Battle of Hallue

French Northern Army

• The 22nd, with two divisions commanded by Major-General Derroja and Major-General Du Dessol
• The 23rd, with also two divisions commanded by Rear-Admiral Moulac and Major-General Robin

French Army tactical positions on December 19th

• The 1st Division occupied Vadencourt, Bavelincourt, Beaucourt and Béhencourt, keeping up the road to Arras.
• The 2nd Division kept Querrieu, Pont-Noyelles, Bussy, Daours and Vecquemont.
• The 3rd Division was in reserve; its 1st Brigade kept watch over the Somme river, on Corbie and Fouilloy and detached a regiment on Lahoussoye.
• The 4th Division in the making up, was put up round Corbie.

  Prussian Army

• The 32nd Brigade into Amiens.
• The 31st Brigade was just arriving on Sains and the field-artillery was on Ailly-sur-Noye.
• The 15th Infantry Division was along the La Luce river.
• The cavalry was on flank-guard from Rosières to Chaulnes.

  Skirmish on Querrieu, December 20

Battle on the Hallue valley, December 23rd

• The 15th Division must attack straight to the river, following an axle materialized by the Albert and Corbie roads.
• The 16th Division, by the roads in the north of Arras road, must outflank the right wing of French troops.
• An infantry Brigade is kept in reserve.
• Part of the cavalry Division must carry out the touch between the 15th and the 16th Divisions.
• Fresh supplies of troops, shall be launched in the battle as soon as their arrival.

Arms

Guns

Cannons

Prussian offensive

• At about 11 a.m. the 29th Prussian Brigade, accompanied by two hussar troops and two batteries, on the Albert road, ran against the French 18th light infantry battalion taking up Querrieu with the supply of three batteries.
• Two Prussian batteries, soon reinforced by other two ones, were placed in the south of Albert road; they started firing, and a particularly violent duel was launched. After an hour of firing, the Prussians took possession of Querrieu. The fight went on in Pont-Noyelles, vigorously defended by the 18th battalion of light infantry and two battalions of the 70th infantry regiment. Received by a nourished fire started by some units of the Gislain Brigade, posted on the left side of the river, Prussians were stopped on the east of the village.
• At the same time, more in the south, the 20th light infantry battalion of the Foester Brigade, keeping up the Bussy-lès-Daours village, was attacked on a concentric action from a battalion coming from the north, two companies and a hussar troop coming from the east. About 1 p.m. the French evacuated the village. In the afternoon, in the west of a line Querrieu-Bussy, 42 Prussian cannons were set over against the same number of French cannons posted on the left side of the river.
• Then, in possession of Bussy-lès-Daours, the Prussians moved forwards to Vecquemont and launched a vigorous attack; they came up to the 19th light infantry battalion and marines of Captain Payen Brigade, sustained on their right by the Foester Brigade. Under a hail of bullets, the Prussians were unable to progress. Manteuffel himself came onto the heights above Querrieu on the west, asked for artillery fresh supplies, which arrived at about 4 p.m. The French Payen Brigade was constrained to evacuate Vecquemont and held position on the left side of the river.
• In Pont-Noyelles, at about 3:30 p.m. the Prussians tried to climb the hills on the east of the river, but after a counter-attack conducted by a 70th regiment battalion and a company of the 101st mobile commanded by Captain d'Hauterive, bayonet charging, the French again took the village, but they were unable to keep it up.
• Far in the north, the Prussian 30th Brigade successfully attacked Fréchencourt; they were stopped by the fire guns of the 18th light infantry battalion and a battalion of mobiles coming down from Parmont wood. The Du Dressol Division held the heights.
• On the north of Fréchencourt, the 16th Prussian Division came from Amiens on the Doullens road to Poulainville and Rainneville without seeing anyone all along the morning. At 1 p.m. General von Goeben sent an order to Barnekow to turn to the right. Barnekow made his way to Beaucourt-sur-l'Hallue and Saint-Gratien.
• Passing beyond Saint-Gratien, the 31st Prussian Brigade received an order to reach Montigny-sur-l'Hallue. At about 3 p.m. the Prussians brought into action with the 2nd French Brigade of the Derroja Division; after the fall of Montigny, they pushed the French back towards Béhencourt, who, in their withdrawal, destroyed the Hallue bridges, but the Prussians, under strong fire, launched a foot-bridge over the river.
• With fresh supplies coming from the 32nd Brigade, the Prussians took possession of Beaucourt, Montigny, Béhencourt and Bavelincourt while their artillery took up position on the north of Fréchencourt. This artillery cannonade was without any success, the French artillery was on a higher position on Parmont wood and too far away.

  Battle in the dusk

• In the center, General Lecointe, having assembled all troops still organized, launched an offensive on Pont-Noyelles. Two successive attacks went ahead, but his troops, the 18th light infantry battalion and the 70th infantry regiment, not accustomed to night combat, had to withdraw, all the more that Manteuffel had launched two battalions to sustain his troops.
• In the south, the Foester Brigade succeeded in crossing the river between Querrieu and Bussy, but it was stopped by the fresh supplies sent by Manteuffel. At about 5 p.m. the Payen Brigade launched an attack to Vecquemont but was stopped in its turn.
• At 7 p.m. the battlefield was in complete darkness. The Prussians held all the villages in the valley and billeted there. The French Army was obliged to bivouac on its positions, by night on the heights where on snowy ground, the temperature fell to −8 °C and an icy wind was blowing without any obstacle.

  Withdrawal movement

Memorials