Marcin L Posted January 14, 2013 Posted January 14, 2013 Dear Fellow Members, I can't find anything about II Bataillon Mörser-Regiment 6 (this is what I can see on a feldpost). I have tried with Ruhmeshalle... but with no effect. Additionally, can anyone provide me with information about where this unit was located at 14 October 1915? Thank you for your help. Kind regards, Marcin
The Prussian Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 (edited) Hi Marcin! It would be better to show us the Feldpost. A Mortar-Regiment had never been existed in the old army! Edited January 15, 2013 by The Prussian
Marcin L Posted January 15, 2013 Author Posted January 15, 2013 Hi, Thanks for your help. Chris - I don't think it is Austrian. I can show you just a part of the feldpost now as I am not at home. Here it is:
Chris Boonzaier Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 Very strange indeed! If possible, could you show the adress the letter was sent to? Thanks Chris
Marcin L Posted January 15, 2013 Author Posted January 15, 2013 It was sent to Königshütte (currently Poland).
Marcin L Posted January 15, 2013 Author Posted January 15, 2013 This is what I have found in Wikipedia: Mit der Mobilmachung 1914 wurde die Fußartillerie schließlich aufgelöst und auf Heeresgruppen und Armeen verteilt. Bei Kriegsausbruch standen bereit: 26 schwere Feldhaubitz-Bataillone, Kaliber 15 cm, zu je 16 Geschützen, die den Armee-Korps unterstellt wurden, dazu ein weiteres Bataillon mit 10 cm Geschützen, das dem IX. Reservekorps der I. Armee an der Westfront zu Verstärkung des rechten Angriffsflügels unterstellt wurde. 14 Mörser-Bataillone, Kaliber 21 cm zu je 8 Geschützen. Diese wurden zur Bekämpfung gegnerischer Festungen an der Westfront verlegt. 5 (3 schienengebundene und 2 motorisierte) Batterien schwere Küstenmörser, Kaliber 30,5 cm zu je 2 Geschützen. 3 Batterien 42 cm Mörser, davon 2 schienengebunden. weitere 15 ½ Bataillone waren ortsgebunden in Festungen eingesetzt, darunter der Großteil der 50. Reserve-Artilleriebataillone, die über keine Bespannung und keine Munitionskolonnen verfügten. It doesn't help much but still shows that there were separate Mörser units. Regards, Marcin
Paul H2 Posted January 17, 2013 Posted January 17, 2013 (edited) Hello, The card seems to be from the 3./Fussa. R. 6, yeah? The battalion was armed with the Mörser, so why not? I've seen stranger designations generated in written form from German participants in the war. Paul Edited January 17, 2013 by Paul H2
Marcin L Posted January 17, 2013 Author Posted January 17, 2013 Hi Paul, Thank you. I think Fussartillerie Regiment 6 was not part of 20 Inf. Div., contrary to this Moerser Regiment that seems to be part of this division. Kind regards, Marcin
Chris Boonzaier Posted January 17, 2013 Posted January 17, 2013 Hi, the Mörser regt may have used the 20 I.D. post office, but was part of the X A.K. according to the adress. You often see post stamps of the closest unit independent units could deliver their mail to...
Marcin L Posted January 17, 2013 Author Posted January 17, 2013 So should I assume that it was part of Fuss.R.6 or an independent unit? Thanks!
Chris Boonzaier Posted January 17, 2013 Posted January 17, 2013 Hi, in General Fuss Arty Regts were not divisional troops... I imagine the Official desigmation WAS Fussarty, but on their own postal stamp for whatever reason they had Mörser?
