a decisive result and could concentrate on conserving the French army. Subsequent operations On 30 September, a French division arrived at Arras and on 1 October was slowly pushed back from Guémappe, Wancourt and Monchy-le-Preux until the arrival of X Corps. Two more French corps, three infantry and two cavalry divisions had been sent northwards to Amiens, Arras, Lens and Lille, which increased the Second Army to eight corps, along a front of . On 28 September, Falkenhayn had ordered the 6th Army to conduct an offensive on the existing northern flank by the IV, Guard and I Bavarian corps near Arras and offensives further north. On 1 October, the French attacked to the south-east, expecting only a cavalry screen. Three German corps attacked from Arras to Douai on 1 October, forestalling the French. From costly German attacks were made on Beaurains, Mercatel and the Arras suburbs of St. Laurent-Blangy and St. Nicolas, which were repulsed and Lens fell. German attacks were made from the north of Arras to reach the Scarpe but were eventually repulsed by the X Corps. By 4 October, German troops had also reached Givenchy-en-Gohelle and on the right flank of the French to the south, several Territorial divisions were separated from X Corps. Joffre made Maud'huy's independent as the Tenth Army and told Castelnau to keep the Second Army in position, to wait while the increasing number of troops further north diverted German pressure. By 6 October, the Second Army front from the Oise to the Somme and the Tenth Army front from Thiepval to Gommecourt, Blaireville, the eastern fringe of Arras, Bailleul, Vimy and Souchez had been stabilised. The operation by the cavalry under Marwitz to the north of the 6th Army, had pushed back the French Territorial divisions to a line between Lens and Lille and on 5 October, Marwitz issued orders for the cavalry to advance westwards to Abbeville on the Channel coast and cut the railways leading south. At the end of 6 October, Falkenhayn terminated attempts by the 2nd Army to break through in Picardy. To the north, the I and II Cavalry corps attacked between Lens and Lille, were quickly repulsed and forced back behind the Lorette Spur. Next day the cavalry was attacked by the first troops of the French XXI Corps, advancing from Béthune. Notes Footnotes References Books Encyclopaedias Websites Further reading External links Battle of Albert