On Monday, x\ugust 24, the town of Charleville was evacu- atedofitscivilpopulation. TheFrencharmyalsoretired,leav- ing a few machine guns behind, and the French gunners con- cealed themselves in positions commanding the town and the three bridges that connected it with Mezi^res. The following day the German advanced guards came towards the two towns. They rode across the bridges into the deserted streets, and after they crossed three tremendous explosions took place behind them. The bridges, mined in preparation, had been fired. The German cavalrymen were smitten by machine gun fire; but hav- ing machine guns with them, and, finding their foes were not numerous, they made a stand. Every French machine gun team was at last brought down.
When the main invading army advanced along the river valley, the French artillery high on the hills raked the column with shrapnel. The head of it was blown away; but, under a continual gun fire, the German sappers threw their pontoon bridges across the Meuse, while the German artillerymen had to engageinaduelwiththeFrench. ButtheFrenchmenwenton firing at the river bank until the signal was given to retire. Afterwards, between Charleville and Rethel, there was another stubborn battle, with the Germans pushing on against gun fire and winning a hard-earned victory.
Eastward, between Charleville and the great fortress of Verdun, the sag of the French forces went on. An army from Charleville—or rather, from its sister town of Mezieres—was repulsed from the Semois region of the Ardennes by Duke Albrecht of Wiiittemberg with a large force. Then at Longwy, an antiquated fortress town near Verdun, the army of the crowji prince succeeded in bursting into France after a long siege operation, and advanced towards the forest of Argonne on August 27. On that day, the day after the Le Cateau Ijattlc, thingslookedblackforFrance. TheBritisharmydidnotknow yet if it had saved itself. Everywhere else, from the coast almost to Verdmi, there was a Franco-British retreat. At Naitcy, on August 25, there had been a fierce encounter between the crown prince of Bavaria and the garrison of Toul.
But General Joffre was working to improve his fighting forces. Under his direction General d'Amade, on the left of the British force, organised a new 6th army out of four reserve army divisions, a regular army corps and General SordeCs
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THE FRENCH IN RETREAT