In August 1914, the French Army was able to launch its long- awaited attack to liberate Alsace Lorraine. The main elements of the French Army advanced forward from August 14 onward, brushing aside light German opposition as they moved. The famed "Schlieffen Plan" had called for the German forces in this area to fall back and pull the French forces forward into the area until they reached the German main line of resistance. Meanwhile, to the north, the German main attack would pour through Belgium and sweep around the flank of the French Army. The French Army would be caught between the hammer and the anvil and crushed between the Germ an forces.
However, unable and unwilling to give up any ground, the 7th German Army counterattacked before the French Army had been fully pulled forward into the trap. At the same time, the French Army transferred troops northward into the Ardennes in an attempt to push on and cut the supply line of the troops pouring into northern France. As the French moved north, the 5th German Army attacked westward, setting off the Ardennes portion of the "Battle of the Frontiers."
Holding the right rear of the French advance, the 40th Infantry Division was charged with providing flank protection to the 3rd Army as it shifted northward. The division advanced northward in two parallel columns, each consisting of an infantry brigade, with the divisional elements marching with the inner column. A cavalry division was operating to the north and east of the 40th with orders to report any German movement in the area.
The German 34th Infantry Division advanced into the gap that opened up as the cavalry screen moved north, but before the 40th arrived on the scene. The 34th advanced with the divisional cavalry screening the movement forward, followed by one infantry brigade in line of battle, and with the other brigade moving up in close support. As a result, those elements of the 34th that ran into the 40th were already deployed in line of battle. As soon as the cavalry screen warned of French advance, the leading elements took up positions to block the French adavance. The battle thus unfolded as one in which the French attempted to bring their troops and deploy them an attempt to drive the Germans out of their defensive positions.
Ambush In Alsace Lorraine August 22, 1914
Back to Table of Contents -- Command Post Quarterly #2
To Command Post Quarterly List of Issues
To MagWeb Master Magazine List
© Copyright 1993 by Greg Novak.
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com