Col. Sylvain Andre of the 12e Regiment d'Artillerie led the remnants of his own command and men from many different units out of Maubeuge, where the fortress was surrounded by the Germans, toward the west. The forward elements of the retreating Groupement Andre forced their way through Blaregnies, but the rest of the column got stuck there. The forward elements continued on toward Conde-sur-Escaut, but soon ran into units from the German 260th and 269th Infantry Divisions, second- and fourth-wave units of relatively poor quality.

On the outskirts of the village of Thulin, the small French motorcycle recon group came under German fire. Col. Pierre Puccinelli of the 158eme Infantry Regiment, the commander on the spot, immediately pushed forward and took the village along with several German prisoners. The French then moved on to the railway 600 meters north of Thulin where German troops had formed a defensive line. The French attacked with fixed bayonets and gained the upper hand, but then German reinforcements arrived along with artillery support. The courageous French troops kept fighting but were soon overwhelmed, with Puccinelli wounded twice and captured.