Westfront 1914

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Source of the journals: https://gallica.bnf.fr/accueil/fr/html/accueil-fr

20 September 1914

The BEF launches a successful counter attack, better late than never from the perspective of the GQG, hopefully this will take pressure of the Champagne/Argonne front where most of the fighting is concentrated.

Northern front:


Most of the line north of Péronne is quiet. The Germans seem to be reorganisazing their forces around Antwerpen,giving up fort de Lier, at least for now. The last two forts of Maubeuge are still holding on, although are not actively being besieged at this point.

BEF:


I. and II. Corps launch their offensive in concert with the two British cavalry divisions. In the fields south-east of Montididier the German Reserve Corps defending takes heavy casualties but it manages to hold on to the city and along the forests northeast of town. Having inflicted almost ten thousand casualties in a day Sir John French orders further attacks to encircle Montdidier.

Aisne-Vesle line:


Reims falls to a German attack today but the rest of the line is quiet, 5. Armée deciding to give of Fismes for the river line.

Champagne/Argonne front:


The four Corps d'armée inside the Verdun perimeter start to take up position along the outer fort ring, preparing for a long and brutal siege; plane reconnaissance signaling German heavy and super heavy artillery arriving along the Vouziers-Ste. Menehould railroad line.

Along the Suipp river the German offensive continues slowly gaining access to the plain of Champagne alongside the Bavarian starting to move again around Bar-le-Duc. XXXV. Corps d'armée is beginning to arrive by rail as well as the 24. Division d'infanterie to try to avoid a collapse of the frontline alongside X. Corps d'armée that arrived the last two days.

In other news:
- Georges de la Masselière was replaced as commander of 59. Division de réserve by general Auguste Paulinier.
- Louios Curé was replaced as commander of 14. Division d'infanterie by general Henri Descoings.

Conclusion:

The BEF inflicted heavy casualties but most likely won't be able to reach Noyon at this rate. Frantic redeployments of French divisions should be able to avoid a total collapse in Champagne but most likely at the cost of even more French soil.

Reminder that you can play the newest version of the mod here: https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopic.php?t=418571

If someone wants to play against me, I'd be interested in doing a game to see how it feels against another player and continue to feel out the balance of the mod. You can PM me for that.

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Source of the journals: https://gallica.bnf.fr/accueil/fr/html/accueil-fr

21 September 1914

The fighting is mor and more concentrated in the Champagne/Verdun area with the exception of the BEF counter attack. The French offensive capabilities are not completely spent but are being redirected to counter specific weaken German spearheads.

News from the North:
Smaller clashes still occur along the line mostly around Tourcoing and Bapaume but nothing compared to the center line. The outer forts of Anwerpen see some action mainly around fort de Breendonk and fort de Kessel.

BEF counter attack:


The BEF's counter attack continues as Hubert Gough's 2. Cavalry Division supported by 2. Cavalry Brigade launches a charge in front of Montdidier that is occupied by 1. Division after the Germans pulled back. The British cavalry performs admirably and forces a German infantry brigade and its artillery support back.

Meanwhile 6. Division successfully penetrates the German line in the Bois de Ricquebourg pushing the German 6. Reserve Division back but 7. German Division and 5. German Reserve Division still hold on to the Massif de Thiescourt and the Bois brulé on the flanks.

The BEF air reconnaissance indicates a German Reserve Corps is arriving by rail, so the fighting might get ugly in the forests.

Aisne/Vesle line:


The French army gives up its last bridgehead over the Vesle river as the frontline goes quiet and XL. Corps d'armée reforms behind the river.

Champagne/Argonne front:


The German and Bavarian offensive continues destroying several weak regiments that could not retreat in time but French reinforcements are pouring in.

X. Corps d'armée (X. CA) takes the German spearhead by surprise and launches a series of counter attacks against the German XIV. Corps with the support of 39. Division d'infanterie. Two German regiments are destroyed giving IV. Corps d'armée time to fall back in order. X. CA is named in the Citation à l'ordre de l'armée of the day for this action.

Meanwhile the rest of XXXV. Corps d'armée arrives by train, including thirteen medium and heavy artillery groups. The corps is forming up near Châlon-sur-Marne and will be the mobile reserve in the Champagne region to do similar counter attacks as X. CA just did.

In other news:
Paul Virvaire is replaced by Georges de Bazelaire as commander of 61. Division de réserve; the division being visited by Joffre the same day.

Conclusion:

The siege of Verdun slowly takes shape but most of the fighting is occurring in Champagne where the French reserve are assembling to launch counter attacks with limited objectives to inflict a maximum of losses against the advancing German armies.

Reminder that you can play the newest version of the mod here: https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopic.php?t=418571

If someone wants to play against me, I'd be interested in doing a game to see how it feels against another player and continue to feel out the balance of the mod. You can PM me for that.

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Source of the journals: https://gallica.bnf.fr/accueil/fr/html/accueil-fr

22 September 1914

The BEF offensive looses steam while both sides launch attacks in the Champagne region.

Oise front:


German reserves arrive to stop the BEF in the forested hills; they give up parts of the Massif de Thiescourt but are massing artillery for a potential counter attack. Sir John French orders his divisions to go over to the defensive for he lacks the artillery to overpower the position in the Bois brulé that anchor the German line in front of Montdider.

Champagne front:


On the left flank of the Champagne front the German VIII. Reserve Corps launches an offensive along the Marne-Aisne canal on the Reims plateau. The French first line is broken and the Spahis of the Régiment de chasseurs indigènes surrender after fierce fighting.
The German infantry advances and infiltrates the plateau but is met with a combined counter attack by 3. Division d'infanterie coloniale and 45. Division d'infanterie. The zouaves and tirailleurs indigènes of the 90. Brigade d'infanterie supported by the 8. Brigade de cavallerie légère break through and push back a German brigade, cutting off the German 29. Reserve brigade (around 4000 men). 90. Brigade d'infanterie is named in the Citation à l'ordre de l'armée of the day for this action.

