Bavarian Close Combat Battery NKB 218

[Naxos]

close ups of the panel

1.)

2.)

3.)

Edited March 31, 2009 by Naxos

[bob lembke]

Hardy;

Great thread! just saw it. As I browse thru my sources I collect mention of the "infantry gun" batteries, but I am not sure what I will do with the information. Late in the war most German frontline infantry regiments seemed to have one or even two "accompaning battery" (ies), either one of the specially formed and designated ones, like Batterie 218, or a field-gun battery from a regular field artillery unit assigned to this role. Usually they used 77 mm field guns, sometimes modified for this role, occasionally 105 mm light howitzers, and at least once heavily modified Russian 76.4 mm parapet guns. Another development in this area was the order for field gun batteries near the front line to select one of their field guns, conceal it especially well, and order that it not participate in routine fire missions, but be reserved, concealed, for "emergencies", which I think would usually be a major tank attack. It does seem that such a battery, if they were able to "keep their cool", could often really tear up a major tank attack.

My father was detailed to a training course, and they practiced MG firing from moving captured Brit tanks for a week. Then they would be gathered and the hits on targets would be discussed, one guy would get 3 hits for 1000 rounds, the next guy 4 hits, etc. The men assumed that they were going to be detailed to the Beutepanzer as tank crew. After a week the men were called together, and an officer said that they were not going to crew tanks, but rather fight them. They wanted to convince the men that a moving tank was a miserable gun platform.

Then they trained in fighting tanks with geballtne Ladnung, seven "potato masher" warheads wired together with one fuze/handle. T he goal was to drop the charge into a tank thru a hatch left open due to the 140 degree temperature inside. Pop did not tell me he had attempted this himself, but said that one guy in the detachment was able to knock out three Brit tanks in two days in this fashion. (I hope he got his EK I!) He hid in a shell hole, waited for the tanks to pass, and then ran up behind a tank with an open hatch and grabbed the tread and let it pull him up to the top of the tank, toss in the charge, and hop off. I was sceptical about this, but I examined a Mark V at the Imperial War Museum and it looked like the maneuver was possible, without losing fingers.

Hardy, sorry to hijack your great thread with that weakly related story, but I hope that it was interesting.

Bob Lembke

[Naxos]

Bob, thanks for the great contribution to this topic!

Hardy

[Naxos]

Bob,

this French Schneider tank belonging to Group AS2, was knocked out near Juvincourt on April 16, 1917 by a 7.7cm gun (Feldkanone 96 n.A.) from the Nahkampfbatterie 218 (Close Combat Battery 218).

The tank commanded by S/Lt Pierre Debru?res made it all the way to the third German line at Juvincourt.

The gun fired from a hidden emplacement at point blanc distance, less then 300 meters.

After receiving six direct hits, in the front, the tank caught fire and exploded tearing the roof off. Four of the six men crew were killed incl. S/Lt Pierre Debru?res.

chalk writing on the front: Batterie 218 16. IV 17

Hardy

[Naxos]

This picture was taken near Juvincourt in September 1917 (six months after the assault in which this tank was destroyed)

The tank belonged to Groupement "Bossut" As-2 and was commanded by Lt. Poupel. (It is the same tank as in post #21 and #22)

The soldier in front of the tank wrote the date, location and his name on the back. He signed with his first name "Franz".

Edited April 7, 2009 by Naxos

[Naxos]

[Naxos]

[Naxos]

This picture was taken after May 8, 1917.

The 52.ID arrived on April 26, 1917 at the Aisne Front but Infanterie-Regiment Nr.170 of 52.ID was first to relieve the Bavarians in the first line at Juvincourt.

Infanterie-Regiment Nr.169 relieved its sister Regiment on May 8, 1917 at Juvincourt.

This tank wreck obviously became a landmark of so called "tourisme de guerre". Here a member of the 12th company IR169 has his picture taken inside the tank. One can still make out some of the original claim writing of NKB 218 on the side panel.

[Naxos]

Another view of one of the tanks knocked out by the Bavarian NKB 218.

[Naxos]

... and one more

note the officer on the wreck is a pilot

[Naxos]

A close-combat-battery (anti tank) (Nahkampf-Batterie) in the spring of 1917 at the Aisne.

[Chip]

Wow, talk about exposed! They can be seen from every angle as well as above. Nowhere to hide!

Chip