ards . ▁On ▁ ▁J off re ▁ordered ▁out fl ank ing ▁man oe uv res ▁but ▁the ▁advance ▁was ▁too ▁slow ▁to ▁catch ▁the ▁Germ ans , ▁who ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁September , ▁began ▁to ▁dig ▁in ▁on ▁high ▁ground ▁on ▁the ▁north ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁A is ne , ▁which ▁reduced ▁the ▁French ▁advance ▁from ▁ ▁to ▁a ▁few ▁local ▁g ains . ▁French ▁troops ▁had ▁begun ▁to ▁move ▁west wards ▁on ▁ 2 ▁September , ▁over ▁und am aged ▁rail ways ▁which ▁could ▁move ▁a ▁corps ▁to ▁the ▁left ▁fl ank ▁in ▁from ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 7 ▁September , ▁the ▁French ▁Six th ▁Army ▁attacked ▁from ▁So iss ons ▁to ▁No y on , ▁with ▁the ▁XIII ▁and ▁IV ▁corps , ▁supported ▁by ▁the ▁ 6 1 st ▁and ▁ 6 2 nd ▁divisions ▁of ▁the ▁ 6 th ▁Group ▁of ▁Reserve ▁Div isions , ▁after ▁which ▁the ▁fighting ▁moved ▁north ▁to ▁L assign y ▁and ▁the ▁French ▁d ug ▁in ▁around ▁N amp cel . ▁ ▁The ▁French ▁Second ▁Army ▁arrived ▁from ▁the ▁eastern ▁fl ank ▁and ▁took ▁over ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁left - hand ▁corps ▁of ▁the ▁Six th ▁Army , ▁as ▁indic ations ▁appeared ▁that ▁German ▁troops ▁were ▁also ▁being ▁moved ▁from ▁the ▁eastern ▁fl ank . ▁The ▁German ▁IX ▁Reserve ▁Corps ▁arrived ▁from ▁Belg ium ▁by ▁ 1 5 ▁September ▁and ▁next ▁day ▁attacked ▁with ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Army ▁to ▁the ▁south - west ▁with ▁the ▁IV ▁Corps ▁and ▁the ▁ 4 th