In the center the counter attack by X. Corps d'armée yesterday clearly had great effect since it looks like the Germans are rotating out XV. Corps out of the line. Behind the front 23. Division d'infanterie and its supporting artillery is send north from Châlon to make sure the German brigade is destroyed while 61. Division de réserve moves east to help the right flank of the Champagne front.

On the right the German Guard Corps and the Bavarians continue their push and de Castelnau's warns Joffre he can not stop the current offensive whithout reinforcements. One division, 81. Division d'infanterie territoriale, arrives today by rail while Joffre promises that III. Corps d'armée composed of 5. Division d'infanterie and 53. Division de réserve will arrive tomorrow from the Aisne front.

In other news:
- Charles Mangin takes over XXXV. Corps d'armée from Henri de Lamaze.
- 24. Division d'infanterie is taken over by Adolphe Guillaumat, replacing Armand du Garreau de la Méchenie

Conclusion:

The BEF seems unable to achieve much more but has secured Compiègne and got a German Reserve Corps committed that will not be seen in Champagne where the biggest fighting is occurring. Overall Champagne looks like another defeat in waiting but local counter attacks are doing work and might destroy an entire brigade.

Reminder that you can play the newest version of the mod here: https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopic.php?t=418571

If someone wants to play against me, I'd be interested in doing a game to see how it feels against another player and continue to feel out the balance of the mod. You can PM me for that.

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Source of the journals: https://gallica.bnf.fr/accueil/fr/html/accueil-fr

23 September 1914

The battle of Champagne rages on as Joffre floods the area with everything he's got in reserve and spare on other fronts.

News from the north:
Continuous fighting around fort de Kessel inflicting serious casualties on the Germans but general Baix of 1. Belgian Division is arguing to withdraw behind the Nete river to save what is left of 2. Brigade.

Oise front:


The Boches launch a counter attack against the BEF and make progress in Bois de Ricquebourg pushing back 6. Division.
In front of Montdidier the British cavalry has to pull back when faced with a combined infantry, cavalry and artillery attack; 15th King's Hussars is routed by a combined charge of the Badisches Dragoner Regiment Nr. 22 and the Reserve Dragoner Regiment Nr. 2.
Trying to exploit this breakthrough these two cavalry regiments support an attack by a reserve infantry brigade that gets stopped cold by the ruthless rifle and machine gun fire of 6. Brigade/2. Division south of Montdidier.

Sir John French pulls back his main infantry line to minimize further losses and see if the German reserve division will overcommit on the open fields where he could again deliver a powerful blow like on September 20th.

Champagne Front:


By committing a neighboring division the Germans manage to save the cut-off brigade west of Suippes. The Corps colonial having suffered horrible casualties over the last month it is near breaking point and the offensive by German XVIII. Reserve Corps east of Suippes destroys most of 2. and 3. Division d'infanterie coloniale before the arriving reinforcements could intervene.

With the Germans crossing the Suipp river Foch orders his forces to fall back to the upper Vesle and the Noblette river to avoid unnecessary casualties. His intelligence is estimating this is a fourteen division strong offensive by the Germans at the seam between 2. and 3. Armée.

III. Corps d'armée arrives by rail near Châlon as well as 64. Division de réserve bolstering the strength of 3. Armée and Foch hopes he can deliver several back hand blows on the advancing Germans. He has some of the best French divisional commanders (and the largest artillery concentration of the front at his disposal for this task.

Siege of Verdun:


Still eerily quiet but reconnaissance indicates the German heavy and super heavy artillery supporting two infantry corps are setting up shop in Aubreville and Varennes, west of Verdun. Tomorrow the steel thunder of artillery might be echoing throughout the Meuse hills and valleys.

Conclusion:

The battle of Champagne is shaping up to be the next big bloodletting where both sides concentrate forces.

Reminder that you can play the newest version of the mod here: https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopic.php?t=418571

If someone wants to play against me, I'd be interested in doing a game to see how it feels against another player and continue to feel out the balance of the mod. You can PM me for that.

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Source of the journals: https://gallica.bnf.fr/accueil/fr/html/accueil-fr

24 September 1914

Things quiet down as both sides manoeuver for position in Champagne, but the furor of artillery fire is hear from the Verdun area.

News from the center and north:


Some further clashes around forts de Breedonk and de Kessel while the two remaining forts of Maubeuge still refuse to surrender.

The BEF and the Germans settle into position west of the Oise and the frontline from Antwerpen to Reims is mostly silent.

Champagne front:


The German and Bavarian division continue their push while 2. and 3. Armée form up to launch a counter attack supported by a dozen medium and heavy batteries. This might not save the right bank of the Marne but Joffre hopes to discourage further offensives before winter.

66. Division de réserve arrives from Douai to reinforce the weak Corps colonial in the Reims hills while artillery fire is traded along the upper Vesle.

Verdun siege:


The siege of Verdun begins with the first artillery barrage hitting two French forts. North fort de Bois bourrus is hit by the fire of 150, 305 and 420mm guns while south fort des Sartelles is hit by 150 and 210mm fire.

Conclusion:
A major clash seems imminent east of Châlon while the siege of Verdun starts. October in around the corner and further British reinforcements are expected to arrive in the coming weeks.

Reminder that you can play the newest version of the mod here: https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopic.php?t=418571

If someone wants to play against me, I'd be interested in doing a game to see how it feels against another player and continue to feel out the balance of the mod. You can PM me for that.