Men At Arms 080 - The.German.Army.1914-18

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MEN-AT-ARMS SERIES

80

THE GERMAN ARMY 1914-18

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355.31 Fos

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EDITOR, MARTIN WINDROW

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MILIlARY

MEN-AT-ARMS SERIES

THE GERMAN ARMY 1914-18 Text by D.S.V. FOSTEN and R.J. MARRION Colour plates by G.A. EMBLETON

80

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NorthanlS NNIO 6\'X

The Gemlflll Arm) 1914-18

The [lttijiCfltioll olGertllfll1J In ,870-1 Prussia, allied \\ilh Ba\aria and other German Slates, defeated Ihe French. I n January 1871 the Xonh German FcdCldlion was dissoked, gi\'ing way 10 the Gennan Empire or 'Reich', with King William I of Prussia as the first Emperor. In a remarkabl) shon time Prussia, under the guidance

of Otto ,'on Bismarck. HelmUlh \'on

~loltke

Ceneral Stafl: The lower staff echelons included Inspectorates of the \'arious Arms and Services and a plethora ofOfficer Academies and :'\CO Schools. The Armies of Saxony and \\"liruemberg also retained Iheir War :\linistries, General Staffs. Inspcctorates and Establishments; while Ihe Armies of the Grand Duchies of Hess and J\Iecklenbcrg retained many of their old characteristics as self-standing contingents, though under the aegis of Prussia.

and

Albrecht \'on Roon, fashioned an E.mpire \\ ilh a constitution \\hich \\as to seI"\e it \\ell until the

abdication of the Kaiser in 1918. The most import31l1 factor of this formidable union, from the point of "ic\, of the European balance of power. was the formation ora I>o\\crfui German Army. '111C father orthe 11('\\ arm) was Helmuth Karl Bernhard, Graf\'on i\loltkc (1800-91.* An avid slUdent of the theories of Clausewitz and Cneisenau, he entered militar) service as a cadet in the Danish Army in lBll, but later resigned his commission 10 ('nter Prussian service. In 1858, after a richly varied career, this brillialll officer was appointed Chiefofthe General Stafrto the Prussian Army; and for the rest of his life he devoted most of his lalents to the formal ion, instruction, and evolution of that Stafr and of the Army it was to direct with such superb professionalism. The new army consisted of contingents from twenty-six states, four kingdoms, five grand duchies, twelve duchies and principalitiL"S, three free cities, and Alsace-Lorraine. Moltke conceived the nucleus as the Prussian Army with its elaborate established structure headed by the J\lilitary Cabinet, supported by the War :\Iinistry and • ~ot

10 Ix- confusro ... ilh Ildmulh Jobanna Lud ... ig _"0<1 !\loIlke, 1148 1916, .u~uenl 0-.1('( Ihe Gennan Gcnel1l1 Siair. "00 .ucettded 'On Schhrll"el1, He ... ;u Gen<:l1lhssl/l1() of Ihe Ann_ in O<:lobn" '9'>4 ... hen. iOlkr.o1nll; In.. failure orlhe gr~1 plan 10 del'",") rh<: Fr<:n<:n Arm~ in O>ampagne. h.. rai'l'"ed and ..-.u replaenl 1»' vOn Falk.. nha,n

or

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Two Nco. of d>e '10th m- Resimeat, aocl WurtternberJ, KUBiS Wilhdm. Sotlo are WeariBS tIoe fidd'Vey I... ~r wUf'orttO wid> specia.l ,.-..... haPftl shou.ld~ straps.

J

It. VOUP ort.a.Dd.shU'm ofLaachr........ S.ualioD No. f2, pan of ~ X Army <:orp. DUtrict pni_ed u. Wddar, betwftD Ka.HI ..... F........c\lrt. ney are wearias me dark blue
TIle Kingdom of Bayaria pro,"idcd the next largest contingent, and her three Army Corps were almost completely autonomous. The large Bavarian General Stair and War r-.linislry had headquarters at ~I unich and were supported by large Inspeclorates, Officer Academics and NCO Schools modelled on the Prussian pattern. Officers of Saxon and Bavarian Army Corps WCfe on separate promotion lists, although Prussian and Wlirttembcrg officers were interchangeable. Between 1880 and '914 Moltkc's brilliantly organized General Staff, with its hard core of professional PrussianJunkcr senior officers, moulded this loosely structured mass of units into a tiglllly knit fighting machine, highly trained and educated in all th« technical skills of the art of war, There is no place herc for a sun'c) oftllc political e\'enlS which led up to the outbreak of the First World War. At Spm on I August 1914 Gennan troops violated the neutrality of Luxembourg; on the same day Germany declared war on Russia, and on 2 August Gennan troops crossed the frontier into Franc!'. On the 3rd, Gennan)' declared war on F',J11CC, and at midnig-ht on the 4th 4

war was declared bct\\een Germany and Great Britain.

The Schlieffen Plan The plan. concei\cd by \'on ~Iohkc, and subsequentl) dc\t'!0IX'd b) .\Ibrecht. Graf yon SehlielTen when he succeeded ~toltke as Chief of the German G('neral Staff, laid down a strategy to fight on two fronts and yet still finish the war quickly. One Army of four Corps was left in East Prussia to contain any initial Russian advance and to co-operate with tbe Austrians, who were to attack through Poland. Austria was to withdraw some troops from hcr front with Serbia to develop a strike at Russia through Galicia. The main German force was to attack France, striking through Belgium, move quickly into the department of Champagne, smash the Frcnch in one great bailie, isolate Paris, then 1'011 the remains of the French Army up to the Swiss border. Behind this massive advance by first-rate Activc Army Corps through Belgium, reserve formations were to rush to the Channel ports to prevent the British uniting with the French. However. the gallant resistance of the Belgians and outnumbt.'r('d French slowed e1O\\n the Ger. man ad\'ance, and unexpectedly strong Russian advances in East Pru.-;sia nccessitated two additional Army Corps being detached from the West to the East. The dtph'ted German force fig-hting the

others had sted-plale reinforcement with loopholes along the parapets. In frOIll of the trenches there wcrc mazes of barbed wire which were often as much as loaft deep, and behind them support and communication trenches, along which rdievin~ or reinforcing troops could be moved up, Cnder appalling conditions, massiw numbers of infantry movingo\-er open ground fou~ht ferocious battles in the face of massed artillery and machine guns to gain limited success, often fighting hand-tohand over only a fe\\ yards of blood-soaked ground. Trench Warfare After the Battle of the ~Iarn(', sectors of the Before the \\ ar \\as O\-er hundreds of thousands of Western Front d('wloped a type of siege warfare men were to die without either side gaining any which, as the war pr~ressed. spread over much of pmitin ad\'anta~e. the 500 miles of frOIll from th(' Swiss border to the sea. Elaborate syslC:-ms wert de\-ised to protect Other Theatres troops fi~hting from static positions often only a Prior to the ,\rmistier' the German .\nny was to hundred yards apart. Complicated trench systems fight, not only on the \\'estern front, but in Russia. \HTe reinforced with ..andbags. reH'tted with the Balkans and It.aly. German soldiers alsoJ;ef\'ed timber and sometimes steel Or concrete. Some were alongside the Turks in Asia ;>.Iinor and small shallO\\, others deep enough 1,0 protect a standing contingents fought the Japanese at Kiao Chau in man. Trenches wcrc dividrd into sections by means Eastern China, defended the Caroline and ~Iar­ of traverses, or made serpentinc or Li~-zag accord- shall Islands, and served in Samoa, :'\ew Guinea, ing to local rcquir('ments. Oug-out shelters were and in Africa. Although Gemlan garrisons and provided at intervals to act as command posts. their natiw le\'ics in Wcst and South-West Africa shelters during bombardments, and dressing and in some parts of the c.,meroons were defeated stations. 1\I05t trenches had firing steps, firing posi- early in the war, in East Africa the main contingent tions for snipers and fixed periscope positions, while ofScblllztruppen and nati\'e askaris under Letto\\"-

Belgians and the Franco-British thus no longer had the necessary impetus to achieve its original objectivcs and, betw('en 6 and 10 September, the Franco-British Army fought them to a standstill at the Battle for the i\larne. The dt'feated Germans were not routed, but fell back in good order to positions north of the Aisne which they fortified and held. It was in this sector ofth(' Western Front that trench warfare started.

Ultua palrol in (ll1I rnarchinl order. Note tloe pear-4baped shoulder .traJHI aDd IIIChaJHIka coven.

5

Vorbcck fought well and proved difficult to subdue. In November 19 [8 he still had [,500 active German troops and levies under his command. Still under arms they crossed the border into northern Rho. desia and finally surrendered in accordance with Armistice conditions, later relllrning to German}" with honour. In Russia most of the fighting was more open and mobile than on the \\'estern From and greater use was made of Ihe cavalry. In Italy and the Balkans specialized mountain jager, machine gun and ski troops were employed together with mule-drawn Illountain anillery. The Decline of Germany By the end of [916the British blockade was biting deep. Germany had already cxperienced massi,·c losses in malcrials and horses. \\ hilst casualt) lists grcw longer c\'cry day. Food was so shan that in some areas people were starving. B) 19' 7, although the armies in the field wcre still doing well. the country as a ,\holc was in economic difficulties. Politically Gennan) was mo\-ing to the left, and the Kaiser was losing much of his formcr prestige. Raw materials to sustain the war cOon wcre nO\\ soshort that the War ~linislT) oc'gan to g"Ct desperate. Counter-attacks b) the reinforccd armies in the West had some initial success, but the cntry of Amcric..'l into thc war was a scvcre blow and the army on the "'estcrn Front began a rctreat back into the Hindcnburg Line. Many politicians realized that it was hopeless to continue the war, and on 1 October [9,8 evell Ludendodf urged the Govcrnmellt to seck peace. Prince Max of Baden, a moderale, was appointed Chancellor and sought negotiations with President WilSall. The British, French and Americans pushed the Germans back; Cambrai, Laoll, Roulers, J\4enin, Ostend, Zeebrugge, Lille, Doudi, Valenciennes, Mons were all rapidly liberated, and on 4 November the Americans captured Sedan. Hinden burg told the Kaiser that he could no longer look to the Army for support if he wished to continue the war. The Kaiser finall} abdicated and crossed the border into Holland. The Armistice was signed at5am on I I November 19[8: the war was o'·er. But discontent among the junior ranks had begUIl to take hold. On 28 October 1918 a naval mutiny had broken out at \\'ilhelmshann and spread rapidl}' to Kiel; officers were murdered 6

A ......dw"hr priV1lte drqHd for <:old weather. Ovu hia Ronna] ~reatcoat he wean. rahbitakin "oat with fur on tbe inaide. The ahako h.a. white "over.

trying to protcct their ships. In Germany some army depot battalions mutinied; others formed revolutionary cells, and mobs began to fig-hI in the streets. The General Stall" now had its las I momentous task to undertake as part of the Armistice conditions. They had to remove nearly two million men frolllthe \\'estern Front within lWO weeks, and it says much for their erliciency thaI this was achieved without serious problems. Soon, roads back to the Fatherland were filled with marching columns. Tired, bitter, hungT)' and sickened by the massive slaughter, but still considering themselves unbeaten in battle, the German Army went home. Some regiments were headed by their bands, others marched with colours nying. and many men tied oak leaves in their caps. As the wear) columns reached German villag<.'S and towns men simpl), walked out ofthc columns and dis..... ppeared into the crowds. Stories began to spread that the) had been

'stabbed in the back' by politicians at home. Whole regiments dissolved as men left their units and went home to their families, never to return. Nine apparently loyal battalions of infantry were rushed to Berlin where naval units had occupied a royal palace, but these never arrived: the men dispersed into the city as they progressed. Soldiers soon began to appear on the streets wearing red brassards and cockades. Finally the so·called Spartacist Revolt broke out and some of the remaining loyal troops were formed into 'Freikorps' -volunteer units dedicated to maintaining order and preventing a left·wing take-over. Small, but efficient, they smashed riots, kept order in the streets, protected public buildings. and became a mainstay oflaw and order, although orren accused by the left of brutality and excesses. The 'Freikorps', dissolved by order of the Treaty of Versailles, succeeded in preventing Germany becoming a Bolshevik State and eventually manyof their members became the first cadres of the subsequent ~ational Socialist Workers Party. During the course of World War I it was estimated that the Germany Army had lost a total of 1,600,000 dead.

3 Saxon Cavalry Regiments including the Guard Regiment 2 Bavarian Heavy Cavalry Regiments 26 Dragoon Regiments including 1\\'0 Prussian Guard Regiments 8 Uavarian Regiments of Lighl Horse .:!J Huss.ar Regimellts iucludillg Ihe Prussi,lIl Life Guards, 2 Life Regiments and 3 Saxon Regiments 23 Lancer Regiments including Prussian Guard Regiments and I Saxon and 2 Havarian Regiments 13 :\Ioulilcd Rifle Regiments plus ACli,'c Guard and Line ArliJlcf). Engineer. Pioneer. Train, Air Service. Signal, \Icdical and Vcu:rinaf) SUPPOrl units 113 Resene Inf.'IUf) Regiments 96 Land"'ehr InfalUf) Regimellts 86 Battalions of Ersatz Infanlf) 21 Baualions of l-.ndwehr Ersalz InfalUf).

