the field artillery journal - Fort Sill - U.S. Army

PURSUIT AFTER BATTLE IN LORRAINE
road debouching from the woods at this place and at 1200
meters came under an annihilating fire from which on account of
the impassable condition of the woods, it could not escape even
by deployment to both sides of the road. At some later day we
passed this place and still saw traces of the heavy losses.
On the 21st of August we were assembled quite early at
Insweiler and awaited with impatience the order to advance and
take up the pursuit. It was evident that our infantry and with it
all the corps must already have advanced a considerable
distance, as was to be concluded from the thunder of the artillery
which was constantly becoming more distant. And then came
the order from Headquarters of our Sixth Army, which had
previously been quartered at Helimer, to advance as quickly as
possible, to hang on to the enemy's rear and by attacking to
cause him as much loss as possible. Both corps to the right and
left of us had already reached the Rhine-Marne Canal, and in
order not to arrive too late, it was imperative to make haste.
In three columns our division advanced at a trot through the
woods and the battlefield of the previous day, the main body
going via Lauterfingen-Rohrbach-Germingen-Disselingen-
Freiburg-Azoudange to Maizières. Frequent halts were
necessary because the roads were not yet everywhere clear and
were obstructed with vehicles of all sorts. We saw nothing to
indicate the alleged mad flight of the French, at least not in our
sector. We saw very little impedimenta and very few discarded
or abandoned weapons. In Azoudange we saw a French field
bakery which it had been impossible to knock down and
withdraw. It had also left behind its numerous receptacles, all
filled with freshly baked loaves of bread. With great relish did
our men consume the delicious French white bread and it was
quite plain now why our neighbors in the west have so little taste
for the coarser German issue bread.
At Maizières, we received reports from our advanced
eskadrons that the enemy was making a stand along the canal
(Rhine-Marne Canal) at Moussey; that this place was blocked
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