Trench Raid December 14 1917

[Naxos]

In my Grandfathers books i found a very detailed account of a trench raid that took place on the 14th of December 1917.

The raid was lead by the Baden Leutnant Fritz Rombach of the IR169. My Grandfather was in the same Regiment but did not take part in this raid.

Over the next weeks I will try to post the entire raid: training, preperations, execution and outcome.

I will start with the original Order and details of the Stosstruppunternehmen

I hope this will interest some of you

Regards, Hardy

[Naxos]

Butte de Mesnil. Trench Raid December 14. 1917

Part one:

Leader of the Raid is Leutnant d.R. Fritz Rombach, company commander of the 1. Komp. Infantry Regiment 169 (Baden).

For this mission he has to his disposal Lt. Schwarz and Lt. Trefz, two Feldwebel, six Unteroffiziere and fifty-one volunteers of the I.Bataillon IR169, as well as an Unteroffizier and nine Sappers (Pioniere) of the 52nd Division's Pionier Komp. 104

14. December 1917

Mission:

Attack the enemy positions from points (Blaupunkt) 74 to 205 to 207 destroy the enemy positions and bring back prisoners.

Map: 1:10 000 Ripont, D2 October 1917.

The mission will be executed with 5 groups (Stosstrupps) each consisting of: a Leader, a second in command, nine men of the infantry and two sappers.

Each of the five groups will also include 2 light machine-gun sections consisting of one commander and four men.

2. Mission of the Stosstrupps:

Clearing of the French trenches:

Stosstrupp 1 from Blaupunkt 74 to 205

Stosstrupp 2 from Blaupunkt 207 to 205

Stosstrupp 3 from a to b

Stosstrupp 4 from Blaupunkt 83 to b

Stosstrupp 5 moves to b from there they will hold up, with hand grenades, the enemy trying to move to b and further to 205. Stosstrupp 5 will then destroy the large obstacle observed there and advance to Blaupunkt 205 in order to first reinforce Stosstrupps 1 and 2 and ensure the return of all the Stosstrupps.

Cover:

Every Stosstrupp, with the exception of Stosstrupp 5, leaves at the starting point (Einbruchstelle) three men as cover behind.

The Cover groups of Stosstrupp 1 and 3 cover the trench crossings from point 77 to point 74

The cover groups of Stosstrupp 2 and 4 cover from point 81 to 207

Light MG section 1 covers the flank to the west and north-west.

Light MG section 2 covers from point 83 to the east.

Fire-cover:

Two grenade throwers from the Schmidt sap and two grenade throwers from the Bassewitz sap will take points 73, 79 and 213 under fire.

.

Indirect Machine Gun fire.:

Gun position Lahr with distance 1700m on point Z.

Gun position Freiburg with distance 1800m on point 203.

Gun position Konstanz with distance 1600m on point 190.

Gun position Mannheim with distance 2000m on point 91.

Direct Machine Gun fire:

Two guns in E1 and two guns E2 will hold the enemy to the left and right of the raid area down

Reserve: In E1 of the 1a-Line near the tunnel exits will stand-by the reserve, ready to assist. They consist of : one officer and 32 men in four Groups (Infanteriegruppen).

6. Starting points for the Stosstrupps:

Stosstrupp 1 infront of Blaupunkt 27.

Stosstrupp 2 infront of Blaupunkt 81.

Stosstrupp 3 in the Schmidt Sap.

Stosstrupp 4 infront of Blaupunkt 31.

Stosstrupp 5 between Blaupunkt 27 and 31 in a prepared bomb crater.

l.MG.-Trupp 1 in the Schmidt Sap

l.MG.-Trupp 2 in the Bassewitz Sap

• Battle grouping of the individual STOSSTRUPPS:
• In front two sappers with explosive loads. Immediately behind are the Stosstrupp leader with four men, two as hand grenade

  throwers and two as hand grenade carriers. These seven men will move outside the trench while the rest of the Stosstrupp

  will move inside the enemy trench.

