Tony Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Hello, Can anyone help me out with some unit abbreviations and which German units were fighting the 3rd NZRB in the area of Bapaume, Aug. 1918? I have the medals for a Kiwi killed 26/8/18, probably during the attack on Bapaume and according to the Reichsarchiv map (attached) the NZ Division was, as far as I understand, up against the left flank of the 17th army, XIV reserve division. If this is correct, is there a way of finding out which unit or units were in the area defending the west and south west of Bapaume? RIR 76 perhaps? I’ve also come across another map, a British one, showing XX 4 Bav. (4th Bavarian Div.?) in the Achiet le Grand area and XX 183 (183 Inf. Div.?) at Loupart Wood which I believe was taken by the Kiwis or at least the 3rd NZRB. Any info will be much appreciated Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Noll Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Looks like the 18th Infantry Regiment and the 14th [XIV] Reserve Division. Oddly the 18th infantry regiment was not in this division. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prussian Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 (edited) Hello! Latin numbers (XIV) are always corps. So we have the XIV. Res.Korps with the 18th Res.Div. The battel was caled "The battle of Monchy-Bapaume" (21.8.-2.9.1918) The problem is: The 18th Res.Div. was not involved in that battle... I have checked the map of the Reichsarchiv vol.14. (the map from 9.-15.august 1918) 17.Army: XIV.Army corps with: 183.ID west of Puisieux 16.Res.Div. west of Grandcourt 3.Marine Div. near Ovillers 233.ID north of Albert From which volume did you take your map? Edited December 8, 2014 by The Prussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted December 8, 2014 Author Share Posted December 8, 2014 Hello! Latin numbers (XIV) are always corps. So we have the XIV. Res.Korps with the 18th Res.Div. The battel was caled "The battle of Monchy-Bapaume" (21.8.-2.9.1918) The problem is: The 18th Res.Div. was not involved in that battle... I have checked the map of the Reichsarchiv vol.14. (the map from 9.-15.august 1918) 17.Army: XIV.Army corps with: 183.ID west of Puisieux 16.Res.Div. west of Grandcourt 3.Marine Div. near Ovillers 233.ID north of Albert From which volume did you take your map? Thanks for the replies. Andy, I got the map from vol. 14, this link should take you to the maps http://digi.landesbibliothek.at/viewer/image/AC03617635/42/LOG_0042/ A British map is attached.battle-of-bapaume.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prussian Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Ah, ok.But the map shows the battles until november! The 18.Res.Div. was participated in: 5.8.-6.9. Ypern-La Bassée (6th army) 3.9.-26.9. Siegfriedfront (17th army) 8.9.-8.10. Cambrai-St.Quentin (17th army) 9.10.-23.10. Hermannstallung (17th army) 23.10.-4.11. Hermannstellung (2nd army) 5.-11.11. Antwerpen-Maas (2nd army) So the map shows for the 18th division the time of 8.9.-8.10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted December 8, 2014 Author Share Posted December 8, 2014 Ah right. Take a look at the Brit map for the same area, it shows the 183 Div. and 4 Bavarian Div. either side of the New Zealand Division's advance. Were either of those German divisions in the area as suggested by the map? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prussian Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 (edited) I have an ordre of battle for the Battle of Monchy-Bapaume The 183rd ID (only fighting troops) 33.Res.Inf.Brig.(Inf.Rgt.184 ; Inf.Rgt.418 ; Res.Rgt.440), 4./Hus.Rgt.10, Arko 183 (Feldart.Rgt.183 and Fußart.Btl.150) 4.bav.Inf.Div. (only fighting troops) 7.bav.Inf.Brig. (5.bav. and 9.bav.Inf.Rgt, bav.Res.Rgt.5), 5./3.bav.Chev.Rgt., Inf.Gesch.Bttr.33, bav.Arko 4 (2.bav.Feldart.Rgt. and II./4.bav.Fußart.Rgt.) Edited December 9, 2014 by The Prussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted December 8, 2014 Author Share Posted December 8, 2014 Good on ya Andy, I'll start digging online. Someone is going to check the 3 NZRB war diary for me if he gets the chance so hopefully I'll find out exactly which German unit was defending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prussian Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 (edited) Sory, that i couldn´t help better, but the german recordings started i 1914 on regimental level, and ended in 1918 on army-corps level. The only chance would be to check the regimental histories. Maybe this one could help you: http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH1-NZRi-t1-body-d14-d4.html http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_bapaumeII.html Edited December 9, 2014 by The Prussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted December 9, 2014 Author Share Posted December 9, 2014 Andy mate you've helped loads. It's the C Coy position which is of interest, they were SW of Bapaume so it'll be troops of the German 183rd ID they were fighting against. I probably have books with trench maps somewhere but still packed in boxes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prussian Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Hi Tony. I have found infos, that the bavarians were engaged in Bapaume. I will check it after work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prussian Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 The Bavarians were at Bapaume, but I thinbkj they were north of the town. I couldn´t find furhter infos, b ut because of the maps I aasume the 183rd ID could be "your" unit. 33.Res.Inf.Brig.(Inf.Rgt.184 ; Inf.Rgt.418 ; Res.Rgt.440), 4./Hus.Rgt.10, Arko 183 (Feldart.Rgt.183 and Fußart.Btl.150) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted December 10, 2014 Author Share Posted December 10, 2014 Thanks again Andy, with a bit of luck the diary will shed more light on their position, you've been a great help. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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