Battle of Terron
Part ofWorld War I
Czechoslovak Legion in France – fire throwers
Date 18–22 October 1918 Location Vouziers Result Czechoslovak Victory
Belligerents
Czechoslovak Legion	German Empire
Commanders and leaders
Armand Charles Phillipe Otakar Husák	Karl von Einem
Units involved
21st Czechoslovak rifle regiment 22nd Czechoslovak rifle regiment	3rd Army 242nd Infantry Division 1st Bavarian Division
Strength
6,000	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Total: 275[1] 196 killed 63 died of wounds 16 missing	Not fully known 27 captured[1] one 77 mm gun, 4 mortars, 6 heavy and 9 light machine guns were captured[1]

TheBattle of Terron (18–22 October 1918), sometimes referred to as the Battle ofVouziers, was aWorld War I battle during which the Czechoslovak Rifle Brigade of theCzechoslovak Legion in France was deployed around the French town ofTerron. Thisbrigade successfully fought against theGerman troops and successfully defended the captured positions.

In the summer of 1918, the newly created Czechoslovak Infantry Brigade inFrance took up position among the new Allied positions that were supplemented by new Allied troops on the Western Front of World War I in 1918. It was formed by the21st Czechoslovak rifle regiment [cs] under the leadership of Ch. Gillain and the22nd Czechoslovak rifle regiment under the command of A. Gardan. After completing it's training, it joined theFrench 53rd Infantry Division, which was part of theFrench 4th Army. The task of this troop was to cross theAisne River east ofReims and break into enemy German fortifications to tie up all German reserves. This should have enabled the attack of theAmerican 1st Army in the area ofBuzancy le Chesne, which would disrupt the entire German defense in the area of theMeuse River.^[2]

The Czechoslovak infantry brigade, which numbered 6,000 men, outnumbered theGerman forces in the attack zone. On 18 October, in the morning hours, the attack began. The 21st Infantry Regiment managed to occupy the village ofTerron-sur-Aisne on 20 October and break through to the zone ofGerman defense on the hills above the river. A further advance could mean disaster for theGerman army, so the Germans had to drive theallied forces back across the river at all costs. That's why they brought in reinforcements and went on the attack on 21 October 21. The Germans launched three counterattacks (also with the help of mustard gas grenades), during which the 1st Battalion of the 21st Infantry Regiment defended itself well, but was forced out during the third attack.However 2nd the battalion of the 21st Infantry Regiment intervened in the fighting. and the German troops fled before they could reoccupy the conquered territory.

The other Czechoslovak regiments also performed excellently. The 22nd Infantry Regiment fought fiercely near the village of Chestres (today a part of Vouziers) and it succeeded in occupying German positions and forcing the Germans to call in reserves. The units deployed here fulfilled their task when they tied up the reserves that the Germans lacked during the attack of the American troops. The performance of the Czechoslovak soldiers was highly rated and was also highlighted by the commander of the 4th French Army, General Goutaud. The fighting in theVouziers–Chestres–Terron triangle equaled theBattle of Zborov in terms of ferocity, commitment and casualties, even if it remained in its shadow. The later Czechoslovak general engineerOtakar Husák [cs] also took part in the battle, who was seriously wounded before in the Battle of Zborov on 2 July 1917.^[3]

The Terronská street in Prague-Bubeneč is named in memory of the battle.^[4] There is also a memorial plaque in the street.^[5]

Right in the village of Vouziers, in the part (originally a separate village) of Chestres, which is adjacent to the battlefield, there is a monument to the Czechoslovak legionnaires.^[6]

In 1938, the battle was commemorated with the issue of a Czechoslovak postage stamp (authors:Jindřich Vlček [cs],Bohumil Heinz [cs]).

• Hundred Days Offensive
• Poix-Terron

• Battles in 1918
• Battles of World War I involving France
• Battles of World War I involving Germany
• Battles involving Czechoslovakia

• CS1 Czech-language sources (cs)
• Use dmy dates from November 2024
• France articles missing geocoordinate data
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