Belgian Army order of battle (1914)
Encyclopedia
This is the Belgian Army
order of battle
on the outbreak of war in August 1914.
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.
In addition, there were garrisons at Antwerp, Liège and Namur, each placed under the command of the local divisional commander.
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.
were the Belgian forces in the Belgian Congo
. 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,
Katanga Province
Equator Province
Eastern Province
Belgian Army
The Land Component is organised using the concept of capacities, whereby units are gathered together according to their function and material. Within this framework, there are five capacities: the command capacity, the combat capacity, the support capacity, the services capacity and the training...
order of battle
Order of battle
In modern use, the order of battle is the identification, command structure, strength, and disposition of personnel, equipment, and units of an armed force participating in field operations. Various abbreviations are in use, including OOB, O/B, or OB, while ORBAT remains the most common in the...
on the outbreak of war in August 1914.
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
Albert I of Belgium
Albert I reigned as King of the Belgians from 1909 until 1934.-Early life:Born Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad in Brussels, he was the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and his wife, Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen...
, with Lieutenant-General Chevalier de Selliers de Moranville as the Chief of the General Staff.
Army
- 1st Division (Lieutenant-General Baix) - around GhentGhentGhent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
. - 2nd Division (Lieutenant-General Dassin) - Antwerp.
- 3rd Division (Lieutenant-General LemanGérard LemanGerard Mathieu Leman was a Belgian general. He was responsible for the military education of King Albert I of Belgium. During World War I he was the commander of the forts surrounding the Belgian city of Liège. The German Forces had to use heavy artillery to break through the defences and capture...
) - around Liège. - 4th Division (Lieutenant-General Michel) - NamurNamur (city)Namur is a city and municipality in Wallonia, in southern Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia....
and CharleroiCharleroiCharleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
. - 5th Division (Lieutenant-General Ruwet) - around MonsMonsMons is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, of which it is the capital. The Mons municipality includes the old communes of Cuesmes, Flénu, Ghlin, Hyon, Nimy, Obourg, Baudour , Jemappes, Ciply, Harmignies, Harveng, Havré, Maisières, Mesvin, Nouvelles,...
. - 6th Division (Lieutenant-General Lantonnois van RodeAlbert Lantonnois van RodeAlbert Bruno Amédée Lantonnois van Rode was a Belgian aristocrat and soldier who was Vice-Governor of the Congo Free State and later commanded a division during World War I.-Early years:...
) - BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. - 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
Horse artillery
Horse artillery was a type of light, fast-moving and fast-firing artillery which provided highly mobile fire support to European and American armies from the 17th to the early 20th century...
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.
La Force Publique
The Force PubliqueForce Publique
The Force Publique , French for "Public Force", was both a gendarmerie and a military force in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1885, , through the period of direct Belgian colonial rule...
were the Belgian forces in the Belgian Congo
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
. Originally no more than a police force, by 1916 they took the offensive against German forces in German East Africa
German East Africa
German East Africa was a German colony in East Africa, which included what are now :Burundi, :Rwanda and Tanganyika . Its area was , nearly three times the size of Germany today....
. 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 Kinshasha
- Mid Congo Com pany LéopoldvilleLeopoldvilleLeopoldville may refer to:* The capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, today known as Kinshasa* SS Leopoldville, a troopship sunk in 1944...
- Kwango Company BandunduBandunduBandundu, formerly known as Banningville or Banningstad, is a city in Bandundu Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Bandundu is the capital of Bandundu Province. It is located on the north bank of the Kwango River, just below the juncture of the Kwango and the Kwilu, 8 km upstream from...
- Kasai Company LueboLueboLuebo is a town and seat of Kasai District of southern-central Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of 2009 it had an estimated population of 40,115....
Katanga Province
- Tanganika-Moero Company KongoloKongoloKongolo is a town in Tanganyika District in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.It is located on the west bank of the Lualaba River, the largest headstream of the Congo River. It has 62 455 inhabitants.- Transport :...
- Haut-Luapula Company KamboveKamboveKambove is a town in Haut-Katanga District, Democratic Republic of the Congo.Kambove lies at an altitude of 4783 ft . Economic activity in the area includes cobalt processing.Kambove is the center of the Kambove mines region....
(1,000 strong) - Lulua Company Kafakumba
- Lomami Company KabindaKabindaKabinda is a town and territory in Kabinda District, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The town is the capital of Kabinda District. Kabinda is served by Tunta Airport. The town had 192 364 inhabitants 2010. The town is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kabinda...
- Cyclist Company
Equator Province
- Equateur Company Coquilhatville
- Lac Leopold II Company InongoInongoInongo is a town and seat of Mai-Ndombe District of western Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of 2009 it had an estimated population of 45,159....
- Lulonga Company BasankusuBasankusuBasankusu is a town in Équateur Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the main town and administrative centre of the Territory of Basankusu. It boasts an airport, covered and open markets, a hospital and two recently installed cellphone networks....
- Bangala Company LisalaLisalaLisala is the capital of Mongala District, in northwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located at around . The Congo River flows through the city. It is best known as the birthplace of Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled Zaire from 1965 to 1997....
- Ubangi Company LibengeLibengeLibenge is a town in Sud-Ubangi Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ....
- Artillery Company Fort Shinkakasa.
Eastern Province
- Haut-Uele Company ButaButaButa is a town and seat of Buta Territory in the northern Democratic Republic of Congo, lying on the Rubi River, a tributary of the Itimbiri River. It is headquarters of the Bas-Uele District, Orientale Province...
- Bas-Uele Company NiangaraNiangaraNiangara Territory is a town in the Haut-Uele District of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, lying on both sides of the Uele River. It is the headquarters of the Niangara Territory.The town has a hospital operated by Médecins sans Frontières....
- Aruwimi Company BasokoBasokoBasoko is a town on the Congo River in Tshopo District of northern Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of 2009 it had an estimated population of 47,970....
- Stanleyville Company Stanleyville
- Lowa Company Ponthienville
- Maniema Company KasongoKasongoKasongo is a town and territory in Maniema Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It lies east of the Lualaba River, northwest of its confluence with the Luama River, at an altitude of 2188 ft . Kasongos population is approximately 63,000. The town is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese...
- Ituri Company Irumu
- Kivu Company Rutshura