October 4th, 1914

- The German advance at Arras continues today.  North of the city the Bavarians push through Lens and, at 10pm, occupy the heights of Vimy Ridge.  The French 70th Division, on the line north of the city, is pushed back almost to the Scarpe River northwest of Arras.  To the south, the Prussian Guards Division shatters the 81th Territorial Division, killing its commander, and a gap begins to open between the territorial divisions and X Corps.  The French at Arras are threatened with encirclement, and General Maud-huy declares that his detachment is facing another 'Sedan', referencing the disastrous envelopment and surrender of a French army in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War.  The Kaiser, meanwhile, arrives at Rupprecht's headquarters at St. Quentin to observe the anticipated victory.

When Castlenau asks Joffre which direction Maud-huy should retreat in, the latter's response is swift.  He has become convinced that Castlenau is plagued by excessive pessimism, and decides on a reorganization.  First, Maud-huy's detachment is formed into a separate command as 10th Army.  Second, Ferdinand Foch is appointed Joffre's 'deputy' with responsibility to co-ordinate the 2nd and 10th armies and the territorial divisions in northern France.  Castlenau thus finds himself under the command of a former subordinate, but on balance is likely pleased to have retained his command at all.  With Foch moving to northern France, his 9th Army along the Aisne is suppressed, its corps being absorbed by the neighbouring 4th and 5th armies.  Joffre also informs Castlenau that under no circumstances is he to retreat, as the reinforcements en route to the north will allow the Entente line to hold.

The German advance at Arras, October 1914.

- The British Royal Marine Brigade arrives in Antwerp at 1am, having landed at Dunkirk yesterday and traveled to the city by train, and later this morning takes up position along the front line to the southeast of Antwerp.  At the same time, the British Cabinet approves the dispatch of the two naval brigades to augment the British contribution to the defense of Antwerp.  The Cabinet also receives a remarkable request from Churchill.  He has remained in Antwerp, and for the past twenty-four hours has taken to directing the defense of the city, touring the trenches, repositioning units, etc..  He has displayed an almost boyish enthusiasm for war - sitting in the open watching the action as artillery shells fall around him.  He feels to be in his element, and at this moment wants nothing more than to continue to have a direct hand in the ongoing struggle for Antwerp.  His request to the Cabinet is that he resign his position as First Lord of the Admiralty and instead be appointed commander of the forces at Antwerp, with the full authority of a general in the field.  The reaction of the Cabinet can be best described as nervous laughter - Churchill has already gained a reputation as a figure whose enthusiasm often outruns his judgement, and the idea that the head of the most important military office in the country should race off to command forces in the field is incomprehensible.  Churchill’s request is politely denied, and he is informed that General Henry Rawlinson will be arriving shortly to assume command of the British contingent.  For now, though, Churchill remains at Antwerp, play-acting the role of general.

Meanwhile, the continuing bombardment of Fort Kessel finally forces the evacuation of its Belgian garrison today.  The Germans also begin to bombard the north bank of the Nethe River, in preparation for an attempt to force a crossing and pierce the line of defense established along the river after the first forts had fallen.

- West of Verdun, General Mudra's XVI Corps launches another offensive against the French lines in the Argonne.  The German attackers make widespread use of Minenwerfers, or trench mortars, for the first time.  Such small mortars, firing a small projectile in a high arc, are well-suited for use against trenches, as the trajectory allows the shell to plunge into trenches before detonation.  The Germans have also prioritized Minenwerfers as they use less powder, an important consideration given the economic blockade of the country.  Despite the use of such weapons, the Germans make little progress, facing fierce French resistance.

- The past few days have seen desperate fighting near Augustow just east of the German-Russian frontier as the Russians attempt to push into the rear of the German 8th Army retreating from the Niemen River.  While the Germans opposing the Russian advance suffer grievous losses, they succeed in slowing the Russians sufficiently to allow the remainder of 8th Army to evacuate Suwalki and withdraw to the border.

- As the German 9th Army continues its movement northeastwards from Krakow, the Austro-Hungarian 1st Army takes up position on the southern flank of 9th Army and joins the advance, with the Austro-Hungarian 4th and 3rd armies to the south moving westward towards the San River.  Despite bad weather and roads being reduced to mud, the Germans are able to maintain a marching rate of thirty miles a day, making using of requisitioned Polish carts better able to cope with the deep mud.  With the withdrawal of three Russian armies from Galicia to Poland to participate in the proposed offensive against German Silesia, the remaining Russian armies in Galicia fall back to avoid being outflanked to the north by the advance of the German 9th Army.

- General Potiorek officially calls off the second invasion of Serbia today.  Though the effort has at least secured a small bridgehead in northwestern Serbia, it has overall been another dismal failure.  Desperate to deflect blame from himself, he argues that a lack of shells has been to blame.

- Under the guise of reinforcing Maritz, Smuts dispatches new units to Upington under the command of Coen Brits, whose loyalty is unquestionable - the latter is said to have told Botha, 'My men are ready; who do we fight - the English or the Germans?'  Brits' force is positioned to fight Maritz if the latter rebels.

- As the German East Asiatic Squadron crosses the Pacific, it hears the signals of the German light cruiser Dresden, which has passed through the Straits of Magellan from the Atlantic and is now off the Chilean coast.  Admiral Spee today signals Dresden to meet his squadron at Easter Island.  This message, however, is intercepted by a British wireless station at Suva in the Fiji Islands, and when relayed to London gives the Admiralty concrete evidence that the German squadron is bound for South America.

- An appeal 'To the Civilized World' is published today in Germany.  Written by Ulrich von Wilamowitz, it contains the signatures of a hundred of Germany's leading artists, scholars, and intellectuals, including such world-renowned figures as the scientists Max Planck and Wilhelm Röntgen.  The document justifies German conduct in the war and seeks to counter the growing international perception of German cruelty, especially with respect to the occupation of Belgium.  In line with the general tone of German propaganda, it seeks to blame the victim:

It is not true that the life and property of a single Belgian citizen have been infringed upon by our soldiers, unless the most desperate self-defense made it necessary . . . the Belgian population shot at our troops from ambush, mutilated the wounded, and murdered doctors while they were performing their healing work.  One can falsify matters no more basely than to remain silent about the crimes of these assassins, to turn the punishments that they have justly suffered into crimes committed by Germans.

