Württembergische Infantry Regiment 180 - July 1916

[dond]

Think of the Wurtemburgische IR 180. During the first week of July, 1916 they were in the line just west/north west of Ovillers. As luck would have it they were in the way of the British attck for the Battle of the Somme. Between 1 and 7 July they were shelled incessently, attacked several times, conducted local counter attecks to regain lost ground and overall they acquitted themselves very well. Thier stubborn defense even when adjacent units fell back, thru a sticky wicket into the British plans. All this with a loss of only 197 men dead, 423 wounded, and 34 missing. In these losses were 15 officers. The life expectancy of Leutnants sucked. So, while you are sitting there complaining about the heat just remember, it could always be hotter.

Sources were the Regimental History for IR 180 and The 10th Company, Wuert. IR No 180 in Der Somme Schlacht.

[Tony]

Don,

Do you have anything on Inf. Regt. 119? I have a BWM to a casualty killed while attacking them on 1st July. The only info I've found on them was a snippet from the Reichsarchive book Somme Nord.

Tony

[dond]

Sorry, I only have the stuff for IR 180.

[Chris Boonzaier]

So, while you are sitting there complaining about the heat just remember, it could always be hotter.

Well, at least they did not have the horrible suprise of realising that they had forgotten to take the beer out of the freezer and that they would have to wait for it to more or less defrost to be able to drink one....

EVERYONE has problems.... :-)

[dond]

Yep, its just that most people's problems are smaller than they think. Except yours of course.

[Naxos]

Don,

Do you have anything on Inf. Regt. 119? I have a BWM to a casualty killed while attacking them on 1st July. The only info I've found on them was a snippet from the Reichsarchive book Somme Nord.

Tony

Tony, do you mean the Reserve Inf. Regt. 119 (it was in the same Divison as the IR180) I do have the casualty list for the RIR119 at the Somme.

As far as I know the regular Grenadier Rgt. 119 saw action in August 1916 at Delville Wood but not on July 1st.

Hardy

[Tony]

Tony, do you mean the Reserve Inf. Regt. 119 (it was in the same Divison as the IR180) I do have the casualty list for the RIR119 at the Somme.

As far as I know the regular Grenadier Rgt. 119 saw action in August 1916 at Delville Wood but not on July 1st.

Hardy

Yes Hardy, RIR 119. Have sent a pm.

Tony

[T_Bones]

Hi there - I am completely new to this forum and hope this thread is not dead. I have, since about the age of 5, been a near annual visitor to the Somme battlefields with my father and have come to learn the area like the back of my hand, in particular the Thiepval area. I have recently started studying at the University of Tuebingen in Germany and am astounded that the barracks for the 26th Reserve Division, 10. Wuerttembergische IR 180 are just across from the Tuebingen train station, with a memorial to the dead at Thiepval (the barracks are now called the 'Thiepval-Areal'). When my dad and I drove down from the UK to Tuebingen for the first time last year, we only had enough time to make one brief stop on the Somme, and we both instinctively picked Thiepval, not knowing the connection at the time. Understandably this coincidence has peaked my interest in the history of IR 180, as these men would likely have frequented many of the same bars I enjoy in Tuebingen, and would have looked upon a very similar skyline, before mobilization in August 1914.

I have just begun reading the 'Germans at Thiepval: Battleground Somme' book but am curious where more detailed information may be found such as old photos, rosters, etc., if such records are publicly available?

Cheers,

Tristan

[Naxos]

Hi Tristan, thanks for you interest in this topic.

Since you are close to the source start here: https://www2.landesarchiv-bw.de/ofs21/olb/struktur.php?archiv=1&klassi=&anzeigeKlassi=1.11&inhaltHauptframe=naeheres&anzeigeId=5697&letztesLimit=&syssuche=&logik=

I always take a list of research topics and make an appointment at the "Landesarchiv" before I travel to Germany. I usually spent a couple of days there.

Edited September 21, 2014 by Naxos

[dond]

Welcome aboard Tristan. I look forward to your contributions here.

[IrishGunner]

Tristan, welcome and thanks for posting. You have a great opportunity for some very interesting research. We hope you will share your observations and discoveries.

[ColinRF]

Try the link found in the first post here for more on IR 180 at Thiepval on July 1 (for some reason i can't link directly....probably iPad ios 8????) http://salfordwarmemorials.proboards.com/thread/2166/leipzig-redoubt-thiepval-german-perspective

Tristan...i am interested in the other side if the hill as my Great Uncle was in one of 2 companies of the 3rd Salford Pals which attacked the Granatloch on July 1. He was one if the few to survive that unhurt but was moratlly wounded at Ovillers 2 weeks later.

Colin

Edited September 28, 2014 by ColinRF

[Macadoon]

Try the link found in the first post here for more on IR 180 at Thiepval on July 1 (for some reason i can't link directly....probably iPad ios 8) http://salfordwarmemorials.proboards.com/thread/2166/leipzig-redoubt-thiepval-german-perspective

Tristan...i am interested in the other side if the hill as my Great Uncle was in one of 2 companies of the 3rd Salford Pals which attacked the Granatloch on July 1. He was one if the few to survive that unhurt but was moratlly wounded at Ovillers 2 weeks later.

Colin

Me too, my wife's great uncle was 11/180, reported missing and then killed at Ovillers 1-3 July 1916.

Bests

Mac