HPS Simulations Blog

Scenario Notes

Getting Started: The Guns of August

This scenario is meant to demonstrate the awesome firepower of the German siege guns against forts.

Many Belgian fortress garrisons surrendered from the siege gun bombardment. Instead of having Belgian units automatically withdrawn from the map, the surrendering procedure works perfectly when you disrupt *all* of the defenders of the fort with the siege guns, then surround and follow up with infantry assaults. When executed correctly, this procedure will yield large quantities of captured Belgian garrison troops.

Historically, the key forts that were blocking the roads into and out of Liège were “cleared” first so that the 1.Armee could advance unhindered. The last of the Liège forts would not fall until August 16th.

As war broke out on the western front, Germany raced to mobilize its forces to execute the Schlieffen Plan as soon as possible. During this "mobilization" period, it was recognized that the Belgian Fortress city of Liège needed to be taken in order to clear the route for the 1.Armee. A mixed force was comprised of various infantry brigades that were located along the frontier. These infantry brigades were from five separate divisions and were allotted cavalry, artillery and pioneers to comprise a combined arms force. When the German attack commenced, the Belgian 3e Division recognized the futility of the situation and made a run for the northwest, braving the swarming German cavalry patrolling the area. It was a risky strategy to be sure, but the Belgians succeeded in escaping the closing net. On the night of the 5th, the German infantry were in position to begin their assault. The infantry attacks were initially unsuccessful except for Infanterie.Bde.14 led by General Ludendorff. Ludendorff had taken command of the
brigade as the attack had faltered and led them through the defenses. By the next day Ludendorff's brigade had captured Liège itself.

1914_0804_01s: The Assault on Liège

This scenario covers the initial attack on Liège up to the point where the city itself was captured and the Belgian 3e Division escaped to the northwest. At this point it became a stalemate until the siege artillery arrived on August 12th.

Since the Germans attacked Liège while the rest of the troops mobilized, the infantry brigades involved in the attack were all at peace time levels, at approximately 75% strength.

On August 5th, Infanterie.Bde.14 will lose its HQ unit temporarily. Later in the day another HQ will arrive from Verviers which represents Erich Ludendorff. Ludendorff was a staff officer to von Emmich's Maas.Armee at the time and he seized command of the Infanterie.Bde.14 at the point in which the attack began to falter. Ludendorff personally led the brigade through the defenses around Fort de Fléron and captured the city of Liège. This action was to be the preliminary catalyst of his rise to power.

As the Maas.Armee approached Liège, General Leman, the Belgian commander at Liège, recognized the fact that expending the 3e Division in the defense of Liège would be a terrible error. On the morning of the 6th, Leman ordered the division to breakout and make a run for the west, braving the swarming German cavalry patrolling the area and link up with the Belgian Division de Cavalerie at Hallogne. The Belgians can indeed choose not to extricate the 3e Division, but this would pass up a large amount of VPs from the exit hexes to the west. The Belgian player is encouraged to exit this division as was historically the case, however, defending the fortress or a combination there of might also yield success. The worst case scenario would be the Belgians not being able to extricate themselves, and losing Liège as well.

Are the German cavalry divisions preventing the escape of the Belgian 3e Division? Try moving the division northwest to Ft Latin and deploying it. Once the division is deployed properly, no cavalry division will be able to stand in its way, but you most likely will
have to fight for the exit. If the German cavalry divisions attempt to block you then, with superior countering, you can inflict enough high VP point casualties to drive them off.

1914_0812_01s: The Battle of the Silver Helmets

Uhlan.Regt.9 is withdrawn from the scenario on the second turn to represent its recon and screening action to the northwest to hinder any possible Belgian attempt to flank the HKK.2 from that direction.

1914_0815_01s: A Crossing at Dinant

Keep in mind that the German are extremely limited in their river crossing options here. All German units, other than the bicycle jäger units, must cross at the heavy bridge at Dinant (the light bridges do not support horse or motorized units). The bicycle jäger companies, which begin the scenario combined into a battalion, should be reserved as a force to assault across the light bridges near either Yvior or Houx. They can also be sent south to Anseremme, or split into companies if needed. Utilize the other units available to soften up the crossing for this unit, and attempt to take the main crossing at Dinant by force.

A young French Lieutenant named Charles de Gaulle, of the 33e RI, was wounded in the clash at Dinant.

The commander of the German HKK.2 was the father of Manfred von Richtofen (aka. the Red Baron).

1914_0818_01s: Driving the Wedge

Historically, the Belgians withdrew to the River Dyle in the afternoon and early evening of the 18th, shortly after Haelen and Diest was taken by storm and their flank was exposed, with the 1er Division d.Armée being the primary force engaged. HRH Leopold II recognized that the Germans were trying to drive a wedge between his army and Antwerp and, shortly after the line along the Dyle was established, ordered a withdrawal. On the 19th of August his army conducted a skillful withdrawal to Antwerp, arriving there by the 20th and thus avoiding the trap.

This scenario ends at the point where the Belgians began falling back to Antwerp.

The main objective for the Belgians is to keep as many German units from exiting the map to the west, and, where possible, hold the objectives to prevent a total rout of the Belgian Army.

The Germans can choose to drive off the Belgian's left flank around Haelen by taking the objectives concentrated in that area; it is assumed that a successful wedge is driven between the Belgians and Antwerp if the Germans can take all of those objectives. The Germans can also choose to bypass the Belgian line and gain points by exiting units on the western map which is the route to Bruxelles. By doing this it should balance out any failure on the Germans to drive the Belgians away from Antwerp, but it will probably not gain them a major victory.

1914_0820_01s: Von Moltke's Indecisiveness

From turn the third turn on, two German and two French Corps will arrive along the length of the east edge of the map. Pay close attention to the protected hexes under the View > Shade menus. The French units will arrive first and then the pursuing German units will arrive the turn following. These arriving units represent the eastern tip of the French salient that was pushed back from about the vicinity of Diueze (10-20km off the east edge of the map).

The German 10.Ersatz-Div was deployed in this area in reserve. This unit has no release, and largely remained in reserve for the duration of this scenario. It is only included in this scenario for aesthetical purposes, and to provide a natural barrier or a force that can be released if the French somehow make contact with them (which is extremely unlikely). In other words, it is thought to be more accurate to include this formation than to just leave an empty area where this formation remained during the battle.

Even though the French were badly beaten in the frontier battles of Lorraine, the German counter offensive would force the French armies to retract to the west and it would be a big factor in Joffre's abandonment of Plan XVII. Rupprecht's counter offensive would place the French on the defense south of Metz. This shift in French posture allowed Joffre to transfer units west, thus creating another failure in von Moltke's execution of the (modified) Schlieffen Plan.

1914_0822_01s: Home Before the Leaves Fall

This campaign begins on the August 19th at a point where both sides were committed to their specific plans. Choosing any point earlier would results in an outcome that would never be close to the historical one (as the French player would certainly not commit to Plan XVII). Therefore, this scenario begins just after the long period of German marching on the wing and right at the moment that the French began to abandon Plan XVII. The battles in the period prior to this moment are all represented in separate scenarios (mentioned on previous pages).

This campaign ends when the Germans historically went on the defensive following their defeat at the Marne, covering the first day of what was historically the German withdrawal to the Aisne on the 10th of September (the campaign ends on the evening the 10th). This essentially grants the campaign one additional day beyond the Battle of the Marne where the Allies can push the Germans back, or the Germans can make up lost time, rather than just cutting it off at the moment in which the Germans began to fall back. Another reason why this campaign ends on September 10th is because a combination of things occurred to help draw this phase of the 1914 campaign an end. Besides the successful Allied counter offensive at the Marne, the weather began to deteriorate heavily on the 11th and both sides saw a large drop in supply as they exhausted the stockpiles that they had gathered for the short war, a war that was predicted to last only until the end of August. So, rather than have the "main event" (early phase) go out with a whimper with supply dropping, storms, and deteriorating ground conditions, it seeks to go out with a high intensity finale.

Historically, after the Battle of the Marne was decided on the 9th, the 10th-12th of September was the period in which the Germans retreated to the Aisne. The Battle of the Aisne historically began immediately following this point on the 13th, and it is covered in a separate scenario (#1914_0913_01s_Aisne). The Battle of the Aisne marked the “intermission” between the early campaign and the second phase of the war known as "the race to the sea". The race to the sea is beyond the scope of this campaign and there is a separate campaign covering this period as well (#1914_0917_01s_Campaign_Race). Once the race to the sea began, it was essentially a new phase in the conflict as both sides, having exhausted themselves, adopted a completely new strategy of turning the others flank as the rest of the front solidified.

Historically this campaign can be said to have ended in a draw with neither side victorious over the other; a victory to such a degree that would have forced an end to the conflict did not occur.

As the default Optional Rules suggest, this scenario (and all others) should be played with the Virtual Supply Trucks (VST) optional rule turned on. This rule creates a realistic situation where supply levels vary depending the location of the area in relation to friendly supply sources, where distance and the road and rail network play a factor. While this is not much of an issue in smaller scenarios with smaller maps, if this VST optional rule is turned off in this large campaign, then both sides will get their full supply no matter what the location of their units, which will cause unintended results. The outcome will be at a much higher intensity instead of the supply lines being realistically stretched with the advance.

The BEF begins fixed in the positions they historically were in at the battle of the Mons which occurred the next day. For the most part this is correct for the starting deployment but in the case of a few components, such as the 19th Infantry Bde who was just arriving to Valenciennes by train, the 22nd was spent arriving into those locations and creating hasty fortifications.

In order to ensure that the German attack and advance through Belgium proceeded according to the Schlieffen Plan, von Bülow (2.Armee) was given control over 1.Armee and 3.Armee on August 9th, an arrangement that had to be abandoned eight days later following disagreements between von Bülow, who was cautious by nature, and the aggressive commander of 1.Armee, von Kluck. However, even though the arrangement was abandoned, the HKK.2 (on the German extreme flank) would remain reassigned to 2.Armee. This resulted in poor cooperation with the cavalry and 1.Armee. The HKK.2 was reassigned to the 1.Armee shortly after the Battle of Mons.

The German GHQ, General von Moltke, begins the campaign off the map and arrives later on the August 30th. This is due to the fact that prior to August 17th, von Moltke.s HQ was in Berlin, and from the 17th to the 30th he relocated to Coblenz. Coblenz, the closer of the two points, is roughly 60km east of the map edge – a huge distance to say the least. Thus, during the crucial period of the campaign, von Moltke was over 200km from the critical areas where the fate of the campaign hung in the balance. This certainly contributed to the outcome of the campaign as it historically caused problems in the German chain of command. In the early stages of the campaign, all German armies are intentionally detached from OHL since OHL was well out of range. On October 30th, OHL arrives in the city of Luxembourg (at the little red school house) where it remains as a static unit for the remainder of the campaign.

The Royal Ordinance Survey created a map in 1920 that placed the German HKK.1 in the vicinity of Binche on August 23rd. In 1924 the Royal Ordinance Survey revised this map and placed the HKK.1 northwest of Namur, in reserve positions recovering from their previous actions. Germans sources also place them in this reserve location, so this is
where they begin the scenario. This is only mentioned because of the confusion created by early British maps.

The "non priority" areas of the front line in the southwest (around Nancy) have lower level supply sources which represent the fact that both sides were concentrating their main efforts in other places.

The Belgian field army HQ is fixed for the duration of this campaign within the fortified area of Antwerp. The reason for this is to discourage the Belgians from going on an all out offensive. By fixing the field army HQ, as well as the overall Belgian HQ, any a-historical all out offensive will come with a disadvantage of risking the loss of valuable objectives within Antwerp (if the region is vacated), objectives which historically all remained under Belgian control for the duration of this campaign, and it ensures that subordinate formations will be out of command if they stray too far from Antwerp. The position of the fixed superior HQs should still allow (and encourage) periodic limited attacks and demonstrations out of Antwerp.

See the notes on the 1914_0822_02s and 1914_0822_03s scenarios (below) for information on the details concerning the Charleroi and Ardennes sectors.

This campaign works well as a TCP/IP team based game of eight (Allied) versus seven (German). The Allied players should consist of #1 [Overall commander (Joffre) & 9e Armée (formed later) & GQG Réserve & Les défenses mobiles du nord-est & Réserve Régional & Réserve Territoriale], #2 [Belgian Army], #3 [BEF], #4 [IIe Armée], #5 [IIIe Armée], #6 [IVe Armée], #7 [Ve Armée], #8 [VIe Armée & Armée de Lorraine & Gouv. militaire de Paris]. The German players should consist of #1 [Overall commander (von Moltke) & OHL Reserve], #2 [1.Armee], #3 [2.Armee], #4 [3.Armee], #5 [4.Armee], #6 [5.Armee], #7 [6.Armee]. A PBEM team based game could consist of three (Allied) versus two (German), with Allied players consisting of 1# [Belgian Army], #2 [BEF], #3 [French Army (with additional players splitting up the French forces)], and the German team should consist of #1 [1.Armee & 5.Armee & 6.Armee], #2 [2.Armee & 3.Armee & 4.Armee], with additional players splitting up the forces from there but, for the sake of historical accuracy, 1.Armee and 2.Armee should not be controlled by the same player in a team based game and overall command should not fall under the player that controls 1.Armee.
Code: (74.050)

1914_0822_02s: Lanrezac, the Defiant

The scenario begins just after the bloody French assault towards the Sambre was halted. Historically the French surged forward to destroy the German bridge heads on the south side of the river and they expected to drive the Germans back at the point of the bayonet. The assault failed and the ensuing German counter attack nearly caused the rout of the entire Ve Armée. It was only the timely arrival of the XVIIIe Corps that ultimately prevented it.