It is not true that our troops have wreaked brutal havoc in Louvain.  They were compelled reluctantly to bring a sector of the city under fire, in order to retaliate against raging inhabitants who had treacherously attacked them here. . . .

They also appeal to the sense of European racial superiority to denigrate the enemies of Germany:

Those who have allied themselves with Russians and Serbs, and who present the world with [the] shameful spectacle of inciting Mongolians and Negroes against the white race, have the very least right to portray themselves as the defenders of European civilization.

Finally, they ground the 'Appeal' on self-defense - that the most heinous and cruel of acts are justified in the name of German victory:

Were it not for German militarism, German culture would long ago have been eradicated.  For the protection of German culture, militarism arose in a land that had for centuries been plagued like no other by predation.  The German army and the German people are one and the same.

As much as the 'Appeal' was published to counter Entente propaganda, it was also aimed at the German public, seeking to justify not only the war itself but German conduct of it.  It reflects the widespread and almost universal enthusiasm for the war among intellectuals, common to all of the major combatants.

September 25th, 1914

- Near Roye the timely arrival of the 3rd Cavalry Division to support IV corps stabilizes the line, and the German 6th Army is blocked from isolating the French 2nd Army from Paris. However, Castlenau informs Joffre this evening that while his line extends north to the Somme River near Bray-sur-Somme, he has no further reserves.

Joffre meanwhile continues to shift forces to the north - XI Corps is today redeployed from 9th Army on the Aisne River to Amiens.

- Just south of St.-Mihiel sits the fort of Camp des Romains, and today it comes under attack by German forces.  After an overwhelming bombardment German infantry storm and capture the fort.  The fall of Camp des Romains solidifies the German hold on the St.-Mihiel salient, though French reinforcements prevent further gains.  Army Detachment Strantz has carved out a large salient, piercing the fort line between Verdun and Toul and, thanks to its bridgehead over the Meuse at Chauvoncourt, severing one of the two remaining rail lines connecting Verdun to the rest of France.

The German attack on the fort at Camp des Romains,
September 25th, 1914.

A portion of the ruined fort at Camp des Romains after its capture by the Germans.

- The force of Montenegrins and Serbs that crossed into Bosnia two days ago returns to Serbia today, after General Potiorek utilized fortress troops and units of the Austro-Hungarian 6th Army to threaten their flank.  In halting this move, however, the use of part of 6th Army has meant that the push into Serbia has come to a halt.

- A small British naval force centred on the cruiser Cumberland sits today off of Duala, the most important port on the coast of German Kamerun, having spent the past several weeks clearing German obstructions from the shipping channels.  Its commander issues an ultimatum demanding the surrender of Duala, the capture of which is central to British strategy, especially in light of the defeat over the past month of efforts to advance into the colony overland from Nigeria - the denial of ports by which German commerce raiders can be resupplied.

German Kamerun, 1914.

September 23rd, 1914

- The advance of the French 2nd Army is halted this afternoon by the timely arrival of the German XVIII Corps, which had marched fifty miles in two days since departing Rheims on the 21st.  Further, by this evening reconnaissance has made it clear to General Castlenau that additional German forces are approaching the front lines.  These are XXI and I Bavarian corps of the German 6th Army - both had entrained in Lorraine on September 15th, and have marched to the front from the railheads at Cambrai and Namur respectively.  General Rupprecht had hoped to use these two corps to sweep around the French and move on Amiens, but finds that the French 2nd Army bars the way.

- In the Balkans, a force of Montenegrins and Serbians cross the upper Drina River south of the Austro-Hungarian 6th Army and move into Bosnia.  Their aim is both to inspire rebellion among the Slavic population of the region and relieve the pressure of the ongoing Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia.

- In Constantinople Admiral Wilhelm Souchon is today appointed Commander-in-Chief of the navy by the Ottoman government.  Since the best warships of the navy are the two 'bought' from Germany, the appointment makes practical sense.  It also reflects the continuing drift of the Ottomans into the German camp.  Nevertheless, the Ottoman government clings to neutrality - some ministers hope to gain the advantages of German friendship without the risks of war with the Entente.

September 22nd, 1914

The 1st Battalion King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) in the front trench at the Aisne, September 22nd, 1914.  Note the
rudimentary nature of the trench, little more than a ditch in an open field - it is only over time that more complex and elaborate trench systems emerge.

- The French 2nd Army, consisting of four corps and several cavalry divisions drawn from elsewhere on the front, begins its advance towards the line Chaulnes-Roye-Lassigny north of the current end of the front near Noyon.  Immediately opposed to it is only the German II Corps, which had helped halt the attempted advance of the French 6th Army on the 18th.

The advance of the French 2nd Army east from Amiens, September 22nd, 1914.

- As the first units of the newly-formed German 9th Army begins to assemble near Crakow, Grand Duke Nicholas, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army, convenes a meeting at Cholm with General Ruzski of North-West Front and General Ivanov of South-West Front.  The Grand Duke's objective is to plan for an invasion westwards from Poland into German Silesia.  His front commanders, however, are focused on their particular responsibilities - Ruzski argues that no advance can be undertaken until East Prussia is neutralized, while Ivanov's concerns is with his armies in Galicia.  The Grand Duke's solution is to put Ivanov in charge of the invasion, leaving General Brusilov with 3rd, 8th, and 11th armies, the latter newly-formed to hold the line in Galicia.  Ivanov three remaining armies - 4th, 5th, and 9th - are to withdraw from the front and move northwards east of the Vistula River before crossing westward at Ivangorod and Warsaw in preparation to invade Germany.  Ivanov is also assigned a reconstructed 2nd Army from North-West Front to cover the northern flank of the advance.