I

Tile AttSmarsc!l, /9/4 The mobilized German Army fielded the following regiments in August t914: 5 Regiments of Prussian Foot Guards 4 Regiments of Prussian Guard Grcnadicl'lS I Prussian Guard Fusilier Regiment 12 Line Grenadier Regiments 182 Infalllry and Fusilier Line Regiments 24 Bavarian Infantry Regiments one of which was the Life Regiment tsJiiger Battalions including the Prussian Guard Schutzen Banahon 2 Prussian Guard Machine Gun DClachmellts 9 Line :\Iachine Gun Detachments including one Saxon and one Bavarian unit 15 Fortress :\Iachine Gun Detachments 10 Kurassier Regiments including a Prussian Guard Regimelll and lhe Prussian Gardes du Corps

SnUor NCO of the Wunlernbecrs MIHUlIa.Ut &tlalicm. Thi........ • ~pec:iaUy raiHd wutime wUl wlt.ich ill M.y '9.8 p.iaNl the na"•• of. rqprnnll. There are. ownberof.peciaI f~lUrftllO be nOlNl, the Eidelwm. badll:...... th.. c.p, them.thowve IV""'" pa.ch .... dther .ide of'the eoUar, and th"lrlH'll roll. of doth OIl each .hould..r (ju.' vi.ibl.. 00 th.. rilill should..r in the phOlOV'lph). Ara 'LI"•• ua! fea'ure i. th.. NCO'. Ia~ which NIl'" the eoUar pslch sad DOC the froa:ol NIle of the eonar •• ..onnaL The • ....u bunoa .... th.. pslch bears the cornpaay ..wnber. Th.. (roa:ol sad bo.tom ofth.. eoUarare ..... piped with P'ft"l. (W. Y. c............ CoUectioo)

7

• III addition, each Army Corps had squadrons of Reserve Cavalry who were formed into regiments on mobilization and "ddt:d to Ersatz Cavalry Troops. The cavalry Landwehr were mobilized into squadrons and aHachcel to the Army Corps, and there were also reserve units of Artillery, etc.

r9rf,l/11lza/io/l TIle 25 Army Corps were the framework on which all German Army organization was based and SCJ"\'OO as the basis for all the wartime expansions. Each fonned a complete, self-supporting entity and the Corps Commander was almost completely independent in his own area. He took orders direcLly from Ihe Kaiser, or the King in Bavaria. He was responsible for the training of the troops under his command, although tcchnical instruction of the various branches and services mainly rested with the \'arious Jnspectors General. He was allowed considerable latitude in regard to all malters of finance and adminiSlration within his 0\\ n district, and it was this decentralization of both re. sponsibility and command which was the fundamental reason why the German Army was able to mobilize so rapidly and which greatly facilitatcd its enormous expansion during the war years. The peacetime strength of the Army in 1914 amounted in round numbers to 840,000 ofall ranks but, by the end of '917, this figure had risen to nearly 6,000,000, not including recruits under training at the time. An idea of the expansion can be gained from the increase in the ~?J8 Active Infantry Regiments; 1'3 Reserve Regiments; g6 Landwehr Regiments, and miscellaneous battalions which, by Ig18, had increased to 6g8 Active; I '4 Reserve; and '06 Landwehr Regiments-this figure does not include the first and second term Landsturm. Some of the increases in the arms can be seen in the following table;

Unit Infantry Battalions Cavalry SquadrollS Field Artillery Balleries Foot Artillery Batlerit'S Pioneer Companies

8

July '9'4

Jan

66g

23 00

55°

19 18

57°

6,12

2goo

400

2250 650

'5°

A DledicaJ officer w_riat; the 'BlUM'; the pouldu cords bear the At!SCUIapia.n Staff". (Courtesy C. A. Embleton)

It will be noted from these figures that the slrength of the Cavalry remained almost stationary. The reason was that most of the cavalry units formed after the mobilization served solely as dismounted troops and are classified under infantry. By November '918 the original 25 Army Corps had been expanded 10 include 24 Reserve Corps of which three were B
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4°1 3° 5 ,7 6 21 0_ ~~

_3_

218t

These divisions werc deployed as rollows: Western Front (figure includes dismounted Cavalry Divisions) Eastern Front Southern and Balkan Fronts Germany Divisions: The contingents furnished b) lhe various states to make up the confederated army in August 1914 were as follows: Prussia and the smaller stales including Brunswick, Baden, Oldenburg, Hesse etc, Bavaria Saxony WiJrttembcrg The strength ofan average German Army Corps in August 1914 was as follows: Two Infantry Divisions, each of two Brigades, each Brigade of two Infantry Regiments

One FOOl Artillery Regiment of two Battalions each, each battalion ba\'ing four batteries One Ficld Artillery Brigade comprising t\\'o Field Artillery Regiments plus Two Cavalry Brigades each comprising two Cavalry Regiments

COl/scriptiol/ II/ttlJJlobi/izlltio// Due to the efficicnt sy~lem of conscription, Germany was able to field a largc professional army within a fc\\ da)'s of war being declared. In peacetime e\'ery German male. from his 5('\'enteenth to his fOrly·fifth birthday, was liable for some foml of military sen-ice. Allhough not eligible for sen;ice with thc Standing Arm) until his twentieth birthday, cvcry man on reaching the age of seventeen becamc automatically liable to serve with lhe Landsturm Home Guard"

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another, from, say, the Landwehr to the Landsturm. Having served the requisite number of years of service a few men might be transferred, because of wounds or sickness. In 1913 the annual cOlllingenl necessary to mailllain the Army was approximately 305,000 men. As the annual call-up numbers were usually far in excess of this number, even after a thorough weeding OUi of the medically unfit, a certain number werc transferred each year to the Ersatz (Supplementary) Reserve. This comprised men fit for active service who, because of economjc or domestic reasons, wcrc excused full military service; men with minor physical defects also came into this category. ~ormal service with the Ernttz Reserve was twelvc )ears, during which time they were liable for call-up for three annual trainings. After the Iwelve )'cars they passed into the second period L'lndstunn categOl)'. On mobilization in 19 14 the Ersatz Reserve amounted to about 1,000,000 men aged between twenty and thirtytwo years, and fanned a high proportion of the Reserve Divisions. There were two more important categories which formed the basis oflhe German Army. The first was the Rcstamen Liste, made up of men who were not taken for any form of service, but whose service was put back for one or more years, usually for special domestic or business reasons. After having been retarded for more than three successive muslers, men were released from obligalions lo serve and were thereafter posted to Untrained Landsturm units. Second in this category was the Einjahrige Freiwilligen (One Year Volunteel'S). These were men of good education who undertook to clothe, equip and feed themselves during their 'period of service and who usually iHlaincd a high standard of proficiency in their duties. They were permitted to transfer to the Reserve as Olfiziere Aspiranl at the end of their one-year service; after undertaking IWO annual trainings with the Reserve and passing a military examination, they became Reserve Offiziere. During the war a certain number of men between the ages of scventeen and twemy years were allowed to volunteer for active service before their official calling-up date; they were known as Kriegsfreiwilligcn (War Volunteers). The Reserve and L'lndwehr were practically all to

An early trencb·l"IOidUl! pa"y of the ......... F".ilier R~tD.t. Th..... were forenumen of the ~ ••l,h Troops, Stunnbat_ tai!ollen. The .plltu have beell removN from the tops of the

belmet••

At twenty he commenced service with the Standing Army for a period of two years (three with the cavalry or artillery), followed by successive periods of seven years with the Reserve forces; the Landwehr for cleven years and then back to the Landsturm for a final seven years. Aftereompleting two or three years with the coloUl'S he was liable to be called for two annual trainings with the Reserve. This system ofservicc was such that each year saw a constant entry from one form of military service to another until the forty-fifth ycar. Thus there was a considerable pool of manpower on the outbreak of hostilities. In wartime men could be called out and sent to the front before reaching their twentieth birthday and were not automatically released from further service on reaching fony-fhe. Furthermore, there was no transferring from one category 10

absorbed by expansions of the Army in 19'4; the Landsturm, in particular, was extensively drawn upon to make up for the losses of the willlcr campaigns of 1914. B) the end of 19'5 the second category Zwcitc Ban was practically t:xhausted. As a result, normal categori<.'S gradually found themselvcs called earlier until, by 19'7, classes who would not normall) han: expected to ha\-e been called to the colours until 1919, were being drafled for service on the Russian and Balkan Fronts to enable more season<.'d and experienced men to move to the \\'estern Front to replace the enormous losses being endured there_ The German recruiting system was based on the territorial division of the Empire. 25 Army Corps being the unit for all purposes of recruitment and administration. Germany \\ as dh·idN1 into 24 Army Corps Dislricts in each of which a complete

Army Corps was stationed and recruited. In addition the Prussian Guard Corps, excluded from the numbered sequence, was raised from the wholc of Prussia and Alsace·Lorraine but, because of its Guard functions, was stationed in Berlin. In time ofpeace cach of the Army Corps Districts was divided into four or five Brigade Districts, each in turn divided into twO or three Landwehr Districts. The Arm) Corps Districts wcrc as follows: Ar"!.)' Corps

Guard I II III Tb~ crew or

aD

Dutrlct

Htodquorttrs

Prussia and Alsace· Lorraine E;,~t Prussia

Berlin

POlTlmcr..lnia

Stcuin

Brandenburg

Berlin

Konigsberg

'08 n>.ch.... ~ II..... 19'+ NOI'" th", draw.nll

ha.....,..... threl! or th", crew.

II

A"", Corps IV \' VI VII \'111

IX X XI

Am!)'

Dis/riel

I/tadquarln-s

Prussian Saxon) Duchy of Posen Silesia Westphalia Rhineland Sehles.... ig -I-Iotslcin HanO\'cr Thurill'l:ia and Hesse-:\ assau

Corps

Dutriet

Ihadquarl"s

Magdeburg

XVIII

(}osen

XIX

Bree;lau i\luilSlcr Coblenz Allona Hanover

XX XXI

Hesse \\'estern.Saxony South East Prussia Eastern Lorraine

Frankfurt a/1\I Leipzig AlIcnstcin Saarbriicken

XVI

Baden Alsacc Wesu'rn Lorraine

Cassel Dresden Stuttgart Karlsruhe Sirasbourg ~ lel1;

X'·II

We<;I Prussia

Oallzi~

XII XIII XI\'

XV

E.'l5!Crn

Saxom

Wurtlcmbe~

A ..... clUDe-p!ll Scbarfsdroiuea Kom.-p.ie, photovaploed iD

'9'S- Thei.. IIpeciaJ bad(e

~

_

the Inl upper 11I_. 'Ill",

c:oloun!d cap baad.. are covered by fi~d-veY limps wlUdo also ~.ft' lIle atale <:odo.acks. tloe eo
n"

."sIot.

12

I Bavarian Southern Ba,-aria )'Iunich II Ba\-arian Lower Franconia and Palatinate Wurzburg III Ba\arian "\orthcrn Ba\'aria :\ urembcrg

THE ARTILLERY

This was the elite arm of the German Army. It comprised Field including HOrle Artillery and FOOl Artillery, which had under its jurisdiction all the heavy pieces including howitzers and mortars, and during the course of the war, ~Iountain

Artille!)' which had no peacetime establishment and was formed as part of the Foot Artillery. in this shon work it is impossible to list eve!)- pattern and type of anillc!)' used b)' the Gennan Army during the "ar, as a great many foreign and captured guns were used besides the sixty·se\'en or more standard guns, but some of the extensively used pieces arc given.: Prior to the outbreak of war there were 64'2 batteries of Field and Horse Artillery, tbis figure being increased to about '2,goo batteries b) 1918.

THE FIELD ARTILLERY

This was normally equipped with olle of three types of tO'scm light field howitzer and permanently attached to an infantry division. The Horse Batteries were attachcd to Cavalry Didsions and were equipped with one of five types of 7·7cm field gun, In peacetime batteries consisttd of six field guns, or four light field howitzers. By 1915 all Field Batteries were reduced to four guns in order to provide material for new formations. During 1916 a series of Independent Field Artillery Baneries numbered 801 915 wcre fonned. 111ese batteries

A p-vup oCPioaeers oCthe 8th Pioaftr BaIWM.. nUd-19.6j the pIIotosnpJ> ahow. bodo llIe lDoclified '910 jacket -....d llIe '81.._' bftDl wo.... The a , . have blade b.Dd. -....d ..,nu oCtile IDftI wea.. black ahe.Jd" .U'aptl.

were used to reinforce the divisional artillery on me Eastern Front. During the early stages of the war Divisional Artillery organization varied in the Active, Reserve and newer formations, but in general were as follows: in each Artillery Brigade were two Field Artillery Regiments each of IWO Abteilungcn, comprising three or four batteries each. The Abteilungen were numbered I and II, and the Batteries in Arabic numerals from I to 6 in each regiment. The newly formed formations raised after mobilization differed. The Batteries wcre reduced from 1'2 to 9. These 9 formed one Field Artillery Regiment and \Vcre divided into three Abtcilungcn, two of which were now armed wilh field guns and a third \vith light field howitzers. By 1918 Field Howitzer Batteries formed one Ihird of the lotal Field Artillery. Before the war light field howitzers comprised onc·eighth of the total as only one Abteilung in each Army Corps was armed with the pi("Ce. A Field Battery was commanded by a Caplain and orRanized in twO sections ZugCj each commanded by a junior officer. A third subaltern acted as supcn'isor 10 Ihe ammunition supply, III

13

uft:

eo...

PioDeeroh Field ,.....y ofr.he 14r.h Piooeer Battalion in full ...arching order, 19'4. NOle r.he unit detli~lio.. On r.he fronl of r.he helrnel cove.. and r.he 'SweWsh' pIIue.... of cuff. Ri~h':

Two ...em........ of. Field Af'tillery unit. 11re m.an On r.he riShl i& • gunne.., .nd r.he one on r.he lefl i, • driver. 11re gunner is armed wilh. rille, a1r.hough norm.Uy be would ..... rmed wir.h a carhine. 11re driver is a ..nted wir.h the Reichl M7!I revolver and a sword; be wea'" the c:avaJry·paue.... open-buckled walsl....lt. NOle the ball mOWlt 00 top ofr.he 'picklehau....'.

some cases there was a fourth who acted as a forward observation officer and III some, a fifth attached to transport duties.

