This gave the
Germans a perfect system of lateral communications.
The German general, Von Buelow, commanding the Prussian Guard Corps
led the attack on October 24, 1914, when he pushed his forces,
fighting for every inch of the ground, to within gun range of the
city of Arras. All day the most desperate fighting continued and
had not General Maud'huy received the reenforcements which hurriedly
came up just when needed the northern gates of Arras would have
been gained by the Germans, who were held back in a position near
enough, however, to subject Arras to another bombardment and the
shell fire from this position rained upon Arras to the end of the
month and some six days into November.
From the date of the entry of the French into Alsace on August 7,
1914, the battle front in France extended from the Swiss frontier,
north through western Alsace, thence in a northwesterly direction to
a point where the line met the front of the German forces advancing
on Paris.
On October 1, 1914, this battle front extended in an unbroken line
from Switzerland to the city of Douai in northeastern France. The
Crown Prince of Bavaria commanded in the first section from Alsace
to midway between Nancy and Verdun; the Crown Prince of Prussia
directed the Verdun section reaching from west of Thiaucourt to
Montfaucon; the Duke of Wuerttemberg to Massiges; General von Hausen
thence to Bery-au-Bac; General von Buelow to a point directly north
of Soissons; General von Kluck in a northwesterly direction to
a point west of Noyon and onward to the north and northeast to
Douai, which is about fifteen miles northeast of Arras, from which
point north the campaign has been described.
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