- In Serbia, the Austro-Hungarian armies are struggling to advance out of their bridgeheads on the Save and Drina Rivers.  For the past three days, they have been in pitched battle with the Serbs for the hills around Jagodna.  Though by the end of today the Austro-Hungarian 6th Army has seized the heights, it has cost them 25 000 casualties, and broken their momentum.  Exhausted and demoralized, the two armies are unable to advance further.

- Off the Dutch coast is a region of the southern North Sea known as the Broad Fourteens, so named for its latitude.  Since the outbreak of the war, this part of the North Sea has been patrolled by the outdated armoured cruisers of the Bacchante class.  These patrols were designed to provide early warning of a German sortie into the Channel, but in practice the ships had no combat value - they carried only two 9.2-inch guns and eight 6-inch guns and were manned by reservists with little experience.  So questionable was their deployment that Admiral Keyes referred to them as the 'live bait squadron', and discussions had been held about withdrawing them.  However, as of this morning the patrols were still being undertaken, with three of the cruisers - Aboukir, Hogue, and Cressy - on station off the Dutch coast.

The Broad Fourteens in the North Sea.

Unfortunately, the three British cruisers are not the only ships in the North Sea this morning.  Also present is the German submarine U-9, which has spent the night submerged.  When it rises to periscope depth, its captain is pleasantly surprised to spot the three British cruisers.  The latter are steaming at just ten knots and, not having been warned of any submarine threat, are steaming in a straight line.  U-9 is easily able to approach the British, and at 630am fires a single torpedo to the middle of the three.  It strikes Aboukir amidships, tearing a large hole and flooding the engine room.  The cruiser's captain assumes he has hit a mine, and warns the other two cruisers.  The flooding was uncontrollable, and twenty-five minutes after being struck it capsizes.

The British cruiser Aboukir, sunk today by the submarine U-9.

- Crucially, because the assumption is that Aboukir struck a mine, the other two cruisers take no precautions against enemy submarines.  Indeed, their response is to approach Aboukir and stop to pick up survivors.  This, of course, is the absolute worst thing these ships could have done.  The caption of U-9 can hardly believe his luck, and reloads his torpedo tubes for another attack.  At 655am, just as Aboukir sinks, two torpedoes strike Hogue, which sinks ten minutes later.  Cressy now understood that there was a German submarine in the area, and desperately signaled the Admiralty of its predicament.  Though it attempts to maneouver, a torpedo strikes Cressy at 715am, followed by a second at 730am.  It rolls over until it was upside down before sinking at 755am.  An hour later two Dutch steamers arrive and pick up survivors, and destoyers from Tyrwhitt's force arrive at 1045.  Overall, however, almost 1400 British sailors are lost.

In less than an hour and a half, U-9 sank three British cruisers, and returned to Wilhelmshaven to a hero's welcome.  It is the greatest German naval accomplished of the war to date - the submarine's captain is awarded the Iron Cross, 1st Class, and the entire crew is awarded the Iron Cross, 2nd Class.  In Britain, there is shock at the sudden loss of the three ships.  The Times assumes that it had been the work of an entire group of submarines, as opposed to just one.  There is widespread condemnation of the Admiralty, and it inspires several policy changes.  In addition to halting patrols in the Broad Fourteens, ships are henceforth ordered not to stop to pick up survivors of ships that are torpedoed or strike a mine.  It also raises the anxiety of Admiral Jellicoe - if a single submarine can so easily dispatch three large armoured cruisers, what might they do if they catch the dreadnoughts of his Grand Fleet at sea?

- The German East Asiatic Squadron approaches Papeete, the capital of Tahiti, this morning.  There are five thousand tons of coal in the port, and Spee hopes to seize this and other supplies.  However, the French at Papeete have been warned by Bora Bora of the presence of the German ships, and by the time the squadron arrives they have set fire to the coal and fled to the hills.  Deprived of his coal, the squadron sinks a small French gunboat in the harbour and silences the few artillery pieces that fire on them.  They depart this afternoon, having fired off some of their ammunition for no benefit.

- Tonight the German light cruiser Emden approaches to within three thousand yards of the port of Madras in India.  Switching on its searchlights, the Germans fire 125 shells into the Burmah Company's oil tanks in thirty minutes, destroying almost half a million gallons of kerosene.  Emden then departs before the British can respond, disappearing once again into the Indian Ocean.

- In conformance with the Admiralty's instructions of the 18th, Rear Admiral Craddock departs the River Plate with the modern light cruiser Glasgow, the outdated cruiser Monmouth, and the armed liner Otranto, bound for the Magellan Straits.  Despite the Admiralty's assertions, however, Craddock still suspects that the German East Asiatic Squadron is coming east to South America.

- Today four airplanes of the Royal Naval Air Service, flying from an airfield near Antwerp, attempt the first bombing raid of the war against German Zeppelin sheds located at Cologne and Düsseldorf.  Two aircraft are assigned to each target, but in dense fog only one finds its target, dropping three 20-pound bombs at Düsseldorf.  Two failed to explode, and the third fell short, though it injured some German soldiers.  Even if all four had been successful in finding their targets, it is unlikely they would have been able to do significant damage, and they were unable to carry more than a few small bombs.  Moreover, they were slow - none flew over 100mph - and defenceless - if German aircraft were encountered, the only way the pilots could return fire would have been with pistols.  They had also lacked the range to reach their targets, having to refuel at an advanced airbase specifically set up for this purpose by armoured cars of the Belgian army.  However, from such humble beginnings strategic bombing would grow in importance over the years and decades.

September 15th, 1914

- Along the Aisne, the Germans launch significant counterattacks, and hardest hit is the French 6th Army, pushed almost back to the river by nightfall, and neighbouring British divisions to the east also suffer, though I Corps is able to largely hold its gains of yesterday.  North of Rheims the French 5th Army attacks  this morning, but achieve only negligible gains.  His 9th Army checked along the Suippes River, even the naturally-aggressive Foch writes of 'great resistance' to Joffre today.