On the evening of the 22nd, the Ier Corps was given orders to move to and strengthen the crumbling line to its northwest. Hours later this order was cancelled ordering them back to their positions on the Meuse. Some historians say this was a huge mistake on Lanrezac's part, and this allowed von Hausen's troops to cross the Meuse at Dinant. However, at the time, the Prussian Guard was threatening to destroy Lanrezac's centre and he was unsure if the XVIIIe Corps would arrive in time. When playing against an AI allied opponent, the AI will issue these historically countermanding orders. However, with a human player as the Allies, you can decide to leave the Ier Corps on the Meuse, to commit it to the assistance of Xe Corps, or even decide to send a portion to assist the Belgians in Namur. Any approach you take though will no doubt center on what to do with the Ier Corps since, no matter how you look at it, the situation will grow increasingly desperate with each passing turn.

Historically, Sordet's Corps de Cavalerie was falling back from Gambloux, in hot pursuit by the Germans. Sordet's troopers rode almost completely around Belgium since the war began, and because of this they were exhausted at the time of this battle. Sordet's troopers were to move into an area south of Thurin to thwart any German breakthrough in that area and to rest and reorganize briefly before high tailing it off again. Their rest would last approximately two days before taking flight again on a twelve day exhausting ride from Thurin to Paris that almost drove Sordet.s mounts and troopers into the ground (Sordet was later sacked and replaced by General Bridoux on September 8th).

The 4e GDR is located in reserve and took no part in the heavy fighting (although it did see some minor action on the 23rd). On the 23rd the 4e GDR moved north to the Sambre (north of where it starts) and took up position to oppose the approaching German formations, where the 4e GDR essentially acted as a deterrence to any major German activity in that area. In this scenario, the 4e GDR is fixed in the area where it was historically assembling (in the vicinity of Beaumont). This unit has a moderate chance of release and has a fail safe triggered release so that it will release when the Germans get an LOS to a unit in that organization if they push hard on the Sambre, and their normal release is such that they will be allowed to become active at around the historical time if the Germans do not trigger their release. Two cavalry units from the 4e GDR are deployed overlooking the Sambre forward of the formation and act as the triggering release mechanism for German units which advance to the Sambre in this area. The entire 4e GDR is withdrawn on the 24th, which is the day when the formation disengaged and began moving south to Maubeuge.

The Belgian 4e Division d.Armée is withdrawn on the night of the 23rd, as it historically withdrew south across France and embarked by ship for Antwerp. This division would not make it to Antwerp until after the Battle of the Marne.

On the night of the 22nd, the German 13.Infanterie-Division becomes fixed in place. This was done because historically it moved into the Binche area and remained there to cover the flank of the 2.Armee against the BEF (see the Mons scenario which takes place on the following day). This division then assisted in the attack against the BEF there on the 23rd. Two approached were considered here. The first option was obvious, to simply have the 13.Infanterie-Division withdraw on the night of the 22nd. The only problem is that even though this division did not play any role in the fighting in this scenario after this point, removing it from the map would leave a huge gap in the German right flank, which could allow some "gamey" movement on the part of the French or, at the very least, it would leave Binche open and require more German units to move there to secure it. This of course would not make sense given that the 13.Infanterie-Division remained in the area. It is rationalized that if the French try to do something bold on the 23rd to the degree that they move along the map edge toward Binche, then the 13.Infanterie-Division would get released again by line of sight and would use its full force to counter that movement, rather than conducting their historic attack on the BEF right.

1914_0822_03s: Offensive à Outrance!

The Battle of the Ardennes officially began on the 21st when Joffre first issued the order to the IVe Armée to attack into the Ardennes. However, the entire day was spent marching north. This scenario begins just as the Germans and French were making contact on the morning of the second day.

The French advance has been likened to a "flight of steps" with each corps offset in a descending “stair” pattern from west to east. The intent was that each corps would be able to turn and face any threat from the east if needed, and for any two corps to theoretically be able to come to the aid of the other. In reality, it was to become a fatal flaw in that if one corps in the pattern of steps was routed, then the rest would come down like a house of cards. Historically, three French corps (the Colonial Corps, XVIIe Corps and Ve Corps) were to be dealt a crushing blow which would in turn cause gaping holes to develop in the French line.

In almost every place, the deployment of the front line formations are about two or three turns ahead of where they historically began on the morning of 22nd of August. On average, the front line deployment is what it would have been on the 1200 turn. This was intentionally done so as to "force" both sides into the historical situation they found themselves in after first contact was made. Because of hindsight and game play considerations, if this approach was not taken then the fighting in the Ardennes would in no way represent even a vaguely historical outcome; the French would likely pull back immediately without suffering a single loss. The obvious disadvantage of this approach is that it allows three more turns of fighting in the Ardennes than was historically the case. However, this disadvantage is offset by the fact that it forces at least three turns of "hindsight free" combat before the French can break off and start acting more intelligently than was historically the case (since the French player is fully aware of the German strength). In this case, an accelerated a-historical setup is more important in order to create a historical flow of the battle.

Near Rossignol (35,37), the French 3e Division d'Infanterie Colonial (DIC) was in a bad position. Specifically, the division was split as one of the brigades was ahead of the other and advancing on Neufchateau. To make matters worse, the division's elite cavalry regiment was behind the infantry advanced guard and was not used for reconnaissance. This was mostly because the 3e DIC was convinced that its right flank was secured by the 4e Division d'Infanterie, which had falsely reported its location that morning. Historically, the separated brigade was hit in the flank as it advanced and promptly fell back towards Rossignol, but it was too late; the brigade was cut off from the remainder of its division at the Semois River by the German Infanterie-Brigade.22. Prior to the battle, General Lefevre, the Colonial Corps commander, was ordered to keep his 2e DIC in reserve at Jamoigne, despite repeated pleas to IVe Armée HQ for its release. The blame can certainly be equally placed on the army, corps, and division level commanders, but the fact is that most of the 2e DIC sat in reserve the entire day while the 3e DIC was systematically destroyed. By nightfall the 3e DIC, an elite fighting force, had ceased to exist and an entire brigade was completely overrun in a climactic battle at Rossignol. It was a tragedy of the highest order, one in which over 11,000 veteran colonial French soldiers would be lost. The event of the day would cause the name "Rossignol" to evoke French memories similar to American memories of the Alamo, or the Little Big Horn, but on a much grander scale.

For lack of a better term, think of this scenario as a Pearl Harbor type situation for the French. The French were basically surprised with the meeting engagement and the German commander's main intent should be to capitalize on this as much as possible in the first few turns. The Germans must cause maximum havoc and damage before the French can recover, reorganize, fall back or press forward. There are great expectations placed on the Germans in this scenario to eliminate a large quantity of French forces as was historically the case, as well as the expectation that they will both take and hold the same objectives that they historically held and captured (the historical result is assumed to be a German victory). The French commander must not have a weak stomach: he will take heavy losses as was historically the case but if the French can save some of the units that were historically destroyed, as well as capture some German objectives and prevent the Germans from taking several French ones, then you will stand a good chance of winning.

This was to be Erwin Rommel.s first battle. At the time of this battle, the twenty-two year old Leiutenant commanded the 1st infantry platoon in the 7.kompagnie, II.Battalion, Infanterie-Regiment.124. He and his unit fought in a famous action in and around the town of Bleid.

This was also to be Freiherr Manfred von Richthofen's first battle (the future Red Baron). Von Richthofen was a young lieutenant in Ulanen-Regt.1 which was part of the 9.Infanterie-Division. On 21 August, von Richthofen was part of a 15 man cavalry patrol which was sent out to locate the French. Upon seeing a French patrol of Dragoons, von Richthofen's patrol charged and came across French infantry. Von Richthofen and four other men were the only ones able to escape on horseback, the others returned later on foot or were killed. It was an obscure and nearly fatal beginning for the man that would become the greatest ace and one of the most well known people of the Great War!

1914_0823_01s: The Contemptibles Make Their Stand

This scenario covers the entire clash at Mons, including the second day when von Kluck attempted to turn the British left flank and push the BEF towards Maubeuge.

The entire British I Corps will be withdrawn on the morning of the 24th to simulate their withdrawal to the southwest (see the map label and impassible area east of Maubeuge which shows their fallback position). This is done because the I Corps historically started withdrawing south before the II Corps received orders to do so, which left the latter exposed on the right flank. The scenario design rationale here is that if the I Corps in not withdrawn from the scenario, then the British player has no reason to do so themselves since historical issues do not have to be taken into consideration (such as the French withdrawing on the BEF.s right at Charleroi, and the German cavalry moving around the BEF.s left flank). With the I Corps' forced withdrawal, then the II Corps must begin falling back to avoid being flanked, and other units may have to be sent to cover its flank.

Historically, part of the British 4/Royal Fusiliers was deployed in the town of Nimy, but this was actually only a small portion of the regiment. The other 4/5ths of the regiment was deployed facing west on a north-south line from Nimy to Mons along the Canal du Centre. Since the majority of the regiment was not located in Nimy, and since the regiment cannot break down into companies, it would make perfect sense to deploy the regiment in the average position of all of its companies (which would be one hex south of Nimy). However, this would be impractical in regards to the historical context that the regiment fiercely opposed the bridge crossing in the town of Nimy, and would allow the Germans to walk across the canal relatively effortlessly. Therefore, to make the scenario more historical, the 4/ Royal Fusiliers must be placed entirely in Nimy in order to hold the bridges in a historical manner.

1914_0823_02s: First Clash at Mons

This scenario covers the first clash between the BEF and the Germans between Jemappes, Nimy, Obourg and la Bois Haute.

Historically, part of the British 4/Royal Fusiliers was deployed in the town of Nimy, but this was actually only a small portion of the regiment. The other 4/5ths of the regiment was deployed facing west on a north-south line from Nimy to Mons along the Canal du Centre. Since the majority of the regiment was not located in Nimy, and since the regiment cannot break down into companies, it would make perfect sense to deploy the regiment in the average position of all of its companies (which would be one hex south of Nimy). However, this would be impractical in regards to the historical context that the regiment fiercely opposed the bridge crossing in the town of Nimy, and would allow the Germans to walk across the canal relatively effortlessly. Therefore, to make the scenario more historical, the 4/ Royal Fusiliers must be placed entirely in Nimy in order to hold the bridges in a historical manner.

1914_0824_01s: Flank Guard at Elouges

The battle begins just after the failed cavalry charge on the Sugar Factory (which would have been around hex 8,7) by the British 9th Lancers and 4th Dragoon Guards. Following that, the British cavalry retired east to Elouges where they were subjected to more German fire.

The Cheshire would fight stubbornly and almost hold to the last man. The Cheshires, who at the start of the battle mustered over one thousand soldiers, would suffer severely. At role call the next morning only two officers and two hundred men would answer to their name.

1914_0825_01s: The Rage of Dreaming Sheep (1st Sortie)

The Belgian's first sortie made good progress but it was abandoned with the Belgian retirement back to Antwerp on the 26th of August. Arguably the Belgians could have broken out of Antwerp during this battle but they historically called off the sortie when it was learned that the BEF and French were falling back after the Battles of Mons and Charleroi. Another reason for the decision to withdraw was because the Belgians were informed that Joffre was suspending allied counter offensive operations until a later date. This meant that any breakout of Antwerp would essentially not accomplish much since the Belgian Army would be completely on its own.

At the time of this scenario, the 4e Division d.Armée was still extricating itself from Namur, so it was not present during this battle.

1914_0826_01s: Taking One for the Team

The British 1/Duke of Cornwall's and 1/East Surrey were historically formed up on the road southeast of Le Cateau (34,18) when the action began. At 0600 hours, just as the order came for these two units to move south, these two units began to take fire from Germans who had managed to move into town and around their flank. The British suffered around 200 casualties before falling back to the southwest of town, along the valley to the main British line. For several hours a desperate battle echoed through the narrow valley, unseen by anyone else along the entire British battle line.