THE FOOT ARTILLERY Prior to the outbreak of war. Foot Artillery comprised ~14. Regiments, one for each Army Corps district. Each Foot Artillery Regiment was di\·ided into two battalions of four balleries each. Arma.

ment comprised one of four types of 15cm heavy field howitzer and '2 I cm mortarS (heavy ho\\;tzers). The battalion equipped with the mortars had only two batleries. The peacetime establishment for heavy Artillery was 400 batteries, but by the end of the war this had been expanded to 2,250 batteries. Each of the Active Foot Al'lillery Regiments bad its complementary Reserve Regiment, and as production of heavy guns increased Land. wehr, Landsturm and Ersatz Depot Battalions were also mobilized. The llumber of battalions in a Regiment were also increased, some having as mally as five. In addition, a number of independell I batteries were formed and numbered from 101 to ISO and from 200 to 800. ~lany of these batteries were armed with captured pieces. The organization and command of Foot Batteries was complex but in general the allocation of heavy guns was as follows: Batteries were allotted to

certain sectors of the frOllt in accordance with serving these batteries were mainly drawn from tactical objeclives, or the situation of a panicular Bavaria, Wiirttemberg and Baden, sector of the frOlll at a given tinl(". The normal A Mountain Battery comprised four 7'5Cm allotment for a quiet sector was eight or nine quick-firing mountain gUllS organized for mulc batteries for each divisional sector, but 16 batteries pack transport, the complete gun fOnlling seven were normally allocated to a battle front. loads. A few ballcries wcre armed with mountain The very heavy calibre pieces and long-range howitzers, The t-'Siablishment of a section of a weapons were normall} on railway mountings and mountain ballct) \\ ere :2 junior officers, 1 sergeant grouped together for coullIcr ballery work or for major, 6 corporals, I mount cd orderly, '26 gunners. special tasks under higher command. Other bat- .31 drivers, '2 train drivers, '2 mountain gUllS, 31 teries were under orders of the Divisional Artillery mules and 10 riding horses. Commander in \\hose sector they were placed. When the Division moved the Batteries generally stayed \\here the} \\cre, In active battle sectors a ARTILLERY U:->IT STRE:->CTHS Corps was often given a special HQArtillery Staff which kept in touch \\'ith various artillery staff txduding tht tlo/Joratt transport and ammunition lroggon within the Corps and dirccl1y controlled Corps jtrtngth long·range heavy-artillery groups. The HeadFitld .lrtilltry .\/obilt Bolt")! quarters of every Army was provided with an 5 officers, 148 other ranks, 139 horses, 6 guns, 6 Artillery Adviser of General Officer rank. munition waggons, The Battery was somelimes The organization of Foot Artillery Batteries broken down into 3 sections of '2 guns each. varied according to calibre of the pieces, The nonnal number of guns in FOOl Arlillery Balleries was as follo\\'s: •\'umba rif guns or Naturt rif rht baltny howit
of 2 2

of

3

Note that in the German Artillery the term 'mortar' did nOI allude to trcnch mortars, but to any howitzer of '21 cm upwards.

MOUA'TAIN ARTILLERY During the course of the war about '25 Mountain Batteries were formed and grouped in Abteilungen of three ballcries each. They were alloued to divisions fighting in the Balkans, Carpathian :\Iounlains, Alps and in the Vosges. The personnel

c.,...,ralnu.jor v. Uecbtriu. ....d Sfei.nk.ircb, .,..nunander or the

f'.' CaYairy Bripde, I!P4 17. He ~ clrenecl in. the fie1d-crey

u..niform orthe H1I...n. TlIe repme:Ual cli.tia.ctioao( the.7th Br"IlIUWick H ....-n i. wore bdw-.. the eoc:bdes ..... the cap.

15

Heavy artillery was organized into 2 battalions of4 batteries each.

Howit<." Battery 6 officers, 224 other ranks, 148 horses and 4 munition waggons. Heal!} .\lortar BaUery 6 officers, 249 other ranks, 148 horses and 4 munition waggons. Field Hou·it;:tr Baltalio" 4 batteries and 1 ammunition column. 37 officers, 1,178 other ranks, 707 horses. Staff comprised 8 officers and 21 other ranks. HealY J/ortar Battalion Two batteries and an ammUlllllon column. 25 officers and 780 other ranks, 515 horses. 111e same staff as the Field Howitzer Banalion. Parle or Depot Componits of Foot Artillery Batteries comprised 5 officers, 248 other ranks and 10 horses.

A cavalry tr-octper or the nt S-.... Reiter Rqi...eat se...... c:e. dre... (CoOll't...,. R. G. Harri. CoUection)

u. fidd-

Horse Artillery Battery 4 olficer~, 133 other ranks, 180 horses, 4 guns and 4 ammunition waggons. Horse Artillery Baltalioll 3 batteries of 4 guns each, 20 officers, 429 other ranks and 578 horses. The staffcomprised 8 officers, 30 other ranks and 38 horses. Each batlalion was attached to a cavalry division. Field Artillery Regiment battalions of 3 batteries each, pIllS a light ammunition column. 2 regiments formed a brigade which was auached to an infantry division. Commanded b) a major general. 2

Heavy Artillery Heavy artillery regiments were primarily used for garrison and coastal defence and for siege operations against fortified positions. Their main armaments were the howitzer, heav)' mortar and siege gun. 16

Ammunition ColulIlm anti Train Included various suppl), transportation and support units all combined and organized as a Train Battalion. It was responsible for transporting ammunition, food, forage and other necessaries. Each of the Battalions supported an Army Corps in the field. Additional responsibilities included remount detachments, medical companies, field bakeries, etc. The SlalT of the Train Battalion comprised 3 officers and I I other ranks willI 12 horses. THE INFANTRY German infantry were organized in Regiments, each of three battalions numbered I, II and III. Each Battalion consisted of four companies, plus a machine-gun company. The Companies were numbered 1 to 12 throughout the regiment and the machine-gun companies were numbered I, 2 and 3. The company was split into three Platoons Ilumbered I, 2 and 3 within each com pan) . Each Platoon was in turn di\ided illlo four sections numbered throughout the company 1 to 12. The smallest sub-di\'ision was the Squad comprising eight men and a lancc·corporal. Each company had four stretcher· bearers.

The Regiment was commanded by a colonel with a lieutenant-colonel (Oberslleutnant) as second-in-command; however, during the war it was not unusual to find a regiment commanded by a major. Each Battalion was commanded by a major and each Company by 3 captain or, in some cases, a lieutenant. A Section \\3S commanded by a corporal, and the Squad b} a lance-corporal. A Prussian \\'ar ~Iinistry Order date<1 12 ~larch 1917 reduced the strength or a battalion to 750 other ranks. This reduction was necessitated by the introduction or three light machine guns '08,15' pattern to each company. At the end or 191 7 it was estimated Ihat a battalion had a strength of &KJ other ranks. In 1918 this figure was increased t0850 excluding the machine guns. \,'ithout the machinegun companies Ihe war establishment of Infantry was as rollows:

As the rormation or,hese specialisl units reduced the strength of the rine companies, lhc practice was finally discouraged and special regular units were rormed to carry out these duties. The experience or Igl6 led the Germans to organize within each inrantry unit three types ofspccial troops: ~Iachine-Gun

Sections, 2 per company each armed with three 08/15 Light ~lachine Guns Trench ~lortar Detachmcnts, t to a battalion each armed with 4 light mOrtars Signalling Detachments, or varying strengths.

The men ronning these units were nO( supernumar) to regimental establishment, but remained on the nominal rolls or the companies rrom which they were drawn. Prior to mobilization, only the Jager Battalions had cyclists each ha\'ingone or two companies mounted in ,hat rash ion. During the war additional cyclist companies were fonned. and Battalion: 23 officers including suppl} officer; 3 by Ig17 there were about 150 or these. Later a medical officers and paymasters: 1,°50 number or the companies were rormed into other ranks: 59 horses; 19 waggons battalions and finally three were fonned into a Regiment: 73 officers: to ml"dical officers and paymasters; 3,204 other ranks; 93 Two rnnnlx.... orlhe 11th (_d Wes'phalia.o) Hus...,.. i.a fiddhorses: 59 w3ggons. The Staff com- ~ ..ervic:e dress. prised 4 officer'S; including a transport officer, 1 medical officer and paymaster; 54 other ranks; 16 horses alld 2 waggons C
As the war progressed, some Independent Baltalions were combined into Ilew regiments, but specialist 'Jager', 'Schiitzen', ski and mountain units still maintained lheir independem status. The Jager Baualions, one or which was auachcd to each Army Corps, comprised specially selected men rrom rorest areas who wore distinctive uniforms. In 1916 most orlheJager Battalions were formed into regiments, and in '917 aJager Division was formed 10 lake part in the Italian Campaign. During 19'5 and 1916 trench warfare demanded specialist companies, detachments and sections to be attached to the inrantry regiments. Artificcrsmen with special trade qualifications-were selected rrom battalions, fOnlled into Regimental Pioneer Companies, Entrcnching and Tunnelling Companies, and Concrete Construction Companies. 17

Th"", IDnn~ of . . iafa.atry u.a.il d~Hd for the t...,..cIt_. Th~ wear wal"rproof' O""rI c.rry ..,.tra aDom_ aitioa U. .,..1001 ba.doliu-.. The Wlitioa poudl_ WOrD. by the....- OD the Id'! areora.a obsoI"""P-ttlM'll; wtoetll th~ were lad_ w;th cartridl!i_ th~ h.ad 10 be suppon...t by . . additiomoJ Atntp wO .... b.he....r.5hi.... rouad the OIeek.

cyclist brigade which, in ~Iarch 1917, did good work covering the retreat to the J-Iindcnburg Line. Oilier cyclist troops guarded the Belgian/Dutch border. In peacetime a few Jager Battalions were trained annually in mountain and winter warfare. During the war these men formed the cadres of four ski battalions raised in Bavaria and olle battalion in Wurttemberg. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Ski Baltalions formed the 3rd Jager Regiment in the Alpine Corps. These Battalions, brought into being in the spring of 1915, were sent to Trentino. Afterwards they served in Serbia, and in the spring of 1916 wcre transferred 10 the Western Front where they look part in the Battlc for Verdun. In August 1916 they were sent to the Carpathians and were altaehed to lhe 200th Division. The Wurttemberg Ski Battalion fought in the Vosges ~'I'lountains until 1St October [916, then transferred to Transylvania. In the spring of 191 7 it returned to the Vosges and later went to the Italian front. The war establishment transport of an Infantry Regiment of three battalions, exclusive of the 18

machine-gun companies, consisted of 16led horses, 58 two-horsed waggons and one four-horse waggon. It was organized with 16led horses as first·line lransport, together with 12 small arm ammunition waggons and 12 travelling kitchens. The baggage consisted of 16 baggage waggons, 122 supply waggons, 3 sutler wagg:ons and a tool waggon. The transport was all four·llOrsed, painted grcy. The first line transport of a Battalion without the machine-gun company included 4 led horses. 4 small anns ammunition waggons, 4 travelling kitchens and an infantry medical store waggon. The Train for Battalion HQ consisted of 4 company baggage waggons and 5 supply \\ aggons including 1 sutlers waggon. The Iransport of a Company includ<.'d I led horse, 1 company small arms ammunition \\ aggon carrying 14,000 rounds. 1 travelling kitchen, 1 com pan)' baggage waggon and a company supply waggon.

ASSAULT

DETACH~IE:'\TS

The Germans were quick 10 realize the potential of de\"Cloping elite detachmenb of specially picked men to act as assault parties and trench raiding detachments. The men \\ere handpicked for courage and initiativc and were trained in special techniques necessary to fight in the narrow and dangerous con fines of the trench systems. Assault Companies were first used at Verdun and originally comprised three-man teams. The technique involved attacking the trench in Oank, the first of the trio armed with a shield made from a maehine·gun shield mounting and a sharpened entrenching tool, followed by the second man carrying haversacks full of short-fused stick grenades, and the third would {ollow lip armed with a knife or bayonet. The Stosstruppe proved so successful tbat the system was further developed until, in 19[6, Stt1l"mkompanie were formed and attached to divisions 011 a permanent basis. These Assault Companies comprised an officer and [20 other ranks, and were organized in three platoons, one of which was attached to each regiment in the division. By 1918 most armies on the \\'estern Front had expanded units known as Sturmbataillone comprising 4 assault companies, an infantry gun battery armed with a 3·7cm piece, a light trench mortar detachment, a flame thro\\('rdetachmellt, a

machine-gun company and an HQ sometimes called Park Company. Whcn not in action the men served as instructors training new recruits for the UllltS. The following Slllrmbataillonc and Sturmkompanic arc known to have existed in 1918:

BQUo!lon

'"

compan)

2nd 3,d

"h compan}

.Jrmr to lJ..~hlCh tht unit IJ..'OJ oUo(hd BQttolion

'"

3,d 7th .Jlh

5th Rohr· 6th Bavarian ;th

S'h 6,h

8,h

17 th Eastern From

loth

7 th

IlIh 121h 13 th Iph 151h 16th 17 th 18th

compan)

Im~I'

to U'hld, tht u/lil U'QJ altachd

19 th ;Ih

Ea" Ba\-ariau compau} com pan)

Arm} C AmI) A AmI) B

,'h 18th

·Thi~ ";u n3mn:! 3flC"" lI"lllllmann Cinch Roh~ .. ho "'3.'1 Ih.. man maInI) responsible for Ihe ongmal idca of Ihex hlghh SU«ltDflll ilrmauo.... H.. pcnonaU) dnlgMd much of the: lc:chmcal c:qulpmem ..hich ,he, used in aCIIOIl,

THE CAVALRY

in peacetime German cavalry was not organized in Divisions, except for the Guard. Each Army Corps Dislrict had two or threc cavalry brigades. At the outbreak of war cleven Cavalry Divisions were formed. Regiments surplus to the requirements of the Divisions became the Divisional Cavall)' of Infantl)' Divisions. A few Cavall)' Brigades worked independently. At the outbreak of war Gennan cavall)' compriscd I to Regiments· each offi\'e squadrons. On mobilization each regimelll mo\ed off leaving one squadron at its home station to act as the Depot Squadron. The war cstablishment of the Squadron was 4 officers, 163 other ranks. 178 horses and three

oC the Guard Crnoadier Rqimltllta, .,.6. They are aD wt:ariaC the __Iy unro.h..,ftf .ted U"ftIC!I b",Lm"'I, bul oaly the «:lItre 6pre .... the ..-r U. w_riDJ: the 'BlUM'. NOie the 6pre .... the Croat WItllriDJ: putl~.

