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War Archives
Start of the Game
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June 1914
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July 1914
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Belgian - Dutch War
14th May 1914 - 1st Zeeland Offensive - Dutch Victory (Losses: 5k Belgian; 2k Dutch)
On the morning of the 14th May Belgian artillery opened fire upon Dutch emplacements in Zeeland, guided by spotter planes, to good effect. Not long afterwards elements of the Belgian 1ère Division d'Infanterie launched their assault. Expecting the Dutch positions to have been destroyed by the initial barrage the troops advanced in good spirits. This mood changed dramatically as Dutch positions, merely damaged but not destroyed, begun to open up. Clearly out numbered by the heavily dug in Dutch defenders all along the lines the assault faltered, then stopped. Again and again the Belgian forces attempted to make a break through into Zeeland, but ultimately after two weeks of failed assaults the offensive was called off. The offensive had gained no ground and cost the Belgians 5 thousand casualties. The Dutch only sustained 2 thousand.
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May 1914 - Naval Fights at the Scheldt - Belgian Victory (Losses: 1 Belgian vessel heavily damaged; 2 Dutch vessels sunken, 1 heavily damaged)
As the Dutch Navy was called out of blockade duties they were caught with their pants utterly around their ankles by the Belgian Navy. The 20 strong Belgian Fleet (consisting of 1 Light Cruiser, 2 Coastal Defense ships, 1 gun boat and an assortment of small escort vessels) completely outnumbered the Dutch Squadron of 11 vessels (2 Protected Cruisers and 3 Gunboats and 6 Destroyers). They did not however outgun them. As the engagements begun the element of surprise and the initiative way utterly held by the Belgians. Within 2 hour the HNLMS Brinio and HNLMS Jakhals where hit and sunk with the HNLMS Fret taking heavy damage. As the Dutch limped off their response managed to heavily damage the Belgian Light Cruiser Leopold I. The engagement was a complete success for the Belgians!
8th June 1914 - Second Zeeland Offensive - Belgian Victory (Losses: 7k Belgian, numerous planes; 18k Dutch [2/3 POWS])
On the morning of the 8th Junel Dutch defensive lines in Zeeland were once again heavily bombarded by Belgian field emplacements. To the Dutch bewilderment the rounds begun to fall short of their positions. For a while the shelling continued to fall short until the Dutch forward defenses begun to be hit. To the horror of the dug in troops they realised the shelling was getting closer and closer. Behind this slow crawling barrage came the Belgian 1ère Division d'Infanterie and 2ème Division d'Infanterie. Such was the effect of the barrage followed by infantry that the offensive was a resounding success and Dutch defenses in the area were soon overpowered and taken. Elements of the Belgian 1ère Division de Cavalerie were swift to make gains on the offensive and push up ahead of the Infantry, pursuing the disorganised Dutch troops. It was clear from a number of captured Dutch troops that they blamed the lack of organisation within the high command for their defeat. By the 20th Junel much of Zeeland had fallen into Belgian hands. The offensive cost the Belgians 7 thousand casualties to the the Dutch 18 thousand, of whom a ⅔ were P.O.Ws!
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Though the second offensive into Zeeland had been a success for the Belgian, in the air the success was not to be seen. Belgian attempts to send long range reconnaissance missions into the Netherlands resulted in the heavy loss of planes and life and eventual calling off of the mission. Following the last number of flights the dug in Dutch had turned a number of their Machine guns skywards to prevent and further attempts. This had resulted in the shooting down of numerous planes as they attempted to pass over. At sea neither side were able to bring one another to battle. Though it was clear that the Belgian warships were spoiling for a fight the presence of the French Navy so close to shore and the discovery of the numerically superior dutch force had meant that the Belgians had opted to avoid battle. The Dutch opting to avoid hitting the French also avoid battle.
