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THE MILITARY ASPECT
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Clerfayt was late in moving and in crossing the river Lys, which lay between him and his objective.
When night fell, therefore, on the first day
Tourcoing. May 16 to 18, 1794.
The breakdown of the attempt of the Allies to cut off the French near Courtrai from Lille was due to their failure to synchronise. They should have been in line from A to B at noon of the 17th with Clerfayt at C.
of the action, a glance at the map will show that instead of one solid line advancing against the French from A to B, and the northern force in touch with it at C, the Allied formation was an absurd projection in the
