Map of the plan for the Allied Offensive in France showing the situation on September 24, the eve of the infantry assault. An Anglo-French would attack eastward in Artois (with the British at Loos) as the French attacked northwards in Champagne. From 'Military Operations France and Belgium, 1915, Vol. II, Battles of Aubers Ridge, Festubert, and Loos' by Brigadier-General J.E. Edmonds.
Situation, 24th September 1915Showing direction of the Allied offensive
September 25 to 28, 1915
Western Front
The Second Battle of Champagne was one engagement of General Joffre's Champagne-Loos-Artois Offensive for the fall of 1915, intended in part to relieve the Russians who, since May, had been driven back hundreds of miles before the joint German-Austro-Hungarian Gorlice-Tarnow Offensive. Joffre launched simultaneous offensives against the German salient in northern France in the fall, with the French in Champagne, and British and French forces in Artois between La Bassée and Arras.
Including cavalry, reserves, and reserve Belgian divisions, the Allied offensive fielded 1,200,000 soldiers. During the planning, political leaders had been concerned that the shell shortage was not resolved, and that there would be inadequate artillery shells to support the offensive. Nonetheless, the Allies bombarded German forces through August and September, from Switzerland to the Belgian coast, with ships in the English Channel shelling the coast, and air raids on communications and supply lines. After this general bombardment, the Allies bombarded the German lines for four days before their advance on September 25.
In Artois, Field-Marshall Sir John French and Generals Douglas Haig and Plumer commanded a British army that was in large part the new soldiers of Kitchener's Army - the men who signed up in great numbers in the initial months of the war. The British tried to achieve some element of surprise by using poison gas for the first time. Although the British attack in the Battle of Loos had some success and the city of Loos was taken, the British had inadequate reserves to break through the German line.
South of the British line at Loos, General Ferdinand Foch led a French army front from Lens south to Arras. The French advanced in the Third Battle of Artois.
General Castelnau commanded the French Fourth and Fifth Armies in the Battle of Champagne, a total of 35 divisions, including African colonial troops. As in Artois, the attack was preceded by a four-day bombardment. The French achieved a “notable victory” in Champagne, advancing along a 15-mile front. Although the French took the German front line, the defenders had a second line of defense, and were able to prevent a French breakthrough. General Pétain suspended further attacks after three days.
Responding to the directive from of German Chief of the General Staff Erich von Falkenhayn to retake lost ground, the Germans counter-attacked on October 8 with a general attack along the Anglo-French line with four divisions, suffering heavy losses.
The French suffered 190,000 casualties while taking 27,000 prisoners and inflicting 100,000 casualties on the German defenders. Most of the Germany losses were in counter-attacks.
Start Date: 1915-09-25
End Date: 1915-09-28