  8. Weapons and Gear:

  Every man carries eight Stick-handgrenades and six egg-handgrenades and a sidearm, either Pistol 08 or Mauser C96 (9mm)

  Gear: Three Wire cutters for each Stosstrupp. The leaders carry: stopwatch, luminous compass, signal whistle and signal lamp.

  The Cover trupp will have one rifle man and two men with sidearms they will carry the same amount of handgrenades and have one wire cutter with them .

  The MG groups will have 750 rounds in their drums. Every rifle man carries a signal-pistol with 20 rounds (will light up the raid from the flanks)

  Gear: one set of wire cutters and one luminous compass.

  9. GEAR AND MUNITIONS will be handed out on December 14, at 0300 hours at the tunnel exit West

  10. ARTILLERIE AND MINE THROWER PREPARATIONS:

  Duration two (2) Minutes, then flank and front cover fire for the mission. Special mission for the heavy Artillerie is to suppress the french stronghold (OUVRAGE).

  11. START for the STOSSTRUPPS: 0 plus 120 Sec.

  12. Return of the STOSSTRUPPS:

  0 plus 30 min meaning the Stosstrupps will be at that point in time in the first French trench, they will wait there under cover for the enemy suppression fire to subside and then return individually .

  13. Reception Groups:

  The leaders of the reserve groups have a list of the names of the raid members. They will cross out the names as they return to the line

  14. Parole: L A H R.

  Identification of theSTOSSTRUPPS:

  Stosstrupp 1 and 2 white ribbon on left upper arm.

  Stosstrupp 3 und 4 white ribbon on right upper arm.

  Stosstrupp 5 white ribbon on left lower arm.

  Light MG-Trupps white ribbon on right lower arm

  15. After return report to Tunnel exit West. Take Prisoners there!

  16. Nobody talks about this Mission

  This time the Raid will be executed with out flamethrowers (Flammwerfer) since we lost the entire Flammwerfertrupps in the last three missions. Requested Flame tubes (Brandr?hren) to flush out the enemy shelters did not arrive in time for the raid.

Edited August 27, 2007 by Naxos

[Naxos]

German text:

Butte de Mesnil. Stosstruppunternehmen.

Unter Leitung des Leutnants u. Kompagnief?hrers der 1./169 Fritz Rombach

Arbeiten zwei Leutnante (Lnt. Schwarz und Lnt. Trefz), zwei Feldwebel, sechs Unteroffiziere und einundf?nfzig

Freiwillige Infanteristen des I.Batl.169, sowie ein Unteroffizier und neun Pioniere der Div.Pi.Komp.104

Befehl f?r den 14. Dezember 1917

1. ANGRIFFSZIEHL ist die feindliche Stellung von den Blaupunkten 74 bis 205 bis 207. Karte 1:10 000 Ripont,

D2, Stand Oktober 1917.

Das Unternehmen wird durchgef?hrt durch f?nf Stosstrupps in St?rke von je einem F?hrer, einem Stellvertreter,

neun Infanteristen und zwei Pionieren sowie zwei l.MG-Trupps, in St?rke von einem F?hrer und vier Mann.

2. AUFTRAG f?r die Stosstrupps:

Es rollen die franz?sischen Gr?ben auf:

Stosstrupp 1 von Blaupunkt 74 bis 205

Stosstrupp 2 von Blaupunkt 207 bis 205

Stosstrupp 3 von a bis b

Stosstrupp 4 von 83 bis b

Stosstrupp 5 st?sst bis vor b durch, haelt dort durch Handgranaten die voraussichtlich nach b und weiter nach

205 ausweichenden feindlichen Posten auf, sprengt das dort als sehr breit festgestellte Hindernis und stoesst bis

Punkt 205 durch, einmal zur Verst?rkung der Stosstrupps 1 und 2, dann, um allen ?brigen Stosstrupps bei b einen

R?ckweg zu schaffen.

3. SICHERUNG: Jeder Stosstrupp, mit Ausnahme von Stosstrupp 5, l?sst an seiner Einbruchstelle drei Mann

als Sicherung zur?ck. Die Sicherer der Stosstrupps 1 und 3 ?berwachen die Grabenkreuzungen von 77 bis 74.

