The Prussian

Dear Steve! Well, the system of the train bataillons was nit difficult to you, it WAS difficult... The train-batallions were disbanded by the outbreak of war. They were distributed to the "Magazin-Fuhrpark-Kolonnen". Together with the munition-columns (set up by field-artillery) they were formed to "Munitions-Kolonnen und Trains". In every army corps you find: 2 Munitions-Kolonnen-Abteilungen (4 infantery and 9 artillery columns) ; 1 Foot-artillery Mun.col.Abtl. (8 columns), 2 Train-Abteilungen (12 Feld-Lazerette, 6 Proviant, 6 Fuhrpark (carpark), 2 depots for horses and 2 bakery-columns). It would be too difficult to explain here, but I recommend you the book: H. Cron "Deutsches Heer 1914-1918", it?s part V of the edition of Curt Jany "Preu?ische Armee" In english: Imperial German Army: 1914-18: Organization, Structure, Orders of Battle: Organisation, Structure, Orders of Battle

Deruelle: Oh yes, I?ve seen that thread! Wonderful! It?s a very nice collection! Rick: Which one, please?

:) Merci... I?m stil looking for photographs, but they are very expensive. In Germany a lot of people are collecting the 95

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Here are some close-ups:

Yes, that?s right, but I bought the photo, from an album, which said, the photo was taken by the X.AK. It also said, there was a "Generalstabsreise". Unfortunately I only bought the photo, the text belomgs to the album, that haven?t been in the offer

No, he wears a Skullhead, because of the 92.th inf.rgt., that belong to the X.AK

Me too, mate!!!

No problem, mate... a friend of mine has the Rangliste 05, maybe it helps

By the way, Chris, do you know books about the Sturmtruppen? Here in Germany I can?t find anything good. Specially I?m looking for informations, in which battles the SBs were active. Most of the german books only go down on regimental level

Hi Chris! Yes, I agree with you, but I think the word "cream" is a wrong one. The "lessons", they gave to other units, were the experiences of a maximum of 1,5 years of combat. A cream for me, is a bigger unit, that could make a battle won. A bataillon in an army was not able to fight against an enemy division, how ever the strenghth of the enemy was. What I wanted to say is, the Sturmtruppen were an effective small unit in tactical cases and, of course, in the psychological case. Do you know any battle, won only by the stormtroopers? In battle, if they were in the frontline, they had a lot of suffers. But they hadn?t an "Ersatz" company. So the new soldiers couldn?t get the experience in a short time. So I don?t think, they were fit for action for 100% each day. I?d rather be saying that, if you use the word "cream", one better takes this word the old guard-units.

Hi Chris! I don?t think, they were the "cream" of the german army. Some people might think so, because in the past years, the name "Sturmtruppen" had become a legendary name, like the french foreign legion... Have they been trained better? I don?t know. Fact is, they had a better equipment than a regular infantry unit. They didn?t use rifles, they used carabines. The first Sturmtruppen were pioneers. Major Calsow from the Pi.Btl.15 first formed a experimental troup, depending of 2 pioneer companies with shields and 1 detachment with 20 guns (3,7cm). They first operated at the front of Loretto. They failed. The rest of those units came to the Armee-Abteilung Gaede. Now came the well-known Hauptman Rohr (Garde-Sch?tzen-Bataillon). He didn?t use the shields. Rohr trained them in well-done comunication of machine-guns and artillery. As "Sturmbataillon der Armee-Abteilung Gaede", they re-concered the "Hartmannsweiller Kopf" brilliant (dec., 22./23. 1915). Early in 1916 the Sturmbataillon Rohr came to the 5th army. In 1916 the following Sturmbataillone were founded: The J?ger-Batallion 3 became the Sturmbataillon 3 (july, 8th. 1916) The Sturmbataillon Rohr became the number 5 (still a Pioneer unit!!!). The name Sturmbataillon Rohr became official in 1917 (feb.2nd) and 8 Sturmbataillone, belonging to the Infantry. Those bataillons came into action in december 1916. They were shared to the differnt armies. They consist of 2-3 "storm-companies", 1 MG-company and 1 mine-sweeper company and a flame-thrower troup. Early 1918 existed the Sturmbataillone 1-12 and 14-17. N? 13 and 18 were only companies. The 13 became in march part of the 12th bataillon and the N?18 became the new bataillon 18 in august 1918. Disbanded were the Btl.9 (may 1918) ; Btl.17 (august 1918) and Btl.12 (october 1918) Each bataillon of the btls. 1,2,4,6,7,8 and 16 had missed 1-2 companies in 1918. They also had a special uniform. The 3rd batallion wore the J?ger uniforms, the 5th batallion wore pionier uniforms. The rest wore infantry uniforms. The mine-sweepers of all bataillons wore pionier uniforms with the shoulder straps "M.W." The artillery detachment of the 5th btl. wore the artillery-uniform with a grenade upon the shoulder straps.The flame-throwers of the 5th btl. wore the uniform of the "Garde-Reserve-Pionier-Regiements" with laces at the collar and a skullhead upon the lower-arm (left). To come to an end, here again the Sturmbataillone and the date of set-up) 1916: N? 1 ; N?2 ; N?3 (J?ger) ; N?4 ; N?5 (Rohr) ; N?6 (bavarian) ; N?7 ; N?8 ; N?9 ; N?10 ; N?11 ; N?12 ; N?15 (bavarian) ; N?16 1917: N?14 ; N?17 1918: N?18 ; If we have one bataillon for one army, I don?t think they were the cream og the german army. What could they do in any strategic questions? Nothing. They were brilliant in tactical solutions on regimental, maybe on divisional level. Nevertheless I think, the were the forefathers of modern small, tactical units, who are used more and more in our times.

Hello Gentlemen! Does anyone have an idea to ID this men from the X.AK? Probably it shows the General staff from 1905 The Photo is dated: 15.6.-29.6.1905 Thanx a lot in advance

Well, I haven?t beemn in school 1943 (born 67), but I think, I?m as weird as you, mate... The proper S?tterlin ain?t no problem, the problems start, if they wrote it fast. In Germany we say, "he writes like a doctor writing your prescriptions" That means, no one else could read it, but himself...

Hi 0009! Thank you for your answer. That?s a blame to me (german), not able to read this... Now I?ll have to look, which units were there

The shoulder strap

The flyer to the regimental music

Here is the inner side

Here my little collection o fht eInf.Rgt.95 A cap with regimental stamp ; a "flyer" for the regimental music and a shoulder strap

Hi Sef1962! To precise, the 242nd were a reserve-infantry-regiment, like all the other regiments in the 200 series The R.I.R.242 was formed in oct. 1914 in Zittau (I.Btl. - formed from the Ers.Btl./saxon Inf.Rgt.102), Bautzen (II.Btl. - formedf from Ers.Btl./saxon Inf.Rgt.103) and Kamenz (III.Btl. - formed from Ers.Btl./saxon Inf.Rgt.178). It belonged to the 53.Res.Div. and it was composed of 75% volunteers.

That?s right. L.I.R.78, set up in Braunschweig (Staff; III.) and Celle (I. + II.) It belonged to the 38.mixed Landwehr-Brigade

Hi Rick! Tghank you very much for your help! Me, german born, I have problem with that "S?tterlin" script. If it?s written clearly, it ain?t no problem, but sometimes... no chance... Thanx a lot again!!!

the backside

Hello gentlemen! I?ve got this nice photocard. Does anyone knows, who they are and what the text on the backside says? Thanx a lot in advance!