Attack at Skorbova, Russia

[bob lembke]

Gentlemen;

The largest FW attack ever occurred at this place and time. besides three companies of FW troops, wielding, I believe, 154 FW, I think that the attacking units were the 5th Reserve Infantry Division and IR 401. I assume by that time the 5th RID (in which a number of my forebearers served in) was a triangular division. I want to research this battle further. Does anyone know what three regiments were in 5 RID at this time? My sources have no info on IR 401, which must have been a new regiment, by its number. Any leads to this research problem? I probably can successfully look for the histories in the on-line catalogs of German libraries, especially Leipzig.

Any leads gratefully received. My materials are not oriented toward this sort of inquiry.

Bob Lembke

[bob lembke]

Sorry. SKROBOVA, a village in Russia.

Bob L.

[Leah]

Hello Bob L

401st Regt was with the 201st Division.Neighbours of the 5th reserve?

5th Reserve IN 1916-RIR 8,RIR 12,RIR 48

Leah

[bob lembke]

Leah;

Thank you very much. Now I can look for the regimental histories, if they exist. It was a very interesting battle, with a lot of new tactics and equipment. For example, as the attackers entered the Russian positions they were tactically directed by air observers in two-way contact with the commander of the attack, dropping tactical instructions from the air to the attacking formations. (A big problem in such attacks was getting lost in the enemy trench system.)

I have collected a lot of research material (for example, with duplicates, about 110 Reichsarchiv official histories), but this sort of look-up is still hard for me. Can I ask you what you used? Possibly the US book The 251 German Divisions in the World War?

Thanks for your help. My ancestors traditionally served in the 5th ID (mostly in the 3rd Ulan Regiment) and then of course did their reserve service in units that would be mobilized as the 5. RID in war-time. In a letter from Belgium, my grand-father referred to 5. RID as "my division".

Bob Lembke

[Gilles]

Bob,

I just have the following informations:

5RD at the beginning of the war=

9th Res Inf Brigade (RIR?8?&?48)

10th Res Inf Brigade (RIR 12 & 52 +?Res?J?ger?Btl?3 + Res Dragoner Rgt 2 + Res Feld Art?Rgt 5 + 4th Company of Pio Btl 3)

5RD on 9th april 1918=

9th?Res?Inf?Brigade?(RIR?8,?12?&?48?+?5th?Squadron?of?Dragoner?Rgt?4,?Art?Kdr?90?with?Res?Feld?Art?Rgt?5?&?4th?Btl?of?Res?Fuss?Art?Rgt?17,?Stab?Pio?Btl?305,?2nd?Res?Cpy?of?Pio?Btl?3,?MW?Cpy?205,?Div?Nachr?Kdr?405)

1916 is down in the middle, so add both and just halve the result...

Source "Mein Regiment"

Edited May 27, 2007 by Gilles

[Glenn J]

Bob,

from Die Schlachten und Gefechte des Gro?en Krieges 1914-1918 showing the major units involved at Skrobowa on 9/10 November 1916.

Regards

Glenn

[bob lembke]

Hi, Gilles;

Good to hear from you again! I would think that the situation in late 1916 was close to that of early 1918, the major reorganizations were mostly over.

You mentioned: "2nd Res Cpy of Pio Btl 3"; my father was sworn into the army by Pionier=Bataliion Nr. 3 "von Rauch" in 1915. My grand-father wanted him to train there, and then get sent to the pioneer battalion of the III. Reservekorps (5. RD u. 6. RD), so he could keep an eye on him and they could serve together in Russia, he was the Id in the Generalkommando of the army corps. As he wrote in a letter to his son about the pioneer battalion of the army corps: "I know all of the officers, and have trained most of them." But the army corps was seemingly disbanded, and grand-father had to leave the front due to malaria caught in Russia. So my father went off to Gallipoli as a volunteer Pionier.

You wrote: "Source "Mein Regiment" " Haven't heard of this source. I could look it up in the catalog of Buecherei Leipzig, but would you want to comment on it?

Bob Lembke

[bob lembke]

Thanks, Glenn!

Bob L.

[Glenn J]

Bob,

the German "official" history - Der Weltkrieg 1914-1918, volume 11 probably does not add to what you already know. It devotes one paragraph to the assault at Skrobowa as follows:

"On the 9th of November Army Group Woyrsch undertook a well prepared assault in order to win back the lost positions north of Baronowicze in the July battles in the sector of the Austro-Hungarian XII Korps. Deploying flamethrowers, the 5. Reserve and elements of the 201. Infanterie-Division threw back the enemy on a 4 kilometre wide front behind the Skrobowa stream and took over 4000 prisoners, 27 machine guns and 12 mortars."

Regards

Glenn

[Glenn J]

Bob,

regarding IR. 401:

Infanterie-Regiment 401 was formed on the 10th of June 1916 under the auspices of the XX Army Corps Home Command as "Infanterie-Regiment Allenstein". It received the number 401 on the 5th July 1916. Subordinated to the 402. Infanterie-Brigade, 201. Infanterie.Division (as were IR. 402 & IR. 403), it was commanded by Major (Oberstleutnant 18.4.17 F) Hans Hermann Geiseler formely of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 60. Unfortunately an history of this regiment was not published.

Regards

Glenn

[Chris Boonzaier]

The printed photo album of the 5 RD has some pics of this. The casualties shown seem to be "Russians hit by artillery", "Russians mown down" etc.

No flamethrower pics though.

[Gilles]

Bob,

no real clear author, but Hermann Cron and Georg H. Distler took part to it.

Verlag f?r Milit?rgeschichte und Deutsches Schriftum, F?rstenwalde an der Spree... no date

I think it's more or less the informations that you find in the "Ruhmesallee..."

[Chip]

Glenn,

Speaking of Heeresgruppe Woyrsch, the spelling of the commander's name is very similar to that of the commander of Armeeabteilung Woytsch. Is this a spelling error or are there actually two leaders with very similar last names?

Chip

[Glenn J]

Chip,

it was Armeeabteilung Woyrsch - same guy, Generalfeldmarschall Remus v. Woyrsch.

Regards

Glenn