Landsturm Posted 4 May , 2004 Share Posted 4 May , 2004 Which Division etc? And where did this unit serve during Spring 1915? Anything...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 4 May , 2004 Share Posted 4 May , 2004 Hello, 2nd Prussian Guard what? Division? Regiment zu Fuß? Grenadier-Regiment? Feldartillerie-Regiment? Reserve-Regiment? I could give a few more... Please be precise... Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest leibregiment100 Posted 4 May , 2004 Share Posted 4 May , 2004 Hi, you might want to get hold of the book"Histories of the two hundred and fifty-one divisions of the German Army" published by "The Naval & Military press Ltd" although not indexed it will give you all the information you require, hope this helps, Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Gregory Posted 5 May , 2004 Share Posted 5 May , 2004 "Histories of the two hundred and fifty-one divisions of the German Army" is certainly useful, but like any information based on contemporary intelligence reports, it should be treated with caution as it is not 100% reliable. /David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landsturm Posted 5 May , 2004 Author Share Posted 5 May , 2004 Precisely, I was told that after German gas-attack 22.4.1915 Kitchener`s Wood was held by 2nd Prussian Guard and 234th Bavarian Infantry regiment. So where did they come from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Gregory Posted 5 May , 2004 Share Posted 5 May , 2004 Landsturm, Unfortunately, you don't make it clear which 2nd Guards unit you are referring to. I can't find a reference to any guards units in the area at the time, but if anyone knows, it will be Jan. Since he asked you to be a bit more precise, I can only assume that the information you were given is not entirely correct. The only German infantry regiment with the number 234 was Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment 234, which was part of the German 51. Reserve-Division. I don't know why you refer to the regiment as Bavarian, because it certainly was not. The regiment was raised in Kassel and Göttingen, mainly from volunteers in October 1914. The regiment had been located close to Poelcapelle for the best part of six months before the attack on 22 April 1915. Its 1st and 2nd battalions were in the first wave of attack and the 3rd battalion was to be in the second line on 22 April. They attacked from between Mangelaere and Langemarck, and hardly stopped in Langemarck when the 2nd and 3rd battalions passed through the town and got as far south as to be level with Woerselaere by the end of the day, with 1st battalion on the left, the 3rd in the middle and the 2nd on the right. I assume the wood you refer to was the one approx. 800 m west of St.Julien. The Germans called this wood "Geschützwäldchen" (which roughly translates as "gun copse"). The regimental history states that 4 heavy British guns were captured in the wood when their crews fled. The 2nd battalion dug in on the southern edge of the wood and sent patrols to Ferme Soetaert and Roodekarriere, where they captured approx. 40 horses. The regiment was supported in the attack by Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment 51. Its 9th howitzer battery started firing from positions north of Langemarck. The 2nd battery advanced through the town with some difficulties and set up firing positions near the windmill (Windmotor in the text?), and fired on the retreating British troops until nightfall. 2nd battalion RIR 234 was partly mixed up with elements of from RIR 233, and dug in in the wood. The regimental history states that there were attacks by several British battalions, resulting in bitter close fighting in the night, in which Ghurkas were believed to have been involved. The German companies involved in the fighting were estimated to have lost half of their strength following a counterattack by the regiment's last reserves. The regiment issued orders for the troops to vacate the wood the next day and for the leading elements to pull back to the northern Haanebeek bank, as the wood had been assigned to the 52. Infanterie-Division sector. Trust this is the sort of information you are looking for. All the best, David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest michaelv Posted 5 May , 2004 Share Posted 5 May , 2004 David, you are absolutely right, but the wood was called "Toten - or later Granatwäldchen". On April 22th 1915, there were also parts of the Reserve Jäger Bataillon Nr. 23 (west of the Granatwäldchen) fighting with the R.I.R. 234 and R.I.R. 233. No guards at all. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 6 May , 2004 Share Posted 6 May , 2004 Hello, The only Guard units in West Flanders around the time were units of the Garde-Kavallerie-Division. However, from what I found in some of the regimental histories, they seem to have been guarding the Belgian-Dutch border or they were training. I have read about parts of the artillery being rushed to the front though to reinforce the attack. Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landsturm Posted 6 May , 2004 Author Share Posted 6 May , 2004 You`ve all been more than helpful... I have the same problem. I didn`t find any mentions of Prussian Guard units in the area at the time. Same problem with "Bavarians". I`m aware of the order-of-battle of Germans at the area and didn`t find any references for these units. So, my own opinion was right that I`ve been had by someone. Thanks to everybody! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Gregory Posted 6 May , 2004 Share Posted 6 May , 2004 David, you are absolutely right, but the wood was called "Toten - or later Granatwäldchen". On April 22th 1915, there were also parts of the Reserve Jäger Bataillon Nr. 23 (west of the Granatwäldchen) fighting with the R.I.R. 234 and R.I.R. 233. No guards at all. Michael The RIR 234 regimental history refers to the wood as Geschützwäldchen. I can only assume the other names were used by other sources or at other times. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landsturm Posted 9 May , 2004 Author Share Posted 9 May , 2004 http://1914-1918.org/forum/index.php?showt...=0entry100567 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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