Trenches: A picture worth a thousand words....

[buellmeister]

Jeff, 

How true of a statement that picture exemplifies!

 

[Foalsdrum]

Hello there,

New guy here! I've always been interested in the coastal sectors of the western front and have collected quite a few photo's relating to the German Matrosen Divisions. Thought I might share some of my collection, so here ya go!

A rather interesting photo giving us a look at the trenches of the German "See Kessel Stellung" with two Matrosen posing for the photo. One of them is wearing a Red Cross armband. If you look close enough you can spot a few more sailors wandering around. To the left was "No Man's Land" and just behind the dunes on the left, would be the North-Sea. 

Edited March 4, 2021 by Foalsdrum

[Chris Boonzaier]

56 minutes ago, Foalsdrum said:

Hello there,

New guy here! I've always been interested in the coastal sectors of the western front and have collected quite a few photo's relating to the German Matrosen Divisions. Thought I might share some of my collection, so here ya go!

A rather interesting photo giving us a look at the trenches of the German "See Kessel Stellung" with two Matrosen posing for the photo. One of them is wearing a Red Cross armband. If you look close enough you can spot a few more sailors wandering around. To the left was "No Man's Land" and just behind the dunes on the left, would be the North-Sea. 

 

The costal trenches look like a totally differnt world to the rest of the western front!!!

[motojosh]

 

What looks to be the Bavarian 3rd R.J.R or L.J.R.

 

 

 

 

[Chris Boonzaier]

I would go with reserve 3... Landwehr Guys usually look a bit older and more "used up in life"

[Deruelle]

Hi,

Here is some officers from IR Nr. 171

Christophe

[buellmeister]

Gentlemen, 

 

Great additions!  Thank you for sharing.  Certainly the Marine trenches look al little more hospitable. Maybe a little fishing and clamming to pass the time?

[motojosh]

On 08/03/2021 at 02:45, Chris Boonzaier said:

I would go with reserve 3... Landwehr Guys usually look a bit older and more "used up in life"

I agree most likely reserve. You sometimes see younger Landwehr guys though. Here's one of the 53rd Landwehr Regiment that I would've guessed were reserve if not for the sender info and postmark.

 

 

Seebataillon MG

 

 

37mm Revolverkanone in use for trench defense.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[buellmeister]

Motojosh, 

 

Great additions, thank you so much for sharing!

[Foalsdrum]

On 18/03/2021 at 21:06, buellmeister said:

Gentlemen, 

 

Great additions!  Thank you for sharing.  Certainly the Marine trenches look al little more hospitable. Maybe a little fishing and clamming to pass the time?

Good day,

 

Great photograph!

The German marine trenches look a lot more hospitable indeed!

Al tough the seafront was known as a quiet sector, this wasn't quite true. The seafront would see daily bombings mostly from the German side to the French, as they were far superior with their large arrangement of artillery, trench mortars and even coastal artillery with calibers up to 380mm! It was also a little tense for the Germans in this sector, as they were afraid of a possible invasion from the sea by the British and thus were always on their guard. The sector was used as testing ground for the new German weapons. Like on February 14th 1915, when the Germans already experimented with gas in the dune sector. And between the 11th and 13th of June 1915 when they did the same with flamethrowers. 

 

Excuse me for the long story, just wanted to share this with u gentlemen

Not really a trench photo, but i'll hope this one can pass through.

 

German sailors of the Matrosen-Regiment on their coastal sentry duties on the beach near Knocke, West-Flanders. The sign reads "coastguard". 

[Bayern]

6 hours ago, Foalsdrum said:

Good day,

 

Great photograph!

The German marine trenches look a lot more hospitable indeed!

Al tough the seafront was known as a quiet sector, this wasn't quite true. The seafront would see daily bombings mostly from the German side to the French, as they were far superior with their large arrangement of artillery, trench mortars and even coastal artillery with calibers up to 380mm! It was also a little tense for the Germans in this sector, as they were afraid of a possible invasion from the sea by the British and thus were always on their guard. The sector was used as testing ground for the new German weapons. Like on February 14th 1915, when the Germans already experimented with gas in the dune sector. And between the 11th and 13th of June 1915 when they did the same with flamethrowers. 