- The battles along the Aisne stretch westward to the Oise River between Compeigne and Noyon.  Here the front lines peter out, and beyond to the west and north lies territory largely devoid of military forces.  Indeed, moving north from Noyon one does not encounter a significant military force until Antwerp, where the Belgian Army is contained by German forces.  The small military presence that does exist in this space consists of small cavalry detachments and a few reserve divisions, not nearly enough to hold any position in strength.  For several weeks this area has been home to small skirmishes and hit-and-run raids, but as the armies grapple along the Aisne this void starts to draw the attention of both sides.  It offers the potential of a decisive victory to the army that can arrive first and turn the flank of the enemy.  The movement of forces into this gap becomes known as 'The Race to the Sea.'  To a significant degree, it is a race of logistics - who can move the greatest forces the quickest.  In this the French, with their intact railway network, have an advantage opposed to the Germans who are still repairing the lines damaged during their advance.  However, the limits of logistics means that armies arrive a division or a corps at a time, instead of all at once, leading to piecemeal commitment of forces.

- New Chief of the General Staff Erich von Falkenhayn formulates his strategy for further operations today.  His focus remains on the Western Front, where 1st through 5th and 7th armies are to hold the present line, and launch counterattacks if able to tie down French forces.  Believing that Nancy cannot be taken, the bulk of 6th Army is to depart Lorraine and head north.  Some units are to support 1st Army on the western flank of the German line.  He also desires to expedite the capture of Antwerp, to secure the northern flank of the German line and free the forces currently covering the city to redeploy elsewhere.  Most of 6th Army, however, is to deploy in the area of Maubeuge to conduct operations westward and perhaps turn the northern flank of the French lines and achieve a decisive victory.  Thus, despite the defeat of the Marne, Falkenhayn still believes that the German army can achieve a decisive victory in the west.

- Joffre's gaze is also turning to the empty spaces on the map north of Noyon.  Today he disbands the existing 2nd Army in Lorraine, its remaining forces absorbed by 1st Army to the south.  Instead, General Castlenau is brought west where he will command a new 2nd Army that is to assemble in the vicinity of Amiens and the Somme River, consisting of units drawn from the old 2nd Army as well as from 1st Army and a cavalry corps drawn from 5th Army.

- In East Prussia the German 8th Army crosses the border in pursuit of the Russian 1st Army.  The Russians offer no significant resistance beyond rearguard actions, General Rennenkampf willing at present to trade space for time to recover from the Battle of the Masurian Lakes.

- In Serbia, the Austro-Hungarian 5th Army has managed to secure several bridgeheads across the Drina River, though the Serbian defense remains intact.

- In South Africa, despite the efforts of Prime Minister Botha and Minister of Defence Smuts, the flame of rebellion briefly flickers today.  Though the precise intentions of the conspirators remain ellusive, it is clear that a number of leading figures within the South African armed forces and the Boer community have decided to oppose the invasion of German South-West Africa, approved by the South African Parliament in the past week.  Within the army they include Commandant-General C. F. Beyers, Major J. C. G. Kemp, and Lieutenant-Colonel S. G. Martiz, the latter assigned by Beyers to command Force B of the invasion expedition.  They also count among their numbers Boer ex-generals C. R. de Wet and J. H. De La Rey, the latter a prominent and popular political figure.  This morning Beyers and Kemp submit their resignations from the South African army to Smuts.  Though likely intended to be the signal for a rebellion, what happens next derails everything.  As Beyers and De La Rey drive to Johannesburg in the afternoon, they fail to stop at a police checkpoint, and a police officer, mistaking De La Rey for a member of sought-after gang, shoots and kills him.  Though accidental, the death of De La Rey shocks Beyers and the others.  De La Rey had believed in an almost mystical destiny for himself as the saviour of the Boer people, who would lead them to independence.  His death, on the contrary, strikes his companions as perhaps a contrary judgement on their intentions.  Whatever their intentions had been, the others take no further action this day.

September 14th, 1914

- This morning French and British units on the north bank of the Aisne River advance against the German defence lines.  The latter has dug in along the crest of the plateau, rendering their trenches almost invisible until the French and British are almost upon them.  The French 6th Army fights its way up the heights before being checked by the Germans at the crest.  The greatest success of the day is achieved by the BEF's I Corps under General Haig, which secured a position on the plateau, though it was short of the Chemin des Dames road.  To its right the French 5th Army attacked in the direction of Craonne, but was largely unsuccessful.  Further east the French 9th and 4th armies were also coming up against the main German line of defence.

By the end of today's fighting, it has become clear to the French and British generals that the German retreat has ended, and that the enemy intends to hold its present positions.  Tonight, Joffre issues a new directive to his armies instructing them that methodical attacks will need to be undertaken to achieve further advances, and than any position gained will have to be fortified immediately against possible German counterattacks.

- This evening General Lyncker conveys to Moltke the Kaiser's order to report himself sick.  Despite his anxieties, Moltke wants to remain in command, but not only have most of his fellow officers lost confidence in him, but crucially so has the Kaiser.  Wilhelm's trust in Moltke never really recovered from the fatal interview of August 1st, and failure in the West has eroded whatever remained.  He had demonstrated indecision and hesitancy, and plagued by a chronic pessimism.  Indeed, it can be said that he cracked under the pressure of the culminating moment of his military career - he found himself paralyzed by the significance of each choice he had to make.  Of course, defeat at the Marne is not just Moltke's responsibility, but as the Chief of the General Staff he is ultimately responsible, and becomes the needed scapegoat for failure.

Moltke, though he is no longer in command, is not formally relieved of his post.  The German high command does not wish to admit that it has been defeated in the West, which a public dismissal of Moltke just days after the Marne would indicate.  Indeed, public pronouncements in Germany never admit that the Germans lost the Battle of the Marne - it is depicted as a mere redeployment preceding further offensive operations.  Thus the unwillingness of the German army to admit to itself that it was defeated on the Marne, and all the consequences that entails, is mirrored by the German public.

Moltke's replacement is Minister of War Erich von Falkenhayn.  Young at only fifty-three years of age, he owes his appointment in part due to his friendship with the Kaiser.  However, Falkenhayn is more than an imperial toady - he is a Prussian Junker who has commanded a Guards regiment, shown skill as Minister of War, and has a reputation for energy and decisiveness.  Moreover, since he does not give up the post of Minister of War and had already been at OHL, his ascension to command can be obscured.

