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    By the Numbers.... Numbered helmet covers.....


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    According to von Stein, there were about 39 FA units numbered in the 900 series. Feldartillerie-Batterie Nr.908 served with Oberost, 10.Armee, Heeres Gruppe Deutscher Kronprinz, 17.Armee and 2.Armee.

    Chip

    Edited by Chip
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    When did they remove numbers judging by the vast majority of '14 aug-november photographs soldiers in the field weren't wearing them or are they only reserve formations?

    Eric

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    Helmet covers were often unmarked both in the one piece and two-piece Uberzug. There is an alleged AKO on 27 October 1916, which eliminated all of the numbers and letters except for the cross for Landsturm regiments. As you can see from AKO 735 there was no mention of Landsturm.

    oct1916700.jpg

    http://www.pickelhauben.net/articles/Uberzug.html

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    Hello!

    My first thought was Mun-Kol. 908, but that was set-up in march 1917, so they wouldn´t have the numbered helmet-covers.

    So we really have Feldart.-Batterie 908.

    Set-up 9.2.16, mobile 26.6.16

    Beacuse of the numbers and Joe´s AKO, the photo might have been taken between june and november 1916.

    In that time the battery was under command of the 10th army.

    3.10.15-11.9.17: Trenchbattles between Krewo-Smorgon-Lake Narotsch-Tweretsch

    An interesting detail is, that the battery did use russian 10,67cm (M77) guns!

    Joe,  do you have a close-up of the shoulder straps, please? They seem to have metal-numbers, like reserve-artillery, don´t they?

     

     

    Edited by The Prussian
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    Yes, they have metal numbers. I should have mentioned that in my first post. Notice too that they are both wearing tall rider's boots and cartridge pouches normally associated with the Kar98az.

    Chip

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    First one shows one with a number and one without in May 1916 - Inf. regiment 106

    2nd photo - Res. Inf. Regt. 122, 12 Komp. in Feb. 1916

    3rd photo - just has a stamp on the reverse for Landst. Inf. Bn. 15, 3. Komp.

    img039.jpg

    img044.jpg

    img045.jpg

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    • 3 weeks later...

    I still miss your reply, IG, please...:beer:

    Andy, I haven't been on GMIC since some time in April, so I missed your post of 20 June.  And I have no excuse for your post of 2013!  Let me go back and look over this question and give you an answer.

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    IG

    Are you sure with Mun.Kol. 863? Because I haven´t seen a helmet cover with a bigger number than 1000, I assume, the ammo columns didn´t have written helmet covers. (IF they had, they would have the numbers of the shoulder straps. Note, that the ammo colums wore the numbers of the active or reserve artillery units!)

    "Your" man could serve with the Feldartillerie-Battarie Nr.863! Set-up 21.11.1915 (XVII.AK). Ersatztrupppe: 2.Ers.Abt./Feldart.Rgt.81

    Under command of 36.Res.Div.(1916) and from late 1916 8.Armee. Armed with russian 8,69cm Feldkanone.

     

    Like mine 833. (VII.AK) Ers.Abt./Feldart.Rgt.58. Armee with russian 8,69cm too

     

    So, after only two days back to GMIC after several months of self-imposed exile, I have already learned something new... 

    Andy, when I made that post with the helmet cover "863" way back in 2013, I was "sure" because I was uneducated.  I took a look again at the reverse of the RPPC and there is nothing to suggest a munitions column.  I simply assumed Mun.Kol. because of the high number.  Now, based upon Joe's October 1916 AKO in Post #104 and recalling from Cron that the "neuer Art" Munitions Kolonne with high numbers were not set up until 1917, this helmet cover "863" must surely be Feldartillerie-Battarie Nr.863 as you suggest.

    I suggested to Chip a long time ago that I needed to write an article on identifying artillery uniforms - based upon general uniform regulations etc - and I still need to do that...

    Edited by IrishGunner
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