Battle of the Trouée de Charmes (6 h 8 min, 24 août 1914 ans – 14 h 12 min, 26 août 1914 ans)

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On 24 August, the Bavarian 6th Army began to attack in the direction of the "Trouée de Charmes" against the centre of the Second Army, as this was judged to be where the French were the strongest. Initially the Germans were successful and managed to take Damelevières and Gerbéviller, then pushed the French from Vacquenat Wood, Clairlieu and Censal, from where they moved towards Bayon. The Second Army was able to limit the German advance, the French 74th Infantry Regiment in particular, fighting with great tenacity and Bavarian attacks on the Flainval plateau were repulsed. To force through the gap, the 6th Army moved troops to the centre from the flanks, which Castelnau exploited by attacking the German flanks with the 71st Division (General Émile Fayolle) and they were pushed out of Erbeviller, Réméréville and Courbesseaux. The right wing of the Second Army attacked Rupprecht's left flank and managed to take Saint-Boingt, Essey-la-Côte, Clézentaine and Ménarmont.

During the night of 24/25 August, the French continued a bombardment and Castelnau concentrated the Second Army against the centre of the 6th Army and launched an early morning attack to take Rozelieures, the attack succeeded but the Germans counter-attacked and retook Rozelieures. Castelnau now again attacked both German flanks with the XV Corps and XVI Corps. This had a devastating effect on the morale of the Bavarians, who had expected to be in pursuit of a defeated enemy. The Bavarian centre was kept under constant artillery fire by the French, and at 3:00 p.m., the French regained Rozelieures from the 6th Army, which suffered casualties of 2,500 men killed; on 26 August, Rupprecht ordered a retreat.

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