Battle of Mons

Battle of Mons took place on August 23 1914. German troops invaded Belgium on August 3rd. British troops from the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) had crossed to mainland Europe on August 14th. The BEF was led by Sir John French and by the time the BEF had got to Belgium they were behind with their schedule. French wanted a cautious approach until he and his force met up with the French Fifth Army led by General Lanrezac. The plan was for both forces to join up at Charleroi.
On the way to meet the French Army, BEF met the advancing German Army at Mons.

Battle of Mons

The British Commander Sir John French, deployed the British infantry corps, under the leadership of General Horace Smith-Dorrien, east and west of Mons on a 40km front. General Edmund Allenby and the cavalry division was kept in reserve.

Battle of Mons

To stop the advancing Germans, orders were given to a group of Royal Fusiliers to destroy the bridges over the Mons-Conde Canal. The men came under heavy German fire and during the operation, five men, including Private Sidney Godley, Captain Theodore Wright and Corporal Charles Jarvis, won the Victoria Cross. On August 22nd, the BEF came across cavalry patrols from the German First Army and engaged them.

General French decided to dig defensive positions near the Mons Canal. The commander of the German First Army, Kluck, was surprised by the proximity of the British forces. He and his army had just engaged Lanrezac in battle (the Battle of Sambre) and was pursuing the French army south.

Kluck determined to take on the BEF and they first engaged the British in battle on August 23rd. French had deployed his men across a 40 kilometre front. The BEF was heavily outnumbered. In the Battle of Mons BEF had 70000 strongs and 300 artillery guns whereas the German’s had 160,000 men and 600 artillery guns. Despite such overwhelming numbers, the Germans did not do well at the start of the battle. The BEF may have been referred to as a bunch of “contemptibles” by the Kaiser William II, but they were professional soldiers. Although the German First Army suffered heavy losses from British rifle fire, they caused also great damage, so that Sir John French was forced to instruct his outnumbered forces to retreat. French favoured a withdrawal to the coast but the British war minister, Lord Kitchener, ordered the British Expeditionary Force to retreat to the River Marne.