In these passes, when the French returned
to the offensive in September, 1914, furious combats took place.
The German forces opposed to this first army consisted of five
active army corps and a reserve corps.
The first French army, after a violent struggle, conquered the
passes of the Vosges, but the conquest was vigorously opposed and
took more time than the French had reckoned on. As soon as it had
become master of the Donon and the passes, the first French army
pushed forward into the defile of Saarburg. At St. Blaise it won
the first German colors, took Blamont and Cirey (August 15, 1914),
seized the defiles north of the canal of the Marne and the Rhine,
and reached Saarburg. Here a connection was established with the
army of Lorraine, which had commenced its operations on the 14th.
A violent battle ensued, known under the name of the Battle of
Saarburg. The left wing of the French army attacked August 19, 1914;
it hurled itself at the fortified positions, which were copiously
fringed with heavy artillery. In spite of the opposition it made
progress to the northwest of Saarburg.
On the 20th the attack was renewed, but from the beginning it was
evident that it could not succeed and that the duty intrusted to
the Eighth Army Corps of opening up the way for the cavalry corps
could not be accomplished. This army corps had gone through a trying
ordeal as a result of the bombardment by the heavy German artillery
established in fortified positions, covering distances all measured
in advance, with every group and French battery presenting a sure
target and the action of the French cannon rendered useless.
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