It sroup belo..p.S to _

19

waggons. Eleven Cavalry Divisions were fonned on mobilization, each of three cavalry brigades. Each Brigade comprised two regiments. Each Regiment had four S(luadrons, plus a ~hchil\e*Gun Squadron and the Depot Squadron. To each Cavalry Division was attached 1 Jager Battalion, three Batteries of Horse Arlillcr), one or two Cyclist Companies, a i\lachine*Gun Detachment, a Cavalry Pioneer Detachment, comprising I officer and 33 other ranks, and a Signals Detachment. "nle war establishment of a Cavall) Di\-ision was '283 officers, 4.995 other ranks, 5,590 horses and 216 waggons. In 1914 the twO or three squadrons of cavalry attached to each Infamry Di\'ision were known as Divisional Ca\·alry. Later in the war a single squadron only was allotled to each Infantry Di\·ision. During the period of imense trench warfare squadrons of dismoullled cavall)' assisted the infantry b} taking their turn in the trenches. When not thus engaged these dismounted troopers patrolled roads, acted as prisoner escorts. and took their turn in pickt·t and outpost duties as wcll as mounting*up as orderlies. 111irly*nine Reserve Cavalry Regiments were formed during the war together with a number of A , .....p of the _d Squ.adron of the I.t Salto:n Reiter Res:Unent, De«:mb..r ."". Note the on the bool., also the ........ cli.WIC:D01I. of the "";or NCO in the ceBlre. (R. G. Harri. CoUectio:n)

_pu'"

20

Ersatz, Landwehr and LandSlurm Squadrons, but the latter were mainly used to patrol frontiers and to guard lines of communication. During the period 1916 17 a number of regi* ments employed as Divisional Cavalr} were with* drawn from the front, dismounted and converted imo Cavalry/Rifle Regiments, most being of the Reserve or Ersatz formations. These dismounted cavalry rifle regimcnlS were cquivalem to infaml") battalions and wcre organized as four squadrons plus a ~Iachine-Gun Company. Each squadron comprised three troops and a trench mOrlar detachment resembling an infantl) company. The units were attached to infantry divisions and were normally allocated quiet parts of the frolll, allow* ing mOTe experienced troops to be utilized elsewhere. By the end of 1917 about 50 of these regiments had been dismounted. ~IACHIXE-GL:X L:XITS

'f1-Jc German High Command was quick to appreciate the strategical imparlance of the machine gun prior to the outbreak of the war, and lhis awareness, plus the ever-increasing success of the weapon in subst.-quent static trench warfare conditions, was a prime factor in deciding the outcome of so many of the Western Front battles. In 19t4 every Infantry Regiment and Jager

Battalion had a ),Iachine-Cun Company with an uft.. A riO""an ofth...
about 200, i.e. roughly one to a Division. Their One company was atlached 10 each battalion, and establishmenl was 1 captain or lieutenant, I at Regimental HQ was the Regimental t\'lachine sergeant major, 6 corporals (gUll commanders), Gun Officer. who was responsible for the super20 lance-corporals, 40 gunners, I cyclist orderly, vision of all three companies. The 2nd and 3rd I annourer, I medical cOl"JXlral-a tOlal of I machine gun companies in each regiment were officer and 78 other ranks. formed by absorbing existing Sections and DetachBy the beginning of 19 16 the number of machine ments attached to the regiment. guns had increased from 1,600 to something over 8,000. As a result a separate InspeclOrate became .\lachine-Gun .\larksman Sections. These were connecessary. By July of that year Ihe number of verted into companies with an establishment machine guns had increased to 11,000 this number identical to the Regimental Companies. However, included many captured weaponsl, bUI there was they were not attached to Infantry Regiments bUI stH! no standard organization, and the successi\'e combined in groups of three or four to form creation of various loosely formed units led to an Detachments which acted as a reserve at the irregular allotment of weapons to infantry for- disposal ofGHQ One Detachment was normally mations. In some cases regiments had 6, while attached to a Division actively engaged in the line others boasted as many as 25 machine guns. The and, as elite units, they wore on the left upper sleeve situation was standardized in August 1916, when a special badge representing the machine gun. By regular machine gun units were raised and the 1917 there was a further increase in Ihe requiremachine company of six guns was adopted as the ment of the machine gun and this involved a restandard fonnation. A Slalf Officer for Machine organization. The gTeatest change was in the Guns was added to the HQ of each Army Corps number of guns allocated 10 each company. This and by the end of 1916the number of machine guns was gradually increased to 12 guns, and the various in use had increased to 16,000. types of machine gun in use were superseded by the ~'1'08/15 pattern which were issucd 10 all infantry Rtgimental Machint-Gun Companiu. Every Infantry battalions. By the end of 1917 cvcI)' infantry Regiment had three companies numbered I to 3. company on the Westcrn Front had receivcd three of these new light machine guns and some comA Kar-...in- patrol ... Ea.tft"!l Europe at the outbrea.lt of the panies werc equipped wilh six. By the beginning

_.

22

of 1918 cach Division all Ihe Westeru Front in an active scctor had on avcrage loB light and 144 M '08 machine guns.

I

The ,slablishmenl rif II" .\/achine Gu" COmrflllJl was 4 officcrs, 133 olhcr ranks, 2 riding horses, 18 draught horses and 9 two·horscd waggons. Thcre were also 6 hand carts for the '08 guns drawn by 2 men.

SPECIAL

~IACHI:,(E-GU:,( L:'(ITS

Fifty Mounlain Machine·Gun Dtlachmenls were fonned and specially equipped for Alpine warfare. They were at onc timc employed in the Vosges but latcr transfcrred to thc Carpathians and the Balkan theatre. The personnel wore thc unifonn of the mountam troops. .l/achine-Gun Companits oj the C;'clisl BaUa/ions. Fanned in 1916, they werc extensively used in the Rumanian campaign. Thc companies were organized in three troops of two guns. The machine guns were mounted on motor lorries and each troop was transported by lorry with guns and ammunition enabling each to act as an independent unit. The lorry carried 15,000 rounds of ammunition. The establishment was 3 orliccrs, 46 other ranks, plus one mOlOr cyclist, 12 lorry drivers and threc Train soldicrs. Transport was two 3·tol1 lorries (one for baggagc and tools ctc.), and a four-horse waggon for supplies. The companies were armed with pistols and all NCOs carricd binoculars. Cavalry Machine-Gun Units. Before 1914 there were

no machine·glln llnits attached to cavalry formations. There were, however, eleven independent Machine-CUll Battcrics which, on mobilization, were alloued to thc elevcn cavalry divisions. A Jager Battalion, togethcr with its machine-gun company, was also attached to each cavalry division. During 1916 a ~lachine·Cun Section was attached to each cavalry regiment, and these were fmally expanded into !\'lachine·Cun Squadrons, each armed with 6 guns.

Anli-Aircrajl.\/arhint-Gun Detachmtnis. During 19 q two series of these units were formed. The first was numbered from 801 upwards. the second from gol

AD . . . .ull d~dun_l _rialll ruU bodyannO
CoUKtioa)

upwards. Kno\\n as 'Flamga', each detachment consisted of about 80 men under thc command of a lieutenant or a captain. Thc) were issued with 12 machine guns of the ~1 '08 pattern, each gun served by an :'\CO and 5 men. Light !Hachint·Gun SutioflS. Formed in 1916, these sections had an eswblishmellt of 1 officer and 44 other ranks and wcre armed with the Bergmann L.M.C. 15. This weapon, sometimes referred lO as the Bergmann automatic fine, was manufactured at Suhl and had the same barrel as the M'oS weapon with a similar range, but was only sightcd up to 400 metres and was intended for close-range use. About I I I of thesc seelions were raised.

AllIsk,ten Battalions. Three battalions cach 500 strong were formed in 1915. Split into sections of four men armcd witb onc automatic rifle, they were used as reserve formations stationed to lhe rear of front-line trenches; their funclion was to halt any breakthrough that might occur in a particular SCClar. Thcy proved successful at this task, but in 1916 OIlC battalion was disbandt.'t1 and the personnc\ used to bolster othcr machine-gun units.

23

2

E:"CI"EERS A"D PIO:"EERS There were threc corps orthe Cerman Army whose duties roughly corresponded wilh those of our own Royal Engineers: the Corps of Enginccr.i, the Fortress Construction Officers and the Corps of

The establishment of a Pioneer Field Company \\as -I- officers: I medical officer; 1 paymaster; '26'2 other ranks; '26 horses; 7 waggons. The compan} \\'as organized in three sections which could act independently. 1\0 bridging equipment was carried.

Pioneers. AJ1lhree corps came under the control of the Inspector General of the Engineer Pioneer

Corps and there was a General Officer of the Inspectorate attached to each General Headquarters on the Western Front. Th, Corps oj Enginurs and the For/rtSS Construelion Olfiurs. 'The Corps was concerned solely with the design, construction, maintenance and organization of fortresses, and consisted only of officers.

Engineer Oflicers received the same training as their fellow ofliccrs in the Pioneer Corps and were interchangeable. The For/ws Construe/ion Offic"s \\crc commissioned from qualified senior XCOs of the Pioneer Corps arter receiving special training. Tht Pionttr Corps carried out all the works connected with field engineering, and comprised the following clements: Ficld Companies, i\lining Companies, Bridging Trains, Searchlight Sections, Park Companies. The Pioneers also furnished troops for the Trtnch-.\Iortar Unils, Flamt- Throwing enils, and for operating poison-gas apparatus. A number of electrical technicians were formed into units responsible for running power supplies to the front line. There was one Piont" Botlo/ion of four companies attached to each Army Corps and 8 Battalions of Fortress Engineers on the peacetime establishment. By May 1917 the Pioneer units in each Division were re-organized and re-grouped into Pionur Battalions. A Divisional Pioneer Battalion comprised '2 Field Companies, a Trenchi\lortar Company and a Searchlight Section. Piont" Rtgimtnl.s. The 8 original Fortress Banalions \\'ere expanded at the outbreak of war into 10 Pioneer Regiments. Each regiment comprised 4 6 Field Companies, plus a Park Company and several Reserve and Ersatz Companies. By the end of 1917 therc wcrc nearly 700 companies available to Divisions enabling '2 companies 01" more to be on the Divisional strength, instead ofthe three for each Army Corps on mobilization.

24

Mining Companies. Before 1914 mining was carried out by the Fortress Banalions. When trench warfare broke out, mining became more important and was undertaken by companies of the Pioneer Regiments. The) were gradually supplemented by trained miners taken from infantr} units and formed into units which \\ere improvised under regimental arrangements. It was not until 1916 that a regular series of mining companies were formed, but by 1918 there werc over 50 such units. The establishment was 4 officers and '250 other ranks on an active part of the front. Bridging Trains. These were formally attached to Di\'isions, Arm} Corps or Armies. but at the end of 1916 the) were withdrawn from the lower for· mations and attached thereafter to the Armies as required. The eSlablishment was '2 officers, 59 other ranks, 98 horses, '21 waggons, 12 pontoon waggons with all the bridging materials each carrying haifa pontoon, '2 trestle waggons, 1 shore transom waggon, all pulled by four horse tcams. The personnel of the waggons were all dra\\ n from the Train.

THE AIR SERVICE In 1914 there were five Airship Battalions of three and four companies. The :md company of the 3rd Battalion was Saxon and the 4th company of the 4th Baltalion a Wiirttemberg detachment. In addition there were four Aircraft Battalions Flitg" BalaiJJont I and a Ba\'arian Flicger Bataillone. The 1St Battalion, stationed at Doberitz, was a Saxon formation; the '2nd was at Posen, the third at Cologne, and the 4th at Strasoourg, each with companies at outlying towns. Before mobilization they were considered part of the Communicalion Troops, but in 1916 were established as the Air Forces (Luftstreitkrafte) as a separate branch of the Army, taking precedence over the Pioneers and Communication Branches.

I Trooper.3rd Brandenburg HussarRgt.. 1914 2 Grenadier, 1st PruMian Guard 'Kaiser AleIlUlder GrenadierRgt:'1914 3 2nd Lieutenant.lst Prussian FootGuards.1914 4 Trooper, 2nd Pruss;an Guard Machine Gun Detachment,I914 3

4

I

2

•<

G A EMBlfTON

A

I Trooper.3rd Kura.uierRgt~191" 2 Trooper,5th Welilphalian UlanRgt~IQI" 3 Trooper,6th Magdeburg Dragoon Rgt~ 191..

B

G A.£MBl£TON

3

•

2

5

I a. 3 Privates., 76th (2nd Han.e.atic) Hambllrg In(.Rgt~1915 2 Private. 7th Coy.. 2nd Bn.ohpnJA!lian Inf.Rgt.. 1915 "Jager. 9th LauernbergJiger 8n.. 1915 5 Private. 55th (tlth Wellllphalian) l.nf. Rgt.. 1915 6 Private.8th Cc:ly.. 2nd 8n.. l02nd Royal Suon Inf.Rgt-1915

GA

EM8L£TO~

c

I Landstunnann,I2th EUwagen (Westphalian) Landstunn Bn~ 1915 2 Captain. 9th Bn~ PnlSliian Train,I915 3 Captain, Pnlssian Genel;l1Staff,I915 4 GeneralOfficer,I915

D

2nd Lieutenant,13th Foot ArtiLlery Rg'~ 1916 Gelreite.IIOth Baden Reserve Grenadier Rgt_1916 UnlerotrlZier.63rd (4th Silesia.n)lnr.Rg'~1916 Gunner.2ndTroop.5th Battery,211n Fiekl ArtiUery Rgt.• 1916 5 NCO Specia.list.Prussian GulU"d ReRrvl': Pioneer Rgt~ 1916

I 2 3 ..

