Angiist 29, 1914 
LAND AND WATER 
NAMUR 
M 
ULLE 
O 
I- 
MONS 
^ LONCWY MEfZ ^ 
MEZIERES ^4^^ « K 
VERDUN 
STRASBURC 

^•MULHOUSE 
too 
Scale of Miles 
200 
4 
300 
m 
Xow, if a salient is taken in reverse the effect is tlie more disastrous, from the fact that in a 
salient so many of the men are at a distance from and unable to get back to the reai* where their 
communications are threatened. To cut off an enemy occup^-ing a salient angle thus is a more 
complete operation than the mere turning of a line. One great historic example of such a peril is that 
in Avhich the French stood a little before the battle of Tourcoing. They were thrown out in exactly 
this ■way, on a projecting angle, and the Duke of York drew up his plan of battle with the object of 
cutting them off along the base of the salient angle. 
1 said last week why it seemed unlikely that the principal German effort would be made from 
between Longwy and Metz. Such an effort would have to be made right in front of the fortress of 
A'crdun. But though the pirincipal German effort would, as I thought, probably be made in the 
Delgian field to the noi-th and against the Allied line from Mons to Namur, yet it might lie 
accompanied by a subsidiary movement of the Germans from between Longwy and Metz coming up 
in the du*ection of the arrow. 
Now, if by a vigorous offensive along K.K.K. j-ou could engage all the attention of the enemy on 
the Metz-Stnisljom'g hue and bring all the troops he had to spare in the south at N.N., yon would, 
whatever luck yom* offensive had, good or bad, jn-evcnt him from going from M., between Metz and 
Longwy, in the direction of the aiTov.', and j'ou Avould to that extent be saving your northern positions 
between ]jille and Longwy from anxiety. 
AU this being clear, and the reason why an offensive in Alsace-LoiTaine, ultunately threatening 
the line Metz-Strasbourg, was attempted by the French, let us see why and how far it failed. 
Beyond the Vosges, in the plain of Alsace the success was considerable, especially in 
the neighbourhood of ilulhouse. Every pass in the Vosges was taken, that at Saales, that at Ste. 
!Marie, and that called the Bonhomme fuiiher south, being the most important. The great mountain 
mass which is the culmination of the Vosges range on the north, and called the Donon, was occupied. 
In Upper Alsace, up to the line of the Rhine at li.R., General Pan had a complete success. He drove 
the Germans across the I'iver, rcoccupied Mulhouse, and took twenty-four guns and many prisoners. 
Meanwhile, further to the west, that is in front of Saarbourg and Metz, the left wing of this army 
also went fonvard and, as we noted last week, it successfully got across the Metz-Strasbourg railway 
and occupied the junction of Saai'bourg. 
That was the position on the evening of AVednesday, August 19th, the Wednesday of last week. 
Then came the Gennan counter-offensive. 
The French progressive movement into Alsace and Lorraine had the effect of bringing a very 
considerable body of the enemy down south to meet it. How many we do not yet know. I doubt 
whether it was less than four Army Coi*ps. Then this German counter-offensive was concentrated 
upon the v^estern part of this particular field, that is, upon the left of General Pau's army, between 
Metz and the mountains. It threw back the inferior French forces opposed to it, recrossed the 
frontier, and by Sunday, August ;23rd, it had bent back 
the Avhole of that French left Aving to such a positI<m as is 
indicated in the following sketch. The French were only 
holding the hue of the River Meurthe, nor every wliei-e holding 
that. The Germans were in Luncnlle. Tlie troops on the 
Donon and in the Pass at Saales had had to retire with the 
general French retirement lest they should be left isolated. 
The passes on the southern part of the mountains, however, 
Avcre still held by the French, and their troops still dominated 
the upper plain of Alsace, the town of Mulhouse, and the left 
bank of the Rhine at this pai-t. 
The German success to the west of the mountains, when 
they pushed the French back on to the line of the ilLMirtlie 
and beyond it, did not only consist in compelling the inferior 
METZ • 
UJJE TO V«!tT. TKniCM XTrEFOIlCEPl 
8* 