Paul H2 Posted January 18, 2013 Posted January 18, 2013 Hello! You asked about the unit acting as an independent unit. I can tell you that at Verdun (this is what jogged my memory) that the 3./Fussa 6 was independent at Verdun. You might try: Ehemaliges Fußartillerie-Regiment von Dieskau (Schlesisches) Nr.6 20 S Tradition des deutschen Heeres, Heft 491 Kyffhäuser, Berlin (1938) It's one of the "micro" histories, so it might not be of much help. Fussa. 6 didn't produce a full 1914-1918 regimental history. Chris, in 1915 a series of divisions were organized with Fussa. batteries as part of their organic structure--5X series--but they had attached 150 batteries, not 210. I think they were later taken away. I think Chris is spot on about the post office--a small unit attached to a corps or division--that would make sense. It would be good to try and track down with the 3. Armee was doing at this time--you could come across the unit in an OoB even in "Der Weltkrieg" or "Schlacten des...." I would start from the army, then corps and figure out where they were and then go from there. Paul
Paul H2 Posted January 18, 2013 Posted January 18, 2013 (edited) look here: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=03N9AAAAMAAJ&q=%22M%C3%B6rser+Regiment+6%22&dq=%22M%C3%B6rser+Regiment+6%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=rd34UMWPMLL44QSq1YHwCw&redir_esc=y and here: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=03N9AAAAMAAJ&q=%22M%C3%B6rser+Regiment+6%22&dq=%22M%C3%B6rser+Regiment+6%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=rd34UMWPMLL44QSq1YHwCw&redir_esc=y Like I wrote--I've seen stranger things! Edited January 18, 2013 by Paul H2
Marcin L Posted January 18, 2013 Author Posted January 18, 2013 Hi Paul, Thank you so much. Now I am sure that it was an independent unit (to some extent). Do you or anyone else have J. Krause books describing in detail the structure of German army? Like this one: http://www.militaria.at/Book.aspx?book=4737600&Language=en Kind regards, Marcin
The Prussian Posted January 18, 2013 Posted January 18, 2013 (edited) I have checked the maps of the battle in the Champagne 1915. The X.AK belonged to the 3.army (like he wrote). The 20th division stood between Somme Py and St.Souplet. Their right-hand neighbour division was 24th.reserve-division (XII.Res.Korps), and the left-hand neighbour division was the 5th division of the X.AK. So, this artillery unit might belong to the 20th or 5th division. Now we need a list of all artillery troups in the battle of the Champagne 1915. An answer gives the book "Mein Kriegstagebuch" by Goes and Cron, 1935. The only number 6 was the III./Fußart.Rgt.6.(Belonged to the 3.army) So far so right! He wrote this! The 1., 2., 3., and the 9. company had the long mortars. Kraus will not help, because his books are about field-artillery. Edited January 20, 2013 by The Prussian
Paul H2 Posted January 20, 2013 Posted January 20, 2013 Looking at the "Das Ehrenbuch der schweren deutschen Artillerie," this morning I see that under the Fussartillerie units listed in the Champagne battles is HQ III./Fussa. R. 6 with 3. batterie--so I think that (along with what other members have written) would confirm the location and subordination of your man's unit. They way it's written makes me think that the battery was attached to the III. HQ. This is not an unusual situation at all--German Fussa. units were swapped around a lot. The 3./Fussa. R. 6 was armed with the 21-cm Mörser L/12, known simply as "Der Mörser" at mobilization, and that's what it had at Verdun in February 1916. Paul
The Prussian Posted January 20, 2013 Posted January 20, 2013 Hello Paul! You are right! They had the "Mörser." The long mortar, as I wrote, was introduced in 1916. My mistake. So they had the Mörser, 211mm, M10 with the L/12 gun, as you wrote! I attached such a beauty. Note the stil not-existing shield. They came with the M16.
Paul H2 Posted January 20, 2013 Posted January 20, 2013 Hello Andy, No worries! That's a nice picture. I am fascinated by the Fussartillerie and their [dis] organization. It's amazing how some batteries would use Beute-Geschütze for a period of time, and then switch to another type of captured gun, then to another and then finally to a German type over time. I read a story in the "Die Schwere Artillerie" journal about 1./R.Fussa. R. 18 which went into the field with 10-cm K. 04's but was then given French 12cm guns from Maubeuge. The article is hilarious--"One couldn't speak of accuracy," the battery commander wrote. Those 12 cm guns were taken away 6 months later and became Fussa. Battr. 458, then 2./Ld. Fussa. Btl. 34. So was life in the Fussartillerie--"Zu-Gleich!" Paul
The Prussian Posted January 20, 2013 Posted January 20, 2013 Yes that is according to the table in that book. You can see, that a lot of french and russian guns were used!
Marcin L Posted January 20, 2013 Author Posted January 20, 2013 Thank you all for your answers. Just to double check - is it possible to tell where exactly was this unit located when the feldpost was sent? Regards, Marcin
The Prussian Posted January 20, 2013 Posted January 20, 2013 Not that unit, but the divsion. Please have a look at at the attached map from 14. oct. 1915.
Marcin L Posted January 20, 2013 Author Posted January 20, 2013 Thank you Prussian! Would you please quote the source of this map and information so I can use it on my just opened website?
The Prussian Posted January 20, 2013 Posted January 20, 2013 (edited) Of course mate! I´ve got the map from the Reichsarchiv, vol.9 (Mittler & Sohn, 1933) A short background. The hot battles started at 9th near Tahure. The german storm troops recieved 100m. Tahure was shot by enemy artillery and stayed in no-man´s land. France made seven attacks on the road Tahure-Ripont. They failed. The battles from 22.9. - 14.10.. suffered heavy losses. We had lost 1.700 officers, 80.000 men, 129 field-guns and 56 heavy guns. The german field-artillery shot 1.564.000 shots, and the german foot-artillery did 395.000 Edited January 20, 2013 by The Prussian
Marcin L Posted January 20, 2013 Author Posted January 20, 2013 Thanks! Will use the map on my website and cite the Reischarchiv (this is the Schlachten des Weltkrieges ... serie, is it?). Finally I will show you the whole feldpost. Nothing unusual except the unit name. Can you read the correspondence? That would be highly appreciated! Regards from snowy Warsaw, Marcin
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