Die Sicherer der Stosstrupps 2 und 4 von 81 bis 207. l.MG-Trupp 1 ?bernimmt Flankenschutz von a nach Westen

und Nordwesten. l.MG-Trupp 2 ?bernimmt Flankenschutz von 83 nach Osten.

4. FEUERSICHERUNG: Je zwei Granatwerfer schiessen von der Schmidt-Sappe und Bassewitz-Sappe aus auf

Punkt 73, 79 und 213.

INDIREKTSCHIESSENDE MG.:

Nest Lahr mit Entfernung 1700m auf Punkt Z.

Nest Freiburg mit Entfernung 1800m auf Punkt 203.

Nest Konstanz mit Entfernung 1600m auf Punkt 190.

Nest Mannheim mit Entfernung 2000m auf Punkt 91.

Je zwei direkt schiessende MG. in E1 und E2 halten unter Seitenlattenbegrenzung links und rechts des

Kampfstreifens den Gegner nieder.

5. RESERVEN: In E1 der 1a-Linie bei den Tunnelausg?ngen wird eine Reserve von einem Offizier und vier

Infanteriegruppen (32 Mann) als R?ckhalt und etwa erforderliche Unterstuetzung bereitgehalten.

6. BEREITHALTUNGSPLAETZE f?r die Stosstrupps:

Stosstrupp 1 vor Blaupunkt 27.

Stosstrupp 2 vor Blaupunkt 81.

Stosstrupp 3 die Schmidt-Sappe.

Stosstrupp 4 vor Blaupunkt 31.

Stosstrupp 5 zwischen Blaupunkt 27 und 31 in einem ausgebauten Trichter.

l.MG.-Trupp 1 die Schmidt-Sappe

l.MG.-Trupp 2 die Bassewitz-Sappe

6. GEFECHTSGLIEDERUNG DER STOSSTRUPPS: Voraus die zwei Pioniere mit Sprengladungen.

Dicht dahinter der Stosstruppf?hrer mit zwei Mann als Handgranatenwerfer und zwei Mann als

Handgranatentr?ger = zureicher. Diese sieben M?nner gehen a u s s e r h a l b des Grabens vor,

der Rest des Stosstrupps geht im feindlichen Graben vor.

8. BEWAFFNUNG UND AUSRUESTUNG:

Jeder Mann tr?gt 8 Stielhandgranaten und 6 Eierhandgranaten. Schusswaffe Pistole 08 oder grosse Mauser

(C 96) Geraet: 3 Drahtscheren je Stosstrupp, die F?hrer tragen: Stoppuhr, Leuchtkompass, Signalpfeife,

Signallampe. Der Sicherungstrupp besteht aus einem Gewehrtr?ger und zwei Pistolentr?gern.

Handgranatenaustattung dieselbe. Ger?t: eine Drahtschere.

Die l.MG-Trupps haben 750 Schuss Munition in Trommeln. Jeder Gewehrf?rer tr?gt Leuchtpistole, hat

20 Leuchtpatronen, mit denen er aus den Flanken den Ablauf des Unternehmens beleuchtet.

Ger?t: Drahtschere und Leuchtkompass.

9. MUNITIONSEMPFANG am 14. Dezember, 3 Uhr morgens, im Tunnelausgang West.

10. FEUERVORBEREITUNG der Artillerie und Minenwerfer:

Dauer zwei (2) Minuten, dann Feuerglocke um die Grenzen des Unternehmens. Besonderer Auftrag fuer die

schwere Artillerie. Niederhaltung der starken franz?sischen St?tzpunkte (OUVRAGE).

11. START DER STOSSTRUPPS: 0 plus 120 Sek.

12. RUECKKEHR DER STOSSTRUPPS: 0 plus 30 Min.,das heisst die Stosstrupps befinden sich in diesem

Zeitpunkt wieder im ersten franz?sischen Graben, warten dort unter Sicherung das feindliche Sperrfeuer ab und

gehen einzeln in ihre eigene Stellung zur?ck.

