Men and Material on Both sides Mons and le cateau

[dansparky]

We are all aware of the disparity of Men and material between the British and the German armies as recorded in the British Official History.  The British had 2 Machine guns per battalion, but does anyone know of any sources that mention the number of machine guns on both sides, particularly at mons?

 

Spencer Jones puts the number of artillery pieces at some 550 (german) against an estimated 228 (British) at le cateau.  Jones, the great retreat of 1914.

 

Zuber - Each active-army german regiment included a machine gun company with 6 weapons.

 

Zuber - Ah (update) 144 Field Guns 16 heavy howitzers per german corps.  this would mean roughly, in the morning the British faced 288, FG 32 HH, BY early afternoon-mid this amounted to 432 FG and 48 HH and by the evening this would be some 576 FG and 64 HH.

 

Spencer jones states in addition to the 16 heavy howitzers the German army also possessed 380 field howitzers.  from boer war to world war, spencer jones .     divided among all the german armies this would be 54.3 field howitzers for each army (unless he means 380 FH in the german 1st army alone)

 

Edited 22 February , 2017 by dansparky

[dansparky]

the often dreaded Wikipedia states 300 British guns v 600 german guns.  Though it also states the BEF numbering 80,000 thus including I corps which played no real part at mons.  So what i am getting at is how many Artillery Pieces and Machine guns were (roughly) actually in action on the 23rd?

[dansparky]

Corbitt smith estimates the British had 80,000 men 300 field guns and 100 mg field guns are omitted.  German quantities are not broken down for mons.  p. 62 the retreat from mons.  so halving this the British had approx 150 FG and 50 mg's in action.   It also had 36 field howitzers in action at mons, this figure arrived from spencer jones (3 batteries, 6 guns each division)

 

based on Zuber and the 12 German regiments seriously engaged this would mean.  6 guns per reg x 12 = 72.   This is not including separate battalions and companies within the corps.   If we include the other four reg (that Zuber argues not sufficiently engaged) and then add IV Korps this would be approx 144 german mg's by the end of the day.

 

 

Edited 22 February , 2017 by dansparky