On the 20th the attack was renewed, but from the beginning it was
evident that it could not succeed and that the duty intrusted to the
Eighth Army Corps of opening up the way for the cavalry corps could not
be accomplished. This army corps had gone through a trying ordeal as a
result of the bombardment by the heavy German artillery established in
fortified positions, covering distances all measured in advance, with
every group and French battery presenting a sure target and the action
of the French cannon rendered useless.

If the left wing of the First Army found itself checked, the center and
the right on the other hand were in an excellent position and were able
to advance. But at this point (August 21, 1914) the Second French Army
the army of Lorraine met a serious reverse in the region of Morhange
and was compelled to retreat. This retreat left the flank of the First
Army gravely unprotected, and as a consequence this army was also
obliged to fall back. This rear-guard movement was accomplished over a
very difficult piece of country down to the Baccarat-Ban de
Sapt-Provenchere line, south of the Col du Bonhomme. It was found
necessary to abandon the Donon and the Col de Sapt.

The task committed to the Second Army, that of Lorraine under De
Castlenau, was to protect Nancy, then to transfer itself to the east,
advancing later to the north and attacking in a line parallel to that
taken by the First Army on the Dieuze-Chateau Salins front in the
general direction of Saarbruecken. Its mission was therefore at once both
offensive and defensive: to cover Nancy and continue toward the west the
attack of the First Army.

After having repulsed, August 10 and 11, 1914, the strong German attacks
in the region of Spincourt and of Chateau Salins the Second Army took
the offensive and went forward almost without stopping during four days
of uninterrupted fighting. Penetrating into Lorraine, which had been
annexed, it reached the right bank of the Selle, cut off Marsal and
Chateau Salins, and pushed forward in the direction of Morhange. The
enemy fell back; at Marsal he even left behind enormous quantities of
ammunition.

As a matter of fact, he fell back on positions that had been carefully
fortified in advance and whence his artillery could bombard at an almost
perfectly accurate range. August 20, 1914, made a violent counterattack
on the canal of Salines and Morhange in the Lake district. The immediate
vicinity of Metz f