4th June - End of June 1914 - Clashes over the whole front - Horrible Stalemate (Losses: 27k Belgian; 32k Dutch)
The slaughter experienced during the month of June during this war has sent shock waves through both warring nations. The weapons of war, that due to the small offensives and swift fights had yet to be understood, now displayed their full colours. On the morning of the 4th June the Dutch Zuidelijk Veldleger launched a massive offensive into Zeeland in a bid to recapture it. Dutch troops from the 1ste and 2de Korps smashed headlong into the dug in troops of the Belgian 1ère and 2ème Division d'Infanterie. The initial bombardment onto the Belgian positions had little effect on the men who were dug in lick ticks. Not knowing the failure of the bombardment the Dutch forces began their offensive into Rilland. To their horror the small pass had been turned into a killing ground like none seen before. Belgian machine guns raked the advancing Dutch troops wave upon wave as Belgian artillery who were zeroed into the ground rained shrapnel upon the helpless Dutch. Four times the Dutch came on and each time they were cut down. The assault was an utter failure. In Noord-Brabant a smaller dutch offensive also met with little success. Troops from the 14de and 15de Infanterie Divisie were unable to make any headway into the Belgian lines, defended by the 4ème Division d'Infanterie.
The Belgians were swift to answer to the Dutch offensive with their own offensive across the whole front. From Zeeland to Limburg the Belgians begun to pound Dutch positions with artillery. Behind it came the Belgians. The scale of the operation though was to be their down falling. Due to the Dutch offensive many Belgian positions had lost what little ease of communications they had and were forced to use riders. This resulted in poor coordination between artillery and infantry as well as between Divisions. Artillery bombardments ended short or fired over Dutch positions. In Limburg the 6ème Division d'Infanterie was hit by their own barrage as it fell short on the advancing men. The offensive failed to gain any ground and was an utter slaughter. In the space of 3 weeks the Belgians lost 27 thousand men to the Dutch 32 thousand men with neither side gaining anything.
June 1914 - Naval Battle of the Western Scheldt Estuary - Dutch Victory (Losses: 5 Belgian vessel sunken; 1 Dutch vessel sunken)
The war at sea however saw the Dutch navy smash the Belgian Navy at the Battle of the Western Scheldt Estuary. Lead by the the HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën the numerically superior Dutch navy smashed into the Belgian Navy as it lay in waiting. The battle raged for 3 hours as the Belgian navy attempted to escape the onslaught of the Dutch. Within 50 minutes of engaging the Dutch has already sun the Light Cruiser Louise-Marie and the destroyer Godetia. As the dutch navy limped off towards the coast of England the destroyers Narcis, Castor and Van Haverbeke were also lost before they could reach the safety of their allies across the channel. The Dutch navy only major loss was the sinking of the destroyer HNLMS Panter. The whole time the French blockade on the Netherlands had been forced to watch on in horror as orders prevented them from firing upon the Dutch fleet.
Great European War
June 1914 - Jutland Offensive - German Victory (Losses: 8k German; 20k Dansih)
Following the sudden declaration of war by the German Empire; German artillery, that had been stationed along the border two months prior, begun to shell Danish emplacements all along the border guided by spotting planes, something the German high command had noticed from the Belgo - Dutch War. The suddenness of it all caught Danish troops by complete surprise. Despite being mobilised and up to strength the men were simply not prepared for the attack. Following the heavily shelling troops from the German IX, XV and XIX Armeekorps long with 10 Reserve-Divisions crossed the board overwhelming the Danish 3. and 5. Infanterie Divisons forcing them back. The 4. And 6. Infanteri Divisons however refused to submit from their positions and were soon surrounded and cut off from help. Despite the initial shock and awe of the attack German troops were soon held up by their own size. With so many men trying to navigate the Danish infrastructure movement rapidly slowed down. This slow down gave the Danish vital time and as German troops attempted to enter Eastern and Northern Jutland their offenses were pushed buck. The fighting in Eastern Jutland was especially vicious with the German XV Armeekorps along with the 76. and 32. Reserve-Divisions and elements of the 3. Königlich Bayerische Division were unable to break through the Danish 2. Infanteri Divison. The German Navy was present throughout the advance into Denmark, providing heavy support to the advancing troops. By the 27th June the assault had faltered and been halted. The Danish had lost a staggering 20 thousand lost (most captured) to the German 8 thousand.
