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1/ #OTD, 2 Jan 1871: In an attempt to relieve the siege of Péronne & secure a major #Somme crossing in order to keep a path open for a potential siege-breaking advance on Paris, in freezing conditions, the preliminary actions of the Battle of Bapaume - began:
2/ Closing upon Bapaume from the N & NW during the morning advance of the Armée du Nord, division Derroja (22e corps d’armée - général Alphonse-Théodore Lecointe), which formed the right flank of the advance, moved through Bucquoy & Puisieux. ...
3/ This forced the withdrawal of the German 3.Cav. Div, along with 3 companies, before his troops swung left & took Achiet-le-Petit without firing a shot. ...
4/ In the centre, division du Bessol (same corps) arrived unopposed at Ablainzevelle at mid-day &, to their left, division Payen (23e corps d’armée) advanced via Boisleux-au-Mont to Ervillers, where a brigade, under colonel Hippolyte Michelet, was detached to Behagnies. ...
5/ Confidently advancing in 3 columns on Behagnies, Michelet’s central column was surprised by a withering fire from the Prussian defenders of the village when the first houses were reached and was forced to withdraw in some disarray.
6/ After regrouping, a more cautious advance was made, by-passing Behagnies & taking Sapignies before moving into Behagnies from the S. Hit by fire from GER artillery & charged by cavalry, Michelet’s brigade was pushed out of Behagnies by early afternoon & returned to…
7/ …Ervillers – leaving 250 of their number as PoW’s in Behagnies. Michelet’s badly hit brigade was replaced in Ervillers by that of colonel Delagrange.
8/ A Garde nationale mobile division – ‘division Robin’ (23e corps d’armée) – failed to arrive on time as a consequence of getting lost around Croisilles during the move south.
At 5pm, the advance stopped for the night behind Biefvillers-lès-Bapaume & Grévillers.
At 5pm, the advance stopped for the night behind Biefvillers-lès-Bapaume & Grévillers.
9/ Faidherbe set up his headquarters at Achiet-le-Grand while the GER defenders, under the command of Gen. August Karl Friedrich Christian von Goeben, began to prepare their defences.
10/ With the Prussian 15.Inf-Div gathered in Bapaume, von Goeben began to set up defences along the line between Grévillers, Biefvillers-lès-Bapaume, Favreuil & Beugnâtre at 7pm.
11/ An infantry battalion, 4 cavalry squadrons & an artillery battery moved into Pys & further troops took over Combles & Bertincourt to form a reserve. Gen. Christof von Barnekow was also ordered to release 3 infantry battalions & 4 artillery batteries of the 16.Inf-division ...
12/ ... from the siege of Péronne & to make them available as support at Sailly-Saillisel. These troops had arrived in position by 9am the following morning when the main part of the Battle of Bapaume would begin.
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