Battle of Le Linge

This is a list of World War 1 Memorials and Cemeteries in Alsace.

The Western Front ran across the Haute Alsace, across Le Bonhomme, passing Le Ligne, on near Munster, Reichackerkopf and Sondernach. It passed through the Petit Ballon and Grand Ballon before reaching Le Vieil Armand (Hartmannswillerkopf) and passing a line through Thann and Cernay. It then ran its course to Altkirch and the Sundgau and the Swiss border.

While Alsace comprises the "départements" of Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin the front line just ran through the Haut-Rhin.

The fighting in this area in the 1914-1918 war can be divided into

Building up to the Mulhouse battle, the French offensive had started on 7 August, with an attack in Haute-Alsace and the seizure of the border town of Altkirch and very soon Bonneau's troops had taken Mulhouse. The French success was short-lived however and the Germans retook the city on 10 August after reserves had been rushed down from Strasbourg. Joseph Joffre, the French Commander-in-Chief, had also despatched a reserve division to assist Bonneau but they had arrived too late to save Mulhouse from recapture. Bonneau withdrew towards Belfort, the only fort incidentally to have held out during the Franco-Prussian War, on 10 August in order to escape German encirclement.

Bonneau's withdrawal to Belfort angered Joffre and he Immediately relieved him of his command. Joffre added four more divisions to the so-called 'Army of Alsace' and now placed it under the command of General Pau.

"CHILDREN of ALSACE! After forty-four years of sorrowful waiting, French soldiers once more tread the soil of your noble country. They are the pioneers in the great work of revenge. For them what emotions it calls forth, and what pride! To complete the work they have made the sacrifice of their lives. The French nation unanimously urges them on, and in the folds of their flag are inscribed the magic words, "Right and Liberty.". Long live Alsace. Long live France"

The French were by no means finished with, despite the 10 August failure, and a counter-attack followed on 19 August in the wealthy Mulhouse suburb of Dornach which forced the Germans to retreat to Ensisheim, 20 km to the north. However, on 24 August the French again withdrew from Mulhouse and, in a short time, after an unsuccessful contribution to the fighting at Morhange-Sarrebourg. Pau’s army was dissolved and its troops deployed northwards to participate in the Battle of the Marne. Joffre sent Pau to join Bonneau in "retirement".

...
Wikipedia