- Considering the Russian defeats in East Prussia, scapegoats are necessary.  With General Samsonov dead, the next logical target is General Zhilinskii, who as commander of North-West Front was responsible for 1st and 2nd armies.  He is dismissed from his post today, replaced by General Ruzski, formerly of 3rd Army.  He brings to his new command the caution and hesitancy he showed in the recent battles in Galicia.

- The attack of the Austro-Hungarian 5th Army, still struggling to cross the Drina River, has achieved at least one objective - responding to the attack, the Serbian 1st Army returns across the Save River this morning to support the Serbian defense.

- The British armed merchant liner Carmania arrives at 11am this morning at Trinidad Island, 600 miles off the Brazilian coast in the south Atlantic.  It had been ordered to investigate the island on the suspicion it is being used as a coaling base by German raiders.  Sure enough, it spots three German ships at the islands - two colliers busy transferring coal to the German armed merchant liner Cap Trafalgar.  The two colliers promptly flee the scene, while the first battle in history between ocean liners is fought.  Carmania significantly outguns Cap Trafalgar - the former has eight 4.7 inch guns to the latter's two 4-inch guns.  Within an hour the German ship has taken a ferocious beating, and sinks at 150pm.  Carmania, with significant damage itself, including five holes at the waterline, is unable to taken on survivors of Cap Trafalgar, but does not interfere when one of the German colliers returns to pick up the lifeboats.  Carmania for its part limps to Gibraltar for repairs.

- The German East Asiatic Squadron arrives at Samoa just before dawn this morning, but finds the harbour empty except for two American sailing ships.  Sending landing parties ashore to attempt to recapture the island would have been futile, so the squadron departs without firing a shot.  Radio intercepts indicate that the wireless station at Apia, outside the range of the squadron's guns, is broadcasting the presence of the German ships.  Admiral Spee thus decides on a simple ruse - though his ultimate destination is the west coast of South America, he sails northwest until out of sight of Samoa before turning eastward.  This deception works - the British believe that the German East Asiatic Squadron is returning to the west Pacific.

At the same time as the Germans are sailing away from Samoa, the British search for the enemy squadron is stepped up.  A signal is sent to a British squadron currently in the River Platte under the command of Rear Admiral Christopher Craddock.  The original mission for Craddock's squadron was to hunt the German light cruiser Dresden in the South Atlantic, but today his assignment changes.  The Admiralty informs Craddock that the German East Asiatic Squadron may be heading to the Straits of Magellan to pass into the South Atlantic.  Craddock is to leave sufficient ships to deal with Dresden while sailing with a force capable of sinking Scharnhorst and Gneisenau.  Reinforcements are also being sent - the slow pre-dreadnought Canopus and the modern armoured cruiser Defence.

- In the Indian Ocean, the German light cruiser Emden is terrorizing British trade, having sunk eight merchant ships near Calcutta.  In response, all merchants in the Bay of Bengal were ordered to remain in port - precisely the disruption of trade that Emben's captain had hoped for on detaching his ship from the rest of the German East Asiatic Squadron.

September 13th, 1914

- After closing up to the Aisne River yesterday, today the British and Entente armies attempt to force a number of crossings.  For the most part, the Germans do not defend at the river's edge, but rather are positioned on the heights to the north, and pouring accurate artillery fire down on advancing Entente forces.  Most of the bridges over the Aisne have been destroyed, and the heavy rains have left the river deeper than usual, so much of the day is spent by engineers constructing and maintaining pontoon bridges over which infantry and artillery can pass.  They do so under constant bombardment, and take heavy losses.

Nevertheless, at several places Entente units are able to secure bridgeheads across the Aisne.  The French 6th Army faces the German 1st Army frontally and is unable to cross at Soissons due to artillery fire.  They are, however, able to do so further west, about halfway between Soissons and the confluence of the Aisne and the Oise Rivers at Compiègne.  To the east, by nightfall most of the BEF is across the Aisne and on the slopes leading up to the plateau to the north.  Further upstream much of the French 5th Army had gotten across the Aisne, though the key crossing at Berry-au-Bac remained in German hands at nightfall.  5th Army also liberates Rheims today, cavalry patrols entering the city at 6am.  Despite liberating several villages outside Rheims, the French advance is halted just north of the city, as 9th Army is unable to get across the Suippes River in strength.  Crucially, Rheims remains in range of German artillery.

As the British and French get across the Aisne, the first units of the German 7th Army, transferred from Lorraine, arrive to man the front between 1st Army to its west and 2nd Army to its east.  Thus the gap that had existed between the two German armies, and which played such a decisive role at the Marne, has been closed before the British and French were able to exploit its existence.  The German retirement from the Marne has thus achieved its foremost objective - close the gap before the Entente can take advantage of it.

German dead after the retreat across the Aisne.

- The open space to the northwest of the German 1st and French 6th armies appears to be the ideal place for cavalry to operate and potentially turn the flank of the enemy.  In practice, cavalry proves unsuitable to this task.  Crucially, the issue is not defensive weaponry, but the pace of operations.  The first six weeks of the war in the west have demonstrated that cavalry divisions are all too quickly worn out.  The rapid retreat in August, then the turn back northwards after the Marne, has left cavalry units, and in particular their horses, exhausted.  Shoes for the horses frequently broke, stops for water were forbidden to maintain the pace of movement, and fodder was often nowhere to be found.  Thus, even before the advent of trench warfare in the West, the cavalry was demonstrating that it could not execute the responsibilities it had been given - reconnaissance, flank protection, and screening.  Today, General Sordet's Cavalry Corps, after an operation along the Oise River in the direction of Soissons, returns to French lines today exhausted and without having accomplished anything.

The front lines along the Aisne River Sept. 13th to 14th, 1914.

- The Russian 1st Army crosses over the German border and returns to Russian territory.  Though having to give up all of its gains of August, the retreat has preserves 1st Army, and ensures that it does not suffer the same fate as 2nd Army.  The escape does come with a price - 1st Army has suffered 100 000 casualties in the Battle of the Masurian Lakes.