4

•

... G A EMBLETON

E

3

,

5

2

I Private.infantry.Palestine.1916 2 Private.artiUery.Palestine.1916 I 3 Private. Itt Muurian In.(.Rgt~PaJeltine.1916 4 Trooper.6th Thuringian Ulan Rgt..Macedonia..l917 5 Trooper. mountain machine gun bauery.Macedonia.,1917 6 Jager. Pruuian Guard Bn..Macedonia..1917

F

G "-EMBlfTON

1 2nd Lieutlenant. Wii.ntembergSkiCoy~1917 2 2nd Lieutenant. WurttembergMountiUn Bn~1917 3 2nd Lieutenant.PruuianGuard-Schul:z.oe.n Bn~ waIking-oul dreu.191&-17

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AMault lroopl.1917-18

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I NCO. 8avarilUl IUIsault ballalion

,2 NCO.5th Siurmbataillon 'Rohro

3 Assault infantryman 4 Private.Auauh Coy~23n:1 SlUon (1'1 SUQ,n) Reserve Division ~ ~.. "

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G'" EMBLETON

During the course of the war personnel were reto Armies as situations required and each Army in organized as follows: Railway Construction Com· the field was provided with an Am!)' Aircraft Park panics; Rail Trame Companies; 5 Railway Work receiving new machines as they arrived from the Batlalions; 9 Supplementary Battalions; '23 Railfactory. Pools of personnel were also maintained way Store Companies. There w'ere at least 13 Armoured Trains operatwhich were drafted to units in the field as the need arose. The standard aviation unit was a flight of ing on the Western Front. Each Railway Conslruction and Traffic Company was affiliated to the about I 15 I '20 all ranks. * depol of the Railway Regiment from which it was formcd and wore lhat number below an 'E' on lheir THE SIC:"ALS SERVICE shoulder straps. Like the raih\ay troops, mechanical transport Before mobilization the personnel of the Signal Service was provided by the Telegraph troops and became a separale emity in the December 1916 reconsisted of 6 Prussian Tek-graph Ra.ltalions, 7 organization, and lhereafter had its own InFortress Telephone Companies, I Saxon Telegraph spectorate. TIle Diuctor of .\Juhanital Transport Battalion and I Fortress Telephone Company, 1 normally held the rank of a brigade commander Wiintemberg Telegraph Company and I Fonress and was under the direct orders from QuanerTelephone Detachment and '2 Bavarian Telegraph masler General's Department. At lhe Headquarters of each Army in lhe Field Battalions. Officers were mainly drawn from the was a Commander oj .\/uhamtal Transport who held Engineering and Pioneer branches. but some were from Infantr) and Raih\ay units. InJanuary 1917 the rank of a battalion commander. He had a staff Telegraph lroops were separated from Com· of 5 officers and '27 other ranks. Each anny had a munication troops and organized as a separate .\/uhanitol Transport Park, maintaining a pool of staff cars and lorries, a motor-cycle detachment, a Corps. postal lorry park, a motor ambulance convoy and a tractor park for the arlillery. TRA~SPORT A;\D CO~I~tUi\JCATION' Also auached to each Army were a varying SERVICES numbcr of lorry columns. Early in the war mechanical transport columns were allocated to Communication Troops were formerly responsible Army Corps, but in 1916 they were sub-divided for Railway and ~techanical Transport Services and convened into divisional units. but, when the Air Service and Signals Corps were separated, all Transportation units, when in lhe A Divisional .\ltfhllllical Transport Column comprised ficld, were pUl under lhe command of lhe from 6 to t'2 lorries and was allotted permanently to Quanermaster-Ceneral's Deparlment. The Ser- each division. The units wcre numbered in series as vice was divided into two branches: The Railway follows: Service and the Muhanical Transport Service. Nos. A peacetime eSlablishmenl of railway personnel 500 upwards, to units in Palestinc and Syria comprised: 3 Prussian Railway Regiments of eight 530 upwards, Prussian, Saxon, WUfuemberg companies each; I Prussian Railway Battalion of 4 AClive Divs companies; I Bavarian Railway Baualion of 3 680 upwards, Bavarian Active Divs companies; 3 Railway TralJlc Companies. 700 upwards, Prussian, Saxon, \Vlirttemberg Troop movcments were the responsibility of an Reservc Divs Anny Railway Representative attached to each 750 upwards, Bavarian Reserve Divs Army Corps line of communication area. He was 760 upwards, Ersatz Di\'s also responsible for all repairs to tracks and lO canal no upwards, Landw chI' Divs systems. As the war progressed and the securing of supplies • F..- d~laib of lh~ I"\'olulion of this branch aftn- the ol.ubreak of ... u, became more dilJleult, the usc of mechanical oct 'G~nnan Filth1n- t:niu 191" 17'. by Ala. Im.-i~. titl~ ="0. I] in the transport became more restricted and was utilized 0spl"1 Ai ..... ar Snia Aeroplane and Observation. Balloon units were allotted

25

2 only whell rail services became overtaxed or unavailable.

MEDICAL SERVICES The Cronan AmV' Medical Sm';u consisted of a corps of officers designated ~'lili(ar-ArZle (Military Doctors" with ranks ranging from General·StabsAnte 10 AssiSlcnt Ar.l:lc and Einjahrige Ante. The rank and file were known as SantitaLS~Iannschartcn ?\.lcdical Service Troops and included hospital orderlies and streicher-bearers. The ~Icdical Service in the Field comprised a Regimental ~Icdical Service; Bearer Companies Field Ambulance uniLS ; Field Hospitals; ~Iotor Ambulance Columns; War Hospitals; Ambulance Trains and Advanced Depots of Anny ~fcdical Stores. Normally there weTc two medical officers to each Battalion and 4 medical NCOs a fifth was added after ~1a) 1916,. The stretcher-bearers werc considered non·combalants and were distin· guished by a white brassard with a red cross on it, worn on the left upper slecve of the tunic.

VETERII'ARY SERVICES

GeDeral Ober.t v. EiDem we.rinl 6eld_lrey Kii ......ier Wlifonn with coloured H-rvic:e cap.

It was cssel1tiallhat an army which relied so much on horses for transportation purposes, and with sueh a large cavalry force, had an cfficient veterinary branch. The Veterinary Services were re-organized in 19l 0, and a new range of titles given to lhe officers Plate A were as follows: Ceneral·Velennar (Colonel); Korps- In Ig07 the Gencral Staff experimented with a Slabs- VeleriT/a, (Lieutenant-Colonel or Major); service dn:ss to supplement the dress uniforms worn Ober·Slabs- Ve/erinar (rvlajor); Stabs- Velerinar by the Army. A field-grey uniform was produced ('Rittmeister' Captain); Ober·VeleriT/ar (lSI Lieu- and issued to selected units for trial. It proved tenant); Velmna, (2nd Lieutenant). The corps was successful and was finally approved by Army under the command of a Director-Crneral oj Vet- Orders dated February t910. It was basically the erinary Services who had three Assistant Directors in same cut for all Foot troops, Artillery and Train, the General Officer range serving in the three main but each arm of Cavalry retained a uniform which theatres of war. adhered to its own particular characteristics. FieldEach Division had its veterinary hospital admin- grey was selected for mOSt arms, except Jager, istered by a Division· Vetcrinar. On the strength of Schutzcn, ~Iaehinc Gun units, Field Orderlies and each RegimcJlt was a veterinary officer; and a Jager zu Pferde, for which the colour green-grey DbeT· Veteriniir or Vtlrril/or was permanently at· was chosen. Coats had distineti\'c piping: Infantl) tached to each C.·wall)· Squadron or Artillery and ~lachinc Gun units. red;Jager and Schutzen, Troop. green; Artillery and Technical Services,. scarlet:

TltePlates

26

Train, light blue; Pionecrs, red; and the Prussian Guard t\lachine Gun unil, green, allhough permitted to retain black piping for collar and cullS. Field-grey tunics \\ ere r.'lshioncrl with three types of cuff: the Brandenburg, with an oblong vertical Rap fastene<1 with three buttons; the Swedish, a round cuff with two buttons placed horizontally just below the top edge; and the Saxon, round like the Swedish, but with two buttons placed \'ertically by the back seam. Prussian Guard Schutzen had Brandenburg cuffs but with three-pointed flaps. Shoulder strap buttons bore the company or squadron number in Arabie numerals. Other bunons had heraldic crowns. Shoulder straps were field·grey edged with coloured piping identifying the Army Corps.l)russian Guardand Baden Army Corps X IV infant') units had shoulderstrap piping which corresponded with the colours of their dress Leuu... nl Racllow, com.......eter, I.' Compaay, 1,5Bth In/aulry Rep.nftll (7t1I Lotia~ KOooiJ NO.7). bolder o( tile P_r u mmt... TIUI' I'how. the (uJ] ~ order o( ao u.ra..lry offietr ... the ope.uns: pha_ or tile war. (R. G. Harrill

CoUKtioo)

uniforms: white, red, yellow and light blue, 5th Regiments white, and Guard Fusiliers Iemonyellow.

Army Corps I, II, IX, X, XII 1St Saxon" and 1st Bavarian III, IV, XI, XIII, XV, XIX 2nd Saxon and 2nd Bavarian V, VI, XVI, XVII and 3rd Ba\'arian VII, VIII, XVIII and XX XXI

ShouldtT Strap Piping White Red

Lemon-yellow Light blue Light green

Guard and other distinguished regiments con· tinued to \\ ear traditional loops of lace /it.{ffl on collars and cuffs, This lace was of three types: double-bar, single·bar, and the type known as 'Old Prussian' paltern. Officers' lace was either gold or silver following the button colour; for other ranks the lace was white or yellow. :\COs wore strips of metallic later gre) lace on collars and cuas and had collar buttons: Gifuit~: A small button on each side of the collar. UnttTd!i.{itT: Lace around the bottom of the collar and on the cufts. Ftldw~bt/ (lVlIchtmtister in Cavalry): As Unteroffizier, pillS a large collar button. Vi.
uft: LaDdllturm.alul of LaDdlilurm Infantry Rauallon No. 2:1. Th., wUl aad ~rpII nUlnber on eilh.,r lid., ofth., oollar front in Arabic aad Ro...... DU .,.-..I.. Although th., pouch.,. ar., ofth., mod.,rn p.U.,rn, th., rifte and b.yon.,t IIr" obllol"te. The LaDdweh.. Cross C&!> be ..,.,.. 0" th" h"l.n"l CO""" th" wUt Dwnber.

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CeNtro!:

A1:I Artill"ry office.. w"...ing the 'litewk.'; the coU... patchell are black .nd piped around the edge. with .carlet. (R. G. Harril Collectio..)

Ri&llt: btf...tryman of Reserv" Infantry Regi...ent No. :139 u.. full ona... c:hing o..de.., "'4. Across the root of hi•• hould.,...trap i. II coloured lirip of cloth, which WIlli a dilllingui"hu..g ...ark peeuIiaJo to some divi.io... but ..ot ..."walio...

(Frciwilligen comillued to wear twisted coloured cord in State colours around their shoulder straps. All officer grades wore shoulder cords which are described in the text for Illate D. Full dress headdress continued to be worn with covers. Infantr) units had red numerals on the front of the covers. Reserve Regiments had "R· o\-er the numerals. and Landwehr units. a cross. Arter August 191..1-, numerals were altered to green.

28

Figurt I is a trooper of the 3rd Brandenburg Hussar Regiment. His busby is worn with a cover. He wears the ficld-grey version of the dress 'a/ilia' with the addition of pockets in the sides of the skirts. All braiding is ficld-grey, but rosettes on the rear of the skins, rallk buttons worn by NCQs and side hooks for the belt arc blackened brass. Toggle fastenings, shoulder cord buttons and pocket buttons are grey horn. Rosettes of the breast looping arc formed of the ends of the braiding itself and are not separate entities, as worn on the dress 'alilla'. Shoulder cords arc the colour of the dress 'alilla' flecked with colour of the dress tunic braid. Field-grey breeches are trimmed wilh ficld-grey braid on lhe leg scams. Tunics of hussar officers were cut similarly to their peacetime 'Int~rim Aliila' (undress tunic), all braiding being necked with black thread. Regimemalnumbcrsorcyphers on shoulder cords were gilded; but peacetime shoulder belts. sash and sabretaches \\cre not worn. Grey OfX>SSUIll fur busbies were worn uncovered

by officers cxcept for the 17th Regiment, who wore the collar and cull'braid. Officers' braid was figured busbies made from brown bearskin and covcred. grey silk with fOllr raised ribs along its length and Officers' breeches w('re fidd·gn:y and similar to broad outer stripes in f:"lcing colour silks. Shoulder those worn by their men. Officers generally wore straps for other ranks were ficld·grt·y, piped with brown katll('r lace-up boots with brown leather the facing colour, with an inner piping of white. gaiters. Gardcs e1u Corps and til(' Guard Regiment had Figure 2 is a grenadier of the 1st Prussian Guard plain straps, the rem:lindcr numerals or de\-ices in 'Kaiser Alexander Grenadier Regiment'. His tunic red. Buttons were tombak for the 1st, 5th, 6th and has Guard lace on the collar and Brandenburg cuff 8th Regiments, and nickel for the Gareles e1u Corps, Raps. Guard Regiments did not have numerals on Guard Regiment and 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 7th helmet covers. The bayonet tassel identifies him as Regiments. L'ndrcss caps were ficld·grey with cap serving with the 9th Comp."lily of the 3rd Ballalion. bands in the facin~ colour piped with white. Gre~ He wears 1909·pattern infant!) equipment with ca\'all)' breeches were worn with lon~ brown each cartridge pouch carl) ing twenty rounds of jackboots. ammunition. \'isible above his shoulders is the Bavarian hea\'\ c'l\-aln regiments wore sin~le· overcoat, strapped to the calfskin knapsack with a breasted, field.gre) tuniC'i with red pipin~ on the brown waterproof tent quarter folded on top. top and fronts of the callaN, the fronts of their coats Figure 3 is a Second Li('ut('nant ofthe 1st Prussian and the rear skirt pockets. The~ had Sw edi'h cuffs Foot Guards. Omcers' lace is a silver 'double·bar· and field·~ey shoulder straps piped rro. with red pattern. The coat and Swcdish cuffs are piped red numerals. The 1st Regiment had nickel, the 2nd and thc ~houlder $traps ha\-e a white underla) Regiment tombak buttons. Th~ regiments can· identifyin~ the 1st Rc~iml·nt. tinued to wear pre-war dark grey overcoats. Figurt -I is a Trooper of the 2nd Pruss ian Leather equipment was brown. Guard ~(achine Gun Detachment. The green·grey Saxon heavy cavalry wore similar uniforms to colour of the tunic is distinctl) diflcrem from the Prussian kurassiers. The facing colour of the Guard field·grey worn by other troops. The broad brown Regiment was white and th(' Carahinic-r Regiment leather belt with large steel rings hanging at the /It .roup of w .... er')' ... full rnarcloiD.. order, November 191" right hip is the harness belt used to drag machine guns over rough ground. The co\'erro headdress is a shako of Jager pattern made of grey-green cloth with brown leather top and visor and a brown leather chin strap. The headdress had the 'national' cockade on the right side, the Prussian cockade on 1I the left and a Guard Star plate, silvered and enamelled for officers. Officers of the unit had gold lace set on green vclvet collar patches.

