Battle of Le Cateau

Significance

The Battle of Le Cateau was fought on the Western Front on 26 August 1914, when British II Corps conducted a delaying action against the pursuing German forces following Allied defeats at Mons and Charleroi. The action allowed most of the British Expeditionary Force to continue its retreat to Saint-Quentin, preserving the BEF as a fighting force during the critical early weeks of the war. The French Fifth Army was also withdrawing at this time, and the engagement served the broader Allied effort to avoid encirclement during the opening German offensive.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (4)