Battle of Mons Concludes

Part of a map of France, 1914 included with the British Official History.

A Day in History: 24th August 1914

The Battle of Mons, a pivotal engagement in the early days of World War I, stands as a testament to the valiant resistance the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) put forth. Fought from August 23 to 24th 1914, near the Belgian town of Mons, the battle marked the first major clash between the Allies and the Central Powers. From the German perspective, the battle proved a strategic success for the 1st Army led by Alexander von Kluck. It sparked the 'Great Retreat'; the 200-mile withdrawal to the River Marne in August and September 1914 by the BEF and the French Fifth Army.

As far as the British were concerned, Mons was a great moral victory. Despite being outnumbered by about 3:1, the British soldiers held their ground against the advancing German army. Much of this came as a result of The British resistance lasted for 48 hours, inflicting far greater casualties on the Germans (estimated 1600 British to 5000 German). Germans also noted the unexpected strength of the BEF.

German infantry officer Walter Bloem wrote:

'The men all chilled to the bone, almost too exhausted to move and with the depressing consciousness of defeat weighing heavily upon them. A bad defeat, there can be no gainsaying it... we had been badly beaten, and by the English – by the English we had so laughed at a few hours before'

Bloem further claimed that the Germans ‘were opposed only by machine guns, but they were numerous, fired brilliantly, and were so well placed as to defy detection’. In truth, the BEF relied mostly upon disciplined rifle fire of 15 rounds per minute, which had come as a result of 'years of hard professional training'. Ultimately, the courageous stand at Mons provided a crucial delay that allowed other Allied forces to regroup and set a tone of resilience for the battles that would follow.

British troops retreating after the battle