Since the historical battle saw the British fall back from their initial positions by the end of the 26th (to the Haucourt-Ligny-Bertry-Honnechy line), and since there is no way to encourage the British user to actually do so in such a short scenario where there are no strategic aspects to take under consideration, this scenario effectively ends after nightfall. This is the point when the British historically began to fall back from the line because of strategic considerations (they needed to disengage so that they could continue the retreat). This makes this scenario very busy, yet short and sweet. The German user should be mindful of this and should do everything he can to "soften up" the British positions at the objectives for an assault on the final two turns. Be careful not to spend your force early on.

On the British left flank of the battlefield the 1/Royal Lancaster was caught alone in the open and, as the morning fog lifted, they were cut to ribbons by fire from 21 German machine guns and over 36 field guns. After their double envelopment by two jäger battalions, the British 1st Warwicks and others rushed forward to save them. Among the soldiers of the 1/Warwicks was a young junior officer named Bernard Montgomery.

Most of the British 4th Infantry Division starts the battle as disrupted. Although it was fresh, it had marched into position during the night and at least one of the brigades (the 11th) got disoriented and lost their way, and the remainder of the division could be said to be in a state of disruption.

Historically, Sordet's Corps de Cavalerie was located in the vicinity of Lesdain but, as soon as day broke, it galloped off to the west through Banteux. It then supported the 84e Division d'Infanterie Territoriale near Cambrai until the evening. In this scenario, it is understood that Sordet's Corps de Cavalerie has already left and his exhausted troopers will return in the evening near the end of the battle.

As the Germans, avoid sending the 22.Reserve-Division into the line. It was historically used to cover the German right flank around Cambrai, to protect the forces fighting in this sector for the arriving French cavalry (see the map label for where they arrive). Also, be sure to turn on the Protected Hex shading to see both where the French cavalry arrive and which areas to avoid. If you have units located in this protected area when the French cavalry arrive, then your units will be broken. This prevents "gamey" behavior of the Germans being able to sit in their arrival area as a method to block the French from
arriving. If the French cavalry are blocked properly then they will play little effect on the battle, but if they are not blocked properly then they may be able to wreak havoc on the flank.

It is interesting to note that Smith-Dorrien's decision the night before to stand and fight triggered Sir John French, in his pessimistic and depressive state of mind, to write the II Corps off "as good as lost" to the enemy.

For the sake of honoring the memory, it must be mentioned that if you look to the northwest of the map you will see Cambrai. The events the 1914_0826_02s_Cambrai scenario are occurring at precisely the same moment as this scenario is unfolding. If you play both scenarios it is easy to see how the bravery of the men of the French 84e DIT, a territorial unit made up of reservists, and the Corps de Cavalerie helped save the British II Corps. It is not difficult to speculate that had the 84e DIT not fought off the elite German II.Armeekorps in that area, then the II.Armeekorps would have been able to flank around the rear of the British II Corps, making it impossible for them to extricate themselves. It is tragic how little has been written about the action at Cambrai, and how it has been completely overshadowed by the battle at Le Cateau.

1914_0826_02s: Unwritten Valor

The Germans will receive bonus points for exiting units at the south of the map. This represents the intended long flanking movement being a success, which would have placed the German II.Armeekorps deep behind the BEF line at Le Cateau (the #1914_0826_01s_Le_Cateau scenario occurs just off the east of this map).

The French Corps de Cavalerie will arrive during the course of the scenario but it has a possibility of being withdrawn again. Pay close attention to the withdrawal announcements in the Command Report so that you are not caught off guard when the cavalry units are withdrawn. It is a good idea to fall back with the 167e Brigade of the 84e DIT immediately, so it can be in a position to cover the areas that are left vacant when the Corps de Cavalerie is withdrawn. The French 5e Division de Cavalerie has a very low change of being withdrawn, so that it becomes likely that it will remain for the duration of the scenario. This is done so that this division can be used to hold off the Germans moving towards the exit hex. However, it is still possible that this division too will be withdrawn so the French player should have a contingency plan if this happens. Historically, the Corps de Cavalerie withdrew to move east to assist the BEF at Le Cateau. See that scenario for when this occurred. The quick arrival and departure of the Corps de Cavalerie should give some insight on just how frantic General Sordet was moving his corps from place to place, never really staying around long enough in once place to make his presence truly effective.

1914_0829_01s: French Morale Restored

The remainder of the German VII.Korps (specifically the 14.Infanterie-Division) was located off to the west of the map along with the HKK.1. These units were positioned to cover the flank of von Kluck's 1.Armee and were in screening positions in front of the BEF, who was positioned in the vicinity of La Fère.

The battered BEF to his west, being in no condition to support the French attack, would use the entire day of the 29th for some much needed rest. It is arguable that the French Ve Armée was in just as bad of shape as the BEF, yet Sir John French's paranoia and pessimism kept him out of the battle.

Although the battle that ensued was a tactical French defeat, it would be regarded as a strategic victory because it would briefly check von Bülow's 2.Armee, and allow the allies to resume a more orderly withdrawal and gain some much needed rest from the German brief operational pause while the 2.Armee recovered.

1914_0901_01s: A Desperate Rear Guard

In the historical battle, the British 6th Brigade turned back north to cover for the 4th Guards Brigade as it began to become overwhelmed. The 6th Brigade was positioned slightly south of Villers-Cotterets, just barely off the map edge, and does not take part in this scenario.

1914_0905_01s: Uncovering the Enemy's Hand

According to the impression left by orders issued from GQG, the French were not expecting any contact to occur west of the Ourcq. At the start of this battle, the French were marching east towards the Ourcq and were just stopping to rest and prepare for lunch.

With the exception of the Battle of Le Cateau, the IV.Reservekorps saw little action since the start of the conflict, being tasked out for various details, lines of communication security, and the occasional siege. As a matter of fact, a brigade of the 22.Reserve-Division was returning from being tasked out to security of Bruxelles. Von Gronau's troops were itching to prove themselves and were in good condition.

Von Gronau's spoiling attack disrupted the French advance and eliminated the element of surprise, thus allowing von Kluck to start taking immediate action on the night of the 5th/6th to counter it. The result of the Battle of the Marne could have been far worse for the Germans had von Gronau not made this vital decision. Von Gronau's decision to attack has often been compared to von Alvensleben at the Battle of Vionville in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.

1914_0906_01s: Miracle at the Marne

This scenario represents what is historically known as The First Battle of the Marne, and, rather than only covering the famous Paris sector, it covers the entire battle from Paris to Verdun. After careful consideration it has been determined that the Nancy sector would not be covered in this scenario. While it is true that the battle raged around Nancy during the battle of the Marne, the Nancy sector was largely stagnant in comparison to the mobile action to the west. Also, it was felt that by expanding the battle to the relatively stagnant Nancy area, the scenario would bog down and be too large to be enjoyable. This is especially true since this was the point in which both sides began drawing away forces from the Nancy sector which means that as the battle progresses it would become less eventful.

The scenario begins at what is largely recognized as the start of the battle, when the French counterattack from Paris began to seriously develop. It is important to understand that the battle actually began the day before near Iverny which is represented in another scenario. During that battle, the French had stumbled into the force which von Kluck assigned to screen his flank from any minor patrols or raids from Paris. In reality, the clash around Iverny served to warn von Kluck of a major French attack and, by the time this scenario begins, he was already sending the II.Armeekorps north to aid his screening force.

The scenario ends at the point in which the Germans began to withdraw to the Asine (evening of September 9th). It is rationalized that if the Allies can get a victory by this point then the Germans would historically retreat to the Aisne. If not, then the Germans probably would have redirected the 1.Armee towards Paris or gotten a breakthrough at some other point between Melun and Verdun.

It is uncertain what precise role Sordet's Corps de Cavalerie played in the fighting on the 6th of September as it does not appear to be mentioned in any French sources. It is practically certain that it was still south of the Seine (southwest off the map) refitting from its exhausting one month ride through France and Belgium. It is recorded that an ad hoc cavalry brigade (brigade de cavalerie Gillet) was located between the French and BEF. Sordet's Corps de Cavalerie did arrive later to help secure VIe Armée's left flank. It is almost impossible to determine the exact composition of the brigade de cavalerie Gillet, but some educated assumptions have been made. What is known is that it was an ad hoc unit comprised of a mix of eight cavalry squadrons which were hastily thrown together.

The German 4.Kavalerie-Division on von Kluck's flank was a shell of its former self. It suffered severely in a clash with BEF cavalry (primarily the 1st Cavalry Brigade) at Néry on the morning of September 1st.

As a result of the Battle of Iverny, the German II.Armeekorps has begun to march north to relieve the IV.Reservekorps, now withdrawn to Trocy.

The French 63e DR of Groupe Ebner remained in Paris for most of the duration of this scenario. The 63e DR, Bde de Fusiliers Marins and the RMCIC (Spahis cavalry brigade) all began moving on the afternoon of the September 8th to a line Dalmartin - Montge. They were sent to form a second line of defense in that area. These units have been left out of the scenario since they were tasked with defending the rear area of the VIe Armée, because they would arrive so late in the scenario (they would have arrived in the area on the morning of the 9th with five turns remaining). From a design point of view it is better to leave these units out rather than allowing the possibility of an allied player sending them into a final rush.

The French 7e DI is the unit that historically arrived by taxis from Paris. In the annuls of history this event has been exaggerated to mythological proportions. Historically the infantry component of this division was sent by Paris Taxi while the rest of the division was sent by rail. Since the sudden Paris Taxi movement cannot be represented in the game (other than having them magically appear at their destination). The Taxi transport is abstractly represented by giving the infantry brigades a head start over the other elements in the division, therefore the infantry arrives several turns prior to the rest of the division.

The BEF cavalry brigade locations have been pinpointed using war diaries and, as such, they do not agree with official GHQ situation maps of the day. This disagreement is exists because on the night of the 5th, the majority of the brigades were located behind the BEF (since they were formerly in front of the BEF's direction of travel to the south) --which is more or less where the GHQ situation maps has them. However, during the late evening of the 5th, the cavalry brigades were ordered to move north and to the east flank. At some point during the issuance of orders and the actual movement is where the contradiction occurs. With that in mind, it is more accurate to go with war diary locations than the situation maps.

The BEF is in terrible condition regarding its fatigue. This was done because at this point it had been marching for thirteen straight days with only one day of rest over a distance of one hundred and thirty-six miles. Although the French Ve Armée was suffering from a similar situation, its retirement was better managed. To put it bluntly, the BEF was near a state of total exhaustion from the retreat and the constant harassment from the German 1.Armee. One British officer summed it up at the time, "I would never have believed that men could be so tired and so hungry and yet live." At various points Sir John French made the BEF's withdrawal seem more like a hopeless rout with (mentally) the only good destination being the nearest channel port. Historically the BEF moved very slowly on the first and second days of the Battle of the Marne. This is justifiable and easily represented if we consider that their fatigue was almost at maximum level from such a long and relentless retreat. In other words, it is better to not push the BEF forward too hard during the first couple of days of the battle so as to allow them to recuperate and have some semblance of effectiveness.

Von Hausen's (3.Armee) memoirs paint him as a guileless straight forward commander that was more interested in the quality of the quarters that he slept in each night rather than the outcome of the campaign. As accurate or inaccurate of a judgment this might be, throughout the invasion of France he constantly provided neighborly aid and co-operation that was unique among German army commanders. However, this aid always came at an expense of initiative of his 3.Armee. In a sense, he was a sort of mobile reserve for the 2 and 4.Armee; always providing assistance but never leading and rarely getting any assistance in return. At the start of the Battle of the Marne, von Hausen had divided his army in half to simultaneously aid the 2.Armee and 4.Armee. This created a gap in his sector but there also existed an identical gap between the French IXe and IVe Armée directly opposite of him.

Von Hausen had rested his 3.Armee the entire day of the 5th. Because of this, his army had lost contact with the French but his troops were well rested.

Foch's 42e DI, Division Morocaine and IXe CA (-) were all given offensive orders for the day of the September 6th. However, just after dawn, the Germans would attack first across the marshes of St Gond. The 42e DI, Division Morocaine and IXe CA (-) was in the process of moving north to accomplish this task when a meeting engagement developed north of the marshes.

Between Revigny and Verdun there are a large quantity of objectives that begin under German control even though they are forward of the German positions. This was done primarily to influence the Allied player to move forward as was historically the case. The idea is that the French must advance forward as was historically the case, otherwise the French will probably permanently surrender these objectives to the Germans in this scenario.

There are a great number of victory points located immediately south of Verdun. This was done to influence the French player to resist and maintain contact with the fortified area of Verdun, as was historically the case (and even though this was a dangerous and
reckless decision by Sarrail), rather than influencing the French to move south and form a more advantageous, but completely a-historical, defensive position.

This scenario works well as a TCP/IP team based game of six (Allied) versus five (German). The Allied players should consist of #1 [VIe Armée], #2 [Ve Armée], #3 [BEF], #4 [IXe Armée], #5 [IVe Armée], #6 [IIIe Armée]. The German players should consist of #1 [1.Armee], #2 [2.Armee], #3 [3.Armee], #4 [4.Armee], #5 [5.Armee]. A PBEM team based game could consist of two versus two, with Allied players consisting of #1 [VIe Armée & Ve Armée & IVe Armée] and #2 [BEF & IXe Armée & IIIe Armée]. The German team should consist of the #1 [1.Armee & 5.Armee] and #2 [2.Armee & 3.Armee & 4.Armee].

