And while Marshal
Haig was finding such an exceptional second in General Anthoine, Petain,
now commander-in-chief, was aiding the British offensive by attacking
the Germans at other points on the front: on August 20 the Second Army
under Guillaumat was victorious on the Meuse, near Verdun, while the
Sixth Army under Maistre was preparing for the Malmaison offensive which
on October 23 secured for the French the whole length of the Chemin des
Dames to the river Ailette.
General Anthoine had had less than six weeks in which to see what he
could do with the ground, organize the lines of communication, and post
his batteries and infantry. But he had no idea of delaying the British
offensive, and on the appointed day he was ready. The line of attack for
the three armies was some 20 kilometers long, namely, from the
Ypres-Menin road to the confluence of the Yperlee and Martje-Vaert, the
French holding the section between Drie Grachten and Boesinghe. It had
been settled that the offensive should be conducted methodically, that
its objective should be limited, and that it might be interrupted and
resumed as often as should seem advisable.
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