Further to the east, General Sordet’s cavalry corps, which was supporting the left wing of the British army to the east of the line Le Catelet-Roisel, sought to check the German advance, but was unable to prevent the enemy from reaching the outskirts of Péronne on the evening of the 27th. The cavalry accordingly withdrew to the south of the Somme.
On the 28th, the enemy took Péronne, and marched on Amiens. The cavalry corps fell back towards the south.
On the 29th, General Maunoury, in command of a new army (the 6th), made the necessary dispositions to prevent his left from being out-flanked, and to check the enemy, whose advance-guards nearest Amiens had reached Bray-sur-Somme, Chuignolles and Framerville. In the first line were placed:
A brigade of Moroccan chasseurs;
The 14th division of the 7th corps, from Alsace, which had detrained at Villers-Bretonneux on the 27th;
The 45th and 55th battalions of chasseurs.
On the right, in the direction of Nesle, were units of the 55th division.
The French attacked during the morning, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy, and capturing the village of Proyart. At the same time, the four territorial divisions moved up the Somme and established themselves in Amiens.
In the evening, the enemy counter-attacked in superior numbers. The 7th corps lost the positions won that morning, and withdrew to the south. From that moment, the town became exposed; the territorials evacuated it on the 30th, during the day, their rear-guard having several skirmishes with enemy patrols near Cagny.