For Ludendorff, the battle has been a frustrating one.  Though the Russians have been driven from German territory, the timely retreat of the Russian 1st Army stymied any attempt to annihilate it.  He is critical of François' management of I Corps, but in practice the issues that prevented an encirclement of the Russians - advancing units outrunning supply, fatigue, delays in bringing up reinforcements, the arrival of enemy reserves - are endemic to battles in the First World War.  Further, the German 8th Army, though victorious, has been bloodied as well, suffering approximately 70 000 casualties.

- The Austro-Hungarian 5th Army attempts a second time to cross the Drina River, hoping to take advantage of the success of XVI Corps to the south.  Heavy rain hampers operations, and forces that do make it across the Drina find themselves under accurate fire from Serbian artillery.

- The British submarine E9 today torpedoes and sinks the German light cruiser Hera off the Frisian coast.

September 8th, 1914

- Along the Ourcq the French 6th and German 1st armies continued to grapple.  Both sides are exhausted after four days of near-constant combat, but with all of the German 1st Army now in the battle line, the breakthrough desired by General Manourey that his 6th Army is increasingly unlikely.  Tonight two infantry divisions are forced back, and Manourey begins to plan a second line of defense should his entire army have to retire from its present positions.  Far from turning the German flank, 6th Army is now just barely holding on, and it is increasingly a matter of whether the BEF can make its presence felt in the gap between the German armies before 6th Army is defeated.

- The BEF continues its advance into the gap between the German 1st and 2nd armies, and by noon has reached the Petit Morin River.  There is a brief fight with General Georg von der Marwitz's II Cavalry Corps before the latter withdraws northwards - the German cavalry corps in the gap, exhausted by weeks of constant movement and with horses dropping dead from a lack of fodder, is able to do little more than observe the British advance.  Later today a violent thunderstorm slows the already lethargic march of the BEF.  After trying positive encouragement yesterday, Joffre is more direct today in trying to hurry the British along - at 8pm, Joffre telegrams Sir John French that it is 'essential' for the BEF to cross the Marne and exploit the gap between the German armies.

Men of the 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment, 19th Brigade, BEF, come under
shrapnel fire from German artillery on the Signy-Signets road during the
Battle of the Marne, September 8th, 1914.

- The nighttime bayonet attack of the German 3rd Army begins this morning at 245 am.  The soldiers advance with bayonets fixed and rifles unload.  Despite clear skies and a pale moon, the Germans achieve complete surprise, and descend on the French positions without warning.  The crews of the dreaded French 75s are put to flight, and within three hours four entire French divisions were in headlong retreat.  At 615am the commander of XI Corps, the rightmost corps of Foch's 9th Army, orders his force to fall back ten kilometres, which then dragged 9th Army's centre backwards.  The German 3rd Army has effectively outflanked the Marshes of St. Gond, and control the western exits.  By any measure, the bayonet charge has been a success, and 9th Army has been decisively defeated.

Unfortunately for the Germans, General Foch refused to accept that he had been defeated, as embodied in a draft signal to Joffre: 'My centre is giving way, my right is in retreat, situation excellent.  I attack.'  It was most likely never sent, but the words enhance Foch's reputation and become part of the legend of the Marne.  Counterattacks are ordered along the line to keep the advancing Germans off-balance.  At 9pm, in response to a desperate appeal from Foch, Franchet d'Espèrey of 5th Army sends two divisions to reinforcement the left wing of 9th Army, allowing Foch to redeploy a division from his left to reinforce the right.  Joffre also dispatches a cavalry division to help stop the German breakthrough.

The initial attack of the Germans had been a stunning success - three German divisions had forced back the French between ten to thirteen kilometres over a twenty kilometre section of the front line. It is a success that the Germans will not repeat on the Western Front until 1918.  However, the initial momentum is quickly lost.  French counterattacks and reinforcements slow the German advance to a crawl.  Moreover, the Germans had advanced beyond the reach of their own artillery, were short on food and water, and have suffered 20% casualties.  There were no additional units available to continue the advance, and an evening rain turned the ground into mud.  By nightfall, despite the substantial advance, the Germans had been halted.  In one of the decisive moments of the Battle of the Marne, Foch's 9th Army has held - if the Germans had been able to sustain their advance, the entire French line might have shattered.  Instead, the reasons behind the German failure to exploit their breakthrough would become a common refrain in the years ahead on the Western Front.

- The retreat has carried the French 3rd Army past Verdun, and by today its front line was overstretched between Verdun to the northeast and 4th Army to the west.  The German 5th Army has applied heavy pressure, and today pushes 3rd Army south of Revigny, raising the possibility that the Germans may break through the Revigny Gap.  Late this evening, Joffre orders General Sarrail to withdraw his right wing and break off contact with Verdun.  It was a reasonable order - the Germans were in no shape to take on the massive fortifications ringing the town of Verdun - but Sarrail refuses, which causes Joffre anxiety lest the Germans break through the weak link between 3rd Army and 4th Army on its left.

- The mood at OHL remains one of panic this morning, which is not alleviated when wireless intercepts indicate the advance of the BEF between 1st and 2nd armies.  Moltke desperately desires clarity about the situation at the front, but wireless communications have not yet been established with 1st or 2nd Army, and he feels that he himself cannot absent himself from OHL at this moment of crisis.  Meeting with his staff, Moltke decides to send Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hentsch, as he had visited Kluck and Bülow three days earlier and was thus more acquainted with the situation of the two German armies.  Sending a junior officer on such an important mission was not unusual, and such officers had been sent as emissaries to other headquarters during the war, and the instructions they gave were seen as emanating from Moltke himself.  Hentsch has private conversations with Moltke and the Kaiser, and though no direct records exist of what was discussed, it appears Hentsch was given the authority to order a withdrawal of 1st Army if the situation necessitated it.  Certainly Hentsch believed he had the authority necessary to make such monumental decisions, though no orders were given in writing.