13. AUFFANGGRUPPEN: Die Gruppenf?hrer der Reservegruppen erhalten namentliche Listen aller

Teilnehmer des Unternehmens und streichen jeden zurueckkehrenden Stosstrupp und Einzelg?nger

mit Rotstift durch.

14. KENNWORT: L A H R.

KENNZEICHEN DER STOSSTRUPPS: Stosstrupp 1 und 2 weisse Armbinde am linken Oberarm.

Stosstrupp 3 und 4 weisse Armbinde am rechten Oberarm. Stosstrupp 5 und l.MG-Trupps weisse Armbinde

am linken bzw. rechten (MG) Unterarm.

15. Meldung nach der Rueckkehr bei Leitung im Tunnelausgang West. Gefangene dorthin!

16. UEBER DAS UNTERNEHMEN WIRD NICHT GESPROCHEN!!!

Das Unternehmen wird diesmal ohne Flammenwerfer durchgef?hrt, da bei den letzten drei grossen Unternehmungen die Verluste der Flammenwerfertrupps hundertprozentig waren. Angeforderte und zugesagte Brandr?hren zur ausr?ucherung der feindlichen Unterst?nde wurden nicht zeitlich geliefert. Was sich empfindlich beim Ablauf des Unternehmens bemerkbar machte.

Edited August 26, 2007 by Naxos

[Christian J]

Good thread!

Eagerly awaiting the outcome.

[Blitz]

Ditto. Well made research.

[Naxos]

Thanks for the kind words, it takes me some time to bring the different sources together and then translate it into English, please bear with me.

If anyone can provide more information on Lnt dR Fritz Rombach please do so.

Regards, Hardy

Part 2 of this GMIC Exclusive:

The Raid Leader

Leutnant der Reserve Fritz Rombach a middle school teacher from Freiburg was one of the most successful raid leaders of the Regiment. He led a previous Raid near Juvincourt in Mai 1917.

The previous Raid, Juvincourt May 1917

In late April 1917 increased enemy activity in front of the I.Batl.169 had been noticed. The French were heavily improving their wire obstacles in no-mans land and driving their dugouts deeper in the ground ? Rombach's mission was to leave at night, lay in no-man's land and wait for a French wire detail then grab an enemy soldier and return the prisoner for questioning. Leutnant Rombach chose 15 men and a light Machine Gun crew for the task. All volunteers from the 1./169. No Artillery preparation was to be used the only support will come from the Regiments grenade throwers and machine guns. The grenade thrower crews were advised to start to fire on the given targets immediately after the first hand grenade detonation was heard. The men lead by Rombach left the trench as soon as it was dark, armed only with pistols and hand grenades. Rombach divided the group in a Stosstrupp of three men led by him that would take the prisoner and two hand grenade Trupps consisting of three men each. The two Trupps will be on the flanks of the raid holding down the enemy on either side. A third Trupp consisting of the remaining seven men, placed behind the Stosstrupp, will throw their hand grenades in the first French trench in front, this last Trupp is also in charge of lighting up the raid area with Leuchpatronen. The Machine Gun is placed slightly to the west of the raid outside the German trench.

The men made it through a pass in the German wire and laid in no-man's land at the French wire for nearly two hours until a group of French Sappers worked themselves close enough. At a distance of six meters Rombach blew the whisle to attack ? hand grenades were thrown between the French Poilus ? Rombach yells for light (Leuchtkugel) so they can see the terrain in front. They grab one of the stunned French Sappers and with the hand grenade Trupps covering their retreat, they return.

All of Rombach's men make it back. Unteroffizier Ruhmann armed only with hand grenades, held back the French counter attack long enough for the Raiders to make it back. Unteroffizier Ruhmann was the only wounded of the group (rifle round through the upper leg) he was carried back by the Orderly Jung. Ruhmann received for this action the Iron Cross first class and Krankentr?ger Jung was awarded the Iron Cross second class.

