Battle of the Trouée de Charmes

On 24 August, the Bavarian 6th Army began to attack in the direction of the Trouée de Charmes against the centre of the Second Army, as this was judged to be where the French were the strongest. The Germans captured Damelevières and Gerbéviller, then pushed the French from Vacquenat Wood, Clairlieu and Censal, from where they moved towards Bayon. The Second Army was able to limit the German advance, the French 74th Infantry Regiment in particular, fighting with great tenacity and Bavarian attacks on the Flainval plateau were repulsed. To force through the gap, the 6th Army moved troops to the centre from the flanks, which Castelnau exploited by attacking the German flanks with the 71st Division (General Émile Fayolle) and they were pushed out of Erbeviller, Réméréville and Courbesseaux. The right wing of the Second Army attacked the left flank of the Bavarians and managed to take Saint-Boingt, Essey-la-Côte, Clézentaine and Ménarmont.

During the night of 24/25 August, the French continued a bombardment and Castelnau concentrated the Second Army against the centre of the 6th Army. Castelnau launched an early morning attack to take Rozelieures; the attack succeeded but the Germans counter-attacked and retook the village. Castelnau attacked both German flanks with the XV Corps and XVI Corps. This had a devastating effect on the morale of the Bavarians, who had expected to be in pursuit of a defeated enemy. The Bavarian centre was kept under constant artillery fire by the French, and at 3:00 p.m., the French took Rozelieures again, the 6th Army suffering casualties of 2,500 men killed; on 26 August, Rupprecht ordered a retreat.

The Battle of the Trouée de Charmes was a victory for the French Second Army; in stopping the Germans from passing through the gap, Castelnau possibly saved the French from disaster,

Paris a été sauvé à la Marne, c'est parce que Castelnau avait vaincu à Rozelieures (If Paris was saved at the Marne, it was because Castelnau had won at Rozelieures).

— Maurice Barrès

The two sides regrouped and on 4 September fought the Battle of Grand Couronné when the Germans tried to capture Nancy. The Bavarians had to abandon their effort on 13 September; the front line in Lorraine remained quiet for the next four years.

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