La bataille du pont de Baccarat

During WW1, the Baccarat bridge was the scene of a deadly battle on August 25, 1914 (details available from the Baccarat Tourist Office).
In the early hours of the morning, the 86th Infantry Regiment from Le Puy-en-Velay attempted to regain a foothold on the right bank of the Meurthe. Three assaults were made on the bridge, while Bavarian troops had set up several machine guns, preventing the French from crossing.
Over 90 people were killed and as many wounded on the bridge. On this tragic day, in the fighting in and around Baccarat, the 86th R.I. lost a large part of its strength. As a result of the fighting, the business district (Rue des Ponts, now Rue Adrien Michaut) caught fire, and the work of destruction was then completed by hand by German troops.

From August 14, 1914, French forces (I and II Armies) crossed the border of 1870 and advanced into annexed Moselle against German troops who were only fighting a rearguard action. Success seemed inevitable.

Unfortunately, on August 19 and 20, the French found themselves trapped in front of Morhange and Sarrebourg, and were forced to retreat with heavy losses. The frontier was thus crossed again in the opposite direction. The French Army let its elite troops fight rearguard battles to delay the German advance, while the bulk of the forces retreated.

On the evening of August 24, after heavy fighting at Gélacourt and Merviller, the last French defenders left Baccarat and headed for Ménil-sur-Belvitte. The town was taken over by German soldiers. The Baden troops took up positions along the railway line at the Château des Cristalleries. The Bavarian troops, for their part, merely passed through and billeted in Badménil.

The watchword for August 25 in the French camp was to counter-attack along the whole line. A night attack was therefore decided in order to reinvest Baccarat and regain a foothold on the other bank of the Meurthe.

The colonials (5th and 6th R.I.C.), who had been fighting relentlessly for over a week, were initially alerted; but, given their extreme exhaustion, the attack was handed over to 2 line regiments. The 86th R.I., coming from Le Puy-en-Velay, will be in charge of the main attack. It will be supported by units of the 38th R.I. from Saint-Etienne. The troops set off at night and, on reaching the town gates, elements of the 38th took up positions opposite Badménil, in the Bois de la Rappe. This was to protect the left flank of the 86th R.I. from a Bavarian attack.
The first French soldiers entered the town, silencing the sentries lining the route between the town entrance (towards Rambervillers) and the large bridge. One sentry managed to escape, then alerted a patrol standing guard in front of the Hôtel du Pont and another guarding the footbridge to the crystal works.
The alarm was sounded at 3.45 am. Two companies managed to cross the bridge and head for the station, where they came up against the Baden line of resistance. In their haste, they left behind the Cristallerie, which they believed to be heavily occupied, and the Château, where the entire Baden General Staff was stationed.
On the terraces of the Château, facing the bridge, machine-gun fire soon made it impossible to cross the large bridge. Wave after wave of French soldiers tried to break through to join their comrades who had already crossed, but were pinned down by enemy fire. Some tried to ford the Meurthe, but were soon forced to withdraw. An attack was also attempted from the Cristalleries footbridge, but it came under heavy artillery fire. French machine-gunners took up position in the church tower, but were dislodged by cannon fire. All the attacks were courageous, though unsuccessful, and as it was impossible to cross the bridge, the men of the 86th began to withdraw mid-morning. This withdrawal was threatened by a German attack which had crossed the Meurthe to the east of Baccarat, and was beginning to climb the slopes of Deneuvre.
Elements of the 38th also had a tough morning. As soon as the attack on the great bridge began, the Bavarians stationed at Badménil set off to attack the 86th?s left flank. They were met by the 38th?s machine guns, which wreaked havoc on their ranks. Nevertheless, they reached the Bois de la Petite Rappe, where bloody hand-to-hand combat ensued.
The 38th gradually disengaged, having nevertheless fulfilled its mission of protecting the withdrawal of the last soldiers of the 86th from Baccarat.

Later in the afternoon, the 86th R.I. launched a new attack in front of Ménil-sur-Belvitte. Its leader, Colonel Couturaud, was seriously wounded and died a few days later at the Château des Cristalleries.
By the end of the morning, there were 90 bodies on the bridge and over 500 dead in and around the town, with almost a thousand wounded.
Many buildings were damaged, and the Rue des ponts was partially destroyed by the bombardment. In this street, what had been spared by the flames would be burnt down the next day by the Germans after a thorough looting.

German troops occupied Baccarat for 3 weeks, before withdrawing on September 12.
The front then settled in front of Badonviller for 4 years, making Baccarat a rear-front town where intense activity reigned throughout the war.

DATAtourisme France