A one-year anniversary

[joerookery]

halenoneyear by Joe Robinson, on Flickr

On 12 August 1915 the Germans had a significant memorial for the one-year anniversary of the Battle of Halen.  This cavalry action brought forth a ceremony that was held in Halen Belgium and attended by 40 relatives from Germany. The Generalgouverneur of Belgium, Generaloberst Freiherr von Bissing and the Militärgouverneur of the Province of Limburg, Generalmajor Keim were present. The Groβherzog of Mecklenburg sent a delegate to honour his fallen Mecklenburg men. Every grave was decorated with an iron cross-with the name of the fallen-and with flowers.  After the ceremony, Exzellenz von Bissing-in person- paid his condolences to the relatives and the cemeteries were visited. A special train brought the participants of the ceremony from Halen to Hasselt and then back to Germany.

 

 During the ceremony General Keim gave a speech. The content of the speech and other details can be found in a 17-page booklet (Das Gefecht bei Haelen) that was prepared for the event and contained a number of pictures. This was in the middle of the war. The impact of this battle was so significant on the operational outcome of the Schlieffen Plan, that they actually stopped what they were doing a year later to conduct the memorial. This not only affected the operation but also the flower of German chivalry.

 

 Yet this battle was not well known in the English language until Fonthill Media published the first English-language work earlier this year. Happening 11 days prior to the Battle of Mons, the results of this battle seriously affected the reconnaissance that followed on looking for the BEF. Not that far from Mons and with a battlefield heavily preserved, a visit to the museum and the battlefield would be richly rewarded especially when paired with the maps and story inside “The Last Great Cavalry Charge”. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cavalry-Charge--Battle-Silver-Helmets-Halen-12/dp/1781551839/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1438962135&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Last+Great+Cavalry+Charge

[Hoss]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Haelen_(1914)

Joe is the reconnaissance on the BEF Robinson's opinion? bold statement.

Eric

[joerookery]

Eric,

 

I think yes and no. To the best of my knowledge there is no real work on reconnaissance yet. That seems to be both in German and English. We are working on it and have found out a great deal. We laid out the logic in The Great War Dawning. This has been completely confirmed and reinforced by analysis of von Troschke's 1940 maps. There is no question in my mind. However on the no side most of the English language works if not all of them trace their origins back to the British official history and Edmonds. In that mass of documentation there is little to be really gathered about what happened before 23 August. Almost as if the world started on that day or the day before. So we are working on the reconnaissance for our next book using what we learned in The Last Great Cavalry Charge to really jumpstart us. Is that a bold statement? I don't know. About the only thing for certain is that we are getting older!

I had to laugh at the Wikipedia document!  It's hard to equate any kind of strategic effect or operational goal based on Belgian fortresses. Standard accounting of beans. The purpose was to defeat the French army. In order to do this they tried to get around the flank. What they did not take into account was that two of the nine cavalry brigades on the right flank were basically decimated at Halen. Seems like the Germans themselves were painfully aware of the problem and subsequently even tried to move HKK1.---- too little too late.

Although a Belgian victory, the battle had little strategic effect and the Germans later besieged and captured the fortified areas of Namur, Liège and Antwerp, on which Belgian strategy hinged.

[Hoss]

Joe

Brig. Gen.Edmonds he was a Haig cronie I've never read any British Official Histories a recommendation at the bottom of a Keegan article I have in front of me The March on Paris (Kluck Arnold 1920). I also found something on the 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards 'C' squadron at the village of Soignies shortly after they landed. The Uhlan (9th Cavalry Division) also had wireless in contact with Ist & 2nd Armies.(Oberste Heeresleitung). So we can presuppose the Germans always screened the BEF before during the Channel crossing through Boulogne to their march up to the line beginning August 21st imo.

Regards

[joerookery]

Eric,

 

This is a map from 22 August inside volume one of the German official history. They had no idea where the British were. Kluck admitted  downing an aircraft but was still in the dark.  The ninth cavalry division was in the wrong place. 

https://www.evernote.com/l/AHo83Dl9vsxAp7rWwurI8iKP31WvSp2ZZmQB/image.png

 

 I have no knowledge of the light radio set being dispatched from the ninth cavalry division headquarters prior to the 23rd.

 

Edited August 12, 2015 by joerookery

[Hoss]

Thats weird Soignies is roughly north of Mons maybe Kluck is referring to the British positions behind the canal anyway the book sounds interesting.

Cheers

Joe I also found this I like these personal account links on battles some are very good.

http://grandadswar.mrallsophistory.com/aug1914.html

Eric

 

Edited August 13, 2015 by Hoss

[The Prussian]

Here is a photo of the Staff of the Generalgouvernement Belgium in Brussels

[Hoss]

Prussian

Karel just fainted seeing all those haubes in one spot  Jesus! talk about an instant million dollar collection!

Eric

[The Prussian]

Yes, if it had rained pigs and cattles, it´d be the worlds largest BBQ of the 20th century...

[Trooper_D]

Here is a photo of the Staff of the Generalgouvernement Belgium in Brussels

What a wonderful photo, Prussian, with much to discuss - I have a number of questions I want to ask about it - but perhaps off topic, so not here. Why don't you post it in a new thread so we can deconstruct it?

[The Prussian]

Well, trooper, that´s a good idea. I´ll do it!

[Trooper_D]

Well, trooper, that´s a good idea. I´ll do it!

Thank, I look forward to seeing it, Prussian. Would you be kind enough to post a link to it, here, when the thread is started so we don't miss it? Thanks again.

Edited August 14, 2015 by Trooper_D

[The Prussian]

Of course!

Here we go:

Edited August 14, 2015 by The Prussian