722 
ACHIEVEMENTS OF FIELD ARTILLERY. 
At Servigny, however, in spite of the reverses on their left, the 
Germans made a stand that nothing could shake, and in the evening 
even felt confident enough to deliver a sharp counter-attack, which 
drove the French over the slope. 
In the darkness, at 9 o’clock, the French made another sudden 
assault on Servigny, but were thrust back once more, and at 10 o’clock 
both armies sought their bivouacs. 
The next morning the same heavy mist which shrouded Sedan hung 
round Metz. The Germans had been reinforced by the 18th Division 
from the other side of the river during the night, and Bazaine, from 
his experinces the day previously, was but little confident of success, 
even before the fighting was renewed. The 3rd Brigade on the 
German side deployed across the Saarlouis road as early as 5 o’clock 
to check any further progress of the enemy on the left of the 1st 
Division. 21 guns were placed to sweep the open ground between 
Noisseville and Montoy, and after the former village had been cannon¬ 
aded for some time, the infantry (43rd Regiment) stormed the village, 
but although they fought hard in the streets with two French brigades, 
they were eventually driven out again. 
But now that the plans of Bazaine were made clear to his opponents, 
reinforcements, both from the north and south, were coming to the aid 
of the hard pressed 1st Division. The 28th Brigade of the 7th Corps 
advanced at 6 o’clock from Courcelles, the fire of its two batteries 
silenced the French guns at Montoy, set Flanville in flames, and by 
their action alone compelled the French to evacuate it at 9 o’clock. 
Marshal le Boeuf then ordered Bastoul’s Division to make another 
attack on Montoy, but u the deadly fire of the Prussian artillery ” 
compelled them to turn back. 
As yet the French had not ventured again to face the dreaded line 
of guns along the Servigny position. Their 4th Corps was waiting ere 
it again advanced for the movement of the 2nd and 3rd Corps on its 
right, and they seemed able to make no progress. 
For on the German side the 3rd Brigade had been reinforced by the 
28th, the Hessian Horse Brigade now supported the 3rd Cavalry 
Division, and the number of batteries had also been augmented until 
114 guns, under the superintendence of General von Bergman, swept 
the front with annihilating effect. The French artillery was reduced 
to silence, and a solid wall of artillery formed an impenetrable obstacle 
thus placed across the path of their 2nd and 3rd Corps. But their 
resistance implied something more than a merely passive defence. 
The batteries south of Servigny had cannonaded Noisseville since 
9 o’clock, and “ had produced an effect far above what could have been 
expected. The village was in flames, the brewery buildings were 
riddled with shot, all the enemy’s guns in the neighbourhood were 
reduced to silence, while his repeated attempts to bring up fresh troops 
to that point had ended in failure.” 1 Thus it was that guus neutralised 
numbers, and seeing that the moment was ripe, the infantry of the 3rd 
Brigade rushed on and, supported by the Landwehr, stormed and 
carried the village at 11 o’clock. 
1 Official account. 
