General Joffre had so arranged
his forces that the most spectacular--and the easiest--part fell to
the British, and it was accomplished with perfection of detail. But
the honors of the battles of the Marne lay with General Sarrail's
army and with the "Iron Division of Toul."
On the same morning, this special army order, issued by Sir John
French, was read to the British troops:
"After a most trying series of operations, mostly in retirement,
which have been rendered necessary by the general strategic plan
of the allied armies, the British forces stand to-day formed in
line with their French comrades, ready to attack the enemy. Foiled
in their attempt to invest Paris, the Germans have been driven to
move in an easterly and southeasterly direction with the apparent
intention of falling in strength upon the Fifth French Army. In
this operation they are exposing their right flank and their line
of communications to an attack from the combined Sixth French Army
and the British forces.
"I call upon the British army in France to now show the enemy its
power and to push on vigorously to the attack beside the Sixth
French Army.
"I am sure I shall not call upon them in vain, but that, on the
contrary, by another manifestation of the magnificent spirit which
they have shown in the past fortnight, they will fall on the enemy's
flank with all their strength and, in unison with the Allies, drive
them back.
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