June/July 1914 - Advance into Denmark - German Victory (Losses: ? German; ? Danish)
Following failed peace negotiations the German forces in Denmark where swift to continue their advance. This was met with no resistance at all to the great surprise of the 1.and 2. Jägerdivision who were leading the advance into Jutland. As the process of Island hopping went underway the German 1. Marinedivision found that both Funen and Southern Zealand were also utterly unguarded. The German forces were able to reach their objective in Southern Zealand completely unmolested. Even the massive Kaiserliche Marine roving the seas found nothing to do. It was as if the Danish had utterly given up. The only area of conflict was the skirmishing occurring between elements of the 19. Armeekorps and the surrounded 4. and 6. Infanteri Divisons. After almost 2 and a half month of being surrounded the Danish forces were close to starving to death. Still though they refused to surrender to German forces surrounding them.
June/July 1914 - Battle for Liege - German Victory (Losses: ? German; >23k French, ? Belgian)
The French 3éme Groupe d'Armée under the command of Général d'Armée Augustin Dubail marched into Belgium into Liège and launched the first French offensive into the Rheinland-Pfalz. The French 5éme, 6éme and 8éme Armées smashed into the German 17., 18., and 3. Armeekorps under the command of General der Kavallerie August von Mackensen. In their bright blue and red uniforms the French forces stood out light sore thumbs. As French regiments marched in close order across open fields with their colours waving the German artillery and machine guns showed Europe what these new weapons were fully capable off. The French forces were cut down in their thousands. The 21st June 1914 saw the loss of 23,000 French men alone. The Germans were not without heavy losses either. Despite repelling the French assault their counter attack into Liège was also met with difficulty and heavy losses. Like their the French the German forces were trying to fit hundreds of thousands of men in between the Netherland the Luxembourg creating logistical issues. Distie this though the German forces were able to push into Liège before the French were able to halt their advance.
June/July 1914 - Offensive into Lorraine and Franche-Comté - German Victory (Losses: 43k German; 58k French)
In Lorraine and Franche-Comté German forces were also able to make some headway into France. Despite a heroic defense by the 1er Groupe d'Armée where they were heavily dug in and fortified. Throughout the 19th and 20th German artillery pounded the French positions and assaults were launched to little avail. On the morning of morning of the 21st however the German 12. And 21. Armeekorps finally managed to make a breakthrough the positions of the 3éme Armée. This breakthrough was soon being used to its full potential and men were poured into the gap. Though the French were swiftly able to stop the flow and bring the advanced it was still a massive moral victory for German forces. Both offensives however had been bloody affairs. French forces suffered some 58 thousands losses against the German’s 43 thousand. Such a massacre could not surly be sustained by both sides!
July 1914 - Naval Engagements in the Skagerrak - German Victory (Losses: 2 British vessels sunken)
At sea the Royal Navy had met with disaster at the hands of the Kaiserliche Marine. A massive fleet had set out from England with the intentions of heading for the Skagerrak straits. As they drew closer they were set upon by waiting U-boats. The british Cruiser HMS Drake was sunk by a direct torpedo to her rudder which left her stranded and taking on water. The HMS Goldfinch was also lost. The fleet were forced to retire from the hunting grounds swiftly before any more losses could be sustained.
August 1914 - Battle of Jutland - Phyrric Anglo-French Victory (Losses: French: 2 Dreadnaugts, 2 Pre-Dreadnaughts, 3 Cruisers, 5 Destoryers. U.K: 1 Dreadnaught, 2 Battlecruiser, 3 Crusiers, 4 Destroyers.
