Mons 1914

 Tim has very kindly arranged with a local hall to run a monthly games session during the day. While playing lawn games in his garden is fun in the summer, it is less so in freezing January. It also means we can do some more grandiose stuff than the weekly Zoom games and use some mechanisms which don't really work remotely. 

Tim has run a few games now and I was keen to do something so I offered to put a Friday game on. I've really missed playing OP14, as it is a great system but hard to play remotely as there is a bit too much going on. We tried two remote games but really you need a bigger play area and unit density than a camera can deal with. 

I'd originally planned on doing a hidden movement game with maps and battles transferring to the tabletop (using some excellent scenarios done by Ian Drury) but we didn't really have the player numbers for that. I ran quite a few OP14 games at the old Polish Club, and as with many club games were often a bit rushed, so I thought it was an opportunity to revisit some classics in a more leisurely setting. 

Off to Mons we go. It is August 1914 and somewhere out there is the Von Klucks 1st Army, and the BEF with some very puzzling orders from Sir John French. North is at the top, from whence the Germans are coming, Von Belows 2nd Army is off to the right. The Mons-Conde Canal is in the middle, and Mons itself is the small town at the end of the two rail lines.

Smith Dorriens II Corps is on the left (3rd and 5th Div), Haigs 2nd Div (I Corps) on the right and Allenbys cavalry in reserve. To make things more interesting, the British were deployed hidden. John was Smith Dorrien and in overall command and also had 5th Div and the Cavalry. Pete took 3rd Div and 2nd Div on the right.

The French 84th Div holds the (open) left flank.

There was a moderate air presence for this game, Tims lovely Taube makes another appearance.

And my elederly FE2 'pusher'. This is an Irregular 6mm model and has survived being trodden on by a particularly flat footed member of the the club. A sturdy model indeed.

Both planes would provide recce and artillery spotting services.

On the right flank, the entire 5th French Army, in headlong retreat in front of Von Below. The BEF was deployed with its right flank refused as they weren't entirely sure where the French were (in fact there was a ten mile gap).

The box of Germans. Two Cavalry Divisions and three entire Infantry Corps , IV, III and IX Corps, commanded in sequence by Tim, Russell and Lloyd. Tim and Lloyd each also had a cavalry division.

Each infantry Corps had two divisions of two brigades, plus field artillery and howitzers. The Cavalry had attached Jagers which gave them additional dismounted firepower, and meant I could get my Jager Cyclists out.

The British box had a bit less stuff in it. Allenbys Cavalry Division (twice the size of the German ones), and three infantry divisions each of three brigades and a field artillery brigade. The divisional howitzers were rolled together into a single Corps howitzer stand, my lovely QRF 60pdr.

The action opened with both German Cavalry Divs entering the fray. One (the easternmost) belonged to 2nd Army and was screening their flank, but the other belonged to 1st Army and deployed in a screen looking for the British.

After a couple of turns they bumped into Petes 3rd Div, deployed around Mons. Guns up on the ridge, one Brigade defending in front of the ridge, one in the 'salient' and one in reserve behind the ridge. The troops were deployed for battle but not dug in as the BEF orders commanded them to both defend and attack at the same time(!). They had at least got their Vickers guns deployed.

The British artillery opened fire at maximum range (6 km, or three hexes) and drove back one of the German cavalry regiments.  

Behind the cavalry was Lloyds IX Corps. marching on in parallel columns, infantry at the front, guns to the rear. 

The British aircraft were active and scouted the German infantry. They were well out of artillery range though, and a good job as marching columns are hideously vulnerable to artillery fire.

Faced with this threat, the British started frantically digging, and soon some hasty lines of entrenchments appeared. The German cavalry set off south east to try and find a flank.

In the centre, Russells III Corps now marched on. The Germans were arriving sequentially as the 1st Army had its right flank echeloned back to protect against surprise flank attacks. It deployed its field guns on the ridge within extreme range of the tip of the salient. While the infantry marched on. The heavy howitzers take a full turn to unlimber and for now were still advancing.

There were suddenly an awful lot of of Germans. IX Corps deployed into battle formation and advanced to the canal line. The canal was an obstacle for combat purposes, but only a minor one for movement as there are so many bridges over it. The Germans put three brigades in the front line and one in reserve and unlimbered their field guns. The massed German infantry were a great target for the Royal Artillery, who duly knocked a base off one of the units. Units hit by artillery have the option to retire to trade for one hit, but the Germans chose to stay in contact.

Meanwhile in the southeast, the German cavalry found Haigs 2nd Division. This division was echeloned back to cover the flank and was also immobile until such time as it was attacked. It didn't stop the guns firing though, and the divisional artillery drove back one of the German cavalry regiments.

