1914_0905_01s: Uncovering the Enemy's Hand - FWWC 01 France '14

Iverny, France, 5th September 1914: As von Kluck was executing his shift in direction away from Paris, he left behind his only remaining reserve formation: the IV.Reservekorps. His orders to the IV.Reservekorps commander, von Gronau, were to screen 1.Armee's flank against any "minor" threat from the direction of Paris. When von Kluck issued this order he was thoroughly convinced that he had already enveloped the allied flank and no serious enemy threat was located any further west from his position. On September 5th, von Gronau began to notice heavy enemy activity to the west and, although he was unable to completely ascertain the situation, he quickly came to the realization that it was much more than a minor threat. Von Gronau, a bold and able commander, made the fateful decision to launch an attack in order to properly gauge the threat. Thus, the Battle of the Marne began one day earlier than the French planned. As von Gronau's troops conducted their reconnaissance in force, it would ultimately uncover the enemy's hand and provide an early warning to 1.Armee of the impending attack, thus allowing von Kluck to avoid disaster and reinforce his right flank. [Size: small] *See the notes document for information on scenario design decisions and historical notes.