' ... : : I== \ ,-'--'

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Plate B

Figure f shows a Kurassier of the 3rd Regiment in the field service tunic which had distinctive braid for each regiment on collars and culls. Their coats had facing colour collar patches and cuffs. Coats were also piped with facing colour on collars, cuffs and down the frOilt edges, along the bouoms and on the pocket naps in the rear of the skirts. The Gardes du Corps and the I)russian Guard Regiment had collars and cul[" decorated with Guard lace and had additional pipin~ along the bottom edges of the cuffs. XCOS had a central strip of metallic lace on

29

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basi.... OIl th.. ~tn:m .. l ..rl Drtb.. l

Particula..ly p pbotDltnapb.

"Of" th..

black. Fidd·grcy undress caps for Bavarians had facing colour bands and piping; Saxons had facing colour bands with pale blue piping. Sa.xon shoulder straps were pipt'd with r.'lcing colour with inner pipings of pale blue. The Guard Regiment had red cyphers. Figuu 2 is a trooperoflhc jlh Westphalian Ulan Regimellt. The field.grcy coats of Ulan Regiments were cut similarly to the drcss 'ulanka', except that lhey were furnished with pockets in the sides of the skins and had field-grey, pear-shaped shoulder straps pipcd in the colour of the full dress epaulette 'field'; all othcr piping was as on the full drt.."Ss coat. Three Prussian Guard Regimcnts and the 13th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 21St Regiments wore 'Guard lace' in yellow Of white according 10 the button colour of the dress coats. One bar of lace was worn on the cuffs. Ficld-grey undress caps had cap bands and piping in the regimental facing colours; regiments with cornflower blue cap bands (12th to 16th Regiments) were piped white. Bavarian Chevauleger Regiments wore a similar uniform except that the tunic had Swedish cuffs, ordinary field-grey shoulder straps, and plastron fronts piped along the right edge onl)'. All piping was in regimental facing colour. Undrcss caps had facing colour bands and piping. Figurt 3 is a trooper of the 6th :\Iagdeburg )0

Dragoon Regiment. On his left shoulder he wears a black, white and red sharpshooters' cord. Dragoon regiments wore field-gre), single-breasted tunics with standing collars and S\\edish cuffs. Bultons were either nickel or tombak, corrcsponding with bulton colours of dress uniforms. Piping on collars, cullS, front <..'dg:cs and skirt pockets was as on the drcss tunic. Shouldn straps were ficld-grey with piping in regimental facing colour and red numerals or cyphers. Collars of Prussian Guard Regiments were made square at the front, as were those of the 23rd Dragoons. The 1st and 2nd Prussian Guard Regiments had yellow and white Guard lace on their collars and cufls r<.."Spectivel)'; the I 7th and 25th Regiments had yellow lace; the 18th and 23rd Regiments, whilt' lace. This lace was double· bar pattern for tl\(.' 23rd Regiment, single-bar for the 17th, IBth and 25th; oflicefS' lace was silver or gold accordingly. The 13th to 16th Regiments had white pipings on collars and cuns, and the 19th had white piping on shoulder straps only. Prussian Guard officers had their lace on cornAower blue patches edged red. Undress caps had facing colour bands and pipings. The 2nd Regimelll retained the privilege of wearing the small Prllssian Eagle badge between the cockades. Plate C This plate illustrates infantf) uniforms worn in the transitional period during the first year of the war. FiguTts J a"d 3 arc infantrymen of the 76th r 2nd Hanseatic Hamburg Infantry Regiment, serving with th(: IX Arlll) C'.orps. 111e grey overcoat \\'as as

worn in peacetime except that, on mobilization, shoulder straps were changed to grey with Army Corps piping to correspond with the tunics. Collar patches for infantry werc rcd; NCO's patches were distinguished b) nan'Ow vcrtical strips ofwhite tape with stripes in Statc colours, and senior ~COs had IWO strips. Regimcnts wearing lacc on tunic collars and cuffs wore similar bars on overcoat collar patches. Figuu 3 wears a dark gre) toque to protect the ears from frost; his ba)onct tassel identifies him as belonging 10 thc 71h Compan) of the 2nd Battalion. Figuu -I is a Jager of the gth Lauernberg Battalion sening "ith the IX Anny Corps. Jager uniforms were green-grey with green piping. AU Prussian battalions had red numerals except the Guard Ballalion, and the 11th Hessian Battalion had a red cro.... ned '~t". The Prussian Guard Battalion had additional green piping along the bottom edge of their cuffs and yellow Guard lace with a green 'light'. Jager headdress was a black leather shako \\ ith black leather chinstrap. The Guard Battalion wore a Guard Star plate; the two Saxon Battalions had special pattern shakos.nlere were two Bavarian Jager Battalions and a ~leck­ lenberg Battalion. Instead of the normal bayonet, Jagers carried a long, sword-like 'hirschjiingff' with distinctive green knot. Figurt 5 is a privatc of the 55th (6th Westphalian) Infantry Regiment, which formed part of thc VII Army Corps, and his bayonet knot identifies him as a member of the 6th Company of the 2nd Battalion. Figuu 6 is a private of the 8th Company of the 2nd Batlalion of the 10'2nd Royal Saxon Infantry Regiment, which formed part of the XII Army Corps. He displays all the characteristics of Sax011 infantry: the green and while cockade on his cap band, the broad shoulder Simps, the triangular pockcts in the rcar of 11](,' skirts, and the round cuffs with vertical bUllons. Figurr 2 is a Prussian infantryman wearing full marching order, during the first six months of the WilT. The fidd-grey, adjustable, slip-on cap band was an innovation to render coloured bands less conspicuous. The calfskin knapsack is the 18gj pattern, on "hich the Igto-pattcm mess cans arc strapped; the) had a handle attached and contained a cup, and combination spoon and fork. The

tent quarter is carried on top. On the right hip, suspended from the waistbclt, is a brown canvas haversack to which the water ooltle is clipped. On the left hip an entrenching tool is suspended in a leather case from the belt; over it is the Mg8 bayonct with coloured knot identifying the man as a member of the 7th Company ofa 2nd Battalion.

Plate D 111e Landslurm was originally intended as a locally raised Defence Force for scn'ice in the Homeland. It did not come under effective central control until after 1875, thereafter assuming more characteristics of the regular forces. Thc headdress was aJager type shako with State cockade and the Landwehr Cross. Figurt I is a Landsturmann of the 12th Ellwagen (Westphalian) Landstunn Banalion of XII Army Corps in '915. He wears a Iglo-pattem tunic with red pipings and the blue shoulder straps of Landsturm infantry units; Foot Artillery had yellow, Field Artillery, scarlet, and Pioneers, black straps. The Landsturm wore brass numerals on the collar fronts: the Army Corps identified by Roman numerals placed over Arabic numerals gi\;ng the battalion. Prussian Cuard Landsturm units had a 'C' over the battalion numbers. Landsturm were generally armed and equipped with obsolete weapons and equipment. Hgurt 2 is a Captain (Hauptmann) of the 9th Battalion, Prussian Train, wearing the IgIOpattern field service uniform. The arm of sen'ice colour of the Train was blue and their coats were piped red. The Captain wears silver, black-Aecked shoulder cords on blue underlay. The necking on officers' shoulder cords was in State Colours: black for Prussia, light blue for Bavaria, green for Saxony, black and red tor Wurtlcmberg, etc. Second Lieutenants had plain cords, First Lieutenants one star, and Captains two stars. Majors, Lieutenant-Colonels and full Colonels had plaited silver cords, the former with plain straps, the latter with one and two stars n:spectively. General Officers wore gold and silver plaited cords; MajorGenerals had plain straps, Lieutenant-Generals one star, full Cenerals two stars, and ColonelCenerals three stars. Ficld ~larshals wore crossed batons. Unit numerals or cyphers were worn between the stars. Figurt 3 is a Captain scn'ing on the Prussian 31

•

AD NCO o(tb.. Cuard G~dierR~"'at Komg_ Eliza~r.h, No. 3. Not.. th., Gword 'Lit"",.' 00 the «,lIar ...d cuJfflapo;, al_ the NCO'. braid arou.nd the collar ....d lOp of the cuJf•. (R. G. HarTi. Collectioll)

General Sma: The Staff tunic had carmine collar patches, pipings and underlay. Officers of the General Staffand \Var i\linistry Staff wore carmine piping with broad carmine stripes down the outside of each leg. An Adjutants' sash was worn over the right shoulder. Ba\'aria, Saxon) and \\'urncmberg each had its 0\\'11 General Staff and sashes in

J2

appropriate colours wcre \\10m. Adjutants' sashes and the undress 'jtldbi"de' ceased to be worn ancr 1915, the 'jeldbi1/de' being replaced by a lcather waistbeh. Figure 4. General officers wore field service tunics with breast pockets with flaps and 'Saxon' pockets in the rear of the skins. Cuffs WCfe deep and round. On each collar front generals wore scarlet patches decorated with distinctive gold embroidery known as 'All Laruch' pattem, Ceneral.f\djutams wore similar tunics with Prussian Cuard gold embroidered lace on the collar patches. Gcneral officers attached to the Kaiser's Suite wore similar pattern coats with silver lace and buttons. FlugelAdjutants wore infantry pattern coats with sih-cr lace of the same type as Cencral-Adjutants; Adjutants to the Princes of the Royal Houses wore infantry pattem tunics \,'ith special distincti\'e sih-er lace on the collars. Trousers and breeches of Cenerals, Adjutants, i\lilitary Cabinet and War i\linistry Staffs all had piping and broad stripes in the colour of their collar patches. The Train officer and General Officer both wear the 'J~ldbind~', a scm-wide undress belt made ofsilver woven thread with silk stripes of the State colour worked in, The clasps were in the button colour. Saxon generals had three light green stripes; Wiirttemberg officers wore silver bellS \\'ith two black/red Stripes (one colour immediately above the other), Baden and Oldenberg officers \vore silvcr belts with aile narrow red stripe between two black stripes, Hessians silver bellS with threc red stripes, and !vlecklenburg officers gold belts with a blue, a yellow and a rcd stripe, Devices on clasps differed in pattern from Slate to Slate,

Plate E In the autumll of 1915 (March 1916 for Bavaria), lhe 19'0-paltern field servicc uniform started to be replaced bya simpleI' field uniform, Transition was slow, and the 1910-pauern cominued to be worn with modificalions, the most significalll being a simpler form ofcuf!: Early in t916 a steel helmet was introduced to replace the leather 'pjd;l~haub~', which had proved inadequate. Some units continued to make do with the old pattern helmets, often with the spikes removcd, and often a mixture was worn, even within one ballalion. Units serving on the Eastern FrOIll wcre among the last to be

issued with the steel helmet. Figure 1 is a Second Lieutenant of the 13th Foot Artillery Regiment. I-Ie wears an undress cap and the 'litewka'. This undress coat was universally favoured by officers throughout the German Army. It was double-breasted with a low fold-over collar and dcep round cuffs; the back was plain with a ccntral vent. The collar had patches in distinctive colours, and piping down the front, on the edges of the collar and on the cuffs. Field Artillery had scarlet collar patches with white piping outline for the 1st, yellow for the 3rd and pale blue for the 4th Prussian Guard Regiments,. All artillery had yellow buttons. The Train had blue patches and red piping elsewhere on the coat; bUllons were yellow for the 1st Guard unit and all line units, but white for the 2nd Guard. Infantry had white patches; Prussian Foot Guards' patches were piped white, red, yello\\ and pale blue, and yellow for the Guard Fusiliers; the 5th Foot Guards and 5th Guard Grenadier Regiment had no piping. Piping on the coat was red for Infantry. Officers' shoulder cords were underlaid with the colour of the full dress shoulder straps for the Guard, and white for the remainder of the infantry. The 8th Prussian Grenadier Regiment had red·pipcd patches, the logth Regiment white, the 114th Regiment pale green, the 7th Grenadier Regiment yellow, the 11th Grenadier Regiment yellow and the 145th Regiment dark blue patch piping. Jager Battalions had green collar patches and red coat piping; Pioneers, black patches piped red, and red coat piping; Specialist Troops, grey patches, the Aeroplane Units with patches piped white, red, yellow and light blue in sequence for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Battalions. Figure 2 in the rear is a Gdi·cite of the 1loth Baden Reserve Grenadier Regiment. He wears the old style helmet with spike removed, and his coat is a modified version of the 1910 ILlnic with plain round cuffs. Numerals on the shoulder straps arc covered with grey slip·on tabs. Figure 4 depicts a Gunner of the 2nd Troop, 5th Battery, 21st Field Artillery Regiment. He wears a covered ball-mounted artillery helmet with 1915 field blouse, and black leather equipment with obsolete ~1188g-paltern cartridge pouches. The brown leather cavalry-pattern swordknOl strap and coloured tassel identify his troop and baltery.

Figurt 3 is an Ulltcroffizier of the 63rd (4th Silesian) Infantry Regiment. He wears the 1915 blouse with arm of service piping on the shoulder straps and red regimelltal numerals. The i\CO collar lace is a modified, simpler type, as used on the blouse; he wears cloth puttees and ankle boots instead of marching boots. Figurt 5 \,ears the new pattern 1916 steel shrapnel helmet. An ~CO Specialist of the Prussian Cuard Reserve Pioneer Regiment, his blouse has Guard lace on the collar. On the left cuff he wears a black circular badge with a 'death'shead', the distinction of a flamethrower Flammenwerfer) detachment. These troops also formed part of the Assault Troops ,.Stt Plate HI.

