A machine gunner killed at Ferme Malhotel

[Tony]

I was recently given some old letters and postcards relating to two fallen German soldiers, one of them was Karl Stender, a machine gunner in 4. Garde Regt. zu Fuss, II Bn. II MGK. He killed during the fighting at Ferme Malhotel 30/8/18 or 31/8/18. The info below is taken from a letter written by Vizefeldwebel Franz Grothe and posted to the father of Karl Stender on 8/10/18. 

The 4. Garde Regt. received orders to move forward on 20/8/18, during the next two days the unit got ready for the fighting which was to take place at Inselberg and Paradiesberg (possibly better known as Ferme Malhotel) and waited in readiness.

They moved into the 2nd line on the 23rd and 24/8 and early on the 25th took up position in the front line ready to attack. After a short artillery barrage the attack commenced, the machine gunners had two platoons, each with two machine guns. As soon as they went over the top both platoons received losses, in spite of this they moved forward towards the enemy, eventually taking the front line trench. Immediately they pushed further forward towards the enemy's 2nd line and came under a frenzy of MG fire. The Garde Regt. MG platoons dug themselves in and started firing at the enemy position, in the same moment a mix of French and US infantry began their counterattack. The counter attack floundered and broke up.

French and US losses were immense, the German MG platoons had one NCO dead, two NCO's and nine men wounded.

By dawn the order came for both MG platoons to join as one and move to the right, filling a gap in the line. This gap was on Paradiesberg, opposite Ferme Malhotel. That day the enemy attacked several times without success and in the evening the machine gunners were moved to the rear for some much needed rest.

Early on 30/8/18 orders were received to move forward again, they came under attack several times on the way to their position in the front, losing one NCO and several men. Once in the line, position was taken up a little further to the right on Inselberg. The French and US were preparing to take Inselberg and prior to an impending attack, brought a formidable amount of artillery fire onto the hill (another letter sent to Karl's father mentions a 22 hour artillery barrage).

The MG platoon dug themselves in behind a slope and waited. There was a pause in the artillery fire however, no attack followed. During this lull Karl Stender took the opportunity to have a cigarette and a chat to some mates when all of a sudden they were surprised by fresh artillery fire. The first shell landed amongst the trees throwing splinters in every direction, one man was dead, Karl and three other men were wounded. Karl had the worst wounds, one to the head and a bad wound to the right side of his stomach, he was bandaged and a doctor in a nearby trench for sent for. By the time the doctor arrived he could only confirm Karl had died.

The men in Karl's platoon had his body moved to a rear area where the field kitchen was expected, from there his body was taken further to the rear to a cemetery behind Cessieres (about 10km east of Laon). He was buried in a coffin, in a single grave.

Karl's war was over and his unit moved on to the Argonne and although replacement men were received, by the end of September they had no more that 200 men answering the roll call. Those who survived the war started the march back to Berlin a week or so after the Armistice.

I'm not sure where Karl is buried now, the Volksbund shows a Vizefeldwebel Karl Stender was killed 20/8/18 and now rests in the British and German war cemetery in Muille-Villette. denkmalprojekt.org doesn't show any trace of a Vizefeldwebel Stender in 4. Garde Regt. however, in 1922 German dead were moved from the surrounding areas to a central cemetery at Muille-Villette which is about 50km from Cessieres.

On the other hand another letter reveals that Uffz. Richard Reimers was the 'other man' killed by the artillery shell, he was originally buried next to Karl in Cessieres and now rests in Mons-Laonnois.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Nice one Tony, they all look like kids!

[Jock Auld]

Nice one Tony, they all look like kids!

They all were kids really!

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello Tony.

Thanks for posting this moving account from the German side when the end of the war must have been in sight to most German soldiers. The German army suffered great losses in early August 1918 during an Allied attack ( called the Black Day or der schwarze Tag of the German Army) with apparent indications of a lessening discipline and an increasing willingness to early surrender.

The photo shows the MG 08/15 so the photo must have been taken after the introduction of this weapon which if memory serves was in 1916. So young and how many made it back.

Bernhard H. Holst

[Tony]

Two letters from home that were returned, they’re numbered letter 24 and letter 25 as well list of effects sent home. 

Hello Tony.

Thanks for posting this moving account from the German side when the end of the war must have been in sight to most German soldiers. The German army suffered great losses in early August 1918 during an Allied attack ( called the Black Day or der schwarze Tag of the German Army) with apparent indications of a lessening discipline and an increasing willingness to early surrender.

The photo shows the MG 08/15 so the photo must have been taken after the introduction of this weapon which if memory serves was in 1916. So young and how many made it back.

Bernhard H. Holst

Bernard, there's no date on the photos shown above but a different photo sent to Karl's sister is dated Berlin, Dec. 1917. It’s amazing anything got through at the period towards the end of the war, it must have been chaotic. Letters sent to the family mention that some of Karl's belongings will be sent by registered post and in October two men say they’ll visit the family after the war, knowing as you say, it must soon be over. I have a few things from another member of the family (different surname) killed just a few weeks before Germany’s black day which I’ll post in a separate thread.

 

Tony

[Tony]

Another photo of Karl has turned up, on the reverse is written Karl Stender, born 20/5/99 and killed 31/8/18 on Inselberg near Soisson, France.

 

In the photo it looks like he might be wearing the MGSS badge on his arm.

 

 

 

Edited August 10, 2015 by Tony