What kind of instrument is this?

[ArHo]

Hallo,

for some time I have wondered around what kind of equipment these young soldiers from my "local regiment" are grouped.

I have absolutely no idea and though the picture is very good in quality the text on the "machine unfortunately cannot be read.

Grateful for your help!

[Hugh]

May be a heliograph, a signalling device using reflected sunlight to signal using Morse code.  

 

Hugh

[Bayern]

Hello , First a observation , how young and green the soldiers looks ! Regarding the device It looks as a Morselampe ,Signal lamp ,Aldis lamp or in German Blinkgerat . the model most widely used by the German Army . 

[ArHo]

Thanks Hugh and Bayern for your Feedback!  Blinker,  never heard about it before but very interesting. Guess I will have to read a little more than planned this weekend ?

Bayern: yes they really look extremely young. If I remember correctly the picture is dated late 1918 so this would be the youngest of those available for ww1 service... At least their chance of survival was high at this point. IR 74 had suffered most of its horrendous losses in earlier years.

Cheers

Edited January 25, 2020 by ArHo

[Bayern]

Ar Ho , I think the same ,the boys were lucky . i read that the Hannoverians lost around 3500 men in the War

[ArHo]

On 26/01/2020 at 01:55, Bayern said:

Ar Ho , I think the same ,the boys were lucky . i read that the Hannoverians lost around 3500 men in the War

Bayern, you are right: some german regiments had by all means extreme losses - the regimental history of IR 74 lists a total of ca. 3023 dead (add the wounded...). But still this was not "very much" - in comparison FR 73 counted 3936 dead and IR 77 ("Heideregiment" - Celle) lost more than 5200 dead! Who knows their names?

[Bayern]

Ar Ho , The losses of the IR 77 are monstrous,only counting the deads 5200 men means the effective of five peacetime bataillons !