Early on the morning of August 15, 1914, a French detachment of half an infantry regiment, thrown into Dinant, was surprised by a mobile Saxon advance force of cavalry, infantry and artillery.  Dinant lies across the Meuse eighteen miles south of Namur.  It is a picturesque ancient town, the haunt of artists and tourists.  In the vicinity are the estates of several wealthy Belgian families, particularly the thirteenth-century chateau of Walzin, once the stronghold of the Comtes d’Ardennes.  A bridge crosses the Meuse at Dinant, which sits mainly on the east bank within shadow of precipitous limestone cliffs.  A stone fort more imposing in appearance than modern effectiveness crowns the highest cliff summit overlooking Dinant.  The Germans came by way of the east bank to occupy the suburbs.  They presently captured the fort and hoisted the German flag.  Meanwhile the French took possession of the bridge, being at a considerable disadvantage from German rifle fire from the cliffs.  The solid stone abutments of the bridge, however, enabled the French to hold that position until strong reenforcements arrived early in the afternoon.  While French infantry cleared the environs of Germans, their artillery bombarded the fort from the west bank.  Their shells played havoc with the old fort defenses, soon compelling its evacuation by the Germans.  One of the first French artillery shells blew into shreds the German flag flying triumphantly over the fort, thus depriving the French of the satisfaction of hauling it down.  Toward evening the Germans retreated toward the Lesse, followed by the French.  In previous wars the forces engaged were of sufficient strength to designate Dinant a battle, but with the vast armies of the present conflict it sinks to the military grade of a mere affair.  However, it is called by the French the Battle of Dinant.

The troops which entered Alsace on August 7, 1914, to the number of 18,000 to 20,000, belonged to the army of the frontier.

This first army, which was under the orders of General Dubail, was intrusted with the mission of making a vigorous attack and of holding in front of it the greatest possible number of German forces.  The general in command of this army had under his orders, if the detachment from Alsace be included, five army corps and a division of cavalry.  His orders were to seek battle along the line Saarburg-Donon, in the Bruche Valley, at the same time possessing himself of the crests of the Vosges as well as the mountain passes.  These operations were to have as their theaters:  (1) the Vosges Mountains, (2) the plateau of Lorraine to the northwest of Donon, and (3) the left bank of the Meurthe.  This left bank of the Meurthe is separated from the valley of the Moselle by a bristling slope of firs, which is traversed by a series of passages, the defiles of Chipotte, of the Croix Idoux, of the Haut Jacques d’Anozel, of Vanemont, of Plafond.  In these passes, when the French returned to the offensive in September, 1914, furious combats took place.  The German forces opposed to this first army consisted of five active army corps and a reserve corps.