Lassigny, confirming the report of movements in that area. Then turning
west they passed over various columns moving in a southerly direction
until they reached the road that follows along the east bank of the
river Avre from Amiens through Montdidier, and here they found part of
the German Second Corps. The head of the main body was in Montdidier at
2.0 p.m., and its tail was in La Neuville. Flying south along the road
they found the advanced guard of the column at Le Ployron.

All these air reports left little doubt as to the enemy's movements, and
the operation orders sent out by General Headquarters from
Dammartin-en-Goele at 8.50 p.m. on the 31st of August gave the
information that the enemy appeared to have completed his westerly
movement, and that large columns were advancing in a general southerly
or south-easterly direction on Noyon-Compiegne. Sir John French directed
that the retirement should be continued on the following day in a
south-westerly direction.

Air reconnaissances of the 1st of September, whilst confirming the news
of von Kluck's wheel in a south-easterly direction, also reported heavy
columns as having reached Villers-Cotterets and Crepy-en-Valois. To
withdraw the British out of reach of a night attack Sir John French
decided to continue the retreat earlier than he had intended. The corps
commanders were ordered to get clear by a night march. We know now from
von Kluck's own statement that, perturbed at leaving the British army on
his flank, he determined to make another effort to catch them up. He
therefore ordered his corps to turn south to settle with the British. So
on the 1st of September he was again in pursuit of the British, but the
British were slipping from his grasp. There was fighting on this day,
which held up the pursuit, and by the evening the German army had made
an average advance of no more than ten miles.

Von Kluck persisted on the following day, but in vain. The British
escaped towards the Marne. 'A chance of dealing a decisive blow', he
says, 'against the British Army was now no longer to be hoped for,
and it was therefore decided to move the two Corps on the left wing,
the Third and Ninth, in the general direction of Chateau-Thierry
against the flank of the French retreating from Braisne-Fismes on
Chateau-Thierry-Dormans in front of the Second Army.'

[Illustration: Map Illustrating Aerial Reconnaissance Area.
2nd to 9th Sept. 1914.]

The air reports which came in on