Battle of the Frontiers: Encyclopedia II - Battle of the Frontiers - Ardennes offensive

Battle of the Frontiers - Ardennes offensive

Under Plan XVII, the French offensive against the German centre through the lower Ardennes was to involve the Third, Fourth and Fifth French armies, but by the time the offensive was due to start Plan XVII was beginning to crumble. General Charles Lanrezac, commander of the northern-most Fifth Army, alarmed by German progress in Belgium, sought permission to realign his forces away from the Ardennes and towards Belgium, shifting west into the angle between the Sambre and Meuse rivers. Joffre remained dismissive of the threat but on 12 August he allowed Lanrezac to move I Corps west to Dinant on the Meuse. When on 15 August Lanzrezac reported German forces attacking Dinant, Joffre finally acquiesced, ordering the bulk of the Fifth Army to move north-west and take up positions behind the Sambre. In addition to the loss of most of the Fifth Army from the Ardennes offensive, Joffre also withdrew divisions to reinforce the Lorraine front following Rupprecht's counter-offensive.

The Battle of the Ardennes commenced on 21 August with the attack of General Pierre Ruffey's Third Army towards Briey while the Fourth Army of General Fernand de Langle de Cary advanced on Neufchâteau. The German Fourth Army (Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg) and Fifth Army (Crown Prince Wilhelm) had been making a methodical advance through the Ardennes since 19 August and on 21 August, the advance screens of the two forces collided in a confused series of skirmishes.

The main forces came into contact on 22 August and in most cases the French infantry, attacking with a surplus of élan but a shortage of supporting artillery, were defeated by superior German tactics, particularly in their use of entrenchments, machine guns and heavy artillery. There were isolated French successes, notably at Virton by the VI Corps but, by the evening of 23 August the French Third and Fourth Armies were in chaotic retreat, falling back on the line of the Moselle through Sedan, Stenay and Verdun.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Ardennes offensive", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki