September 9:
The First Battle of the Masurian Lakes begins in East Prussia as von Hindenburg's 8th army, having decisively defeated Samsonov at Tannenberg and pushed Rennenkampf's 1st Russian army north for two days, goes on the attack. Rennenkampf orders yet another withdrawal.
Indian Expeditionary Force "A" begins to arrive at Suez.
Belgium: King Albert's army attacks German forces outside Antwerp. Kaiser Wilhelm orders the capture of the port city.
The Marne: When French troops fall back under a German assault General Foch tells his officers they must rally their men and renew the fight. "You say you cannot hold on, and that you cannot withdraw, so the only thing left is to attack." The weary French troops do rally and return to their positions, then advance, only to find the Germans gone.
When German troops leave the village of Varreddes on the north bank of the Marne river, they take 20 elderly hostages as security for 20 wounded soldiers they were forced to leave behind. When two of them fall down exhausted, they are shot. Yet another has his skull crushed. Another man in the village is beaten by an officer until a shell lands on the house, killing the German. The 70-year-old Frenchman dies from his injuries dies two days after the French army retakes the town.
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“Never do anything you can't take back.”
—Rocky Russo
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