14h 10min, aug 22, 1914 y - Fall of Rissignol

Description:

The Battle of Rossignol was an early battle of the First World War and part of the Battle of the Frontiers between the German and French armies. To counter the German invasion of Belgium, the French commander-in-chief General Joseph Joffre ordered an attack upon the centre of the German advance. The attack was to be spearheaded by the French Fourth Army comprising the Colonial Corps and II Corps. Simultaneously, the German army broke with the Schlieffen Plan and turned the 5th Army southwards towards the French border. The French Colonial Corps advanced towards Neufchâteau expecting the nearest German forces to be several days march away.

Advance elements of the 3rd Colonial Infantry Division (Léon Amédée François Raffenel) marching column clashed with German cavalry north of Rossignol and soon found themselves facing a strong defensive German position. After several bayonet charges through dense woods failed to make progress, French troops retreated southwards to Rossignol. The German 11th and 12th Divisions pushed around both flanks and engaged that part of the Colonial Corps still on the march. With the French II Corps behind schedule and unable to offer any support, German artillery destroyed the bridge at Breuvanne, the only means of reinforcing the 3rd Colonial Division at Rossignol. The German forces were then able to defeat the French troops remaining in the village. The remainder of the Colonial Corps pulled back to defensive positions.

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