The 52. Division mentioned the Stosstrupp in a Divisionsbefehl on May 20. 1917.

Edited August 27, 2007 by Naxos

[Chris Boonzaier]

Very nice indeed.

I wish I had one of theEK docs for the raid.

Best

Chris

[Paul R]

This is a very good read! I wonder if all of these men survived the war? I like the part about the stretcher bearing getting the EK2 far carrying the wounded man back to friendly lines!

[Riley1965]

WOW!!! This has to be one of the MOST interesting posts...and I don't really collect Imperial Germany ODMs. But, I DO love History. I look forward to reading more!!!

Doc

[Naxos]

Thank you for your interest - I hope it all makes sense, I'm translating from books and my notes as I type - let me know if anything needs further explanation.

There is lots more to come, stay tuned!

Regards, Hardy

Edited August 27, 2007 by Naxos

[Naxos]

An interesting note regarding the Raid in May, 1917.

The group of 15 men threw a total amount of 150 hand grenades in less then 8 minutes. The light machine gun, placed to the west of the raid in no-man's land, used 500 rounds to suppress French reinforcements trying to rush to the scene. The grenade-throwers fire a total amount of 80 grenades.

Edited August 27, 2007 by Naxos

[Naxos]

Part III

Preperations for the Raid

Under the leadership of Rombach the two other lieutenants, two sergeants, six corporals and fifty-one volunteers of the I./169 battalion together with the Pionier corporal and his nine combat engineers train for ten nights on a scale model of the mission area. The training model was build by using a photograph taken by a German flyer.

Special emphasis is on the method of clearing of the enemy trench - with half of the group moving inside, and the other half outside the trench on the parados (rear wall of the trench).

The hand grenade throwers always moved on the parados , never on the parapet (front wall facing the enemy).

Difficult proved to be the short throws of hand grenades over one or two parados' and the accurate quick firing of half the pistol magazine.

The silent movement of the men in no-man's-land, was especially trained.

Earlier raids started at the first trench ? after the initial artillery preparation, the raiders would run out of the trench to breach the noman's-land.

This time the raiders would crawl out into no-man's land, move close to the enemy trenches and find cover in shell craters, before the artillery strike ? then immediately after the barrage they would break into the first French trench and roll it up.

The pros are:

- no losses crossing no-man's land

- no signs of exhaustion when reaching enemy lines, hence better aim throwing grenades and firing side arms

The cons are:

- being detected by the enemy while moving into position

- being hit by friendly fire during the artillery barrage

Three days before the raid, the locations of the start-positions where practiced on the florescent compass.

By taking the weather and lighting conditions in account the staring time was set to 0635 hours on December 14^th 1917.

too be continued...

Edited September 8, 2007 by Naxos

[TS Allen]

Great!!!! I'm already waiting for further information on it. I'm honestly considering putting together a diorama based on this, although I'm not sure if I'm not out of paint at the moment.

~TS

[Naxos]

I'm honestly considering putting together a diorama based on this, ....

~TS

That is a great idea

Hardy

Edited September 8, 2007 by Naxos

[Naxos]

The Area

Butte de Mesnil

Edited September 8, 2007 by Naxos

[Naxos]

The Raid

December 14, 1917 it is 0200 hours ? the Sturmtrupp members are awoken. An Unteroffizier walks from bunk to bunk and whispering to each Raider ?Aufstehen, es ist Zeit!? (?Get up, it is time?). No word is spoken amogst the men, quietly they move into the tunnel. Ammunition is handed out. Everyone is given sip of schnaps to warm up.

Interesting to mention here is that the machine gun teams of the raid are using captured French machine guns because of their higher rate of fire.

From the tunnel the seventy-one men crawl out into their start positions. The sappers (Pioniere) move carefully long boards, with the explosive loads attached, into the enemy wire obstacles and after lighting the fuses find cover at the bottom of a crater.

