Colonel Sylvain Andre of 12e Regiment d'Artillerie, the highest ranking officer in Maubeuge Sector, took command even as the defense began to disintegrate. Madame Soixante-Quinze did her best to hold back the German advance so that other units could escape, but slowly Groupement Andre was forced to retreat as well. Abandoning the Boussois fort to its fate, he tried to get his troops across the Escaut River to relative safety. Unfortunately, the first leg of the way out led northward toward the Belgian border, and there he met the Germans again.

While entering Blaregnies the head of the French column encountered a German outpost, and with desperate energy the French pushed back the opposition and took the village. That night, Colonel Andre gave the order to escape to the west. Unfortunately, the German 1st Infantry had encircled Blaregnies in the darkness, and when the French encountered them, Andre ordered them to break out to the north and south. It was to no avail; Andre was killed at the head of his men, rifle in hand, in the initial encounter with the Germans. By 0600 the Germans were ready to counterattack. Four hours later, with no ammunition left, the remaining French troops launched a bayonet charge in an attempt to break out and reach Valenciennes. The stunned Germans gave way at first, but with German reinforcements on the way it didn't matter. Only small groups of French troops escaped.