Bloody Big Battles: The Great War The Retreat from Mons

DRAFT GERMAN ORDER OF BATTLE

First Army
T HE R ETREAT FROM
M ONS
General von Kluck, C-inC Anywhere.
Date: 25-26 August 1914
General von der Marwitz, Kavallerie Korps
History: After Mons the BEF fell back a 4 (T),FA Trnd Cav RR 2.,4.,9. Kav Divs Arrive from German W edge, any Turn.
short way to Bavay. On the night of 24/25
August, Sir John French and his staff ??, IV. Armee Korps
suddenly realised they risked being 6 (T),FA Trnd RR 7. Inf Div >6” N of British 5th Div, in same grid column.
doubly exposed, both by the withdrawal 6 (T),FA Trnd RR 8. Inf Div Ditto.
of the French army on their right, and by
their left flank hanging in the air. ??, III. Armee Korps
At dawn on 25 August, therefore, both 6 (T),FA Trnd RR 5. Inf Div >6” N of British 3rd Div, in same grid column.
corps of the BEF began what became a 6 (T) Trnd RR 6. Inf Div Ditto.
25-mile withdrawal to the line of the road 1 HA Ditto.
from Cambrai through Le Cateau. The
retreat was complicated by the Forêt de ??, IX. Armee Korps
Mormal dividing the two corps, and by 6 (T),FA Trnd RR 17. Inf Div >6” N of British 1st or 2nd Div, in same grid
poor coordination with their French 6 (T) Trnd RR 18. Inf Div column.
neighbours. 1 HA Ditto.

On 26 August, Smith-Dorrien’s II Corps ??, IV. Reserve Korps

had to withstand repeated German 6 (T),FA Trnd RR 7. Res Div May enter on German W Edge, per Scenario
attacks, with no support at all from Haig. 6 (T) Trnd RR 22. Res Div Rule 4.
Thanks to unsubtle German tactics, and
the arrival of the British 4th Division, not to (VII. Armee Korps, 2nd Army)
mention significant French forces to 6 (T),FA Trnd RR 14. Inf Div May enter on German E Edge, per Scenario
shore up the left, the British line held. Rule 5.

Victory Conditions: Victory is decided at

game end by who holds the three Total: 42-54 infantry, 4 cavalry,
objectives. 6-7 field artillery, 2 heavy artillery*
@ 3,000 men / 72 guns per base
British Victory: Germans hold no
Objectives.
*HA units represent the fact that about one
Draw: Germans hold 1 Objective. quarter of German divisions’ artillery was
German Victory: Germans hold 2 or 3 howitzer batteries.
Objectives.
Game Length: 8 x 4-hour turns
(T1-T4, 0500-2100 on 25 August;
T5-T8, 0500-2100 on 26 August).

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Bloody Big Battles: The Great War The Retreat from Mons

T HE R ETREAT FROM
M ONS BRITISH ORDER OF BATTLE
DRAFT British Expeditionary Force
SCENARIO RULES
1. During the retreat, civilians dug basic
trench lines for the British to fall back (C-in-C: Field Marshal Sir John French)
to. At the start of the game, the British
player declares possible positions for LtGen Sir Douglas Haig, I Corps One division of I Cps in each of the two grid
4 division-sized Rifle Pits, anywhere 6 FA Trnd RR 1st Division squares E of Bavay, not in the Forêt de
south of the Cambrai Road. During the 6 FA Trnd RR 2nd Division Mormal.
Night Interval, he chooses two of these
Rifle Pits to be placed on the table. Gen Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien, II Corps One division of II Cps in each of the two grid
6 FA Trnd RR 3rd Division squares W of Bavay, not in the Forêt de
2. At the start of the game, the top 12” of 6 FA Trnd RR 5th Division Mormal.
the West table edge and top 18” of the
East table edge are the “German W (Attach to either corps)
Edge” and “German E Edge”, as 6 FA Trnd RR 4th Division In Solesmes.
indicated by the German flags on the & 19th Independent Bde
map. At the start of each German
Movement Phase, roll D6 for each (French forces, not under BEF C-in-C)
edge. On 1-2, it does not change. On 2 HA Maubeuge garrison* In Maubeuge.
3-4, it extends 6” further south. On 5-6,
it extends 12” further south. MajGen Edmund Allenby, Cavalry Division Deploy in Night Interval, >12” S of German W
2 Trnd Cav RR Cavalry Division Edge, within 12” of W Edge.
3. The British Cavalry Division arrives
>12” S of the German W Edge, on any
Turn the British player wishes.
4. The German Kavallerie Korps arrives
from the German W Edge on any Turn *Actually 400+ guns and some 10s of 1000s
after the British Cavalry Division of troops in 15 forts and battery positions, but
arrives, or else in the Night Interval. with no offensive role in this battle.
Represented here as 2 HA able to fire in any
5. One unit of the German IV. Reserve direction.
Korps arrives from the German W
Edge on Turn 5 or later if the German
player wishes. The other unit of the
German IV. Reserve Korps arrives Total: 30 infantry, 2 cavalry, 5 FA, 2 HA
from the same Edge, but only if it can @ 3,000 men / 72 guns per base
arrive further south than all British units
within 18” of that edge.
6. The German 14. Infanterie Division
arrives from German E Edge on any
Turn the German player wishes, but
only if it can arrive further south than
all British units within 18” of that edge.
7. Only one German reinforcement may
arrive per Turn.
8. German tactics evolved rapidly during
the battle, from blundering columns to
more prudent infiltration. All German
units are therefore rated (T). This
means each unit is Tactically Inept
until it has lost its first base.
CAMPAIGN/SCENARIO OPTIONS
9. German HA and FA may combine their
If: No. Note.
fire with units of the same Corps.
British FA may only fire with its own
Division. French HA may only combine If: No. 2 players: ? hours.
fire with a British unit that starts or
ends its move in Maubeuge.
SCENARIO NOTES
10. British deploy first.
As.
11. British move first.
The.
12. Every infantry or cavalry unit on both
sides has MG rating (= 24 MGs).

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 DRAFT

Bloody Big Battles: The Great War The Retreat from Mons

From Mons

T5+? NORTH
IV RK

Garrison 1 grid sq
T? T?
Maubeuge = 8000m
(5 miles)
K.K. IX AK 14 ID

IV AK III AK

Bavai

3rd Div 2nd Div

1st Div
5th Div

To
Valenciennes
Berlaimont

T?

CavDiv
To
Avesnes

Forêt de
Le Mormal
Quesnoy
Maroilles

Landrecies

4th Div

Solesmes
Cambrai
Road

Possible
Le
Rifle Pit
Cateau
positions

Cambrai Possible
Road Rifle Pit
Caudry positions Sambre
To
Cambrai crossing

River
Sambre

© Chris Pringle 2015