Mystery artillery regiment...

[Chris Boonzaier]

I am having trouble placing the Reserve Feldartillerie Regiment 40.... does not seem to have been in a division anythere.... it is a Sachsen unit...

Anyone have a clue?

Thanks

Chris

[Dave Danner]

s?chs. RFAR Nr. 40 was raised in March 1915.

It was under the 24. Res.Feldart.Brig. of the 24. RD from 3 April 1915 to 27 July 1917, and then under Arko 140 of the same division until 15 March 1918. It was Heeresfeldartillerie from 16 March 1918 until the Armistice.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Thanks

Ruhmeshalle misses it completely and as the index for 252 divs is still under wraps somewhere I had no idea where it was

[Chip]

s?chs. RFAR Nr. 40 was raised in March 1915.

It was under the 24. Res.Feldart.Brig. of the 24. RD from 3 April 1915 to 27 July 1917, and then under Arko 140 of the same division until 15 March 1918. It was Heeresfeldartillerie from 16 March 1918 until the Armistice.

Heeresfeldartillerie for the 18. Armee.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

ditto, same problem for the 93rd FAR.

I am guessing on the Eastern front... but not with a division?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Chris

[Chris Boonzaier]

Ditto the 94th which seems only to join a division in 1918 (The 111. I.D.)

[Chip]

Chris,

According to von Stein's research,

93. (auf Kraftwagen) Heeres Artillerie zuletzt bei 5.Armee.

94. 10.Ers.Artillerie Brig., b.10.Ersatz Division, Anfang 1917 - Heeres Artillerie zuletzt 6.Armee, Jan.1918 - 111.I.D.

Chip

[Chris Boonzaier]

Thank Ye very much. esp the Kraftwagen detail !!!!

[Chris Boonzaier]

Help needed again guys....

Feldartillerie-Regiment 501

Gefreiter d.R. Karl Helmke (1. Batr.)

The document was signed on the 24 December 1917 by Hauptmann XXX, Abteilungs-Kommandeur

Where would Boyo have been? Not attached to any division....?

[Chip]

Chris,

Once again, from von Stein (bis Kriegsende 1918).

FAR Nr.501 - (Heeres-Artillerie zuletzt bei Heeresgruppe Kronprinz Ruprecht).

The Index to the German Forces in the Field from October 1917 only lists the the regiment by sector, which is the Champagne.

Chip

[Chris Boonzaier]

Thank ye!

Best

Chris

[Chip]

...and :rolleyes:

[Chris Boonzaier]

Terrible.... terrible...

I am starting with the Fussartillerie.... a thankless task...

Garde-Fussartillerie-Regiment 1, Unteroffizier d.R. Karl Roepstorff (6th Batterie)

The award was made on the 24th of December 1917,

My only reference puts the II./GFAR 1 with the 28 RD.

251 divs says this was in 1918 and only the 7th and 9th batteries?

Does anyone have a clue?

Thanks

Chris

[Chip]

Chris,

I have the "Foot Artillery Index to the German Forces in the Field", one dated December 1916 and the other February 1918. These were compiled by the British General Staff and list units by sector and batteries.

These forces were both mobile and sector troops, so it really depends on the unit as to whether it was stuck to a division or just sat in a sector and supported whatever divisions that happened to be in it.

That being said, in the 1918 index, the 1.Garde Fu?art. Rgt., II.Batl. consisted of four 15cm batteries. Only their sector location and last date identified is given.

5.Batterie - Picardy (Baupame-Namur to the Oise) - 20.5.17 (last date identified)

6.Batterie - same - 6.8.17.

7.Batterie - Naroch (L.Driswyati to Vilna/Minsk Railway) - 29.8.17.

8.Batterie - Dniester (Strij/Tarnopol Railway to R.Pruth) - Oct.1916.

Chip

[Chris Boonzaier]

Thanks,

that gives me a rough idea.

Best

Chris

[Paul H1]

Thanks,

that gives me a rough idea.

Best

Chris

Chris,

Band IX: Feldartillerie, Band 1 u. 2 Handbuch der Verb?nde und Truppen des deutschen Heeres 1914 ? 1918 Die Autoren Dr. phil. J?rgen Kraus, Hartwig Busche.

can only recommend it...

Paul

[Paul H1]

Terrible.... terrible...

I am starting with the Fussartillerie.... a thankless task...

Garde-Fussartillerie-Regiment 1, Unteroffizier d.R. Karl Roepstorff (6th Batterie)

The award was made on the 24th of December 1917,

My only reference puts the II./GFAR 1 with the 28 RD.