 

Excuse me for the long story, just wanted to share this with u gentlemen

Not really a trench photo, but i'll hope this one can pass through.

 

German sailors of the Matrosen-Regiment on their coastal sentry duties on the beach near Knocke, West-Flanders. The sign reads "coastguard". 

more accurate beach guard i think.

[graham]

One to add from:

 

https://today-in-wwi.tumblr.com/post/162847243503/operation-beach-party

 

[buellmeister]

Folsdrum, 

 

Thank you so much for the additional information on the coastal sectors.  I hadn't previously studied or known of the shelling and fighting which occurred in these areas. Thank you again for your input.

 

As well, Graham and Bayern, thank you for the additions!

 

Regards, 

 

Joel 

[Foalsdrum]

Taking a break from the Sea front.

 

Here are a few photo's from the French perspective. 

 

French alpine soldiers from the 157th RIA (Regiment d'Infanterie Alpin) in a trench near in front of Bois de Mort Mare near Fleury June 7th 1915. 

 

 

Machine gun team of the 287th RI posing with their M1914 Hotchkiss, Aisne 1915 

 

 

Photo from the same album.

 

18 hours ago, Bayern said:

more accurate beach guard i think.

Hi there, 

Indeed thats a lot more accurate

[Deruelle]

Hi,

 

Here is some new photos I have received recently from LIR 133 (Saxon unit)

 

Christophe

 

 

[Foalsdrum]

Hello there,

 

This view isn't directly related to the topic, but the photo from which this back view is does. Before i'm gonna post the photo I was wondering if someone could translate this German written text. As someone who doesn't really speak German maybe someone who speaks or is German could recognize some words.

It would be really appreciated!

 

From what I gathered from this photo is that It's related to the attack on the 9th of May 1915, not from the famous Artois offensive, but from the much lesser known German assault on the sea front that same day! But I'll tell you know more about it when I post the photo

 

PS: Sorry for the amount of text on my posts, Just love sharing the backstories of these photo's. I think i'm gonna make my own topic about the seafront, so you don't have these extensive texts under the photo's, I'll let you guys know when the topic is up! 

 

[Utgardloki]

Hard to read; I have:

 

Seestellung ...

Blick auf das Leichenfeld (Seesoldaten) vom

Sturmangriff am 9. Mai 1915

Edited June 15, 2021 by Utgardloki

[Bayern]

Seestellung in den Dunen 

[Foalsdrum]

On 16/06/2021 at 01:24, Utgardloki said:

Hard to read; I have:

 

Seestellung ...

Blick auf das Leichenfeld (Seesoldaten) vom

Sturmangriff am 9. Mai 1915

 

On 16/06/2021 at 07:28, Bayern said:

Seestellung in den Dunen 

Thank u guys very much! This gives me the needed information for this photograph.

[Foalsdrum]

Here it is! 

Photo taken from the safety of a trench just above the parapet, showing us the desolated and corpse filled no man's land in the dunes at the 'Seekessel', (which was the last German position before the frontline ends at the North Sea), after the failed German attack on May 9th, 1915, where the Germans launched a large scale attack on nearly all subsectors within the Seafront sector. During this attack the Germans would lose an estimated 1200 men (wounded, dead, captured).

Many thanks to Utgardloki and Bayern for transcribing the text on the back of the photo, so we finally have the extra info for this photo.

 

"Seestellung in den Dunen.

Blick auf das Leichenfeld (Seesoldaten) vom

Sturmangriff am 9. Mai 1915." 

 

Loosely translates to:

 

"Sea position in the Dunes.

View of the corpse field (Marines) from

the assault on 9. May 1915."

 

"(Seesoldaten)" must be an Indication that the corpses we see in this photo, belong to either the 'See Bataillon' or the 'Matrosen Division' units.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 6, 2021 by Foalsdrum

[Bayern]

My Pleasure !  

[Foalsdrum]

 

Small album photo of 3 French soldiers resting in a "Boyau" (Communication trench) near Amiens, Picardie region in 1916. Apparently these soldiers are posing in front of a command post. The Back of the photo describes: "Poste commandement en Boyau Abrité Picardie 1916".

Edited August 7, 2021 by Foalsdrum

[norwest78]

Soldier picking lice from his clothing