Germany: 1 Dreadnaught, 2 Battlecruisers, 3 Pre-Dreadnaughts, 6 Crusiers, 7 Destoryers and 6 Submarines)
In the Kattegat and Skagerrak straits the war at sea took to a new scale never seen or predicted before. On the morning of the 19th August a Sjøforsvaret Destroyer Division sighted the largest naval armada in history made of the Royal Navy and Marine Nationale numbering almost 400 vessels of all classes. As they cruised their way towards the Norwegian Division shadowed them closely. Without any warning the British screen vessel fired upon them. Though the shells flew over the Destroyers, a clear show that they could still be sunk if they engaged and fled, the message was extremely to the point. The Norwegian vessels swiftly withdrew from their shadowing. Ahead of this armada the Royal Navy had a sight screen of Light Cruisers and Destroyers all kitted out for anti-submarine action. Having learnt their lesson last time these vessels moved deliberately almost as if they were attempting to detect the underwater menesses, not that that was yet possible. As the Grand Fleet approached the straits the screens gave way to the heavier vessels and took positions on the flanks and rear, ever cautious. By 17:23 the fleet begun it’s maneuvers into the Kattegat straits from the Skagerrak straits. To their horror two of the leading vessels the Casque and HMS Bat struck mines, removing them from action but failing to sink or cripple. Swiftly French minesweeper were sent forwards to get to work under the watchful eyes of the Dreadnaughts of the Royal Navy. It was swiftly discovered that only a small number of mines had been laid close to the Danish coast and that the remainder of the way was clear. Avoiding the few mines that there were the fleet steamed ahead, right into the jaws of the awaiting Kaiserliche Marine, or so they thought. The Fleet refused to advance further and instead begun to engage the German vessels from across the narrow channels between Denmark, Læsø and Sweden refusing to advance any further. Admiral Friedrich von Ingenohl had vastly underestimated his foe, Admiral of the Fleet John Rushworth Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe. The French and British Dreadnoughts and Battlecruisers vastly outnumbered the German fleet’s complement and thusly the gun fight appeared to be one sided. However, despite Admiral of the Fleet Rushworth commanding the mighty force, the French had their own orders to follow. Streaming into the narrow pass the Jean Bart lead the heroic charge of the French vessels into what was without a doubt a killing zone. Flanked by a number of fast moving destroyers the mighty Dreadnaught blasted her way forwards into the heart of battle. At 17:31 she was hit by a shell from the SMS Kaiser that finally managed to bring the mighty ship down as it punched through the top armour and detonate the munitions blowing the Jean Bart apart in a biblical blast. This loss did not go unanswered as the escorting Destroyers Protet and Durandal were able to maneuver themselves into position to fire off torpedos in close range to the SMS Kaiserin putting three major holes into her side sinking her. As more and more French vessels poured into the two narrow passes supported by the Royal Navy’s fire the losses on both sides begun to rapidly mount. HMS Ajax was soon lost to concentrated German fire alongside the HMS Monmouth and Rother. Téméraire, Renaudin, Vergniaud and Amiral Aube were soon lost as they made their runs into the pass. SMS Wittelsbach and Wettin were both lost to British fire whilst the SMS Schwalbe, SMS Geier, SMS Breslau, SMS Panther, G108 and S102 were lost to the brutal onslaught of the French Navy.
By 17:48 the battle was still raging and the losses were only mounting for both sides. It was at this point that the German launched their surprise attack. German submarines that had been lurking in the fjords around the straits came into action behind the Entente fleet. To their horror they had been expected. British Destroyers that had been lurking behind the Fleet set upon them like Jack Russells to a pack of rats. The poor Submarines had thought they had the drop on their foe and had been lured into the awaiting Destroyers. It was clear that the British or French had something that could detect them. U-8, 15, 5, 12 and 21 were all lost without so much as a chance of escape whilst many of the other Submarines took to their heels in the North Sea. Only a brave few remained to carry out their goal. U-7, refusing the turn tail, moved into attack position on HMS Tiger and successful fired off two torpedoes into her side, sinking her. The British were swift at searching out the offending Sub. and U-7 took a depth charge to her front sinking her with all hands. With the surprise attack now thwarted and the French onslaught showing no sign off letting up Admiral Friedrich von Ingenohl begun to lose his nerve. As the SMS Moltke was sunk and SMS Lützow put out of action he begun to pull back his fleet. A terrible mistake. The French navy flooded the gap and brought the full might of her Dreadnaughts to bare upon the Kaiserliche Marine. SMS V161, SMS G145, SMS Medusa, SMS Stuttgart were soon lost, traded for the Chasseur, Montcalm, HMS Nottingham and HMS Spitfire. By 19:12 HMS New Zealand, HMS Hardy, HMS Owl, HMS Shannon, the Jeanne d'Arc, Janissaire, Patrie, Suffren, SMS Wörth, SMS Niobe, SMS V167, SMS G134 and SMS G108 now rested at the bottom. The Battle was done. The Kaiserliche Marine withdrawing from the withering engagement and the Entente now in full control of the seas around Denmark. The final losses, not counting the number of ships that were hit but not sunk, stood as testimony to the lethality of the Battle.