At 10am Hentsch departs OHL in Luxembourg City by automobile in what has been described as 'undoubtedly . . . the most important staff ride in military history.'  He has decided to visit each German army as he proceeds west, so his first stop at 1pm is 5th Army headquarters.  Here he learns that the Crown Prince plans further attacks for tomorrow, so Hentsch is satisfied with their position. He encounters a similar situation at 4th Army headquarters - while there he uses their telephone connection with OHL to report that both 4th and 5th armies are in good shape.  At 3rd Army headquarters General Hausen expresses concern about his right wing, but otherwise reports the situation satisfactory.  Hentsch then sets out for 2nd Army headquarters, which he reaches at 745pm.  In a lengthy meeting with Bülow and his staff, the 2nd Army headquarters gives vent to his concerns about the gap between 2nd and 1st armies.  For Bülow all of the blame rests on Kluck for his disobedience of Moltke's orders, which resulted in 1st Army advancing ahead of 2nd Army, and his repeated ignorance of the necessity of protecting the flank of 2nd Army.  He insists that 1st Army must immediately break off the battle with the French 6th Army and march eastwards to close the gap and cover the western flank of 2nd Army.  Bülow here is concerned solely with the plight of his army, not of the larger German offensive.  The French 5th Army is applying increasing pressure on his right wing, and there are no signs yet that the French 9th Army on his left is broken.  The insistence on 1st Army marching east immediately reflects a lack of regard for what 1st Army might accomplish by a victory over the French 6th Army.  For him, the menace of envelopment is very realy, with the French 5th Army pushing on his right and the BEF marching through the gap beyond, potentially to attack his army from behind.

At this point Hentsch states that he has full authority to issue orders to Kluck, which takes Bülow by surprise.  He reiterates that at this point the best option is for 1st Army to move east, but Hentsch doubts that Kluck's force can successfully disengage from its fight with the French 6th Army.  At this point, a report comes in to 2nd Army headquarters that the French have broken through the German VII Corps and was advancing on Montmirail.  Bülow becomes concerned that his front is about to be pierced, and orders X Reserve Corps to fall back even further on his right.  For the first time the word 'retreat' is uttered, as Bülow comments that the French may soon be in a position to compel a German retirement.  They decide that the last possible moment to order a retreat that can still succeed would be when the British and French reach the Marne.  For reasons that Hentsch takes to his grave, he decides to stay the night at 2nd Army headquarters instead of immediately driving to 1st Army.  At 930pm, just before going to bed, he sends the following signal to OHL: 'Situation at 2. Army serious, but not desperate.'  With that Hentsch ends his mission for the day, leaving for tomorrow the climax of the Battle of the Marne.

- The battle continues to rage near Nancy.  In deference to Joffre's orders, Castlenau and 2nd Army continue to hold on.  The attacks of the Bavarians nearly break through.  They seize the vital village of Saint-Geneviève, nicknamed the 'Hole of Death', but a desperate counterattack by the French XX Corps retakes the village today.  The Germans have suffered horrendous losses - one German corps alone has suffered ten thousand casualties - and despite minor progress have failed to break though.

- Today the entirety of the German 8th Army is engaged in attacking the Russian 1st Army in East Prussia.  Four corps attempt a frontal attack on Russian lines north of Lake Mauer, but are repulsed.  XVII Corps, aimed at the Lötzen gap just south of Lake Mauer, finds the terrain too constricting and in three attacks is unable to break through.  I Corps, meanwhile, is still approaching the battle, marching 123 kilometres in four days.

The German offensives on September 8th and 9th, 1914, at the Battle of the Masurian Lakes.

- In Galicia, a German Landwehr Corps from Silesia, the only German unit available to assist the Austro-Hungarians and stationed to the west of the Austro-Hungarian 1st Army, is crushed by the Russian 9th Army, suffering eight thousand casualties today.  Its retreat behind the Vistula River uncovers the left flank of the already-hardpressed 1st Army.

To the south, Conrad orders 4th Army to join with 3rd and 2nd armies in attacking Russian forces around Lemberg.  However, the reorientation of the Russian 3rd Army to the northwest results in the Austro-Hungarian 4th Army attacking it not on its flank, but frontally around Rawa-Ruska.  Exhausted from several weeks of constant battle and movement, 4th Army is unable to make any significant progress.

In the fighting near Rawa-Ruska, Conrad's third son Herbert, a Lieutenant in the 15th Dragoons, is killed today in a failed attack on a Russian position.

- In the Balkans, the second attempt to invade Serbia is launched by Austria-Hungary, with General Potiorek once again in command.  With the departure of 2nd Army to Galicia, he has two armies remaining - 5th and 6th - both located to the west of Serbia along the Drina River, with 5th to the north in the same position as August (just south of the Drina) and 6th Army immediately next to it.  The commander of 5th Army is reluctant to launch another attack in the same place as before - his army has suffered more than 25% losses already - but with a direct order from Potiorek sends his two corps across the Drina, accompanied by XVI Corps on the southern flank of 6th Army (XV Corps, on 6th Army's northern flank adjacent to 5th Army, is not prepared to attack).  The attack by 5th Army is another disaster - most of their boats are grounded on sandbars in the river, leaving them under accurate Serbian fire.  To the south, however, XVI Corps manages to cross the Drina with only light losses, and hits the Serbian 3rd Army in the flank.  XVI Corps is thus able to secure a bridgehead in Serbian territory.  Meanwhile, a scratch force of two divisions under General Alfred Krauss is assigned to contain the invasion of the Serbian 1st Army.

September 6th, 1914

- At dawn this morning, the Entente offensive begins, pitting 980 000 French and 100 000 British soldiers with 3000 guns against 750 000 Germans and 3300 guns between Verdun and Paris.  Along the front, French armies that have been in retreat for almost two weeks turn and fall on their German pursuers.  Joffre issues an appeal to the soldiers of the French army:

Now, as the battle is joined on which the safety of the country depends, everyone must be reminded that this is no longer the time for looking back.  Every effort must be made to attack and throw back the enemy.  A unit which finds it impossible to advance must, regardless of cost, hold its ground and be killed on the spot rather than fall back.  In the present circumstances no failure will be tolerated.