1914_0906_02s: The Juggernaut Exposed

The scenario begins at what is largely recognized as the start of the battle, when the French counterattack from Paris began to seriously develop. It is important to understand that the battle actually began the day before near Iverny which is represented in another scenario. During that battle, the French had stumbled into the force which von Kluck assigned to screen his flank from any minor patrols or raids from Paris. In reality, the clash around Iverny served to warn von Kluck of a major French attack and, by the time this scenario begins, he was already sending the II.Armeekorps north to aid his screening force.

The scenario ends at the point in which the Germans began to withdraw to the Asine (September 9th). It is rationalized that if the Allies can get a victory by this point then the Germans would historically retreat to the Aisne. If not, then the Germans probably would have redirected the 1.Armee towards Paris or gotten a breakthrough at some other point between Melun and Verdun.

It is uncertain what precise role Sordet's Corps de Cavalerie played in the fighting on the 6th of September as it does not appear to be mentioned in any French sources. It is practically certain that it was still south of the Seine (southwest off the map) refitting from its exhausting one month ride through France and Belgium. It is recorded that an ad hoc cavalry brigade (brigade de cavalerie Gillet) was located between the French and BEF. Sordet's Corps de Cavalerie did arrive later to help secure VIe Armée's left flank. It is almost impossible to determine the exact composition of the brigade de cavalerie Gillet, but some educated assumptions have been made. What is known is that it was an ad hoc unit comprised of a mix of eight cavalry squadrons which were hastily thrown together.

The German 4.Kavalerie-Division on von Kluck's flank was a shell of its former self. It suffered severely in a clash with BEF cavalry (primarily the 1st Cavalry Brigade) at Néry on the morning of September 1st.

As a result of the Battle of Iverny, the German II.Armeekorps has begun to march north to relieve the IV.Reservekorps, now withdrawn to Trocy.

The French 63e DR of Groupe Ebner remained in Paris for most of the duration of this scenario. The 63e DR, Bde de Fusiliers Marins and the RMCIC (Spahis cavalry brigade) all began moving on the afternoon of the September 8th to a line Dalmartin - Montge. They were sent to form a second line of defense in that area. These units have been left out of the scenario since they were tasked with defending the rear area of the VIe Armée, because they would arrive so late in the scenario (they would have arrived in the area on the morning of the 9th with five turns remaining). From a design point of view it is better to leave these units out rather than allowing the possibility of an allied player sending them into a final rush.

The French 7e DI is the unit that historically arrived by taxis from Paris. This event has been exaggerated to mythological proportions. Historically the infantry component of this division was sent by Paris Taxi while the rest of the division was sent by rail. Since the sudden Paris Taxi movement cannot be represented in the game (other than having them magically appear at their destination). The Taxi transport is abstractly represented by giving the infantry brigades a head start over the other elements in the division, therefore the infantry arrives several turns prior to the rest of the division.

The BEF cavalry brigade locations have been pinpointed using war diaries and, as such, they do not agree with official GHQ situation maps of the day. This disagreement is exists because on the night of the 5th, the majority of the brigades were located behind the BEF (since they were formerly in front of the BEF's direction of travel to the south) --which is more or less where the GHQ situation maps has them. However, during the late evening of the 5th, the cavalry brigades were ordered to move north and to the east flank. At some point during the issuance of orders and the actual movement is where the contradiction occurs. With that in mind, it is more accurate to go with war diary locations than the situation maps.

The BEF is in terrible condition regarding its fatigue. This was done because at this point it had been marching for thirteen straight days with only one day of rest over a distance of one hundred and thirty-six miles. Although the French Ve Armée was suffering from a similar situation, its retirement was better managed. To put it bluntly, the BEF was near a state of total exhaustion from the retreat and the constant harassment from the German 1.Armee. One British officer summed it up at the time, "I would never have believed that men could be so tired and so hungry and yet live." At various points Sir John French made the BEF's withdrawal seem more like a hopeless rout with (mentally) the only good destination being the nearest channel port. Historically the BEF moved very slowly on the first and second days of the Battle of the Marne. This is justifiable and easily represented if we consider that their fatigue was almost at maximum level from such a long and relentless retreat. In other words, it is better to not push the BEF forward too hard during the first couple of days of the battle so as to allow them to recuperate and have some semblance of effectiveness.
Code: (8.500)

1914_0906_03s: Foch Stands Firm

The scenario ends at the point in which the Germans began to withdraw to the Asine (September 9th). It is rationalized that if the Allies can get a victory by this point then the Germans would historically retreat to the Aisne. If not, then the Germans probably would have redirected the 1.Armee towards Paris or gotten a breakthrough at some other point between Melun and Verdun.

Von Hausen's (3.Armee) memoirs paint him as a guileless straight forward commander that was more interested in the quality of the quarters that he slept in each night rather than in the outcome of the campaign. As accurate or inaccurate of a judgment this might be, throughout the invasion of France he constantly provided neighborly aid and co-operation that was unique among German army commanders. However, this aid always came at an expense of initiative of his 3.Armee. In a sense, he was a sort of mobile reserve for the 2 and 4.Armee; always providing assistance but never leading and rarely getting any assistance in return. At the start of the Battle of the Marne, von Hausen had divided his army in half to simultaneously aid the 2.Armee and 4.Armee. This created a gap in his sector but there also existed an identical gap between the French IXe and IVe Armée directly opposite of him.

Von Hausen had rested his 3.Armee the entire day of the 5th. Because of this, his army had lost contact with the French but his troops were well rested.

Foch's 42e DI, Division Morocaine and IXe CA (-) were all given offensive orders for the day of the September 6th. However, just after dawn, the Germans would attack first across the marshes of St Gond. The 42e DI, Division Morocaine and IXe CA (-) was in the process of moving north to accomplish this task when a meeting engagement developed north of the marshes.

1914_0906_04s: Opportunity Lost

The scenario ends at the point in which the Germans began to withdraw to the Asine (September 9th). It is rationalized that if the Allies can get a victory by this point then the Germans would historically retreat to the Aisne. If not, then the Germans probably would have redirected the 1.Armee towards Paris or gotten a breakthrough at some other point between Melun and Verdun.

1914_0906_05s: Flirting With Disaster

The scenario ends at the point in which the Germans began to withdraw to the Asine (September 9th). It is rationalized that if the Allies can get a victory by this point then the Germans would historically retreat to the Aisne. If not, then the Germans probably would have redirected the 1.Armee towards Paris or gotten a breakthrough at some other point between Melun and Verdun.

Between Revigny and Verdun there are a large quantity of objectives that begin under German control even though they are forward of the German positions. This was done primarily to influence the Allied player to move forward as was historically the case. The idea is that the French must advance forward as was historically the case, otherwise the French will probably permanently surrender these objectives to the Germans in this scenario.

There are a great number of victory points located immediately south of Verdun. This was done to influence the French player to resist and maintain contact with the fortified area of Verdun, as was historically the case (and even though this was a dangerous and reckless decision by Sarrail), rather than influencing the French to move south and form a more advantageous, but completely a-historical, defensive position.

1914_0909_01s: The Belgian Diversion (2nd Sortie)

The 4e Division d.Armée had just recently arrived from Namur. Historically it was evacuated across France from Namur and embarked on ships and sent to Antwerp. It remains in this scenario in a fixed status as it was being reconsolidated.

Historically, the Germans reacted quickly to the second Belgian sortie from Antwerp. They brought the 6.Reserve-Division back to the area permanently; halted the march of the IX.Reservecorps (which was on its way to France, off the map to the south and does not appear in the scenario); and they diverted the lead division of von Herringen's 7.Armee, which was on its way from Alsace to the extreme right flank of the German armies along the Aisne.

One objective of the second Belgian sortie was to turn the German's east flank and sweep around and disrupt German lines of communication. However, due to the German reaction, the Belgians had to abandon the sortie after heavy fighting that inflicted over 8,000 Belgian casualties. Even though the Belgians called off the attack, they succeeded in attracting German attention with their sortie, and greatly disrupted German movement and planning.

The German 5.Reserve-Division intentionally has a 0% triggered release by subunit. In other words, this division will not be released unless it is in contact with the enemy. Once the division makes contact, it will release parts of the division depending on which brigade made contact. The intent is that, historically, this division remained in place to cover the left of the line. In order to prevent the German player from sending this division on the offensive or sending it around to the east, it must be fixed in its historic place. However, if the Belgian player becomes aggressive in the 5.Reserve-Division's area then it will become active and can be used accordingly. The Division and Corps HQs will not be released unless they have direct line of sight with an enemy unit, therefore, the intent is that the brigades in this division should not go very far from the immediate vicinity of the rest of the division.

The Belgian Division de Cavalerie is fixed in place during the first night (from 1800 on the 9th, to 0600 on the 10th). This was done because the division was supposed to screen the left flank while the Belgian infantry moved forward. Since the Belgian user has the gift of knowing that there is no threat to the east and southeast, this division is forced to screen the flank on the first night, thus limiting the advance of it to a more historical rate.

The three historical Belgian covering positions (objectives) southwest of Malines have intentionally high VP levels. This was done so as to provide historical objectives to the flank, which is what the 1er and 5e Division occupied and held throughout the battle (securing the Belgian right flank). These objectives were occupied just prior to when this scenario begins, in the day spent moving forward from the attack positions.

1914_0913_01s: Everything at Stake!

This scenario covers the mobile portion of the battle which was historically known as the First Battle of the Aisne.

The historical battle continued off and on until the end of the month, but deadlock was achieved by the end of the third day (September 15th) and trench warfare, in the sense of what most people come to think about when they think of the Great War, began in this sector. This start of stagnation is when this scenario ends.

The bridges located at Chavonne (76,40) and south of Vailly (71,40) were indeed destroyed at the start of this battle. At Chavonne the Germans, in their haste to get across the river, had left a temporary trestle construction over a broken span. At Vailly the destroyed section was small enough that British infantry were able to bridge it with a single plank of wood. In game play terms this means that neither bridge is destroyed especially since both of them were historically in a crossable condition.

The German 5.Kavallerie.Div does not appear in this scenario since it was moving east to reinforce 3.Armee. Historically, at the start of this scenario, the division was located roughly behind the 2.Armee so they played no part in the battle in this sector.

The German XVIII.Armeekorps was sent from 4.Armee to 2.Armee during the battle but it was held in a strategic reserve on the 15th so it does not appear in the scenario.

The French XIIIe Corps d'Armée was en route from the VIe Armée from the Ier Armée and began arriving near the end of this scenario. It was not until 17th September that this corps actually came into the battle line at the (at that time) extreme left flank to the west of IVe Corps d'Armée. This is the point in which the "Race to the Sea" began.

The French Corps de Cavalerie (formerly under the command of Sordet, but now under the command of Bridoux) was positioned on the far left of the Allied front line. Two of the cavalry divisions (1er and 5e DC) were just off the map to the left of the 3e Division de Cavalerie. These two cavalry divisions pushed north throughout the battle nearly reaching the Somme near Bray (around 25km north-northwest of Roye). These two cavalry divisions pushed stragglers before them and never turned inward behind the German 1.Armee so they are not included in this scenario.

South of the town of Bourg (83,42), there is a British artillery unit that may seem out of place. The XXXII Bde RFA was temporarily loaned to The Cavalry Division (from the 4th Division).

The German 13.Infanterie-Division (HQ at 107,40) was retreating northeast and not advancing (in case anyone there is some confused as to which direction they should be heading by their starting disposition). The division was conducting rear guard actions
with the gem.Landwehr-Brigade.25 (HQ at 83,41), and both organizations suffered heavily from it.

In desperation, the Germans employed their 15cm and 21cm howitzers in the direct fire role around Vregny and along the Chemin des Dames. This tactic allows the Germans to bring in immediate heavy fire but it comes with the inherent cost the guns must be vulnerable in order to be used in this way (they are naturally spotted and can be fired on, and they can be overrun in an assault). The Allies should try to put effective fire on these guns.

This scenario works well as a TCP/IP based team based game of three versus three. The Allied players should consist of #1 [Ve Armée], #2 [VIe Armée], #3 [BEF] and the German players should consist of #1 [1.Armee], #2 [2.Armee], #3 [7.Armee]. A PBEM team based game could consist of two versus two, with Allied players consisting of #1 [French Army], #2 [BEF] and the German players consisting of #1 [1.Armee], #2 [2.Armee & 7.Armee].

1914_0917_01s: The Race to the Sea

This campaign ends after Antwerp was evacuated, the Belgians reached their positions behind the Yser, and just before #1914_1018_01s_Campaign_Flanders begins (October 17th, evening). At this point, both sides essentially reached the channel coast and the great flanking maneuvers had ended and a new phase began.

