and it
was from this point that it began its attack. The tourist may picture
to himself these red and blue columns marching eastwards under a
violent artillery fire, and causing the German troops, bewildered by
the arrival of these unexpected French reinforcements, to disappear
again behind the ridge. The villages of Péas (panorama II) and
Saint-Loup (panorama III) served as shelters for the reserves of the
Ninth Corps. Much-tried companies withdrew there to reform. It was
from Saint-Loup that the 77th Infantry Regiment started forth to take
Mondement. Leaving their dinner which was warming, these gallant
fellows stormed the slopes of Allemant and of Broyes in order to take
in this action the heroic part explained on p. 117.
_Rejoin_ G. C. 39. _The long dike of the marshes of Saint-Gond becomes
visible almost immediately._ From this distance nothing indicates the
marshes, whose reeds are lost to view among the crops; one can only
distinguish the line of the Petit Morin, marked by poplar trees, which
traverses the depression from one end to the other.
After passing a small group of houses, take, at the cross-roads, the
road on the left descending towards the marshes. We can perceive
Mont-Août first in front, then to the right. This solitary little hill
played an important part in the battle. There, until September 9, the
17th Division resisted all attacks from the north and from the east.
_Follow_ G. C. 39, _and arriving at =Broussy-le-Grand= (16 km.), pass
through it._ Held first by the Moroccan Division, Broussy was carried
by the Germans after a fierce struggle. The French troops were thrown
back on the slopes of Allemant which we have just descended. There are
still many ruined houses in Broussy.
_The road now turns towards =Bannes= (19 km.)._ Across the plain which
stretches south and east of Bannes, the 17th and 52nd Divisions fought
desperate engagements to prevent the Germans from breaking through the
marshes. On the 8th, the French front, which followed the boundary
of the marshes from east to west, was pushed back with violence. The
left remained in the neighbourhood of Bannes, but the centre drew back
to Mont-Août, and the right to the south of this hill. On the 9th,
Mont-Août fell in its turn. Between Bannes and Mont-Août, in a trench,
numerous letters and telegrams and a box bearing the address of Prince
Eitel, son of Wilheim II., were found.
Many new roofs are to be seen in Bannes, a proof of the violence of the
bombardment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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