Battle of Le Cateau

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Battle of Le Cateau
Part of the Great Retreat on the Western Front (World War I)
British dead at the Battle of Le Cateau.
Date 26 August –27 August 1914 Location Le Cateau, France Result Successful retreat by the Allies
Combatants
United Kingdom France Belgium	German Empire
Commanders
John French Michel-Joseph Maunoury	Alexander von Kluck Karl von Bülow
Strength
40,000	Unknown
Casualties
7,812	Unknown

Retreat to the Marne
Maubeuge – Le Cateau – Guise – 1st Marne – 1st Aisne

The Battle of Le Cateau occurred on 26 August 1914, after the British, French and Belgians retreated from the Battle of Mons and set up defensive positions in Le Cateau-Cambrésis on 26 August.

In the morning on 26 August, the Germans arrived and heavily attacked the British. By the afternoon, the right, then left flanks of the British, began to break. The arrival of Sordet's French cavalry protected the left flank.

That night, the Allies withdrew to Saint-Quentin. Of the 40,000 Allied men fighting at Le Cateau, 7,812 were injured, killed or taken prisoner. Several British regiments had even disappeared from the rolls altogether.^{[citation needed]} 38 artillery guns were lost also.

[edit] See also

• La Ferté-sous-Jouarre memorial

[edit] Further reading

• Brown, Malcolm, The Western Front, (1993), Sidgwick and Jackson.
• Evans, M. M. (2004). Battles of World War I. Select Editions. ISBN 1-84193-226-4.
• HMSO Battle of Le Cateau 26th August, 1914. Tour of the Battlefield HMSO (By Command of the Army Council), 1934
• Jones, Nigel H, The War Walk, (1983), Robert Hale Ltd.

[edit] External links

• FirstWorldWar.Com