Von Hausen. The German Guard was engaged with the
Tenth Division of the reserve in the region of the marshes of St. Gond.

"On September 9 Foch resolutely threw into this rift the Forty-Second
Division under General Grossetti, which was at his left, and his army
corps of the left. He thus made a flank attack on the German forces,
notably the Guard which had bent back his army corps on the right. The
effect produced by the flank attack of Manoury on the right of General
von Kluck's army was renewed here. The enemy, taken aback by this
audacious maneuver, did not resist and made a precipitate retreat. On
the evening of the 9th the game was thus lost to the Germans. Their
armies of the right and of the center were beaten and the retreat
followed. The Imperial Guard left in the marshes of St. Gond more than
8,000 men and almost all its artillery. Victory henceforth began to
perch on the Allied banners over all the vast battle field."

Such was this battle of seven days in which almost 3,000,000 men were
engaged. If it is examined in its ensemble, it will be seen that each
French army advanced step by step, opening up the road to the
neighboring army, which immediately gave it support, and then striking
at the flank of the enemy which the other attacked in front. The efforts
of the one were closely coordinated with the efforts of the other. A
deep unity of ideas, of methods, and of courage animated the whole
Allied line.

CHAPTER XIX

"CROSSING THE AISNE"

In order to gain a clear idea of what was involved in the feat of
"crossing the Aisne," which more than one expert has declared to be the
greatest military feat in river crossing in the history of arms, it is
well to look at the topography of that point, first in its relation to
the whole German line, and, second, in its relation to possible attack
in September, 1914.

The prepared positions on the Aisne to which the Germans fell back after
the battle of the Marne, were along a line of exceptionally strong
natural barriers. The line extends from a point north of Verdun, on the
heights of the Meuse, across the wooded country of the Argonne and the
plain of Champagne to Rheims, thence northwest to Brimont, crossing the
Aisne near its confluence with the Suippe, and from thence proceeding to
Craonne, whence it takes a westerly course along the heights of the
Aisne to the Forest of the Eagle, north of Compiegne. The eastern end of
this line has already been desc