I have to apologise, the 'order of battle' I presented in an earlier edition of this page was NOT correct. I reviewed the page completely. Suggestions and remarks are always welcome.It is not my intention to give a full description of the 'Schlieffen plan', this can be found at other sites. The map and tables below are only intended to give a short overview of the situation on the German side begin august 1914.
As you can see on the map Liége with its roads, railroads and bridges was essential for the movement of the 1° and 2° Army. Therefore immediately, on mobilisation, a special army was formed, the 'Maas Armee' wich task it was to capture the fortified city.
A typical German Army Corps was organised as follows :
| - Infantry division |
| - Infantry division |
| - Corps Munition columns |
| - Transport Train units |
| - Heavy field Howitser unit |
| - Flying Corps detachment |
| - Engineers and Bridging Train |
| - Telephone Section |
| - Searchlight Section |
The infantry division in 1914 was organised as :
| - Infantry Brigade (2 Regiments) |
| - Infantry Brigade (2 Regiments) |
| - Pioneers (1 or 2 companies and bridging train) |
| - Field Artillery Brigade (2 Regiments) |
| - Medical Corps (1 or 2 bearer companies) |
| - Cavalry (3 or 4 squadrons) |
The German infantry regiment in 1914 was organised in three battalions, with each four companies, numbered consecutively from 1 to 12. The separate machine-gun company, not attached to a battalion numbered 13.Available for download : Map with the emplacements, in the border region, of the French and German units before the war. (Zipped JPG file, 266Kb.)
(Situation august 1, 1914)
| Unit | Commander |
| 1°Armee | Generaloberst von Kluck |
| 2°Armee | Generaloberst von Bülow |
| 3°Armee | Generaloberst Freiherr von Hauzen |
| 4°Armee | Generalfeldmarschal Albrecht von Saxony |
| 5°Armee | Generalleutnant Kronprinz Wilhelm |
| 6°Armee | Generaloberst Rupprecht von Bayern |
| 7°Armee | Generaloberst von Heeringen |
| Gruppe Deimling | General Deimling |
| Unit | Commander |
| II° Korps | General von Linsingen |
| III° Korps | General von Lochow |
| IV° Korps | General Sixt von Arnim |
| IX° Korps | General von Quast |
| III° Reserve Korps | General von Beseler |
| IV° Reserve Korps | General von Boehm |
| 2° Kavallerie Korps | Generalleutenant von der Marwitz |
| 10° Brigade landwehr | |
| 11° Brigade landwehr | |
| 27° Brigade landwehr |
| Unit | Commander |
| 3° Infanterie Division | |
| 4° Infanterie Division |
| Unit | Commander |
| 5° Infanterie Division | |
| 6° Infanterie Division |
| Unit | Commander |
| 7° Infanterie Division | |
| 8° Infanterie Division |
| Unit | Commander |
| 17° Infanterie Division | |
| 18° Infanterie Division |
| Unit | Commander |
| 5° Reserve Infanterie Division | |
| 6° Reserve Infanterie Division |
| Unit | Commander |
| 2° Kavallerie Division | General Major Frhr. von Krane |
| 4° Kavallerie Division | Generalleutnant von Garnier |
| 9° Kavallerie Division | General Major von Bülow |
| Unit | Commander |
| VII° Korps | General von Rothmaler |
| X° Korps | General der Infanterie von Emmich |
| Garde Korps | General de Plettenberg |
| VII° Reserve Korps | |
| X° Reserve Korps | General von Zwehl |
| Garde Reserve Korps | |
| 25° Brigade landwehr | |
| 29° Brigade landwehr |
| Unit | Commander |
| XI° Korps | |
| XII° Korps | |
| XIX° Korps | |
| XII° Reserve Korps | |
| 47° Brigade landwehr | |
| 5° Kavallerie division | General von Richthofen |
| Garde Kavallerie division |
| Unit | Commander |
| VI° Korps | General der Infanterie von Pritzelwitz |
| VIII° Korps | |
| XVIII° Korps | |
| VIII° Reserve Korps | |
| XVIII° Reserve Korps | |
| 49° Brigade landwehr |
| Unit | Commander |
| 11° Infanterie Division | |
| 12° Infanterie Division |
- On august 30 the VI° Korps was transferred to the command of the 5° armee. It was replaced with the XVIII° Reserve Korps.
| Unit | Commander |
| V° Korps | General der Infanterie von Strantz |
| XIII° Korps | General von Fabeck |
| XVI° Korps | General von Mudra |
| V° Reserve Korps | General der Infanterie von Gündell |
| VI° Reserve Korps | General von Gossler |
| 13° Brigade landwehr | |
| 43° Brigade landwehr | |
| 45° Brigade landwehr | |
| 53° Brigade landwehr | |
| 9° Brigade landwehr (Bayern) | |
| 4° Kavallerie Korps | Generalleutnant Baron von Hollen |
| Unit | Commander |
| 9° Infanterie Division | General von Below |
| 10° Infanterie Division | General Rosch |
| Unit | Commander |
| 26° Infanterie Division | General von Urach |
| 27° Infanterie Division | General von Pfeil |
| Unit | Commander |
| 33° Infanterie Division | General von Reitzenstein |
| 34° Infanterie Division | General Heinemann |
| Unit | Commander |
| 9° Reserve Infanterie Division | General von Guretzky-Cornitz |
| 10° Reserve Infanterie Division | General von Wartenberg |
| Unit | Commander |
| 11° Reserve Infanterie Division | General von Surén |
| 12° Reserve Infanterie Division | General von Lüttwitz |
| Unit | Commander |
| 3° Kavallerie Division | General von Unger |
| 6° Kavallerie Division | Generalleutnant von Schmettow |
- On august 18 this corps was transferred to the command of the 4° armee.
| Unit | Commander |
| XXI° Korps | |
| I° Korps (Bayern) | General von Xylander |
| II° Korps (Bayern) | |
| III° Korps (Bayern) | |
| I° Reserve corps (Bayern) | |
| 5° Brigade landwehr (Bayern) | |
| 13° Brigade landwehr (Bayern) | |
| 14° Brigade landwehr (Bayern) | |
| 4° Erzatz division | |
| 8° Erzatz division | |
| 10° Erzatz division | |
| Erzatz division (Garde) |
| Unit | Commander |
| XIV° Korps | |
| XIV° Reserve Korps | |
| XV° Reserve Korps | |
| XVI° Reserve Korps | |
| 3° Reserve Brigade (Bayern) | |
| 55° Brigade landwehr | |
| 56° Brigade landwehr | |
| 1° Brigade landwehr (Bayern) | |
| 2° Brigade landwehr (Bayern) | |
| 19° Erzatz division | |
| 55° Erzatz division | |
| Erzatz division (Bayern) |
A special detachment composed of landwehr, ersatz brigaden and the XV° Korps was assigned to defend the border between the 7° Army and Schweiz. (Commander: General Deimling)
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Date of last maintenance : 01 January 2000.
Belgian Fronts © 2000 Jo Vermeulen, All Rights Reserved.