Question Regarding German Train Bataillone Organization

[dksck]

Dear Gentlemen & Ladies

I am new to the forum and don't know if it is proper to ask this question here. Please forgive me if it is not.

I am having difficulty understanding the organization and number of units within the various train bataillones of the German army and was hoping you could help. I have read the wonderful sections in the Kaiser's Cross, but I am still not certain that I understand. Did each of the train bataillones use the same numbering system for the subordinate units? For example, was there a Feldlazarett Nr. 1 as part of Train Bataillone Nr. 1 and another Feldlazarett Nr. 1 as part of Train Bataillone Nr. 2? If that is the case, how can you do research on a particular unit? There is a great picture of a memorial to Feldlazarett Nr. 8 near Machault, France, on the net, but how do I learn to which train batallion that unit belonged? Once again, please forgive me if I have posted here inappropriately. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight and knowledge.

Sincerely & Appreciatively

Steve

[Guest Rick Research]

Hospitals did not "belong" to Train units at all.

I can only sympathize with how maddeningly difficult it is to find these tiny little units.

[Bruce I Gudmundsson]

I don't know much about the evolution of Train units during the war. I do know, however, that the pre-war German Army had one train battalion for each peacetime army corps, and that the number of this battalion corresponded to the number of the army corps. Thus the Train battalion of I. Armee Korps was Train Bataillon Nr. 1.

Short (less than 20 pages) regimental histories exist for most of the peacetime Train battalions. I've not seen any of these, but I suspect that they are little more than lists of the many wartime units descended from the "mother" unit. Reading several of these, however, would probably give a good sense of the sorts of Train units that were formed, naming conventions, and the like.

You may also want to search for A. von Haldenwang, Feldverwaltung, Etappe und Ersatzformationen im Weltkrieg, 1914-1918, (Stuttgart: Berger, 1925). This is Volume 19 of the series W?rttembergs Heer im Weltkriege.

[Naxos]

Not sure if you request information on Field-hospitals or Train-Bataillione

But this might help for hospitals

from: German Army Handbook (April 1918)

Edited April 28, 2009 by Naxos

[Naxos]

[Naxos]

[Naxos]

[The Prussian]

Dear Steve!

Well, the system of the train bataillons was nit difficult to you, it WAS difficult...

The train-batallions were disbanded by the outbreak of war. They were distributed to the "Magazin-Fuhrpark-Kolonnen".

Together with the munition-columns (set up by field-artillery) they were formed to "Munitions-Kolonnen und Trains".

In every army corps you find: 2 Munitions-Kolonnen-Abteilungen (4 infantery and 9 artillery columns) ; 1 Foot-artillery Mun.col.Abtl. (8 columns), 2 Train-Abteilungen (12 Feld-Lazerette, 6 Proviant, 6 Fuhrpark (carpark), 2 depots for horses and 2 bakery-columns).

It would be too difficult to explain here, but I recommend you the book:

H. Cron "Deutsches Heer 1914-1918", it?s part V of the edition of Curt Jany "Preu?ische Armee"

In english:

Imperial German Army: 1914-18: Organization, Structure, Orders of Battle: Organisation, Structure, Orders of Battle

Edited April 28, 2009 by The Prussian