The attack failed. The British were driven back, but
though the loss of life was sharp, it was not great, as the British
commander had but advanced his men to test out the invader's strength.
The British artillery was well placed, and under its cover the
British made a second advance, this time successful. The Germans
replied with a counterattack which was repulsed, but in that forty
minutes 10,000 men had fallen.
A dispatch has been quoted from a French soldier, showing the terrible
havoc caused by the German machine guns, and a letter from a German
officer, published in the "Intelligenzblatt" of Berne pays a like
tribute to the artillery of the Allies. Speaking of this very section
or the battle front, he wrote:
"We were obliged to retreat as the English were attempting a turning
movement, which was discovered by our airmen. [This refers to the
advance of the British First Army Corps under Sir Douglas Haig in
the direction of La Ferte-sous-Jouarra, which, if it could have
been successfully carried out, would have meant the entire loss
of General von Kluck's southern army.] During the last two hours
we were continually exposed to the fire of the enemy's artillery,
for our artillery had all either been put out of action or had
retreated and had ceased to fire. [This dispatch was evidently,
therefore, written toward the end of the second day, on Monday,
September 6, 1914, when General von Kluck realized that his forward
drive had failed and that he must fall back.
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