Wellington's initial dispositions were intended to counter the threat of Napoleon enveloping the Coalition armies by moving through [[Mons]] to the south-west of Brussels.<ref>{{Harvnb|Siborne<!--W-->|1990|p=82}}.</ref> This would have cut Wellington's communications with his base at [[Ostend]], but would have pushed his army closer to Blücher's. Napoleon manipulated Wellington's fear of this loss of his supply chain from the channel ports with false intelligence.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hofschröer|2005|pp= 136–160}}</ref> He divided his army into a left wing commanded by [[Michel Ney|Marshal Ney]], a right wing commanded by [[Emmanuel, marquis de Grouchy|Marshal Grouchy]], and a reserve, which he commanded personally (although all three elements remained close enough to support one another). Crossing the frontier near [[Charleroi]] before dawn on 15 June, the French rapidly overran Coalition outposts, securing Napoleon's "central position" between Wellington's and Blücher's armies.
