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
Next morning, Monday, September 7, 1914, another glorious summer
morning, saw a resumption of the battle along exactly the same lines,
with the same persistent attack and defense along the eastern part of
the front, and with the British making full use of the blunder made by
the German right. General von Kluck had realized his plight, but, even
so, he had not secured an understanding of the size of the force that
was threatening his flank, and he sent as a reenforcement a single army
corps which had been intrenched near Coulommiers on the Grand Morin. The
British had three full army corps and were well supplied with cavalry
and artillery. Yet Coulommiers was Von Kluck's headquarters and
actually, when the Germans were driven back and the British troops
entered the town, Prince Eitel, the second son of the kaiser; General
von Kluck and his staff were compelled to run down to their motor cars
and escape at top speed along the road to Rebais, leaving their
half-eaten breakfast on the table, and their glasses of wine half
emptied. One of the most dramatic cavalry actions of this period of the
war took place shortly before noon, when one hundred and seventeen
squadrons of cavalry were engaged. In this action the British were
successful, but the German cavalry were tired and harassed, having been
severely handled the day before.
In this engagement between the British and the German right, all the
odds had been in favor of the British, and success meant merely the
grasping at opportunities that presented themselves. Still, by
constantly striking at General von Kluck's exposed flank, his frontal
attack of General d'Esperey was so weakened, that, toward evening at the
close of two days of continuous and very severe fighting, the Fifth
French Army was able to advance and hold the position from La
Ferte-Gaucher to Esternay. The ground gained was valuable but not
essential, yet it made a profound impression.
General d'Esperey's step forward was the Germans' step back. It meant
that the road to Paris was barred. How fully this was realized may be
seen from an order signed by Lieutenant General Tuelff von Tschepe und
Weidenbach and found in the house that had been occupied by the staff of
the Eighth German Army Corps when the victorious French entered
Vitry-le-Francois. The order was dated "September 7, 10:30 p. m." and it
read as follows:
"The object of our long and arduous marches has been achieved. The
principal French troops have been forced to accept battle, after having
been continually forced back. The great decision is undoubtedly at hand.
To-morrow, therefore, the whole strength of the German army, as well as
all that of our Army Corps, are bound to be engaged all along the line
from Paris to Verdun. To save the welfare and the honor of Germany I
expect every officer and man, notwithstanding the hard and heroic fights
of the last few days, to do his duty unswervingly and to the last
breath. Everything depends on the result of to-morrow."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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