1914_0826_01s: Taking One for the Team - FWWC 01 France '14

Le Cateau, France, 26th August 1914: In the wake of the clash at Mons, the BEF withdrew with von Kluck's 1.Armee in hot pursuit. At Le Cateau, with the rest of the BEF withdrawing south, Smith-Dorrien was forced to take a desperate gamble. On the night of 25/26th August, Allenby reported that the Germans had aggressively moved into places where the 1st Cavalry Division was supposed to set up a rear guard during the night. Smith-Dorrien determined that he was no longer in a position to withdraw effectively, so he decided that he must make a suicidal stand. The II Corps would hold its ground and trade their lives for time in order to allow the rest of the BEF time to withdraw to the south. Smith-Dorrien also hoped that the stand would halt the 1.Armee in its tracks and disrupt their advance thus allowing his own troops to break contact and gain some much needed breathing space. The II Corps would be forced to take one for the team and, in doing so, would save the rest of the BEF from total destruction. [Size: medium] *See the notes document for information on scenario design decisions and historical notes.