As the default Optional Rules suggest, this scenario (and all others) should be played with the Virtual Supply Trucks (VST) optional rule turned on. This rule creates a realistic situation where supply levels vary depending the location of the area in relation to friendly supply sources, where distance and the road and rail network play a factor. While this is not much of an issue in smaller scenarios with smaller maps, if this VST optional rule is turned off in this large campaign, then both sides will get their full supply no matter what the location of their units, which will cause unintended results. The outcome will be at a much higher intensity instead of the supply lines being realistically stretched with the advance.

The Royal Marine Brigade was not intended to be a front line force. Where as the British Naval units were an improvisation, the Royal Marine Brigade was not. On the outbreak of war, the brigade was planned to be formed from recruits and used to secure and guard any temporary port that might be necessary. In September 1914, this brigade was intended to guard Dunkerque and secure a line of communication and supply to the channel port as the BEF was shifting its base of operations from the Aisne to Flanders. However, the events unfolding in Antwerp forced this brigade to be sent forward as a token reserve force to try to aid the Belgians in any way possible. British sources state that when the Royal Marine Brigade was moved from Dunkerque to Cassel on the 30th of September, it left behind its "untrained recruits" which was about half of its strength (the brigade numbered 2085 men when it moved out, which is approximately 52% strength). There is no effective way to represent this in game play other than having the brigade arrive at this reduced strength. This reduced strength has been carried over to each scenario in which the Royal Marine Brigade is involved in during the period of August through October.

This scenario does not include withdrawals for the British 1st Royal Naval Bde, the user can instead choose to move them north to the border with Holland (either the northern map edge or the impassible hexes in the north) and exit the units from map. Historically the 1st Royal Naval Bde fled into Holland, a neutral country, and was disarmed at 2200 hours on October 9th.

Historically, the reason the British 1st Royal Naval Bde had to flee into Holland was because the order for the brigade to withdraw on the night of 8/9 October was mistakenly delivered to the brigade.s Drake Bn. The Drake Bn withdrew on its own and the mistake was not noticed until the early morning hours of the 9th. This historical blunder is simulated by fixing the brigade (less the Drake Bn) on the night of the 8th and creating a variable percentage that the brigade will be released by morning.

Congestion markers are used to represent the massive flow of panicked civilians that were fleeing Antwerp as the city.s final hour approached. This congestion only affects the Allied Powers since it is rationalized that the congestion would be ahead of the German advance.

Actual French rail transit time tables were used to determine exact departure and arrival times of the reinforcements. The reinforcements arrive on the map edges at the point in which they are able to move to, and disembark at, their historical points at the historical time. Some random variation in unit arrival probability (for both sides) is added, in order to provide a degree of variation each time this campaign is played.

The British I Corps does not appear in this scenario. Historically it was arriving near St. Pol on the 19th, which is two days after this scenario ends.

Some reinforcements will arrive away from the map edge. These units will arrive in Travel Mode and, when they arrive, they may be placed along roads or rail lines. The reason for this is that these units were historically disembarked in these locations near the map edge, where they then marched from that point to the front line. The initial units that arrived were historically dropped in these out of the way locations because commanders did not know where the exact position of the enemy. Having the advantage of perfect hindsight, if these units arrived on the map end in Rail Mode, then the user would obviously move them to a better location across the map.

Avoid the temptation of sending a column of Rail Mode units into enemy territory as some sort of rapid moving vanguard. The enemy could ambush the train to devastating effect either by assault or by attack by fire.

As the Belgian Army withdraws from Antwerp (if it does), Belgian and British engineer units should consider destroying rail lines between Antwerp and the Yser, or else you
may find German corps arriving quickly by train in these areas near the end of the campaign.

Avoid the temptation of using allied units at Dunkirk as some sort of force to move into German rear areas and cause mischief. The British Oxfordshire Hussars, British Eastchurch Squadron, French Brigade de Fusiliers Marins, and the British Royal Marine Brigade are better utilized in assisting the extrication of the Belgians from Antwerp, and in screening allied objectives in Calais. Do not complain if you send these units into German areas only to have the German cavalry capture the allied objectives across Calais and cause equal mischief behind the Allied front lines.

This scenario works well as a TCP/IP based team based game of four (Allied) versus three (German). The Allied players should consist of #1 [VIe Armée & IIe Armée], #2 [Xe Armée & GAN (Foch)], #3 [BEF], #4 [Belgian Army] and the German players should consist of #1 [1.Armee & 2.Armee], #2 [6.Armee], #3 [AG.Beseler]. A PBEM team based game could consist of three (Allied) versus two (German), with Allied players consisting of #1 [French Army], #2 [BEF], #3 [Belgian Army] and the German players consisting of #1 [1.Armee & 2.Armee & 6.Armee], #2 [AG.Beseler].

1914_0919_01s: A Dagger to the Heart

The Crown Prince's attack (off the northwest map edge) would gain little ground, but det.Strantz's attack was a great success, forming the Saint Mihiel salient and capturing the Fort du Camp des Romains. However, he was unable to advance beyond Saint Mihiel.

The bayer.Ersatz-Division historically arrived in sector at the end of September to reinforce the III.bAK and has been left out of the scenario. German sources state that the division arrived late in September to reinforce the III.bAK after the salient had formed, which is essentially when this scenario ends.

This scenario ends on the evening of September 26th, when Fort du Camp des Romains historically fell and the front began to solidify.

1914_1001_01s: Never Give Up!

This scenario is unconventional in that it is a tug of war of sorts, similar to #1914_0804_01s_Liege and #1914_0818_01s_Gette situations. The German objective is simple; take as many objectives as possible and to block allied unit withdrawals to the west if possible. The allied objective is to hold the objectives as long as possible while at the same time exiting forces to the west, thereby weakening their capability to hold those objectives. The proper balance is for the allies to hold as long as possible with the least amount of forces as possible, and exit forces to the west to cancel out German gains. A successful allied player must strike a balance between both options with the most successful being able to hold off the German advance and prevent the capture of Antwerp by the end of the scenario while at the same time extricating at least 85% of their forces. Historically, all of the Belgian divisions (with the exception of about half of the 2nd Division) retreated west between October 6th and 7th while the other half of the 2nd Division, fortress troops, and most of the British Royal Naval Division retreated on the 8th. The city fell around October 9th (formally surrendered on October 10th), and this result is considered to be a draw since the bulk of the Belgians escaped but the Germans took the city.

The scenario ends on the evening of October 10th which was after Antwerp historically (and formally) surrendered, and after the bulk of the Belgian Army retreated to the west and the remaining Belgian defenders surrendered.

The Royal Marine Brigade was not intended to be a front line force. Where as the British Naval units were an improvisation, the Royal Marine Brigade was not. On the outbreak of war, the brigade was planned to be formed from recruits and used to secure and guard any temporary port that might be necessary. In September 1914, this brigade was intended to guard Dunkerque and secure a line of communication and supply to the channel port as the BEF was shifting its base of operations from the Aisne to Flanders.
However, the events unfolding in Antwerp forced this brigade to be sent forward as a token reserve force to try to aid the Belgians in any way possible. British sources state that when the Royal Marine Brigade was moved from Dunkerque to Cassel on the 30th of September, it left behind its "untrained recruits" which was about half of its strength (the brigade numbered 2085 men when it moved out, which is approximately 52% strength). There is no effective way to represent this in game play other than having the brigade arrive at this reduced strength.

This scenario does not include withdrawals for the British 1st Royal Naval Bde, the user can instead choose to move them north to the border with Holland (either the northern map edge or the impassible hexes in the north) and exit the units from map. Historically the 1st Royal Naval Bde fled into Holland, a neutral country, and was disarmed at 2200 hours on October 9th.

Historically, the reason the British 1st Royal Naval Bde had to flee into Holland was because the order for the brigade to withdraw on the night of 8/9 October was mistakenly delivered to the brigade.s Drake Bn. The Drake Bn withdrew on its own and the mistake was not noticed until the early morning hours of the 9th. This historical blunder is simulated by fixing the brigade (less the Drake Bn) on the night of the 8th and creating a variable percentage that the brigade will be released by morning.

Congestion markers are used to represent the massive flow of panicked civilians that were fleeing Antwerp as the city.s final hour approached. This congestion affects both sides.

1914_1001_02s: Turning the Flank

This scenario represents what is historically known as the First Battle of Arras.

This battle historically began to subside at the end of the 4th of October, which is when this scenario ends. On the 5th, the situation was mostly stabilized in this sector and the fighting shifted north.

The French 21e Corps d'Armée is not present because it was not until the 7th of October when this force arrived from the north (specifically from the Lille-Armentières area). At that point the battle to turn the flank was carried further north.

1914_1018_01s: Where Valor Sleeps

The British Official History of the War series (and any books or maps based on it) imply that the Belgians had formed a second cavalry division near Veurne after the Belgian Army took up permanent residence along the Yser in mid October of 1914. However, Belgian records consistently state that there was still only one cavalry division in existence at this time and that the second cavalry division was not established until late 1916 to early 1917 (from various divisional cavalry regiments that were previously assigned to Belgian infantry divisions), and then changed back to one cavalry division in 1918. It is possible that a number of cavalry regiments which would eventually make up the Belgian 2e Division de Cavalerie were located in reserve near Veurne and it is also possible that British sources incorrectly assume that a second division was had been established when this occurred. In France .14, the decision was made to follow Belgian sources and represent only one cavalry division for the Belgian Army throughout 1914. In this scenario, some of the various cavalry units which would eventually make up the 2e Division de Cavalerie are placed in reserve in the vicinity of Vuerne, since it is obvious that there was a concentration of cavalry in this area.

The Dover Patrol Flotilla arrived in time to help breakup the German attack from the 4.Ersatz-Divison along the coast. Historically the fire was accurate along the coast which stopped the German advance and eventually caused the 4.Ersatz-Division to withdraw back to Oostende. The flotilla also directed their guns inland on areas where they suspected the German heavy artillery to be firing from, but the flotilla.s fire was mostly ineffective and scattered because of lack of accurate spotting.

The marsh area along the Yser was flooded near the end of this scenario. Given that the map is static and is based on the master map, this area must begin in its flooded state. Since marsh terrain has a positive combat modifier (it penalizes the defender), the Belgians should either dig in this area to negate the penalty, or pull back beyond the
marsh as soon as these units are released (the historical choice). It can be rationalized that the moment the Germans reached the Yser (either sooner or later than was historically the case), the Belgians would have released the sluices at that moment.

When the scenario begins, the German III.Reservekorps (in the Yser sector) was just now drawing off to the north, away from the French cavalry advancing towards Roulers. The III.Reservekorps was screening for the arrival of the new reservekorps of the 4.Armee, of which it was remarkably successful.

Congestion markers are used around Ypres to represent the congestion caused by masses of rear area personnel and support units moving in and out of the small area. Congestion in this area is specifically mentioned in official British historical accounts as the primary delaying factor to the units moving in and out of the salient. Congestion only affects the Allied Powers side since it is rationalized that this congestion would be driven off by any German advance into the area.

This scenario works well as a TCP/IP based team based game of three (Allied) versus three (German). The Allied players should consist of #1 [French Army], #2 [BEF], #3 [Belgian Army] and the German players should consist of #1 [4.Armee], #2 [6.Armee], #3 [AG.Beseler & AG.Fabeck & AG.Linsingen]. A PBEM team based game could consist of two (Allied) versus two (German), with Allied players consisting of #1 [French Army], #2 [BEF & Belgian Army] and the German players consisting of #1 [4.Armee & AG.Beseler], #2 [6.Armee & AG.Fabeck & AG.Linsingen].

1914_1018_02s: The Belgian Bulwark

The British Official History of the War series (and any books or maps based on it) imply that the Belgians had formed a second cavalry division near Veurne after the Belgian Army took up permanent residence along the Yser in mid October of 1914. However, Belgian records consistently state that there was still only one cavalry division in existence at this time and that the second cavalry division was not established until late 1916 to early 1917 (from various divisional cavalry regiments that were previously assigned to Belgian infantry divisions), and then changed back to one cavalry division in 1918. It is possible that a number of cavalry regiments which would eventually make up the Belgian 2e Division de Cavalerie were located in reserve near Veurne and it is also possible that British sources incorrectly assume that a second division was had been established when this occurred. In France .14, the decision was made to follow Belgian sources and represent only one cavalry division for the Belgian Army throughout 1914. In this scenario, some of the various cavalry units which would eventually make up the 2e Division de Cavalerie are placed in reserve in the vicinity of Vuerne, since it is obvious that there was a concentration of cavalry in this area.

The Dover Patrol Flotilla arrived in time to help breakup the German attack from the 4.Ersatz-Divison along the coast. Historically the fire was accurate along the coast which stopped the German advance and eventually caused the 4.Ersatz-Division to withdraw back to Oostende. The flotilla also directed their guns inland on areas where they suspected the German heavy artillery to be firing from, but the flotilla.s fire was mostly ineffective and scattered because of lack of accurate spotting.