August 1914 - Bombardment of Kopenhagen - German Victory (Losses: 2 Danish vessels sunken)
Copenhagen was subject to a brutal naval bombardment by the Kaiserliche Marine. This barbaric bombardment shook the city to its core killing hundreds of civilians, men, women and children alike. The Søværnet at anchor also took a hammering; KDM Iver Hvitfeldt and KDM Ingolf were both crippled in the bombardment.
August 1914 - Kesselschlachten - German Victory (Losses: 76k Danish POWs)
After enduring starvation and constant bombardment the 4. and 6. Infanteri Divisons finally surrendered to German forces. 76 thousand men were taken as P.O.Ws as the final front line forts gave in.
August 1914 - Russian March on Königsberg - Russian Victory (Losses: 19k German, 11k Russian)
On the Eastern Front the awakening of the Russian bear was not taken as seriously as it should have been by commanders in East Prussia. The Russian regular forces were mobilised and on the offensive in no less and 3 days after their declaration. The 1-ya Armeyskaya Gruppa, under the command of General ot Kavalerii Pavel Karlovich Rennenkampf, smashed into the German I. and XXI. Armeekorps as well as 5 Reserve-Divisions with destructive effect. The Russian 1-ya Gvardeyskaya Pekhotnaya Diviziya proved exceptional in its offensive, smashing aside the 19. Infanterie-Division and 11. Bayerische Infanterie-Division with little effort and turning much of the Germany’s Northern flank.The front quickly caved in to the Russian onslaught as the great tide of men stormed towards Königsberg. It wasn’t until German reinforcements from the XIV. Armeekorps and 7., 19. and 12. Reserve-Divisions came to the aid of current german forces that the Russian advance could be halted. Though unable to capture Königsberg by the end of the month, due to the unflinching defense of the remnants of the 11. Bayerische Infanterie-Division and 34. Reserve-Division, they were able to utterly surround the city and began a relentless bombardment. The offensive had been a Russian victory with Germany suffering 19 thousand casualties to Russia's 11 thousand.
August 1914 - Skirmishes in the Alps - Stalemate (Losses: 3k Italian, 400 French)
Italy's entry into the war was also marked by the rapid offensive. The 1° Regio Esercito Italiano begun their offensive into France across the Alps. As the men of the 1° - 4°Corpo d'Armata begun their painstaking advance up into the Alps things seemed to be going well enough. Progress was slow but unopposed. As they drew closer to one of the easier passed into France the whole thing went up in a massive explosion. Snow and rocks came crashing down onto the lead elements of the Italian forces crushing a number of men and cutting off the advance. Out of almost nowhere french Alpine units begun to fire upon the Italian forces driving them back down the mountains as artillery fire begun to hounded them when rifles could no longer. Though the losses were minimal the moral effect of was strongly felt on the Italians as their fire move of the was was so easily thrown back. Along the coastline Italian forces fared little better. Fearing the possibility of Italian invasion the French had viciously dug and created a vast trench system and was now fit to bursting with troops from the IIe Armée. The Italian commander General Armando Diaz upon learning of this defied his orders and refused to assault the French position, much to the relief of his men. Italian losses were only 3 thousand to France’s 4 hundred.
August 1914 - Battle for Eastern Morocco - Italian Victory (Losses: 67 Italian, 400 French)
In North Africa however the Italian Regio Esercito delle Colonie fared far better than their European counterparts. Swiftly entering into eastern Morocco and sticking close to the cost they advanced unhampered for a few days across the deserts. Soon enough though they met their local forces that begun to harry them on their advance in hit and run style attacks. Though the losses in men and material were minimal, General Luigi Capello, fearing that these forces were simply the vanguard of a larger force slowed his advance greatly. Both he and his staff, like General Diaz, and heard of the slaughters in June and was very unwilling to commit his force to a battle that might see the Italian forces thrown out of Africa as soon as they had arrived. Losses were a mere italians 67 men.
