The artillery fire of the British
was good and in a running fight, such as this retreat, the light
field artillery of the French did terrible execution. The brunt of
the British fighting was at La Tretoire. General d'Esperey fought
steadily forward all day, driving the retreating army as closely
as he could, but proceeding warily because of General von Kluck's
powerful counterattacks. The fighting was continuous from the first
break of daylight until after dusk had fallen, and it was in the
twilight that the French Army at last carried Montmirail on the
Petit Morin, a feat of strategic value, since it exposed the right
flank of Von Buelow's army, exposed by the retreat of General von
Kluck.
From this review of the forced retirement of General von Kluck,
it will be seen that the German right was compelled to sustain an
attack at three points, from the Sixth French Army on the banks of
the Ourcq, from the British army in the region of Coulommiers and
from the Fifth French Army near Courtacon. Each of these attacks
was of a widely different character. The result of this attack
lias been shown in the summary of the three days (four days on
the Ourcq) which resulted in the British capture of Coulommiers
and in the French capture of Montmirail. This was General Joffre's
counteroffensive, and it developed in detail almost exactly along
the lines that he had laid down.
The scene of the fighting across the west bank of the Ourcq was that
of a wide-open country, gently undulating, dotted with comfortable
farmhouses, and made up of a mosaic of green meadow lands and the
stubble of grain fields.
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