The marsh area along the Yser was flooded near the end of this scenario. Given that the map is static and is based on the master map, this area must begin in its flooded state. Since marsh terrain has a positive combat modifier (it penalizes the defender), the Belgians should either dig in this area to negate the penalty, or pull back beyond the marsh as soon as these units are released (the historical choice). It can be rationalized that the moment the Germans reached the Yser (either sooner or later than was historically the case), the Belgians would have released the sluices at that moment.

When the scenario begins, the German III.Reservekorps was just now drawing off to the north, away from the French cavalry advancing towards Roulers. The III.Reservekorps was screening for the arrival of the new reservekorps of the 4.Armee, of which it was remarkably successful.

Both sides will have units gradually drawn off during the course of this scenario as the battle shifted south towards the Ypres salient (into the impassible areas on the south edge of the map). Most notably, the German XXVI and most of the XXIII.Reservekorps will be drawn away as they diverted their axis of advance to the south. Historically these two corps would still have been located on the map, but with the absence of any physical threat to them in the south, they would a-historically be used to the attack to the allies in this sector. It is advisable for the remaining elements of the XXIII.Reservekorps to go on the defensive in the south at the time in which these German units began to get withdrawn.

1914_1018_03s: The Graveyard of the Contemptibles

This scenario covers what is historically known as the First Battle of Ypres.

Congestion markers are used around Ypres to represent the congestion caused by masses of rear area personnel and support units moving in and out of the small area. Congestion in this area is specifically mentioned in official British historical accounts as the primary delaying factor to the units moving in and out of the salient. Congestion only affects the Allied Powers side since it is rationalized that this congestion would be driven off by any German advance into the area.

The German XIII.Armeekorps moved south on the 19th to assist in the battle in that area (you can find it near Loos in the #1914_1020_02s_Armentieres-La_Bassee scenario).

Historically, on the 23rd and 24th, the French and British launched a counter offensive aimed at taking back Passchendaele. This is a viable option once the French 9e Corps d.Armée arrives.

The French 2e Corps de Cavalerie and 9e Division de Cavalerie being the scenario in the positions that they reached at the end of the day. In other words, the French cavalry in the north of the map begin the scenario in the positions that the historically moved to by the end of the first day in this scenario, and they start the scenario as fixed. This was done to force the scenario to play out historically in the north, because otherwise a user would probably send these cavalry formations all over the map at the start, since there is no threat from the off map German units in the Yser area.

Keep a close eye on the protected hex shading feature to know what hexes you should stay away from. Given the abundance of German troops approaching this area, in the north, east, and south of the map the Germans intentionally arrive in long columns with
each stack having a large protected range of hexes. This was done to prevent any gamey attempt by the allies of moving into this area where the Germans arrive in force. The same is true for the Allies in the western map edge.

The British 1st Division was in the process of being relieved by the French and was falling back to the vicinity of Ypres to rest. This division had been single handedly holding back the German XXIII.Reservekorps for four days and had been bombarded all throughout the night on the 24th when it was supposed to be extricated. As a result, the division was in poor shape and the it had only begun to pull out of the line in the early morning hours of the 25th, and it was not until 0800 that the division was fully clear of the line.

Historically, the massive German offensive by Heersgruppe.Fabeck was to commence on the 30th of October. The 29th was to have an attack to take Gheluvet by the XXVII.Reservekorps, supported by the newly formed 6.bayer.Reserve-Div. The German cavalry of HKK.1, 2 and 4 were also to advance and pin the enemy in place. All of these attacks were primarily intended to cover the buildup of Heersguppe.Fabeck and the attack of it on the 30th was made in complete surprise.

After the German infantry divisions began to take over the front line from the cavalry divisions along the Lys Canal on the evening of the 30th of October, most of the German cavalry divisions were pulled back into reserve north of Lille (in this map area). This reserve of cavalry was intended to be called up to exploit a breakthrough or to fill in and cover the flanks of the spearhead that would be formed by Armeegruppe Fabeck.

The French 32e Division d.Infanterie, which arrived on the 30th of October, was split up piece meal and sent to each place in the line where the Germans were threatening to breakthrough. Of primary importance was an entire brigade of infantry and some artillery that were rushed to the British Cavalry Corps sector near Wyschaete.

The BEF 7th Division, battered and exhausted, began to move into reserve on the 5th of November. On the 6th of November, the 20th Infantry Brigade from this division was moved west off the map to Meteren and the Northumberland Hussars and various division assets followed the next day. These units have a chance of withdrawal at the start of their respective dates, so the Allied player needs to adjust accordingly.

During the 10th of November, the battered 22nd Infantry Brigade of the BEF 7th Division moved west to Merris into reserve, southwest of Bailleul, off map and out of sector. This unit joined the other elements of the division out of sector, minus the 21st Infantry Brigade which was in the line at Ploegsteert. These off map units remained for the duration of the Ypres battle. Thus, the 22nd Infantry Brigade has a chance of withdrawal their respective day.

This scenario intentionally has duplicate units in it. If you open it in the scenario editor you will be presented with messages of duplicate units. Historically, many units were withdrawn from the sector and then returned later on so the duplicate units are necessary to represent this, but no two of the same units should even be on the map at the same time since they are always withdrawn before returning.

This scenario works well as a TCP/IP and PBEM team based game of two (Allied) versus two (German). The Allied players should consist of #1 [Dét d'Armée de Belgique], #2 [BEF & Belgian Army] and the German players should consist of #1 [4.Armee & AG.Linsingen], #2 [6.Armee & AG.Fabeck]. For TCP/IP, any further players could break down each side by corps.

1914_1018_04s: The Salient is Formed

The German XIII.Armeekorps moved south on the 19th to assist in the battle in that area (you can find it near Loos in the #1914_1020_02s_Armentieres-La_Bassee scenario).

This scenario ends at the end of the 24th of October where the #1914_1025_01s_Ypres scenario resumes the battle.

Historically, on the 23rd and 24th, the French and British launched a counter offensive aimed at taking back Passchendaele. This is a viable option once the French 9e Corps d.Armée arrives.

The French 2e Corps de Cavalerie and 9e Division de Cavalerie being the scenario in the positions that they reached at the end of the day. In other words, the French cavalry in the north of the map begin the scenario in the positions that the historically moved to by the end of the first day in this scenario, and they start the scenario as fixed. This was done to force the scenario to play out historically in the north, because otherwise a user would probably send these cavalry formations all over the map at the start, since there is no threat from the off map German units in the Yser area.

Keep a close eye on the protected hex shading feature to know what hexes you should stay away from. Given the abundance of German troops approaching this area, in the north, east, and south of the map the Germans intentionally arrive in long columns with each stack having a large protected range of hexes. This was done to prevent any gamey attempt by the allies of moving into this area where the Germans arrive in force. The same is true for the Allies in the western map edge.

Congestion markers are used around Ypres to represent the congestion caused by masses of rear area personnel and support units moving in and out of the small area. Congestion in this area is specifically mentioned in official British historical accounts as the primary delaying factor to the units moving in and out of the salient. Congestion only affects the Allied Powers side since it is rationalized that this congestion would be driven off by any German advance into the area.

1914_1020_01s: The Unglamorous Struggle

To the south of the well known Ypres sector lies a forgotten front: the La-Bassee sector which held the southern flank of the Ypres salient. So far as valor and determination of the troops that fought here are concerned, the fighting was equally ferocious and desperate as the fighting that occurred immediately around Ypres, but the La Bassee sector never had the same strategic or sentimental importance. The La Bassee sector was originally supposed to be the area that the BEF would outflank the Germans in early October as they advanced towards Lille, but the advance quickly ran into resistance and attention shifted to the north. In the middle of October, as the Ypres salient was only beginning to be formed, the German 6.Armee launched a powerful offensive with the attempt of smashing through the Allied line, which would thereby put the allied forces to the north in untenable positions.

This scenario obviously covers the Armentieres and La Bassee sector but is named “La Bassee” since the majority of the hard fighting occurred to the north and west of this town around Neuve Chappelle. It is also named “La Bassee” because, quite simply, “La_Bassee-Armentieres” does not fit in the File Selection Dialog box.

This scenario covers the full German 6.Armee offensive from 20th October to 2nd November when the area largely became stagnant following the capture of Neuve Chappelle. The “first phase” from the 20th to the 23rd was an all out offensive to accomplish a breakthrough, and when this failed a “conclusion” phase began which saw the objectives change from breakthrough to simply pinning the enemy and preventing them from assisting the fight around Ypres. Because of this shift in strategy, there are exit hexes in friendly territory along the north edges of the map (both French and British units may use the British exit hex at 9,0). These exit hexes provide victory points under the rationale that forces sent north to assist the fighting around Ypres could play a decisive role on the outcome of the battle there. However, if either side sends forces north to the Ypres sector then they will significantly weaken their own ability to hold or take objectives in the La Bassee sector. In other words, if one side or the other exits units to the north then it will upset the historical balance of forces in the area. If such an occasion occurs, then the opposing side can either exit forces of their own or push their attack on enemy objectives. This will undoubtedly produce wildly varying results depending on what happens in the campaign. Users may want to consider conducting aerial recon missions around enemy exit hexes near the end of the scenario and are encouraged to keep a close eye on the victory levels so that you are not caught off guard by a sudden exit of forces to Ypres. The Germans should provide constant pressure on the Allied line to prevent them from disengaging a sizable force, and the Allies should counter attack if the Germans feel that they have the luxury to exit units. Since the user is free to exit units for points, units that were historically withdrawn (ie. East Lancashire, Somerset LI, Hampshire – the entire 6.bayer.Res.Div etc) do not have a withdrawal in this scenario. The user can instead decide to use them in the area or withdraw them as was historically the case. Keep in mind that units that were historically withdrawn have already been factored into the victory point total (so as to force their withdrawal). For historical unit withdrawals, see #1914_1020_02s_La_Bassee withdrawal dialog. For obvious reasons, HKK.1 is not included in the scenario since it is rationalized that this unit was already committed to the north (historically it was located at Lille and moved north as soon as this scenario begins).

The official British history includes this area in the overall battle for Ypres, where it is basically considered the southern shoulder of the Ypres salient. In the practical sense the Armentieres area was indeed a separate sector from the main event around Ypres in the same sense that the Yser sector (north of Ypres) was also separate. Despite what the official British history states, it divides Ypres and Armentieres into separate maps and the official German history considers it a separate conflict from Ypres. It is important to state these facts because careful consideration has been made on whether or not to include this area in the Ypres sub scenarios. While it is true that the entire Flanders front fought for the same purpose, the final decision was that the individual Yser, Ypres, and La Bassee-Armentieres areas had conflicts and concerns of their own and are more practically represented as separate scenarios. Those who want the “full effect” have the option to play the entire massive Flanders front campaign in scenario

#1914_1018_01s_Campaign_Flanders.

This battle was to be the scene for the death of the British 2/Royal Irish. On October 19th, the regiment had launched a gallant attack, in which it lost over 200 men, and seized the town of Le Pilly. The French cavalry, from the Ier Corps de Cavalerie, were supposed to cover the unit's flank as it simultaneously attacked towards the town of Fournes. However, the French had difficulty meeting their objectives and the Irish were left to stand alone and fought bravely to the bitter end after the Germans surrounded and annihilated them.

1914_1020_02s: A Taste of Hell

This scenario obviously covers the Armentieres and La Bassee sector but is named “La Bassee” since the majority of the hard fighting occurred to the north and west of this town around Neuve Chappelle. It is also named “La Bassee” because, quite simply, “La_Bassee-Armentieres” does not fit in the File Selection Dialog box.

This is the short version of the battle which ends on the 23rd of October, essentially at the end of the first onslaught. Given the objectives of the first phase, there are no exit hexes to the north of the map nor is there an objective in Estaires (see #1914_1020_01s_Campaign_La_Bassee).

This battle was to be the scene for the death of the British 2/Royal Irish. On October 19th, the regiment had launched a gallant attack, in which it lost over 200 men, and seized the town of Le Pilly. The French cavalry, from the Ier Corps de Cavalerie, were supposed to cover the unit's flank as it simultaneously attacked towards the town of Fournes. However, the French had difficulty meeting their objectives and the Irish were left to stand alone and fought bravely to the bitter end after the Germans surrounded and annihilated them.

1914_1025_01s: The Salient Pushes Back

This scenario ends on the 28th of October where the #1914_1029_01s_Ypres scenario resumes the battle.

The British 1st Division was in the process of being relieved by the French and was falling back to the vicinity of Ypres to rest. This division had been single handedly holding back the German XXIII.Reservekorps for four days and had been bombarded all throughout the night on the 24th when it was supposed to be extricated. As a result, the division was in poor shape and it had only begun to pull out of the line in the early morning hours of the 25th, and it was not until 0800 that the division was fully clear of the line.

