This is the Belgian Army order of battle on the outbreak of war in August 1914.
A Belgian machine gun drawn by dogs
A major reorganisation of the Army had been authorised by the government in 1912, providing for a total army of 350,000 men - 150,000 in the field forces, 130,000 in fortress garrisons and 70,000 reserves and auxiliaries. However, this reorganisation was nowhere near complete - it was planned for completion by 1926 - and only 117,000 men could be mobilised for the field forces, with the other branches equally deficient.
The Commander-in-Chief was King Albert I, with Lieutenant-General Chevalier de Selliers de Moranville as the Chief of the General Staff.
Army[]
- 1st Division (Lieutenant-General Baix) - around Ghent.
- 2nd Division (Lieutenant-General Dassin) - Antwerp.
- 3rd Division (Lieutenant-General Leman) - around Liège.
- 4th Division (Lieutenant-General Michel) - Namur and Charleroi.
- 5th Division (Lieutenant-General Ruwet) - around Mons.
- 6th Division (Lieutenant-General Lantonnois van Rode) - Brussels.
- Cavalry Division (Lieutenant-General de Witte) - Brussels.
In addition, there were garrisons at Antwerp, Liège and Namur, each placed under the command of the local divisional commander.
Unit strengths[]
Each division contained three mixed brigades (of two infantry regiments and one artillery regiment), one cavalry regiment, and one artillery regiment, as well as various support units. Each infantry regiment contained three battalions, with one regiment in each brigade having a machine-gun company of six guns. An artillery regiment had three batteries of four guns.
The nominal strength of a division varied from 25,500 to 32,000 all ranks, with a total strength of eighteen infantry battalions, a cavalry regiment, eighteen machine-guns, and forty-eight guns. Two divisions (the 2nd and 6th) each had an additional artillery regiment, for a total of sixty guns.
The Cavalry Division had two brigades of two regiments each, three horse artillery batteries, and a cyclist battalion, along with support units; it had a total strength of 4,500 all ranks with 12 guns, and was - in effect - little more than a reinforced brigade.
Garde Civique[]
The standing army was supplemented by a militia called the Garde Civique (French). There were two distinct elements of the Garde Civique, "active" and "non-active". The organisation was "active" in large towns and fortified places, where it was organised into units of infantry, with some cavalry and artillery. It was largely composed of middle class volunteers for whom service in the Garde was a means of social advancement. There were 36,000 serving members in 1913. The "non-active" element were men of between 20 and 40 years of age who were liable to be called to arms in an emergency. On 5 August 1914, about 100,000 men were called up by royal decree. The established units of the "active" Garde Civic were incorporated into Belgium's defence plans, whereas those mobilised at the moment of invasion were assigned to local static defence duties, provided that uniforms (often just an armband and a cockade) and weapons could be found for them.[1]
Force Publique[]
The Force Publique were the Belgian forces in the Belgian Congo.[2] Originally no more than a police force, by 1916 they took the offensive against German forces in German East Africa. Officers & NCO's were Europeans only, mainly Belgian. During the war they suffered 9,077 dead 58 of which were Europeans.
Congo-Kasai Province,
- Lower Congo Company Kinshasa
- Mid Congo Company Léopoldville
- Kwango Company Bandundu
- Kasai Company Luebo
Katanga Province
- Tanganika-Moero Company Kongolo
- Haut-Luapula Company Kambove (1,000 strong)
- Lulua Company Kafakumba
- Lomami Company Kabinda
- Cyclist Company
Equator Province
- Equateur Company Coquilhatville
- Lac Leopold II Company Inongo
- Lulonga Company Basankusu
- Bangala Company Lisala
- Ubangi Company Libenge
- Artillery Company Fort Shinkakasa.
Eastern Province
- Haut-Uele Company Buta
- Bas-Uele Company Niangara
- Aruwimi Company Basoko
- Stanleyville Company Stanleyville
- Lowa Company Ponthienville
- Maniema Company Kasongo
- Ituri Company Irumu
- Kivu Company Rutshura
References[]
- Appendix 5: Order of battle of the Belgian Army in August 1914. In: History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium 1914, by J. E. Edmonds. Macmillan & Co., London, 1922.
The original article can be found at Belgian Army order of battle (1914) and the edit history here.