Villers-sur-Morin--Rozoy--la Chapelle Iger to Gastins on the south.

At the same time the 5th French Army was to advance north from its
present position and, with all the French Armies to its right,
Franchet d'Esperey was to make a simultaneous frontal attack.

The following were General Joffre's orders of September 4th:--

1. Advantage must be taken of the risky situation of the German 1st
Army to concentrate against it the efforts of the Allied Armies on our
extreme left. All preparations must be made during the 5th for an
attack on the 6th September.

2. The following general arrangements are to be carried out by the
evening of September 5th:--

(_a_) All the available forces of the 6th Army north-east of
Meaux are to be ready to cross the Ourcq between Lizy and
May-en-Multien, in the general direction of Chateau-Thierry. The
available portions of the 1st Cavalry Corps which are close at
hand are to be handed over to General Maunoury for this
operation.

(_b_) The British Army is to establish itself on the line
Changis--Coulommiers, facing east, ready to attack in the general
direction of Montmirail.

(_c_) The 5th Army will close slightly on its left and take up
the general line Courtacon--Esternay--Sezanne, ready to attack,
generally speaking, from south to north. The 2nd Cavalry Corps
will ensure connection between the British Army and the 5th Army.

(_d_) The 9th Army will cover the right of the 5th Army
by holding the southern outlets of the St. Gond marshes and by
placing part of its forces on the tableland north of Sezanne.

3. These different armies are to attack on the morning of September
6th.

The 8th Division of the 4th French Corps was to arrive south of Meaux
during the early morning and maintain connection with the British 3rd
Corps about Villers-sur-Morin, whence the British line following the
points named above was facing nearly due east.

My own view of the enemy's situation and intentions was fairly in
accordance with the Germans' actual positions, although I did not know
at that time that a retreat had really set in, or how the various
Corps and Divisions were placed. Judging from the Air and Cavalry
reconnaissances and from Intelligence Reports, I thought that a large
part of von Kluck's 1st Army was now south of the Grand Morin River,
and that the enemy's western columns had crossed the Marne about Mea