lion on the part of the commander-in-chief, who ordered Lan- rezac to proceed with the attack without delay and threatened to break him if he did not do so.
On August 29 Lanrezac bad to open his battle, with no pro- tection to his left except from two tired French reserve divisions, which speedily fell back. While facing about to move on St. Quentin, his right, formed by the loth corpse was violently attacked south and east of Guise by the Germans in considerable strength. Hedetermined,therefore,toabandonthemovement on St. Quentin as being too dangerous, and Joffre tacitly con- curred. Hedirectedthe3rdandistcorpstosupporttheloth corps against the Germans near Guise, while the i8th corps covered his left and faced towards St. Quentin.
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It crossed the Oise, but near Itancourt found itself heavily engaged by troops in approximately•equal force of von Kluck's andBillow’sarmies. TheGermanswerecheckedanddrivenback with considerable loss across the Oise at Guise, but the danger of be- ing turned by von Kluck’s advance was such that Lanrezac could not profit by this success of his right; and on his left the 1 8th corps had to re-cross the Oise as German reinforcements entered the battle. Lanrezac had no choice but to break off the engagement on August 30, and resume his retreat as his right was in the air and von IGuck's advance continued. The German loss was stated by Biilow at 6,000 killed and wounded. The French casualties were estimated by the Germans at a considerably higher figure, and in addition about 2,000 prisoners were taken. Lanrezac's decision was backed up by an order from general headquarters to retire on the evening of the 30th, and he issued orders to his army to gjlin the high ground north of the Lower Serrc and Souche. By the 31st his dispositions lay in a semicircle around Laon.