IrishGunner Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 While not an exquisite medal bar, I became very excited when I saw this little post card for sale. At first, I was interested in the photo because of the two artillery observers; then I noticed that the sender of the card was a soldier in the 1. Kompanie, Württemberg Gerbirgsbattalion. I immediately wondered about a Rommel connection and bought the card for $6 bucks. In his book Infantry Attacks, Rommel deals very little with the period in the Vosges in 1916 - only a few pages about his raid on the High Pine Knob. The opening of the chapter confuses the reader as to whether Rommel was in command of the 3. or 2. Kompanie, but from later context it seems he commanded the 2. Kompanie. Of course, there is no way to know, but it is possible that the soldier in the 1. Kompanie whosent this card at least knew of Lieutenant Rommel. A couple degrees of separation, but nonetheless, for me an exciting acquisition. Does anyone have information (or references) for the Württemberg Gerbirgsbattalion in August 1916? The Feldpost stempel is the 12. Bavarian Infantry Division. Also, if any of you expert Suetterlin handwriting code-breakers can help, it would be appreciated to know the card's message. (PS: This is also the first test of my wife's scanner; unfortunately, not an Epson.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naxos Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 (edited) Addressed to: Fräulein Otti Eckinger in: Wildbad, Württemberg Aug. 15, 1916 My dear Otti! Heartfeld Greetings, I will write you a letter soon Your R ....(undecipherable) 1. Komp. W.Geb.Bat. Werf... During August 1916 the W.Geb.Batl. was fighting in the Vogeses (Hartmannsweilerkopf) attached to 12. (Preußische) Landwehr-Division. In September 1916 the Battalion was attached to the 222. Infanterie-Division. In October 1916 the battalion was sent to Romania attached to the 11. Bayerische Infanterie-Division of the 9th Army. . Edited January 8, 2011 by Naxos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishGunner Posted January 8, 2011 Author Share Posted January 8, 2011 During August 1916 the W.Geb.Batl. was fighting in the Vogeses (Hartmannsweilerkopf) attached to 12. (Preußische) Landwehr-Division. In September 1916 the Battalion was attached to the 222. Infanterie-Division. In October 1916 the battalion was sent to Romania attached to the 11. Bayerische Infanterie-Division of the 9th Army. Naxos, thanks for deciphering the message! I'm fine with printed Suetterlin, but the hand-writing simply kills me. I also found the reference to the W.Geb.Batl being with the 12. (Preußische) Landwehr-Division in the Vogesen. Yet the 12. Bavarian Div. stempel on the card has me perplexed; 251 Divisions has the 12. Bavarian in the Fecht Valley, which is also the Vogesen, from July 16 (when it was formed) until Oct 16 (when it went to Romania - as did the W.Geb.Batl). I guess it is possible that 1. Komp. W.Geb.Batl might have been close enough to use the Bavarian division's feldpost instead of the Prussian. But is it possible that the W.Geb.Batl was moved to the 12. Bavarian when it arrived in the Vogesen in July 1916? I wonder what is the original source of the Prussian Landwehr Division reference. On the other hand, Rommel writes in his book, Infantry Attacks (pg. 75) that he relieved a Bavarian Landwehr unit on the South Hilsen Ridge on Sylvester 1915. Adds a bit of confusion. Anyone have a copy of Major Spoesser's Geschichte Wuerttemberger Schutzentruppe - the W.Geb.Batl commander's book? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn J Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Theodor Sproesser does not explicitly give dates in his book but he states that in early July command of WGB passed successively from: 8. Reserve-Division to 187. Infanterie-Division and shortly thereafter: Bayer. 12. Inf.-Division. When the Bavarian Division was sent to Siebenbürgen in August, WGB then came under command of 222. Inf.-Division. Oberleutnant Rommal commanded 2. Kompanie. Regards Glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishGunner Posted January 8, 2011 Author Share Posted January 8, 2011 Thanks, Glenn! So, with Sproesser's reference to the 12. Bavarian, Rommel's reference to a Bavarian unit, and the stempel on the post card of the 12. Bavarian, I am presuming the answer is really 12. Bavarian Inf. Div and the reference to the 12. Prussian Landwehr is suspect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn J Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Not as suspect as you might think. When the WGB arrived in the Hilsenfirst sector at the end of December 1915, it was initially subordinated to 12. Preuß. Landwehr-Division. However by early/mid January 1916 it was under command of 8. Bayer. Reserve-Division. Regards Glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishGunner Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 Not as suspect as you might think. When the WGB arrived in the Hilsenfirst sector at the end of December 1915, it was initially subordinated to 12. Preuß. Landwehr-Division. However by early/mid January 1916 it was under command of 8. Bayer. Reserve-Division. Regards Glenn Is this also from Sproesser's book? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn J Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Is this also from Sproesser's book? Indeed it was! Regards Glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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