25 Feb 1916 - Douaumont

[Chris Boonzaier]

25 Fighting in the bois des Fosses, on the cote de Talou, on the cote 344, Louvement and cote 347. Fall of fort Douaumont. French pull pack to Froideterre (Kalte Erde) then Belleville. Command of the Verdun sector given to General Petain

25th -26th Feb Erst?rmung der Louvemont-Stellung und das Pfefferr?ckens XVIII. A.K., 5. I.D.

25th Feb Erst?rmung des Dorfes Bezonvaux 10. R.D.

25th -26th Feb Eroberung des Fort Douaumont III. A.K.

26th Feb Gefechte bei Cote Talou Gen. Kdo. VII. R.K., 13. R.D.

25th Feb - 2nd Mar K?mpfe um Dorf Douaumont 5. I.D.

25th Feb - 5. Mar K?mpfe um Douaumont Inf. Regt. 132 of XV. A.K. And Inf. Regt. 48 of 113. I.D.

25th Feb -2nd Mar K?mpfe um Douaumont Inf. Regt. 105 of XV. A.K.

24th Infantry, St?rmer of Douaumont...

[Chris Boonzaier]

Sometime ago at Frankfurt Airport I helped an older couple to find their way to their gate. I saw from his ticket that his name was Cordt von Brandis and joked if he was sure he wanted the flight to Stockholm, or was storming Douaumont his real objective.

The old guy did a double take then chuckled and said i was the first person in 40 years to make the connection. The last other person had been his company commander during his army time.

He spoke for a few moments about the PLM and I kinda changed the subject as I did not want to tell him what we know today... his knowledge was based on his great uncles book...

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello:

As Chris already touched on above and I am certain has been dicussed alsewhere , the question of who was actually the officer leading trrops of the I.R. 24 who captured Fort Douaumont has been around for a very long time.

The Reichsarchiv publications "Die Schlachten des Weltkrieges"in their one of several volumes describing the Battle of Verdun is quite diplomatic in treating the subject. As is known Hptm. Haupt also received the PLM. The battallion commander Maj. v. Kluefer (sp).. (name is tentaive, am on a trip and go by memory) wrote his after-action report which apparently was filed away. He was decorated with the PLM later in the war and KIA. Lt. Rackow (name ?? as above) tried for many years to receive the recognition he deserved. He received a signed picture of Kronprinz Wilhelm after the war ?!?

A certain Pionier Uffz. (Kuntze ??) made up fancyful stories about his part in the capture which were full of contradictions and discrepencies.

Bernhard H. Holst