251 divs says this was in 1918 and only the 7th and 9th batteries?

Does anyone have a clue?

Thanks

Chris

Chris,

Fussartillerie is a very hard subject, as you know. There's no one-stop-shop, and unless you've had someone do some digging on a unit you're interested it's going to involve at a minimum a trip to the library, or even to one of the archives. There's a lot of material out there (in the archives), but it's not been collected and organized, at least not yet. The Verlag Militaria volumes on the Fussartillerie will be a welcome help.

Without a definitive source it's just guesswork--the units were reorganized so many times that it's just impossible to know without something concrete.

I would imagine as a guard unit it must have a history--check the Mohr book and see--you can get it through inter-library loan for a euro.

Paul

[Guest Rick Research]

I've got "Die K.B. Schwere Artillerie im Gro?en Kriege 1914-1918" (1928) which is an all-in-one from the "Erinnerungsbl?tter deutscher Regimenter" series, covering all of their units down to the independent detached batteries.

[Paul H1]

I've got "Die K.B. Schwere Artillerie im Gro?en Kriege 1914-1918" (1928) which is an all-in-one from the "Erinnerungsbl?tter deutscher Regimenter" series, covering all of their units down to the independent detached batteries.

Rick,

It's a piece of the puzzle for Bayern. For the arm overall it's a nightmare...my favorite example (and just one of 1000's):

13./R9 became 6./R6, which became Fussartilleriebatterie 104, which became 3./Fussartillerie Batl. 32.

There are also mistakes in the official history, and the Ehrenbuecher, which doesn't help matters.

Paul

[Guest Rick Research]

Indeed. That's why I always say

don't collect foot artillery or cavalry!!!! :speechless1:

[Chip]

How can one access this book that lists the units known to have had histories written. I have heard of it, but don't know where it is to be found. If it just lists the name of the book, author, printer, date, etc., it can't be that big. Anyone have any information on this?

Regards,

Chip

[Paul H1]

How can one access this book that lists the units known to have had histories written. I have heard of it, but don't know where it is to be found. If it just lists the name of the book, author, printer, date, etc., it can't be that big. Anyone have any information on this?

Regards,

Chip

Chip,

There's actually a copy for sale on ZVAB at 70 euros...which is a good price. I've seen it sold for more. The book is 780 pages--it's big.

Here is the extract for the unit Chris was asking about:

v.Berendt,Richard

Das 1.Garde-Fu?artillerie-Regiment im Weltkrieg

13 Abb, 4 Kt, 6 Textsk, 264,68 S

Erinnerungsbl?tter Preu?en, Bd.235

Stalling; Oldenburg 1928

<1,20,37(2.37),85>

Now if Chris would go get his library card he could borrow it for 1 euro through the German library system.

Paul

[Chip]

Paul,

Thanks for the reply. I could not imagine that this book would be so huge. Is it really available for inter-library loan? Does it matter what library you use?

Thanks again,

Chip

[Paul H1]

Indeed. That's why I always say

don't collect foot artillery or cavalry!!!!

Rick,

The Fussartillerie is a disaster. The history was never written, though a lot of the materials for it are in the BA-MA archives in Freiburg. The Ehrenbuch is good, BUT the big problems is it doesn't have a indexed list of units mentioned. I think this was planned, but never published.

I've been doing a lot of work on the heavies at Verdun, and this had involved three trips to Freiburg and two trips the archives in Stuttgart. Even during the battle of Verdun the units were reorganized, some units shedding batteries, gaining others.

Another example. The official history lists a unit 9. batterie, Fussartillerie Regiment 2 (9./Fusa2). This unit was actually s. 15 cm Kanonen Batterie No. 9, and had been since 1915. The OH lists the wrong type of weapon for the battery just to make the confusion complete for anyone looking for a reference.

When these units changed designators a new battery almost always stepped in to take its place. I've even seen this happen within Regiments. Batteries were simply renumbered and became part of another battalion.

You would have to know and find the reference to the unit you're looking for at the exact time of the event (as Chris is seeking) otherwise you could be tracking the wrong unit.

Paul

[Paul H1]

Paul,

Thanks for the reply. I could not imagine that this book would be so huge. Is it really available for inter-library loan? Does it matter what library you use?

Thanks again,

Chip

Chip,

I don't know in the States...I would use the "find a library website"

Find a Library

You search for the title, in this case just search "Eike Mohr," then it gives you the option to enter a zipcode and it tells you the nearest library that has the book. You could then go and get it through inter-library loan I would imagine.

Paul