In 2 days time in 1914 the French Army would lose 26-27,000 men killed in the Battle of the Frontiers but prior to that were 2 other battles that should have had or would have consequences,,,

The French Cavalry had been operating in southern Belgium since war was declared, with the 4e DC and 9e DC exploring N & W from the Semois valley

On the 19th they engaged with German cavalry patrols north of Neufchateau, informing Joffre that only light enemy forces existed before Langle de Cary's 4e Armée. This was the information on which the orders for the advance of 22/08 was based on....

....but on the 20th, in the same area they encountered two German Infantry divisions of the 18AK (25ID and 21ID). The elements of 9eDC engaged the Germans at Longlier before retreating under heavy artillery fire early afternoon

Unfortunately their supporting infantry (a battalion of 87e RI), having set off at 2.00am from near Jamoigne had only just arrived, after a march of 15 miles in 30C+ heat and exhausted by the previous days marches

Arriving near Hamipre, just E of Neufchateau, from the "Hill of Justice" Cdt. Cussac saw Germans occupying Longlier station and ordered an attack, just as the rest of 9eDC was withdrawing

Atypically they'd left their heavy packs behind with the support wagons but as they charged down the hill they got stuck on unseen barbed wire fences separating potato from cattle fields. With no wire cutters they themselves were cut down by 87IR in front and then 88IR from the E

The French lost 630, including around 200 killed, mainly from 87e (only one officer remained), including Cdt Cussac, Lt Blarel and Soldat Louis Rigault (468 below)

News of a German infantry presence wasn't acted on/ interpreted correctly by the French; on 22/08 Colonial Corps was told to advance in 2 columns to Neufchateau, expect no contact, regroup there before marching to engage the enemy...instead they would suffer their heaviest defeat

@Brynley_H @sommecourt @hildreth_roger @3468marsh Tomorrow I’ll tell you about the battle at Izel on 21/8/14 between French infantry and German cavalry, with their supporting artillery and its far-reaching consequences