capture by the
3rd French Army of all the artillery of a German corps.

On the 12th my Headquarters were moved to Fere-en-Tardenois. Early in
the day I joined Pulteney at some cross-roads two miles south of
Buzancy (S.E. of Soissons). The enemy was opposing the passage of the
Aisne to the 6th French Army all along its line westwards from
Soissons, and the 4th Division held a position on the bridges
south-east of Soissons to assist it.

The banks of the Aisne are very precipitous, and our position on the
heights gave us a wonderful view of the fighting. What astonished me
was the volume of the fire. Between Soissons and Compiegne the river
seemed ablaze, so intense was the artillery fire on both sides.

I watched the action till about 1.30 p.m., when the German
artillery, which had been very active all the morning at Montagne de
Paris (south of Soissons) and other important points, withdrew north
of the river. We saw large masses of transport and troops moving in a
N.E. direction.

At nightfall our 3rd Corps was close to the Aisne, the bridges of
which were destroyed.

On my return to Headquarters at night the reporting officer informed
me that the 6th French Army had reached the Aisne after some
opposition, and that the French cavalry on the left were working round
by Compiegne and moving N.E. to threaten the German communications.

The 5th French Army on our right was on the line
Cormicy--Rheims--Verzy, the 18th Corps being thrown back on its left
flank in touch with our right.

A message from Joffre informed me that the 9th and 4th French Armies
had both made considerable progress and driven back the enemy.

The cavalry under Allenby did very good work on this day. They cleared
the town of Braine and the high ground beyond it of strong hostile
detachments. They bivouacked this night at Dhuizel. Allenby reported
to me some excellent work done in the neighbourhood of Braine by the
Queen's Bays assisted by Shaw's 9th Brigade of the 3rd Division (1st
Batt. Northumberland Fusiliers, 4th Batt. Royal Fusiliers, 1st Batt.
Lincolnshire Regt., and 1st Batt. Royal Scots Fusiliers).

The 1st Corps reached Vauxcere and the 2nd Corps Braine and
neighbourhood. Gough, with the 2nd Cavalry Division, was at Chermizy.

Thus, on the morning of September 13th, the day on which the Battle of
the Aisne really opened, the British Army was in position
south of that river in its course between Soissons on the west and
Bourg on th