Congestion markers are used around Ypres to represent the congestion caused by masses of rear area personnel and support units moving in and out of the small area. Congestion in this area is specifically mentioned in official British historical accounts as the primary delaying factor to the units moving in and out of the salient. Congestion only affects the Allied Powers side since it is rationalized that this congestion would be driven off by any German advance into the area.

1914_1029_01s: Enter the Conqueror

This scenario ends at the end of the 10th of November where the #1914_1110_01s_Ypres scenario resumes the battle.

Historically, the massive German offensive by Heersgruppe.Fabeck was to commence on the 30th of October. On the 29th, a German attack commenced to take Gheluvet by the XXVII.Reservekorps, supported by the newly formed 6.bayer.Reserve-Div. The German cavalry of HKK.1, 2 and 4 were also to advance and pin the enemy in place. All of these attacks were primarily intended to cover the buildup of Armeegruppe Fabeck and the attack of it on the 30th was made in complete surprise.

After the German infantry divisions began to take over the front line from the cavalry divisions along the Lys Canal on the evening of the 30th of October, most of the German cavalry divisions were pulled back into reserve north of Lille (in this map area). This reserve of cavalry was intended to be called up to exploit a breakthrough or to fill in and cover the flanks of the spearhead that would be formed by Armeegruppe Fabeck.

The French 32e Division d.Infanterie, which arrived on the 30th of October, was split up piece meal and sent to each place in the line where the Germans were threatening to breakthrough. Of primary importance was an entire brigade of infantry and some artillery that were rushed to the British Cavalry Corps sector near Wyschaete.

The BEF 7th Division, battered and exhausted, began to move into reserve on the 5th of November. On the 6th, the 20th Infantry Brigade from this division was moved west off the map to Meteren and the Northumberland Hussars and various division assets followed the next day. These units have a chance of withdrawal at the start of their respective dates, so the Allied player needs to adjust accordingly.

Congestion markers are used around Ypres to represent the congestion caused by masses of rear area personnel and support units moving in and out of the small area. Congestion in this area is specifically mentioned in official British historical accounts as the primary delaying factor to the units moving in and out of the salient. Congestion only affects the Allied Powers side since it is rationalized that this congestion would be driven off by any German advance into the area.

1914_1110_01s: Last Chance for Glory

During the 10th of November, the battered 22nd Infantry Brigade of the BEF 7th Division moved west to Merris into reserve, southwest of Bailleul, off map and out of sector. This unit joined the other elements of the division out of sector, minus the 21st Infantry Brigade which was in the line at Ploegsteert. These off map units remained for the duration of the Ypres battle. Thus, the 22nd Infantry Brigade has a chance of withdrawal their respective day.

Congestion markers are used around Ypres to represent the congestion caused by masses of rear area personnel and support units moving in and out of the small area. Congestion in this area is specifically mentioned in official British historical accounts as the primary delaying factor to the units moving in and out of the salient. Congestion only affects the Allied Powers side since it is rationalized that this congestion would be driven off by any German advance into the area.

1914_1111_01s: The Prussian Guard's Grand Finale

This scenario begins after the fierce two hour German heavy artillery bombardment of the allied line in this sector, thus most of the German artillery is low on ammo (unavailable).

The scenario occurs near the end of 1914 where both sides were running low on supplies. Firing in this scenario will most likely cause the unit to go low on ammo and thus, reduce its assault rating. This is something the German user should keep in mind, since you will want to maximize your assault power. Fire with disrupted units that cannot assault, or with MG, field guns, and artillery and use the other good order units for assaults.

Technically, the Prussian Guard did not have special assignment to issue the “knock out blow” or “main attack” on the Ypres salient, but given that the Guard division and the 4.Infanterie-Division were both fresh and elite troops, and given their placement in the center of the line, high expectations were naturally placed upon them to help deliver the decisive result.

Tragically, and wastefully, the Prussian Guard was shot down en masse by accurate British rifle and machine gun fire and was, in all practicality, utterly destroyed. When the battle subsided and the remnants of the Prussian Guard withdrew, they were unaware that they had come perilously close to smashing through the final British defenses, the only thing lying between them and the Channel coast. The Guard would go on to fight in the remainder of the war, but the organization would be a shadow of its former glory.

While there are many reasons for the failure of the Prussian Guard attack, one of the primary reasons for their failure was from the fact that the Guard had divergent attack orders to the north and west, rather than convergent orders to overrun any one part of the British line. The German player can of course attack however they like, and possibly achieve success, but the British player may also reinforce his line in his own way to counter it.

Congestion markers are used around Ypres to represent the congestion caused by masses of rear area personnel and support units moving in and out of the small area. Congestion in this area is specifically mentioned in official British historical accounts as the primary delaying factor to the units moving in and out of the salient. Congestion only affects the Allied Powers side since it is rationalized that this congestion would be driven off by any German advance into the area.

Gameplay tips

When to assault

The most important thing to know in First World War Campaigns, is when to press home an assault and when not to assault. Generally speaking, you should of course get accustomed to the particular strengths and weaknesses of the units in general. For example, an infantry unit can almost always assault a mounted (Travel Mode) cavalry unit, bicycle unit or engineer unit with success, without having to disrupt them before hand. "Success" in this case is defined as taking the ground. You should also always to have at least a 2:1 advantage when making an assault, try to avoid 1:1 assaults as much as possible.

In the case of enemy cavalry, you can usually tell whether it is a pesky cavalry squadron or a full cavalry regiment by seeing what the effect is of their return fire. If the enemy is deemed to be nothing more than a cavalry squadron, then you can press home the assault to great effect, again without waiting for the enemy to be disrupted. This is also true for engineer units which might also be broken down into companies. If you have a pesky engineer unit barring the way somewhere, then simply overrun it with a massed infantry assault and you can probably rest assure that the enemy is throwing "the kitchen sink" in the line at this point if they are wasting engineer units in this manner.
And finally and most importantly, you should NEVER wait for field gun or machine gun units to be disrupted before carrying out an assault. If said units are disrupted then that is great, otherwise always try to disrupt the enemy infantry battalions at the very least. In almost every case, all you need to do is disrupt the enemy infantry battalions, then press forward with an assault of two or more infantry battalions of your own. Such an assault will force the non disrupted field gun and machine gun units to bear the brunt of the attack and will cause them to take significant losses. This can then be followed by more assaults if possible to drive the enemy out of the hex. Either way, if you are not able to take the hex then you have likely caused a great loss to the core defense of the hex, thus making it easier to take in future turns or forcing the enemy to withdraw on his own turn altogether.

Breaking contact, retreating

When attempting to fall back or retreat in the face of an overwhelming attack or an unfavorable disposition, you have to first break contact with the enemy. Breaking contact with a superior force can be tricky in a period of warfare where everything moves at roughly the same speed, and is even trickier if your force is lower quality than the enemy's force. When attempting to break contact, use any method necessary that puts the most distance between your forces and the enemy. Use of a rear guard is vital in most cases and cavalry and field artillery (field gun) units work particularly well at this task. Cavalry and field artillery units can delay an enemy advance long enough to put some distance between the advancing enemy infantry and friendly forces, then mount / limber up and fall back to their next delay position which should be just behind the last friendly infantry unit in the retreating force.

When your force contains inferior quality troops then you must take into account that you will move slower than your pursuing enemy. This is also true if your force contains a large number of disrupted or broken units. In either of these cases, you must plan your retreat in advance, using good order units to act as a rear guard in order to give
these slower units time to get a head start on the movement. You must also take care not to stick around too long in any one place, lest you end up in a situation where it is impossible for you to retreat back fast enough. In all of these cases, you should try to stay close to primary roads as they are critical in your ability to fall back. Not taking these things in consideration will result in the devastating loss of many an infantry battalion.

Understanding how night movement works in this series is also the key to breaking contact. The best result is to prepare your units for movement and get them into position to move strategically along the roads during the night turn. Cavalry and field gun units can be placed at key road junctions to block any enemy units that try to pursue along the roads during the night. Night retreats come at the expense of a large amount of extra fatigue, but occasionally this is necessary in order to safely extricate forces. Unless it is in an emergency, avoid the temptation of holding a rear guard to the "last man" with cavalry and field gun units. Doing so will definitely buy more time but will also reward the enemy with a large number of victory points. If you are not careful, the victory points the enemy gains from the careless loss of valuable cavalry and artillery guns can easily make up for lost time and objectives.

The art of taking ground

Where possible, avoid direct assaults when trying to take ground from the enemy. The best way to take ground is by simply making it untenable. On the attack, you make ground untenable by pushing around the flanks of the strong point. By doing this you leave the defender with two options: either displace and save the units or allow them to be bypassed, isolated, and eventually destroyed. The act of making ground untenable can be done at both the tactical level (divisions, brigades and battalions), but more
importantly it can be done at the strategic level with corps and armies. Always look at "the big picture" to see where you can flank an entire enemy corps or army, thereby forcing the defender to give up ground wholesale or by causing the destruction of an entire army (which was the holy grail of objectives in the 1914 "early" campaign; in game play terms, the destruction of an army could yield around 10,000 Victory Points!). Getting tactical level "tunnel vision" and not recognizing strategic opportunities is the most common cause of failure in a campaign.

Cyclist units, the use of

Use cyclist units for their high mobility on primary roads as a probing or screening force. When the cyclist.s host unit is traveling in column, use the cyclists to “orbit” the unit as it moves to get eyes on the enemy. This can be done by seeking out good vantage points along the parent unit.s axis of advance. These cyclist units can also move forward to secure key road junctions or bridges that the host unit needs to accomplish its mission. Beware though, these cyclist units are not intended to hold ground for too long; they should only be used to delay or probe if they are needed for combat. Using cyclist units as some sort of rapid force to sweep behind the enemy for isolation is a waste; cyclist units used in this manner will likely be easily overrun by an assault from cavalry or any line infantry battalion. Also, be sure not to advance cyclist units too far in Travel Mode, it is better to move them just far enough that they can quickly retire or that they can deploy at the end of the turn. A Travel Mode cyclist unit that ends its turn in contact with the enemy is a dead cyclist unit. It is intentional that cyclist units are not “recon” units that are capable of Recon Spotting; cyclist units are intended to be supplemental and to work in conjunction with reconnaissance capable cavalry.

Another important use of cyclist units is to have these units be the ones who conduct "Patrolling". These units can be useful to move quickly to an area, hide in a forest or get behind a hill, then patrol to see if there are any enemy units within two hexes. Obviously this works best when there is a terrain type or elevation in front of the cyclist unit to where it does not have a line of sight to the second hex. Cyclist units are also great units to devote to "Patrolling" during night turns. This can be done in places where they are stacked with a rear guard force, or in places where they are stacked with line units on the front line. In this way, you can have a sort of early warning on enemy movements that are two hexes distant during night turns. It is important to remember that other units can patrol as well, it is not a unique ability for cyclist units. Cavalry should be used to patrol to good effect, and line infantry units can certainly patrol, but it is suggested that cyclist units be used to patrol so that other units, such as infantry and cavalry units, can be freed up to do other important tasks, and so that they are not left in a weakened state such as what occurs when "patrolling". A stacked cyclist unit that is patrolling is secured by the stacked infantry or cavalry unit, while the infantry or cavalry unit rests, digs in, or engages the enemy.

Rail lines, the use of

Do not underestimate the importance of rail roads. Rail lines were particularly vital during this period of warfare for the rapid movement of troops and materials. Care should be taken to protect rail lines with detachments of lines of communication troops to ensure that the rail lines are not obstructed or cut. Rail lines are primarily used for
transporting complete corps from one sector of the front to another, but are also important for the mobility of some siege guns. When explicit supply is used, rail lines should be utilized to the fullest to transport supply units quickly to front. These supply units will arrive on map at major roads and should be moved to the nearest railhead and sent forward. Originally it was planned to make separate rail type supply units but this was abandoned because these types of units would be totally restricted to rail lines. Instead, the user has the freedom to move the explicit supply units by rail (as long as the rail capacity for that side is not exceeded) and unload and continue to move them when necessary. If an army loses access to a rail line then it can quickly become detached from the overall strategic situation and runs the risk of being defeated by an opposing army that has access to a rail line.

Playing as the French

Playing the French in 1914 is not for the faint-hearted. The French in “early” battles of France'14 are best utilized in massed bayonet assaults on the enemy, supported by or preceded by bombardments from their rapid firing field guns. French infantry unit ratings are directly representative of their doctrine, and their somewhat flawed equipment. Direct fire with their infantry should only be done in order to disrupt the enemy, or when in good defensive positions. The French should rely almost exclusively on their excellent 76mm field guns to cause casualties and disrupt attacking enemy infantry. The MG sections can also be useful to strengthen its parent infantry battalions footing in the defense.

