#mangin

Colonel Mangin receiving the submission of a Zemmour leader in Morocco

August 20 1918, Soissons--Foch’s strategy, beginning with Amiens, had been to launch continued “freeing attacks,” continually attacking the Germans at different places along their line to put them off balance.  This continued on August 20 with an attack between Soissons and Compiègne by Mangin’s Tenth Army, which had seen heavy fighting attacking the German salient on the Marne the previous month.  Mangin, who had acquired a reputation for recklessness with the lives of his men at Verdun, had learned the lessons of 1916 and 1917 and had planned meticulously for his assault: troops would be moved up at night, air cover would prevent German reconnaissance, the preliminary bombardment would be short but intense, tanks would be used extensively, and the advancing infantry would employ assault tactics.  

Launched at 7:10AM on August 20, Mangin’s attack was a great success, capturing 8000 PoWs and advancing three miles.  For the Germans, this was a sign that the defeat at Amiens had not been a fluke; it seemed the Allies could win victories of a similar magnitude every two weeks.  Ludendorff called August 20th “another black day” and authorized a withdrawal behind the Oise, then the Ailette.  Mangin desperately wanted to follow up on his success, but Pétain refused to give him the reserves he asked for, seeing no need to be profligate with the lives of French soldiers when the Americans were on their way.  Nonetheless, by the end of the month the French had retaken Noyon (a town of great symbolic importance to PM Clemenceau) and captured more than 30,000 prisoners.

Today in 1917: French Offensive at Verdun Today in 1916: U-35 Completes Most Successful Submarine Patrol in History Today in 1915: Novogeorgievsk Fortress Surrenders Today in 1914: Germans Defeated by Russians at Gumbinnen

Professor Mangin steps in front of the students. 

Although she is a small woman, and the official headmasters robe of black, elegant fabric meet the ground by her feet as she walks, she looks tall and powerful. As she brings her wand to her throat, something Loriot never did, and starts to speak, it becomes obvious that her appearance is not the only thing that sets her apart from the old headmaster.