This division had also constructed hasty entrenchments and was in a strong position.

German IV Corps now appeared, commanded by Tim.

View from the ridge above Mons. The Germans look quite imposing. Yes, that is a train next to Mons, they kept running for quite some time after the battle started! The 3rd Div brigade in the salient is now surrounded on four sides. Retreat or stand?

The BEF stood, and was attacked by two entire divisions. A brigade from III Corps attacked them in the rear flank and the British were forced back into Mons with heavy losses. This also left the British Divisional HQ rather exposed and right in the front line.

Russells III Corps had also made contact with 5 Div along the canal, causing the division to be deployed. 18pdr and 60pdr artillery brigades along the ridge behind with a commanding view of the battlefield.

British aircraft spotted for artillery fire on IX Corps. They were forced to push up reserve battalions to fill the gaps. The Corps heavy howitzers are moving up (bottom right).

Von Kluck himself put in an appearance in his staff car, and parked up on the ridge to observe proceedings.

Opposite Haig, the German cavalry dismounted and formed up in a defensive hedgehog, Jagers to the front.

Panorama of the battle, all three German Corps now deployed.

Dorien-Smith also turned up and parked up near the gun line.

The British were forced out of Mons by III Corps and IX Corps overran the stranded British divisional HQ. The rest of 3 Div was now formed in a tight arc around the end of the ridge. The Germans were right up at the gun line.

Meawhile, intrepid German aviators located the British cavalry. They had also got off their horses and had been busy digging trenches.

IX Corps pushed some infantry over the canal, and the cavalry fell back a bit to make room. They were getting organised for an attack on 3 Divs ridgeline position.

Back in Mons 3 Div was busy shuffling battalions around to keep up a reasonably strong defence.  They had lost three battalions by now, enough to start making exhaustion checks.

View from the 5 Div sector. Tims IV Corps is well up to the canal and the various British brigades are strung out on a lengthy front and unable to mutually support each other. They do have the cavalry as a backstop though.

IX Corps is across the canal in strength now, and all its artillery is deployed in range of the ridgeline. The British respond with artillery barrages from both 2 Div and 3 Div which whittle down the approaching Germans. they have lost three bases now (six battalions) but as their formations are Corps not Divisions, they are still a way off from an exhaustion test. The reserve brigade keeps pushing replacements forward.

2 Div is still holding down the right flank. French 5th Army seems to have disappeared entirely now.

IX Corps bombards 3 Div and assaults! The trenches protect the BEF infantry from damage and the assault is bloodily repulsed. Time for IX Corps to draw an exhaustion card. 

IV Corps is forced to assault (it drew a spade) and despite effective artillery support, is also repulsed. Its first loss of the game. The BEF defenders along the canal take some casualties from the German artillery bombardment.

3 Div counterattacks German III Corps at Mons. This inflicts enough casualties to exhaust the Germans and they fall back to reorganise. Exhausted formations can't attack any more so it is fought out until it can get some strength back overnight.

Meanwhile IX Corps tries again, and behind a devastating barrage, overruns the BEF brigade at the bottom of the hill. It takes 60% casualties and the survivors disperse. The Germans also take losses in the assault but hang on.

In the west, IX Corps attacks again behind a heavy bombardment and forces its way across the canal. 5 Div falls back without significant loss.

5 Div then counterattacks supported by the Corps artillery and pushes the Germans back again.

2 Div is still unscathed and providing flanking artillery support.

3 Div has had enough though and becomes exhausted. The infantry is now down to less than half strength. 

The German cavalry set off behind the infantry to reinforce the west flank. Amazing how fast they can go when there isn't any fighting to be done!

Tims Corps sorts itself out for another effort and pushes replacements forwards.

At this point night falls and both sides have a chance to reorganise. Tims IV Corps recovers one base and both III and IX Corps recover no less than three bases. This is enough for Russells Corps to recover and for Lloyds to lose its exhaustion cards (although it never actually broke).

3 Div is able to recover four bases, but its losses have been so heavy it is not able to recover from exhaustion and it retires to the rear for a more major reorganisation.

Faced with three active German Corps against just two divisions of BEF infantry, Smith-Dorrien decided it was time to retire rather than fight on. Next stop Le Cateau!

 

That went very well and was a broadly historical result. The 'salient' north of Mons was hideously vulnerable and so it proved in the game, but it was a good defensive effort by the British as they inflicted almost three times as many casualties on the Germans as they lost themselves. Johns decision to retire was quite correct as behind III, IV and IX Corps were three more completely fresh German Corps...

It was really great to be playing OP14 again, and it was nice to have a more leisurely time of playing it too. My only regret was that in the excitement of actually getting to play it f2f again, I forgot to give the players any planning time! Oh well, maybe next time.