Battle Report - Mons, August 1914

Yesterday, with the visit of my brother, Phil, we managed to fight the action at Mons using slightly adapted Command and Colors rules. The table was set up as shown here:

With the Germans deployed at the top of the table. The battle kicked off with a German artillery barrage that caused some British casualties and forced one of their artillery batteries to withdraw with heavy casualties.  The German infantry began their advance on their right towards Jemappe:

However, British machine gun, artillery and rifle fire broke up the attack causing considerable casualties for the Germans, and the British gain their first Victory Point (VP).

Having ground to a halt on the right the Germans make a push in the centre towards Nimy:

Despite heavy casualties the Germans close in on the two crossings at Nimy.

Getting across the bridges proved to be a challenge, but the Germans are able to prevent British engineers from blowing these key crossings. The battle around Nimy ebbs and flows for several moves, with the British holding off the Germans, but losing many casualties in the process.

Meanwhile on the Germans left an advance by Jaegers secures the village of Oburg, as a springboard to assault the left flank (British Right).

Several waves of Germans are beaten off, but eventually, as the British are depleted and pushed back the Germans take the left hand crossing:

The fighting around this area is fierce and the German edge forward seriously threatening the British right flank:

With the smell of success in the air the Germans, now heavily depleted gain a toehold on the far bank; but, their hopes are dashed as Phil activates his reserve and fresh units from 7 Brigade push forward and eject the Germans, but not without heavy losses.

At this point the British engineers manage to blow the Oburg crossing, denying this route to the Germans:

With the German assault on the left thwarted the action shifts back towards the centre and a quick German advance sees German troops capture the two Nimy crossings and jackboots are heard on the streets of Nimy:

The fighting in and around Nimy is fierce. In the nick of time some reinforcements from British 7 brigade plug the gap and a counter attack over the Nimy rail bridge chases the Germans back;

At this point, the Germans in Nimy are deemed to have run out of ammunition and are forced to withdraw back across the road crossing. As the next German assault begins to form and in the face of heavy casualties the British now are forced to withdraw:

But, the short pause allows the British a clean break and gives them the opportunity to attempt to blow the bridges, one charge goes off, but the other fails.

There is now no stopping the German advance.  The British have reached their exhaustion point and although able to withdraw the battle is deemed a narrow German victory at 8 - 7 to the Germans.

This was a really interesting battle and it mirrored very much the feel of the real action that took place at Mons in 1914.

Next stop Le Cateau!

Battle of Mons - Setting it up

I plan to play out the Mons battle using my newly painted WW1 figures. I have decided to depict the action that involved the British 3rd Division on 23rd August 1914, when they defended the Nimy salient.  This wide arch in the Mons - Conde Canal had the small town of Nimy at its centre. Just to the south lies the town of Mons. The canal is too wide and deep for fording and can only be crossed at the five remaining crossing points, that are either bridges or locks. The famous Nimy railway bridge lies in the centre of the action (where the first VCs of WW1 were won).

Defending the salient are the three brigades of the 3rd British Division; 7th. 8th. and 9th Brigades. Facing them coming down from the north are elements of Von Kluck's German First Army, in the shape of three Divisions from 3rd Corps; the 6th, 18th and 17th Divisions.

The wargames table below shows the starting dispositions:

I am going to use Command and Colors rules, slightly modified for the action.  The British will gain from their high rate of fire (15 rounds a minute) and the fact that at this early point in the war the Germans used massed infantry blocks in the attack.  Also the British benefit from being in prepared defensive positions, although not deep trenches.

This should be quite a punch up.