18.-- of the 1e••e well.known well.poo. "lied by the Germ.n Army durUaS World War 1: (oj Tbe Reic:h. Revolver M I79 Cav.l..,. Model, inued eo .rtille..,. driv..... and ","rve v..ail.l c:alib", IO·ssm.... (II) Tb.. Reich. Revolv..r M,ni Want..,. Office...' Modd, and inued 10 ,""..rvewoil.l lo·ss-m "Hbre'(3J18e MP (Mac:hu.epi.lole) 18 I. BertmallD; 9mfD cal.ibre, weiShinS .-.S. ml.rodu.-l durUos the ...mD1erofl!l18 On the W.,.tern Front and ulled fDaialy by .pecial formatioDs and ......ull IrOOp•. 11 had • dnun m.prine bohlml 311 round. and _ . i ••"ed 10 all office..... NCO... and I.... men frofD "",ch •• _WI COfDpaay. I.n mfant..,. COfDpani... il was i....ed 10 6 men wbo fonned a 'MachUoqoislole Truppe'. (Ln_ ~WarMu........)

J3

3

(I ')' Types o(pi"Id"'bau,", wO

d ..rinS World Wa ..

I. The top row powa the Inth h"lrne' with and without .... othu nuaIc.' fi..Jd'"f"'Y eo...."," roO' Resu-v.. WlUItry R~rneal No. 106 (3) Office....' con.. (,d PnsMd-st.,..) ........;011 (s. fi) prqftd-r..h "'...... iOlll. (7) Jisu ...... (I) ",6-pauera treach Stahlh.. lm...

"'0

34

complcl" with ca.mouflalJe p..iou_.... (9) to) Bell plat... ofP....u .. aad Badn., d Bavaria (", 100)Beh pla,u of SaJoouy, ...d H The belt pia," of Wiirtternb
Plate F Besides colonial troops (Sclttitztruppen) Germany had provided her ~Iarine Infantry and troops of the Ig05 East Asian Occupation Brigade with a lightweight hot weather clothing, in both grey and brown drill. Headdresses for these troops comprised grey felt spiked helmets; another \'ersioll covered in drill with bronze fittings; brown or white tropical helmets; and the distinctive grey slouch hats of the regular colonial forces, plus nonnal undress caps, including a version made from brown drill. Regular colonial troops serving in the old German colonies continued to wear their normal tropical clothing, but regular Gennan forces sent to theatres of war in Palestine, Sinai, Bulgaria and Greece were issued with khaki drill uniform, or had normal uniforms modified for hot weather conditions. Little is kno\\ n about the hot weather uniforms issued to troops serving in Palestine but photographs suggest they wore tropical helmets in brown drill without the cagle platcs worn b) regular colonial troops. In its place, worn on the helmet band, was a large national cockade. Bands were white for infantry, or black piped red for art iller)'. Von Sandars, commander of the German forces in Palestine, issued orders for the tropical helmet to be replaced by the brown drill cap to avoid confusion with British troops who wore similar headdress. Brown drill jackets \\ere fashioned with turneddown collars, breast and hip pockets and were fastened by six metal buttons. Infantry had either plain shoulder sO'aps, or straps piped with Army Corps colours with red numerals; Artillery had scarlet piping and red grenades or numerals; Train had blue piping, and Medical troops dark blue piping. Trousers were the same colour as the jacket and worn with dark grey or brown puttees and brown leather ankle boots. Sort drill caps were worn with neck curtains of the same material. Caps were fashioned with brown peaks and chinstraps. Cap bands \vere plain drill for Infantry; black piped red for Artillery, and blue piped red for Train. Figur~ I is an infantryman, Figure 2 an anilleryman serving in Palcstine. Figur~ 3 is a private of the 1st :\Iasurian Infantry Regiment which also served in Palestine. The three figures on the right represent German troops serving in the :\Iace· donian campaign in 1917. Figure" is an Ulan of

Office.. of. Gual"d GUDadie.. Rqinahlt weariD& a waistbelt wilJa bayo..el fO'OSaD.d bayooel. The .wO...u..o.Ol is wO...... 1Ja" ID",""

would have wo.... the trot/del. uad aua Ix seua Ixlow the

boUOID of rIoe .ki... hen>.

the 6th normal covered curtam.

Thuringian Regiment. He wears lhe ficld-grey service dress with lance cap in dust-coloured material and a neck In 1915, the pcar·shaped shoulder straps 35

were gradually replaced by normal·shaped red straps with yellow cyphers or numerals. Figurr 5 is a trooper or a MOUlllain Machine Gun Bauery wearing a 'pitklthaubt' or pressed felt with spike removed; this headdress is also provided with a neck cunain. l\'lountain troops wore puttees and special climbing boolS and often had their unifonns reinrorced with leather at elbow and knee. Figuu 6 is aJagerorthe Prussian Guard Banalion. He wears the 1915 blouse, the collar decorated with Guard lace. The 1916-pattcrn steel helmet is covered with sacking and he carries the all-green bayonet knot. Campaigning in the mountainous regions or Macedonia was particularly rigorous and German sources emphasize the patched and makeshift nature of the uniforms worn by all ranks. Photographs suggest that mixtures orfield·grey and drill unironns were also worn b) all ranks in Palestine. Plate G

Figurr 1 represenlS an officer or the Wurttembcrg Ski Company. -nle headdress closely resembles the A d-.- st1Kty of the 6 ~ Olliea-. (R. MarrioQ CoUKtioooI

36

Hn'iee .....uonn of. Gt:u~

cap worn by the Austrian Army. It had two small bultons on the rront, lhe Nalional Cockade on the right side and the State Cockade on the lert. It was piped all round the crown wilh green. The special field-grey tunic had the collar piped green and was fashioned with IwO green-piped pockets in the rear or the skirlS, each rastened with two buttons; it also had two breast pockelS and two hip pockelS. On the collar fronlS were grey patches bearing a green'S'. Company medical officers had blue collar patches, piped red with red '5' thereon. Tunics worn by other ranks were without shoulder straps. ~len were equipped with brown leather waistbclts, cartridge pouches without braces, skis, :\198 ca\Oalry carbines and bayonelS. Officers' shoulder cords were sih·cr, Reeked red and black, on a green underlay. Figurt 2 shows an officer of the Wuntembcrg :\Iountain Battalion. The uniform closely re· sembles the Ski Company dress, except ror green collar patches with yellow metal buttons towards the rear. In addition, other ranks had green woollen 'rolls' at the tops of the sleevcs on the shoulder seams, arter the Austrian fashion. On acth'e service the battalion worc the mountain cap as in Figure I, but alternatively could wear shakos with covers. These unilS rought with distinction in Rumania, the Balkans and in Italy. Erwin Rommel was a company commander in the Mountain Battalion. Figurt 3 is an officer or the Prussian GuardSchihzen Battalion wearing the new Walking Out unirorm prescribed by Prussian Cabinet Order or 21 September 1915, giving a new dimension to the field-grey ullilorm, offsetting the plain 1915 field blouse. The uniform was not issue but optional, and was purchased at their own expense by oUicers and men. Details orall variations orthis unirorm arc too complex to describe here, but brieny it comprised a field-grey lunic with a standing collar, worn with dark-grey trousers, and a ficld-grey, grey-visored cap, ror all ranks (sec Table I). Kurassiers wore tunics with collar patches, cuffs and piping, including piping up the back scams or the coat, in regimental facing colour and collars and cuffs trimmed with regimental braid. Ulans wore an 'uJanka' with racing colour collar and cuffs; plastron piping and piping up the back seams or the coat were also in the racing colour. Shoulder straps were plain red with )'ellow numerals or

TABLE I

\"umtrals

.11m

Collar

Cuffs

Cuff Flaps

PIping

Should" Strops

and

Infant!) and

R
R
R
R
Fidd'gTc~

R
Green Blad.

Xii Grey-green :\il

Green

Green

Crull

Gn:en

Black

Green Black Black

R
Black

R
BldcL.

Black

:'\ i t

R
Ficld-grey

Red

Black

Black

:\' il

Scarlet

Scarlet

Yc1l0\\

Illack Ulul'

Black Hlue

XiI

Scarlet Him"

Ydlo\\ Hlue

Red

DMk blue

Dark blue

Field-gre~

Ja~t'r

SchUI1:C1l

,

Gd-SchuLten Pioneers Technical

Troops Ficld Artillery Foot Artillery Train

Field~gre}

(31

,

D~utJ

Red

~ledical

Troops

Jager z.Pfcrde 4 Dragoons

Dark blue Dark hlue Ydlo\\ Regimental Facing colour Green R
Green Green :'\i I Facing colour Facing colour \:il

Guard Infantry had .... hile shoulder straps piped wilh the colour ofthe full dress lunic ~houlderslrap; line in fan II) had white piping on the shoulder straps.

Jager, Schutzen, Guard-Schutzen and Jager, and Jager zu Pferdc ....ore green-grey tunics. 3 Guard FOOl Artillery did not have cuR' flaps. 4 J.Iger zu Pferde had collars and cuffs Irimmed with reg"imental braid. .!

TABLE II Arm

Bod)- Colour

Inf:u1I1) Jager Schutzen Pioneers .\rlillel) all grades Specialist T mops Train ~Iedical Troops Ca\'alry: Kurassiers I Dragoons Ulatls Jager 1lI Pferdc General Officers

Field-grC) Grey-green Grey-green Field-grt" Ficld-gre,

Cap Band

R,d

R
Field-gre) Field-grey

Green Black Black Blad. Black Blue Dark blue

White Cornflower blue Field-grey Grey-green Field-grey

Regimental Regimental Regimental Regimental Scarlet

Field-gre~

R
R
Regimemal Regimental Regimental Regimental SCilrlel

facing facing fa('il1g facing

colour colour colour colour

.\11 ranks ofKurOlssiers also had a ficld-grc~ C
de\-ices. Hussars wore a field-grey 'ofilia' wilh grey collar and cuffs and shoulder cords in the colour of the full dress 'ofilia' flecked \\ith colour of Ihe braid. The Life Guard Hussar Regiment wore their full dress 'afilla'. Officers' lace and embroidery, Guard lace and other regimelllal distinctions were

allowed on this dress. Officers as an alternative wore the 'K/~iru rQ(/;', or 'hlnda' with service dress shoulder cords, not cpauleues. All ranks were permitted a service cap with a grey visor and chinstrap in the following colours (sec Table II). Dark grey trousers were worn with this uniform, 37

TABLE III Rank and Fill

TroUJtn

Infantr} Jager and Schutzcn Pioneers Artillery Specialist Troops Train !\Ietlical Kurassiers Dragoons Clans Hussars

Red Green Red Scarlet Rcrl Rcrl Rcrl R<" Rcrl b Red 7 Green

Rcrl Green Red Scarlet Rcrl Rcrl Red Red Rcrl b Rcrl

Jager zu Pferdc Generals

'2

..

OjJiurs:

Arm

,

9

Guard·$chutzcn green piping, black niH" stripes piped green all the outer edges. 3 Red or scarlet piping, black stripes with red or scarlel piping do\\ n the outside cdgts. A stripe of gold or ~ih er lace according to the button colour do.... n the outside of each leg edged

on dther side wilh the facing colour. Gardes du Corps and Guard Regl had \\ hill' gala hose. 5

Piping and Hf) broad slripes in the facing colour: 6th, [llh and 12th Regts in \'C~I\'l~I; !2nd, red piping and black mipcs piped red.

with piJX'C! outer scams. Officers could wear 'gala hose' -dark grey trousers with piping and a broad stripe each side orit (sec Table III).

Plate H Owing to the specialized nature or their duties, uniforms and equipment or Assault Troops underwent modifications. In the early months ammunition pouches were discarded, ammunition being carried in tunic pockets. Later, three pouches were carried on one side orlhe belt with a trench knire on the Olher. PUllees were worn with lace-up ankle boots, patches or leather reinrorced elbows and knees of clothing, and equipment was reduced to greatcoats rolled and strapp<..'C! around mess tins. Special weapons were devised ror trench fighting, varying rrom clubs to all typcsor modified bayonets and knives; most readily available and easily adaptable was the entrenching tool with sharpened edges. Men or assault detachments were called 'grenadiers'. Officially special insignia was rrowned on, but there are records orbadges being wom. One group

38

,

7 Green

9

Gala host

Red

,

Green Rcrl ,j Scarlct i3

Rcrl 3 Blue

:'\0 COIla hose

4

5 6 :\'0 Gala hose 7

8 9

6 1St Guard Regl, scarlet piping and \\ hitC' stripes. 7 Hussars wore dark gr('} riding br('('Chrs. Offic('rs gold or sih'cr, rank and file ydlo\\ or \\hite stripes according to the' bUllon colour. 8 Silv('r or gold lace stript: rogro with facing colour according to the bullon colour. 9 G('nerals wore scarlet piping and scarkt stripes on trouS(:rs, gala hose or breeches. a 5th Rt:gt pink, 2nd Regt crimson. b 3rd and 7th RegIS pink, 15th rose, 11th and 12th crimson stripes. photograph shows members or an assault unit wearing a dark-coloured c101l1 grenade on the left upper sleeve. ~len of the Assault Company, '23rd Saxon (1st Saxon) Reservc Division attached (0 X II Army Corps wore a green brassard on the Jeri arm, edged with white and with a white'S' in the centre. The rew official Specialist insignia included a 'dcath's-head' patch ror Flamethrower Detachments and Ihe '~nv' initials worn on the shoulder Slraps orTrench Mortal' (Mincnwerfer) personnel. \,Vhite smocks with hoods were worn whcn attacks were made over snow-covered ground. Figures I alld 2 arc wearing lhe blouse, Figure 3 and 4 modified 1910 tunics. The blouse (Bluse') was introduced in 191,). It dispensed with lavish pipings and cuffdistinctions ror all arms and services. It was a simple, ficld·grey, single-breasted coat; buttons down the rront were covered with a fly. Coats were made with green or field-grey IIIrn-down collars and simple, deep turn-back Cliffs. The rear or the coats had single vents with IwO hook-bullons at the waist, plus one hook each side to support the waistbelts. On lhe sides or thc skirts were pockets

with Aaps and buttons. Trousers were issued in the same colour as the blouse.Jiigcr and Schlitzen units retained distinctive green-grey uniforms but Machine Gun units now wore ficld-grcy. Distinctive 19[O-pattern cavalry tunics were also gradually replaced by blouses, panicularly on the Western Frana. Unit identification was confined to shoulder stra ps, although regiments entitled to lace distinctions still wore them on the collars only. :\iCOS' braid was alsosimplificd, plac<..'d onlyon the

from and the first few centimetres along the bottom ortbe colbr; culrbraid was n:Slrictcd to a shan bar at the tOP of the cuff. The peacetime greatcoat was gradually rcplnced by a field-grey universal pattern for all arms and ranks, with shoulder straps as worn all the blouse. Leather cquipmena was blackened and black universal cavalry boots were introduced. Shoulder strap colours on the· Blust' were as follows see Table IV :

TABLE IV ArmyofStma

Cloth

PIping

Sum"oJ or CJphtr

Infanl!] Jager and Schu[Len Arlille!] Foot Arlille!] Horse and Fidd Pioneers Communication Troops Train ),Iedical Stretcher Bearers Ca\'al!] : Kurassiers Dragoons Hussars

Field-grl':'Y Green-grl':'} Golden yello\\ Scarlel Black Light grey Blul':' Dark blul':' Crimson

White I Lighl green 2 :'\one '3 :':onc Scarlel :':one :':one Cornflo\\er blue :'\one

Roo Roo Roo

Yellow Yellow

While Cornflower blue Cords: as on 1910 field-greyatilla Scarlet Light grccn Fidd-gre) Fidd-grey Field-grey

As on 1910 tunics As on 1910 tunics 4

Golden yellow a Red b

:'\01 applicable As on 1910 tunics '5 As on '9tO tunics (6, As on 1910 tunics As all IgIO tunics As on [glO tunics

Yellow or white c' Lemon-yellow

Lancers Jager zu Pferde Bavarian Heav) Caval!] Bavarian Chevaulcl{er Regts Saxon Heavy Caval!]