When you are on the offensive and you find yourself facing murderous defensive fire, sometimes it is better for French infantry to give the bayonet and carry out the
assault before the enemy is completely disrupted (as long as you outnumber the defenders at least by 3:1). Knowing when to do this and when to back down is crucial. Such is the dilemma when learning to deal with the advantages and disadvantages inherent with the "cult of the offensive”. Try to avoid stacking more than two infantry battalions in a single hex if it can be avoided so that you limit your losses from retaliatory fire. In most cases it is better to keep infantry battalions in reserve to push forward and assault en masse at the right moment, rather than having them massed adjacent to the enemy at all times.

Keep in mind that as you retreat your supply lines retract and improve. This means that the closer you pull back a unit then the better their replacement rate might be (depending on how low your supply level is at the extremities of your front). Once you reach the historical battle of the Marne location you should be gaining much needed replacements and supplies which were historically the case as fresh troops were arriving from the close depots. It is also better to completely pull a unit out of the battle line if possible, in order to replenish its losses and recover fatigue rather than continue to leave it on the firing line.

Playing as the British

The BEF's main strength is in the quality of the British professional soldier and their awesome direct fire with the SMLE rifle. You should rely on delaying actions and inflict as many casualties as possible with your superior marksmanship before you fall back. In the campaign, try to avoid prolonged exposure to German massed infantry assaults because the Germans can replace their losses with ease, whilst the BEF cannot. The BEF will die off, there is no avoiding this. The trick is to make the tiny BEF last as long as possible and to maximize their effectiveness throughout 1914.

Another strength of the BEF is that they have a fairly decent amount of indirect fire howitzers at their disposal, unlike the French who have almost none at all in 1914.
Playing as the Belgians The strength of the Belgians lies in the fact that their army, while not being strong in any one area, does not have any serious weaknesses other than their almost total lack of indirect fire capable artillery (the do have one siege gun regiment of antiquated guns from the 1800s), and their low troop quality which is attributed to their flawed mobilization program. The Belgians should rely on harassing and slowing the German advance and causing as much trouble from Antwerp as possible.

Playing as the Germans

The German.s strength lies in their numbers, their good quality infantry, and their massive amount of howitzers and in their employment of machine gun units. German infantry formations on the advance are almost an unstoppable steam roller. When the infantry is backed up by howitzers there is almost no defensive barrier that cannot be breached. When the Germans are forced on the defensive, their MG kompagnien can be used to solidify the line along with supporting fire from howitzers and field guns. In 1914 the biggest problem the Germans have is that they seem to be always racing against the clock and spreading themselves thin. You will need to make split decisions on when to charge home and push the enemy back at the expense of more casualties so that you can keep your forward momentum, or engage the enemy in direct and indirect fire attacks at the expense of forward movement.

Knowing when to rest your attacking forces is also the key to victory. Rest them too often and you will lose the initiative. If you do not rest them often enough then your attack will falter and your lines will begin to break.

* * *

Glossary of abbreviations used in the Order of Battle in the First World War Campaigns Series

French / Belgian

ACMs Auto-Canons-Mitrailleuses - Armored Machingun Cars
BA Bataillons “Alphabétiques" - Formation of Zouaves, most likely temporary battalions
BCA Bataillon de Chasseurs Alpins - Alpine Chasseurs Battalion
BCI Bataillon de Chasseurs Indigènes - Indigenous (Moroccan) Infantry Battalion, light infantry unit
BCP Bataillon de Chasseurs à Pieds - Chasseurs Infantry Battalion, light infantry unit
Bie Batterie - Battery
Btn Battalion
CA Corps d'Armée - Army Corps
CAC Corps d'Colonial - Colonial Corps
CC Corps d'Cavalerie - Cavalry Corps
Chas. Chasseurs - literal: "hunters"
Cie Compagnie - Company
Dét Détachement – Detachment
DAB Détachement d.Armée de Belgique – French army detachment for the Belgian area (Flanders)
DIC Division d'Infanterie Colonial - Colonial Infantry Division
DC Division d'Cavalerie - Cavalry Division
DIT Division d.Infanterie Territoriale - Territorial Division
DM Division Marocaine - Moroccan Infantry Division
DR Division d'Réserve - Reserve Division
GAN Groupe d'Armées du Nord - Group of Armies of the North (Flanders sector)
GDR Groupe de Division de Reserve - Group of Reserve Divisions
GQG Grand Quartier Général - Supreme Headquarters
GR Groupe d'Réserve - Reserve Group
Mit Mitrailleuse - Machine Gun
RAC Régiment d'Artillerie de Campagne - Campaign Artillery Regiment
RACC Régiment d'Artillerie de Campagne Colonial - Colonial Campaign Artillery Regiment
RAL Régiment d'Artillerie Lourde - Heavy Artillery Regiment
RAM Régiment d'Artillerie Montagne - Mountain Artillery Regiment
REI Régiment Etranger d'Infanterie - Foreign Legion Infantry Regiment
RFM Régtiment d'Fusiliers Marin - Marine Fusiliers Regiment
RI Régiment d'Infanterie - Infantry Regiment
RIC Régiment d'Infanterie Colonial - Colonial Infantry Regiment (European, not native troops)
RIT Régiment d'Infanterie Territoriale - Territorial Infantry Regiment
RM Régiment de Marche - ad hoc Regiment; used seperately in early 1914 designations
RMCIC Régiment de Marche de Chasseurs Indigènes à Cheval - ad hoc Spahis Regiment, RMSM in 1915
RMT Régiment de Marche Tirailleurs - ad hoc "rifleman" Regiment
RMZ Régiment de Marche Zouaves - Zouaves ad hoc Regiment
RMZT Régiment Mixte de Zouaves et Tirailleurs - Mixed Zouaves and Tirailleurs ad hoc Regiment
RTM Régiment de Tirailleurs Marocains - Moroccan Tirailleurs
Sec Section - Section
Tir. Tirailleurs - literal: "sharpshooters" These were African troops serving in the French colonial army

German

Abt Arbeitlung - Battalion, detachment
AOK Armee Oberkommando - Army Command, as in the Army headquarters
AR Artillerie Regiment - Artillery Regiment
Art Artillerie - Artillery
b Bayerische - Bavarian
bayer Bayerische - Bavarian (long abbreviation)
baden Badisches - Grand Duchy of Baden
Bde Brigade
Bel Belagerungstrain - (preceded by "Pionier" or abbreviation "Pio") Pioneer Siege Train
Battr Battarie - Battery
Btl Battalion
CR Carabinier Regiment - Essentially these were dragoons
Div Divisione - Division, a combined arms force of various types of components
DR Dragoner Regiment - Dragoon Regiment, cavalry used for dismounting and fighting on foot
ErsR Ersatz Regiment - Depot or replacement Regiment
Esk Eskadron - Cavalry Squadron
FAR Fußartillerie Regiment - Heavy Artillery Regiment
FüsR Füsilier Regiment - Fusilier Regiment
GAR Garde Artillerie Regiment - Guard Artillery Regiment
GC Garde du Corps - Life Guard Cavalry Regiment, Heavy cavalry, the German cavalry elite
Gd Garde - Guard
GDR Garde Dragoner Regiment - Guard Dragoon Regiment
gem Gemischt - Mixed, combined arms
GErsR Garde Ersatz Regiment - Guard Depot or Replacement Regiment
GFAR Garde Fußartillerie Regiment - Guard Heavy Artillery Regiment
GGR Garde Grenadier Regiment - Guard Grenadier Regiment
GHQ Großen Hauptquatier - Supreme Headquarters
GKR Garde Kürassier Regiment - Guard Armored Cavalry Regiment
GR Grenadier Regiment
GResR Garde Reserve Regiment - Guard Reserve Infantry
GResDR Garde Reserve Dragoner Regiment - Guard Reserve Dragoon Regiment
GRzF Garde Regiment zu Fuß - Guard Infantry Regiment, literal: "Guard Regiment of Foot"
GRzP Grenadier Regiment zu Pfrede - Horse Grenadiers, light cavalry used for skirmishing
GUR Garde Uhlan Regiment - Guard Lancer Cavalry Regiment
hesse Hessisches - Grand Duchy of Hesse
HKK Höhere Kavallerie-Kommandeur - Senior Cavalry Commander; essentially this is a cavalry corps although it worked a bit differently than a regular army corps: the HKK commander was essentially a senior cavalry commander that was only a command authority concerning tactics and strategy of the employment of the cavalry divisions and support assets within the grouping
HR Husaren Regiment - Hussar Regiment, medium cavalry
ILR Infanterie Leib Regiment - Body Infantry Regiment, literal: "body guard"
IR Infanterie Regiment - Infantry Regiment
Kp Kompagnie - Company (German spelling changed to "kompanie" in 1929)
KR Kürassier Regiment - Armored Cavalry Regiment, heavy cavalry used for shock
kz Kürze - short
Ldw Landwehr - Militia
LdwIR Landwehr Infanterie Regiment - Militia Infantry Regiment
LGR Leib Grenadier Regiment - Life Grenadier Regiment
LgR Leibgarde Regiment - Life Guard Regiment, literal: "life guard" (Hessian)
LHR Leib Husaren Regiment - Life Guard Hussar Regiment
LIR Lehr Infantry Regiment - Infantry Instruction Regiment, as in the "instructors"
LKR Leib Kürassier Regiment - Life Guard Armored Cavalry Regiment
Lndstrm Landstrum - Reservists / Territorial Troops
MFüsR Marine Füsilier Regiment - Marine Regiment
MG Maschinengewehr - Machine Gun
MGK Maschinengewehr Kompagnie - Machine Gun Company
MGSfK Maschinengewehr Schärfschützen Kompagnie - Machine Gun Sharpshooter Company
MörR Mörser Regiment - Mortar Regiment
MR Matrosen Regiment - Sailor Regiment
Mwf Minenwerfer - Trench mortar
Nr Nummer - Number
OHL Oberste Heeresleitung - Supreme Army Command
Pio Pionier - Pioneers, engineers
Regt Regiment - comprised of several battalions; could also appear as "Rgt" to prevent text overflow
Res Reserve
RR Reiter Regiment - cavalry, literal: “rider regiment", usually preceded with an “s”, designating a heavy cavalry regiment.
Rtnd Reitende - riding
s schwere - heavy
sächs Sächisches - Kingdom of Saxony
UR Ulanen Regiment - Lancer Cavalry Regiment, light cavalry at this time used for reconnaissance
württ Württembergisches - Kingdom of Wurttemberg

Austro-Hungarian

FsAB. Festungsartilleriebataillon - Fortress Artillery Battalion
k.u.k. Kaiserlich und Königlich - "Imperial and Royal"; the regular army of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire



* * *
Bibliography

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Edmonds, Sir James E. Military Operations: France and Belgium 1914, Vol. I. Nashville: Battery Press, 1995.

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General Staff, War Office. Hand Book of the Belgian Army 1914. Nashville: Battery Press, 1998.

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Zuber, Terence. The Battle of the Frontiers: Ardennes 1914. Tempus Publishing, 2007.



Websites (in no particular order):

*Links are functional as of 30 JAN 2009*

Volcano Mods.com http://www.volcanomods.com
(website site for games modifications and forums for this and other Tiller games)

The Blitz.org http://www.theblitz.org
(excellent site for ladder wargaming to setup play-by-email matches with others, and forums for discussing this and other Tiller games)


First World War.com http://www.firstworldwar.com
(excellent site for general facts and topics about WWI)

Belgian Fronts http://users.skynet.be/fonck/
(good information on the Belgian Army of WWI)

Tulip Academy http://www.tulipacademy.org/gew/index.htm

Historique de Régiments http://www.chtimiste.com/
(excellent source for WWI French regimental history)

Mark Conrad's homepage http://marksrussianmilitaryhistory.info/
(excellent source for Allied 1914 order of battles)

Axis History Forum http://forum.axishistory.com/

Der erster Weltkrieg http://www.1914-18.info/

World War One Image Archive http://www.gwpda.org/photos/greatwar.htm
(excellent site for World War One photos; some of the images in this notes document came from this website)


Other sources:

Belgian Ministry of War's army budget summary for the year 1914, presented to the Belgian parliament on March 10, 1914. (In Flemish; used for order of battle information of the Belgian Army.)

Great Britain. War Office. Army Orders, 1914. (Published 1 January 1915. Contains very detailed organizational charts of all types of units.)

Great Britain. War Office. Monthly Army List - July, 1914.

Special Thanks

While I conducted my own research, it was helpful to brainstorm ideas and come to a consensus on how to best represent historical situations with the abstractions inherent in a war game. I want to thank Dr. Robert Bruce for his time, patience, and ideas. However, Dr. Bruce.s most significant contribution is one that he is probably not aware of: the instillment of a desire to create the most detailed wargame series about the Great War that has yet been created. It speaks volumes about the effectiveness of a teacher that can inspire creativity and the desire for further learning.

Also, I want to thank the testers. Great testers are a valuable resource and are quite hard to find. Over the year that France '14 was tested, the testers did an outstanding job on a project that probably seemed to them like it was never going to end. Despite this, they continued to test for over a year and did as best as anyone could humanly hope for. Without their help, France '14 would not be a reality.