At three o'clock in the morning of Monday, September 14, 1914,
two regiments were sent to capture a sugar factory strongly held
by the enemy. That sugar factory became a maelstrom. Three more
regiments had to be brought up and finally the guards, and even
thus heavily overpowered, the Germans successfully defended it
until noon. They sold their lives dearly--those defenders. That
sugar factory stood on that Monday as did Hogoumont at Waterloo. It
delayed the advance of the entire First Corps, but at four o'clock
in the afternoon, Sir Douglas Haig ordered a general advance. The
last afternoon and evening scored a distinct success for the English
arms, and when at last it grew absolutely too dark to see, that
corps held a position stretching from Troton to La Cour de Soupir.
Its chief importance, however, was that it gave the Allies a strongly
intrenched position on the plateau itself.
It was of this day's fighting that, almost a month later, Sir John
French was able to say in his official dispatches:
"The action of the First Corps on this day under the direction and
command of Sir Douglas Haig was of so skillful, bold, and decisive
a character that he gained positions which alone have enabled me
to maintain my position for more than three weeks of very severe
fighting on the north bank of the river."
The offensive of this entire movement was intrusted to the First
Corps.
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