(I) Except 2nd Ft Gds, 2nd Gd Grenadiers and 8th Grenadiers, which arc rcd; 3rd Ft Gds, 3rd Guard Grenadiers, Guard Fusiliers, 7th and [I th Grenadiers, which are lemon-yellow; 41h FI Gds, 4th Guard Crenadiel'S, 1451h [lif. Regt, which arc light blue; and I [4th [nf. Regt, which is light grecn. (2) Except Guard Schulzen Iktualion, which is bl;lck. (3) Excep[ 1St Guard Field Artillery Regt, which is white; 3rd Guard Field Artillery Rcgt, lemonyellow; and 4th Guard Fidd Artillery Regt, light bluc. (4) Except 22ml Dragoons, which is black only. (5) No scarlet piping for the 2nd Guard Ulans, 2nd, and 6th Ulans. (6\ The piping for the newly formed 9th. 101h, IlIh, 12th and 131h Regts is identical with that ofthe 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Regts. The 7th Rcgl had pink piping.

u:mon-yellow

Roo Roo Roo

Roo (d Red

R,d Red (e

(a) Crimson for the 2nd Kurassiers. (b) Except for Ihe 3rd Horse Grenadicrs and the 7th and 15th Dragoons, which arc pink; and the' [th and 12th Dragoons. which arc crimson. (c) \"'hite for the 41h, 6th, 7th, gth, [olh and 17th Hussars, rcmainder golden.ycllow. Thc 1St LeibHussars wear the Imperial Cypher. (d) Excepl for the lSI Rt:gt, which is Icmon-yellow, and the 7th which is pink. (e) Red for the Guard Regl only. Lands[urm Formations had the shoulder straps of their Ig's-pattern blouses in the following colours: Infant!) = blue; Field Artillery = scarlet; Foot Artillery = yellow; Pioneers = black. Melal numerals were retained on the collar fronts as on Ihe earlier pauern tunics.

39

FarbtrldD A. T...."" do< on'\""~ tampa,p>c-.r- anc _r... r porttt.:rlt roitrurn de ~>urr"..., gr;... d<'.-,>ow"'"", b"" .. lactts 1\"" h'IlUQ gUtl"'" h,."nn. Aa (;r<'"adiu l'O"l~nt 1.. doron";"... de drllltlk d' .. n 'Oximen! de Card.,. aur I.. col '" aur In mand,c".. ; k gland Jo h'llo"cu" idmtifi.. ~ Compagn~, 3""'" I:lau.illon.•'rac'iono de pm..... plIO n u _ .... L. wu,mun dOl c'""'l"'" A] I'rtnn note de de..,cll.. a ,o:ardr arxn"'" cnnocn ~blant""i
A. f"'d~.... d ..... u"'IOnn mit KnpfpuIZ alii Pcb. mil Tueh Ixdcd ""........ ""ke '" hrbr dco Aull<\-R,..""",upb"ll'-cnn><:k mil hrbr d.... Bar auf Gala"alr.nrock jt.. pre"kd, In den m.....len hlle" ''''It... OIi£le llnl,...j... b~ gr.zu~ Kopfl""zen .. ",I bra .. n. Sthnu,,""efcl mil lange" bra"n' Gamaoch,n. Aa C.. nadtI ...kt I....bcr>."....... Ln.cntu .." ....... dt U'e Rquncn. odc:nbfi1i<:n

B. C~ nif

col ... _nd••" .. ",,,fu, '''l(''''''''U Kur.oooien m .... Umnn tu,au!aJlc blanc furm' ...... Ii....... , bandon jln<'l;bru lin,",' p"un d'q,,""l, en tOnne de poi a,... 'Uj aU'~t dt roulcur dr <1'"""".. 1.." .. a Kn,l<1'cnuc; ~tll. b",,,..,,,,,,,,.,,, hanrl .....' IUlaulaj(~rl~ ro"lc". ~ pa",m~nl d" ,rde rtl,,~e. bland..
B. l:n'MW:h.idende Bor,.. auf Kra~en und ~b... hellen idrmmutzm t.na-n &rid. In 8nalZ"'rbr und "·e Schnul'btsalz h l!bn-Walrmrocke , ... k< mil Schnurbnatz dcr RC'!l'""",,..,...,,,,,r...be 'cnmm

C. Prn
C. Z" be.......... do< rbrrTUrlldn III RC'!l'....... '.... baum. <1m Spo...... uf clem Walrmnxk ""'llm C \'0I1n \larxhorclcn tin ""... jahn tin KnC'!l'. brmo ~Iu.....band, d.. farb-g.. B.ond ,~rl><.-,;t I),e l'roddd iden.ifizicrt 71e Ko",{'&S"i., >I... a"alllonC]AbC, ,di" Troddt-lal.Ca. Cot Gleich ailC, un C3 d'en" d,cYr I.ger be,m IX A'mcckorpo. Br",... ken 1I,,,ne...n Fa.b, n Uniform•. and.... kopfhed k.. ,,~. Schn", d<'l" I ag.,ba,.illone ulid g'"" Troddd a", l'"!t.n h,nchf."JIi j.KerbaJ<"'C" Cs l~,,,,, RCll""e,,' d,en" m VI [Armttkorp. 0.. Troddd iokn,ifizlC1. fit... Kompal(ll'" a'nI B.olal1lon C I'Inncrk"" Schnur clcr ~hormodc am Rock de< Wa'-rnroelo, ..........h Kob.... am .lll"laeband und n~um den \la_h""m llic Troddo idmulUlorn lit... K.-~... JIm S;uazllon.

DI Pall.. d'cpaulr blrun, lbakod<"...Jr J'"ll" a'rc ~unr'I (:.-rt ctu.-.... 'nd"luantl Gorpo d'Atn\k mma.n au..w-. dr t.."aillon anI>< ...... rot ...... idm"ficnl t t 1Old.. rommr (,.nl....n Landll "nn. D:a T nI.... dr Olmpap a .......·I('r d~ " .... ks diw.i,I('""nl blnIcI 01" Tram. Pau.. 01"1.. ,,1, alj{cn'.... mouchetm av"" .r"a",. I", oo"',, ·fddb,nd.· d.e<>ulcu ... de .... ~""""e f", .....m.nlpo" .... aprrl191.S D:J 06i6" d·ela,.major ,ile'...."'.1 por,f...n, di."n,.""" carlnin·ro"K""" ....,'" IUr ."Iom, I.'.;marpr du C>.ptla",. ad),,""" rna,ror 1'", d~1adoft ptndanl '9'S' D4 Prenn. noIe de de""" 'unoq.... de """pap a ...... ore del oI"or.... grner.l> Iaq...ue ull. po>d>a au clrmnc.

D. ilia", Ad_"ueU.Ja~HICT......1;oa nul Lando,urmUnu und "'UllUYlCJ "",",ufiZH;rnid Anr..d;r:... """,,,,h "tort- B.o,,"llon ar-a'-h auf Krage iokntifi£l....... all.. dicom Sokbl alIl.andllunn"'fanl ...... 0" feklthmllunim mIl den blauen Ln'n$(I>cid"ngen ..., Traill a"'ll.....iehne•. S,lbe,.. Ad",c1l1uck mil S'.....farbcn It'''I,,,nkrh und d.n ."ri g"lde"'" S,r",.n cin. H."I"mall"" 0<:. frldbillde Gi>rl~1 in S.aa"fa,l)cn w"rtle ... hen "arh IQI g"ra~e". D:J c.."cr~uI",blcr l,u~"n k",mli"rote L1nle.... heid,,"~rn lInd Streif", arJ Knochoocn. I),e t .. ibbindc d", ,\dJ,,'...... "'urden In "I'S a"AA<"JIi
!>r,,,....

portmn,

,....... dr <:am~ h." .. d·'l""

•1"''''''''''''' d .. ~"""" . pn>1I bon

1"'''''

"",r< ''''

..,..1"".

,,,,mtt

E. Gn,~ 'umq... ·l" b· lU' bn"""",pen 'VII.... """"" ,m d<' ampap. ......-it:e Poet drool .. ,,,,,,uta«< ldenu""""', Ie nlrnrau dr ore nquriq_ Ia ~ , pt>w' ....... pIr. roIIC'" :i.l·~ d''''ullt:ricd< C>.ml"W"" P""C'" bbnt.... n ,u,"ulap- """lle:i l't1l;ard d·ln"'nl.... ~, picas '~I 'u,"uLa/te rouge .. 1'''Prd de Jag... <1e. E. I'r~nn. """ de e.-quc de , x. Iouoc de C I~'~; ",wp""""" du deMon ,lllIq; ~ note dr .....", b IllouOrdr '9'5 ......
roo.

F. La band< autOUr du ""'I"" l"id...lllr..
.,... n 'ool,du """ rUI 1OtI'·m. port« ala plattdu cuquc Iaquelle fu' "'rnb,re a ""II porttt dr In Hn"aniq ..... F4 Tenue nmp;<,ilnc-grilc CUropftn port

'co: OO1lfu .. """,·crt•. En a"an, de 19'~ I... pan.. d·ep;< ..lc.n furme de poi f" nl r.... placttt de ••U... iIIU1I~"'. F~ Vi'''''.,"",''e a,',", poi",. 6'...., ncd e,,"ain jointe; armcc d. p<>rta band...-moll,"e.-..., bon.. ' faICe"''''', ~"lanlfCl de .m.... ~""'" ct !>run... f,,'en' pori", a I'~ ... Cl a b ~Iacrd"",.. O'J'"ll" da"dle :i. Garde IU. Ie <01 de .... bIotM d. '9'~'" un cuque d·...,lC1 a,'co: rouvcn clc drap.

mon.agne

r,

G. I.e bonnet dlM,nwf d'app-'m«' auuidt_ lID. ""'" bou........... le ""VII ,,,,-,,u"'lfC WT't autoUr de col.... la COClOrrk ............. a drone rt b toeardc clc ttrt1t1t>I1M' .. ~uehr. I.... J'><"'a ... r...m.- clc 'S'1Uf Ir col idmufim' «1teoom~'" Go SOmiJai.... :iG' -..11 pl"I"''' d... ~....d.; pan .. d'o'pa"ledc 'ou'" In de"x furelll a'll""'''''. Jll()UC1.... ca an" rouge n '101'" "n lOnd HT't E"""1 Rommel fUI "II CIlmmandanl de cOInl"K"" a,'CO: celie bala,ll"". G:J monlre la IlOIJnllr ""Ue lTOU." .. fac"l.ui"e de '9'5, La lable dall. I. I
."r

HI, So 30 4 l:n,," d'A.auI porl"''''''- "n"", rno
1«.,,'"

roo.

"rwpci'

1fT"'''

"Ill

Wll.J' ..... ' ~ all .·ddd.....uJcodu"" Kracco>lIr.:k<- und Schnu' "'"'tilizocrtm 01;" \\aJ<.n,tanu~ u.. rnandunal c. " .... •1ttk<- und """ Schn .. r ru' Infa",rn... ~ ..... Fkck.. und .....e &hnu. fur J1" ........ E. Ilcmcrkrn ahltem 'r".n Ilelm m" S,ad>d "'~hallCn; .... abg.~"d",'cr Walf."nxk d Jah .... '9'0 mit ""gemUl,...I... MallOCh.,IO Kegim."..n..",m"" auf rle" Ach..blllcken lind "Ill grau.n 0..." hed..". E: Bcm..,ken FelrlbllL1r d.. Jahre> "1'0 "'" Aeh.. l>lucken mil Schnur in de WalJe"g~n.. n~fa,bc ,"""..... ; ulld klcincrr \'rninn dcr SpilZt' lTnlrn. Fcldbl_ dnJahre> 19'~ \lllItCf"rtnrichlung ,88qo 1:":5 Ilmocrkn
E. Dtc:ocr 'b""b' Walrmrodt

~

F. llao Band rinI:s I'm Infa.n' bra .. TropmunilOrm. Fa [)aol-ldmband idm'ifiaicrt """' Mill F, Die Mu ... mi. Sch,nn und Hailflard"'c wurrk of' allllau do I-td""lrt.-agnl, den ll!... h al dao "on d"n HnuIChell ge.rall"". EUl'O\...ilehe. f. dgn". Vni"'m ",i hW""k"", Kopfp",. g"rasen. \'rdr.:k' dcoJah.... ,g16

'4

o-r

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