The Story of the Great War, Volume 2: History of the European War from Official Sources
History
The Story of the Great War, Volume 2: History of the European War from Official Sources
World War, 1914-1918
French air scouts brought in correct information that they had seen the
armies of the Duke of Wuerttemberg and crown prince massed along the
southern Luxemburg and Belgian forest region. But under the foliage
there was another army unseen--that of General von Hausen. The French
moved their Fifth Army up to position on the line of the Sambre. They
advanced their Third Army, commanded by General Ruffey, upon Luxemburg,
and their Fourth Army under General de Langle de Cary across the River
Semois to watch the Meuse left bank and gain touch with General
Lanzerac. General de Cary came from Sedan, throwing out detachments
upon the Meuse left bank. These operations were to confront the armies
of the Duke of Wuerttemberg and crown prince.
But the French apparently knew nothing of the movements of the army of
General von Hausen. Their air scouts either could not distinguish it
from the armies of the Duke of Wuerttemberg and the crown prince, amid
the forest of the Ardennes, or they did not observe it at all. To the
army of General von Hausen there clings a good deal of mystery. When
last noted by us, previous to the minor battle of Dinant, it had been
formed by forces drawn from the armies of the Duke of Wuerttemberg and
crown prince. Ostensibly at that time, it was destined to support, as a
separate field force, the armies of Von Kluck and Von Buelow.
Possibly the Germans had begun to doubt how long Liege could hold out.
Von Kluck was compelled to mark time in his impetuous march on Central
Belgium. His losses had been heavy. Support in strength seemed urgent.
But this need passed as the Liege forts fell one after the other under
the fire of the German siege guns. General von Hausen was released for
action elsewhere. Thus we may assume, he was ordered to follow the
armies of the Duke of Wuerttemberg and crown prince down through the
Ardennes to strike the Meuse south of Namur. By this time he had been
substantially reenforced. Now under his command were the complete
Twelfth and Nineteenth Corps, and the Eleventh Reserve Corps. Also a
cavalry division of the Prussian Guard, with some other detachments of
cavalry. His Eleventh Reserve Corps were Hessians, the Twelfth and
Nineteenth Corps were Saxons. The latter two corps were regarded as
among the best in the German army. In the Franco-Prussian War they
fought with conspicuous bravery through every battle in which they were
engaged. They won the battle for Prussia at Gravelotte by turning the
French right and capturing St. Privat. They marched to Sedan under the
crown prince--subsequently the Emperor Frederick--to occupy the first
line in the hard fighting of the Givonne Valley. During the siege of
Paris they occupied a part of the German northern line, finally to march
in triumph into Paris. This infantry and cavalry of the Prussian Guard
stiffened Von Hausen's force into an army of battle strength.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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