Part 20 (1/2)
”The troops under the leaders.h.i.+p of the Bavarian Crown Prince have also been victorious and crossed the line Luneville-Blamont-Tirey. To-day the 21st army corps occupied Luneville.
”The pursuit has brought rich booty. Besides numerous prisoners and standards the left wing of the Vosges army has already captured 150 cannon.
”To-day the German Crown Prince's army has continued the pursuit beyond Longwy.
”The army under Duke Albrecht of Wurttemberg has advanced on both sides of Neufchateau and completely defeated the French army which had crossed the Semois. Numerous cannon, standards and prisoners--among the latter several generals--were captured.
”West of the Meuse our troops are advancing on Maubeuge. An English cavalry brigade which appeared on their front was defeated.
”August 27th. Nine days after the conclusion of our concentration the armies in the West have gained victory after victory and penetrated the enemy's territory from Cambrai to the Southern Vosges. At all points the enemy has been driven out of his positions and is now in full retreat.
”It is not yet possible to estimate, even approximately, his losses in killed, prisoners and booty; the explanation for this is the enormous extent of the battlefields, broken by thick forests and mountainous country.
”General von Kluck's army defeated the English at Maubeuge and to-day has attacked them in an encircling move south-west of that place.
”After several days' fighting about eight army corps of French and Belgian troops between the Sambre, Namur and the Meuse were completely defeated by the German armies under Generals von Bulow and von Hausen.
”Namur has fallen after two days' cannonade. The attack on Maubeuge has commenced. Duke Albrecht's army pursued the defeated enemy over the Semois and has now crossed the Meuse.
”On the other side of Longwy the German Crown Prince has captured a fortified enemy position, and thrown back a heavy attack from the direction of Verdun. His army is advancing towards the Meuse. Longwy has fallen.
”New hostile forces from Nancy attacked the Bavarian Crown Prince's army during its pursuit of the French army before it. The attack failed.
”General von Heeringen's army is pursuing the enemy in the Vosges, and driving him southwards. Alsace has been cleared of enemy forces.
”Up till the present the lines of communication have been guarded by the various armies; now the troops left behind for that purpose are urgently required for our further advance. Hence His Majesty has ordered the mobilization of the Landsturm.
”The Landsturm will be employed in protecting the lines of communication and for the occupation of Belgium. This land which now comes under German administration will be utilized for supplying all kinds of necessities for our armies, in order that Germany may be spared as much as possible.”
During the first month of hostilities on the Western front, the Germans claimed that their captures amounted to 233 pieces of heavy artillery, 116 field guns, 79 machine guns, 166 wagons and 12,934 prisoners. On September 8th General Quartermaster von Stein announced: ”Maubeuge capitulated yesterday; 40,000 prisoners of war, including four generals, 400 cannon and immense quant.i.ties of war materials fell into our hands.”
A German war correspondent, who was present at the fall of Maubeuge, wrote:[166] ”The march out of the prisoners began on the same day at 2.30 p.m. and lasted over six hours. They were conducted to trains and despatched to Germany. Some of the infantry made a good impression, while the pioneers and artillery can only be cla.s.sed as pa.s.sable.
[Footnote 166: Heinrich Binder: ”Mit dem Hauptquartier nach Westen,” p.
96.]
”To the great disappointment of our troops there were only a hundred and twenty English among the prisoners who had been cut off from the main army; young fellows about eighteen to twenty years of age. When marching out these English youths were so stupid as to offer the hand to their German victors in token of the gentlemanlike manner in which they accepted defeat. In accordance with Albion's ancient boxing custom, they desired to show the absence of any bitter feeling by a handshake; just as one does after a football match.
”Our men returned a few cuffs for this warlike behaviour, whereupon the English--richer in experience--drew back astonished at German unfriendliness.”
Germany's rush for Paris reached as far as the Marne; they claim that patrols penetrated to within seven kilometres of the French capital. The report announcing the turn of the tide is worthy of quotation.
”Chief Headquarters, September 10th. Our army in their pursuit of the enemy in the direction east of Paris had pa.s.sed beyond the Marne. There they were attacked by superior forces between Meaux and Montmirail. In two days' heavy fighting they have kept the enemy back and even made progress.
”When the approach of new, stronger hostile forces was announced our wing was withdrawn; the enemy made no attempt at pursuit. Up till now the booty captured in this battle includes fifty cannon and some thousands of prisoners.
”West of Verdun the army is engaged in an advancing battle. In Lorraine and the Vosges district the situation is unchanged.”
This seems to be all that the German nation has heard from official sources of the German defeat on the Marne and the hurried retreat to the Aisne. Almost every report issued by the German headquarters during the succeeding three weeks informed the world that a ”decision had not yet fallen.”