At 0635 hours the Artillery barrage opens up. It lasts for two minutes. At 0637 the men get up and run through the openings the sappers created in the enemy wire. Not all the obstacles were cleared and valuable time is lost as the sappers try again to blast a passage. Finally the raiders jump into the French trench and begin to ?roll it up?. The French defenders move back firing their automatic guns. At about 50 meters east of point 74, the French coming from point 77 unite with other comrades and pull a wire obstacle and Spanish riders across the trench ? a wild hand grenade fight ensues. In the cover the smoke from the exploding hand grenades the sappers blast a wire obstacle for the third time. The French resistance breaks and the defenders take flight over the open crater field past point 79 in direction of point 190 ? they run strait into the fire of the covering machine guns. The rest of the French defenders seek shelter in a dugout and fire wildly to the entrance from the bottom of the stairs.

Leutnant Trefz the leader of Stosstrupp 1 is yelling into the dugout: ? Venez a? haut ? Rendez-vous!?

Either he is not heard or the defenders are not willing to surrender. Now the raiders could use the Flame throwers or Brandr?hren ? but only hand grenades are available. Trefz and his men roll the grenades down the stairs of the dugout. Cries are heard as the French try to run up the stairs, but no one makes it out as the entrance collapses under the detonations of the grenades. ?Nothing left here ? lets move on?

Stosstrupp 1 moves towards point 207. ?Where is Stosstrupp 2?? Two men of Stosstrupp 4 come running across the field in direction of point 205, they report to Lt. Trefz that Stosstrupp 2 was completely taken out by the German artillery in the opening barrage. Two dead (one Feldwebel and one Unteroffizier) and the rest more or less severely wounded. Lt. Schwarz the leader of Stosstrupp 2 has splinter wounds but is able to return by himself to the German lines. Stosstrupp 4 is recovering the dead and wounded.

Rombach orders Lt. Trefz not to proceed forward since the left flank is no longer covered. Stosstrupp 1 is now covering the flank for Stosstrupps 3 and 5.

Stosstrupp 3, lead by Unteroffizier Kloh, unites with Stosstrupp 5 and together they proceed pursuing the enemy.

To be continued?.

[Mike Dwyer]

Absolutely amazing! One of the best reads I've ever had on this forum.

[Ulsterman]

Excellent thread! I looked up the battlefield on googleearth-you can still see some of the trench lines.

[TS Allen]

I'm curious, do you have information on what the uniform demarkings for that unit were? I'm doing some sketches for the diorama but all I know is that the Germans should have M15's.

~TS

[Naxos]

I'm curious, do you have information on what the uniform demarkings for that unit were? I'm doing some sketches for the diorama but all I know is that the Germans should have M15's.

~TS

Here is a pic of Sturmkompanie training in the Winter 1917 -

Rombachs raides wore puttees instead of jack boots - no bayonets and no water bottles, only the pistol holster on the belt belt. They carried cotton bags over their shoulders with hand grenades in them. (see on picture)

[Naxos]

another postcard: Sturmtruppen

[Naxos]

shoulder board of the Baden Infanterie Regiment 169

[TS Allen]

I'm pretty familiar with the equipments, although this is a nice picture.

What I'm looking for are the colours of the shoulder straps. Some other units wore other, minor, differentiations.

The other question, I know that Bavaria wore the M15 tunic with a collar in field grey, unlike the Prussian collar which was bottle green. Did Baden wear the grey or the green collars? I'm not sure if any other states adopted the M16.

EDIT: Left the page open, refreshed when I got home and didn't see the board. I appreciate you uploading that (and a nice board, as well). Also, on the postcard, are some of those men wearing the angled-cut M16? The one that cracked in the field? Sort of looks like it (although some later variants still looked pretty angular).

~TS

Edited September 24, 2007 by TS Allen

[Naxos]

TS, I tried to get pictures of members of the Baden IR169 around 1917

here is a Baden Infantry man, the picture is taken on July 3, 1917

[Naxos]

Here is a detail from a postcard of the II.Bataillon IR169 - The card was written by my Grandfather in April 1917, but he picture probably was taken the previous summer.

Edited September 24, 2007 by Naxos