President Poincarè reads Joffre's appeal in Bordeaux, and well understands the stakes of the fight: 'We are going to play our part for all we are worth in what will be the greatest battle humanity has ever known.'  Almost as soon as the appeal is issued, German soldiers of 4th Army come across the statement on captured French soldiers.  It is immediately relayed to Moltke at OHL, which realizes that the fighting of yesterday by IV Reserve Corps is not a rearguard action, but is only one element of a major French counteroffensive all along the line.  The Germans, as much as the French and British, now understand that the climactic battle is at hand.

The Western portion of the Battle of the Marne, Sept. 5th to 9th, 1914.

- On the far west of the line, General Gronau's report of yesterday's fight against the French 6th Army prompts Kluck at 3am to order II Corps to march north to reinforce IV Reserve Corps along the Ourcq River.  During the day, 6th Army launches a major assault against the two German corps, experiencing heavy losses while making no headway.  The Germans suffer as well, however - after two days of combat IV Reserve Corps is on its last legs.  The commander of II Corps telegrams Kluck at nightfall that further reinforcements are needed by 5am or the French will break through.  In response, Kluck orders IV Corps to undertake a night march to the Ourcq.  He has now pulled two corps out of his front line facing south in order to redirect them west to face the French advancing from Paris.  For Joffre, his original plan - use 6th Army to turn the flank of the German 1st Army - has misfired.

- There are two remaining corps of the German 1st Army - III and IX - that are adjacent to 2nd Army and orientated south.  Early this morning they are subject to heavy artillery bombardments from the French 5th Army opposite.  Initially believed to be just another rearguard action, it quickly becomes apparent that the pursuer is now the pursued - 5th Army has turned and has gone over to the attack.  From noon until nightfall, the three corps of 5th Army's left wing - I, III, and XVIII - fight the German III and IX Corps.  Despite being outnumbered and completely surprised, the Germans counterattack to throw the French off-balance.  The counterattack temporarily succeeds, but cannot halt the French completely - by the end of the day the three French corps have advanced five kilometres.  Further, the two German corps suffer heavily in their effort to delay the French.

- In between the French 5th and 6th armies, the BEF this morning finally halts its retreat, and begins to advance.  While Sir John French has agreed to participate in the French offensive, the caution and hesitancy he has shown over the past two weeks has not completely abandoned him.  The movement of the BEF northward is extremely slow, worried about German ambushes.  Though encountering no resistance, by nightfall the slow pace of the BEF advance leaves them still ten kilometres behind where Joffre wanted the BEF to be this morning.

- Further east, Joffre needs the French armies between 5th Army and Verdun to hold the line long enough to allow the counteroffensive to the west to succeed.  On the eastern flank of 5th Army sits Foch's 9th Army, dug in on the southern side of the Marshes of St. Gond, which greatly restricted movement by large forces.  Joffre's instructions to Foch was to protect the right flank of 5th Army while it attacked the German 2nd Army.  Foch, as was his nature, believed the best way to do so was to attack.  While his right is locked in artillery duels with the Germans, he orders his left - 42nd Division and the Moroccan Division, supported by IX Corps - to attack.  They crash into the eastern flank of the German 2nd Army as they attempt to work their way around the western edges of the marsh.  Bülow of 2nd Army insists on reinforcements from 3rd Army to the east, and the battle devolves into a stalemate.

- Beyond the French 9th Army sits 4th Army, while opposite is the German 4th Army.  Duke Albrecht, commander of the German 4th Army, plans a major attack this morning to push back the French and relieve the pressure on the German 6th Army before Nancy.  At dawn, however, a preemptive artillery attack by the French disrupts the Germans, and the attack bogs down without making significant progress.  Duke Albrecht appeals to Hausen of 3rd Army to his west for support - thus 3rd Army today is pulled in opposite directions to support its neighbours, and combined with the day of rest Hausen gave his army yesterday it is unable to decisively influence the course of the battle today.

- In Lorraine the French 2nd Army continues to be battered by Rupprecht's offensive at Nancy.  In response to Castlenau's telegram of yesterday, Joffre informs him today that the main counteroffensive has begun, and that he hoped 2nd Army could hold its position.  However, he also states that a withdrawal would be acceptable to prevent a breakthrough.

- Even as the climactic battle rages, Joffre continues to purge the French army of officers he feels have failed to live up to his expectations.  As of today, he has fired three army commanders, seven corps commanders, and thirty-four divisional commanders.

- One good piece of news for the Germans today is the surrender of the French fortress of Maubeuge, taking almost 33 000 prisoners and seizing 450 artillery pieces.  The three brigades of VII Corps freed up by this surrender are now available to head south to the fighting along the Marne.

- In Galicia, the Russian 3rd and 8th armies attack the Austro-Hungarian 3rd and 2nd armies opposite.  While the Russians make no headway, they fix the enemy forces on this front, rendering them unable to come to the aid of Austro-Hungarian armies to the north.

- Responding to Russian demands for an attack, the four divisions of the Serbian 1st Army cross the Sava River near Belgrade today and move into southern Hungary.  The advance is primarily about making a political point - i.e. the weakness of Austria-Hungary - as opposed to any military objective, since the Serbs can hardly expect to occupy any significant amount of Austro-Hungarian territory for a prolonged period.  The sortie does push Conrad to approve a second offensive against Serbia, which Potiorek has been calling for since his first failure in August.

- Since late August five columns of British and Imperial soldiers had been advancing from Nigeria into the German colony of Kamerun to the southeast.  Each of these columns has been rebuffed, the last defeat coming today when the Cross River column is ambushed by the Germans, suffering 50% casualties, which include eight of eleven officers.  This halts the British attempt to invade Kamerun by land fails, and the focus will turn instead to a naval landing.  In Kamerun itself the British defeats have a decisive effect on morale.  The Germans in Kamerun, as in other colonies, make use of askaris, or African soldiers, and for the first time they experienced victory over Europeans.  Even if in service of another European colonial power, the legacy of Africans defeating Europeans is not to be underestimated.