Bavarian RIR 16 ... the "Hitler hat"

[Chris Boonzaier]

S'Funny.... we never see any pics of Hitler wearing the RIR16 hat..... I guess I woulda slipped those into a drawer as well if I was in the unit... they must have danced for joy when they finally got spiked Helmets.... I was happy to find a pic of one...

[The Prussian]

Great find! Photos are pretty rare!!!

Particularly with a well-known mustach underneath...

[91-old-inf-reg]

Here’s List and other officers of the RIR 16?wearing it as well 

[The Prussian]

Note the fallen Oberst List! He was killed Oct. 31, 1914 near Gheluvelt

Commander of bav. RIR16!

The photo must have been taken before November 1914.

29.10.14: Battle of the Yser

30.10.-24.11.14: Battle of Ypres

 

Schnitzlein: Rgt. Adjutant 10.9.-31.10.14 (wounded)

Bassenheim: Leader 10th co. 10.9.-29.10.14

List: Rgt. Commander 10.9.-31.10.14 (+)

Hagen: Leader 12th co. 10.9.-30.10.14 (wounded, + 24.11.14)

Peukert: Leader 11th co 10.9.-29.10.14 (+)

Bühner: Dr. after Dr. Fischbach

Beuschel: Leader 9th co. 10.9.-29.10.14 (+)

Herterich: Adjutant III.Btl. 10.9.-31.10.14 (wounded)

v. Lüneschloß: Commander III.Btl. 10.9.-31.10.14 (wounded)

Piloty: Adjutant I.Btl. 21.9.-29.10.14 (+)

Fischbach: Dr. III.Btl. 10.9.-11.11.14 (+)

Graf: in 11th co. 29.10.14 (+)

 

The battle of the Yser (29.10.14) was Hitlers first front action. In this battle he fought an attack (led by Piloty),  and his right sleeve was hit by a bullet, but he was not injured

For his bravery in that attack he promoted to Gefreiter Nov.3, 1914

 

By the way, that photo was published in the regimental history

Edited January 11, 2021 by The Prussian

[Utgardloki]

I somehow have the feeling that especially in the first few months of the war, especially many officers died. Is this a misconception by me or can it be proven?

[Bayern]

Raymond Cartier in his Biography of Hitler until 1933 says that the KB RIR 16 was equiped with old Leather hats possibly remains of past wars. really these were Landsturm type caps covered with black oilcloth. The 30 of November 1914 was reglamented that the glossy black cover was replaced with feldgrau covers . Returning to Cartier he says that once in the frontline the Bavarians were fired by a Prussian unit confused for British due to the strange hats

[91-old-inf-reg]

15 hours ago, Utgardloki said:

I somehow have the feeling that especially in the first few months of the war, especially many officers died. Is this a misconception by me or can it be proven?

This is very true. For a number of reasons, have it be the oil cloth hat, but the prevalent reason was due to the large trapezoidal ribbon bars the officers were known to wear at the front, thus distinguishing them from the average soldier for an enemy sniper, thus the change to the small 15mm ribbon-ribbon bars  

[Utgardloki]

5 hours ago, 91-old-inf-reg said:

This is very true. For a number of reasons, have it be the oil cloth hat, but the prevalent reason was due to the large trapezoidal ribbon bars the officers were known to wear at the front, thus distinguishing them from the average soldier for an enemy sniper, thus the change to the small 15mm ribbon-ribbon bars  

Thank You for replying. I heard that too, but I think it only led to very few deaths. I don't believe a major reason for high casualties were ribbon bars.
And I wasn't referring to this unit, but rather generally. The info about those fallen officers above again strengthened my feeling that during the first months of the war the casualties among officers were very high. The reason might have been that the form of fighting war wasn't adapted to the new weaponry at that time. But maybe I am just wrong, it was only a "Bauchgefühl" as I would say in German. What would interest me is if there were more casualties among officers in the first months of WW1 compared to earlier wars and the later years of WW1.

Edited January 13, 2021 by Utgardloki

[Bayern]

Utgardloki , In the initial months of WW1 the rate of Officers casualties was high and not only among German officers . you must remember that in the Battle of the Frontiers ,German,French and at lesser degree British officers conducted their men to the fight with the sword in a hand and the pistol in the other . being highly visibles and exposing much . respect to past wars , in the Franco Prussian War the rate of casualties for the Prussian Germans was high but during the FP War the Armies of both contenders were much less numerous than those of WW1 . At the Battle of Spichern by case ,the 6th August 1870 ,20000 Germans clashed with 25000 French and fight all the day , The Germans won with 4000 casualties among these 490 dead . In the early months of WW1 clashed Armies of hundred of thousand men and day after day . Once the Front become static and full of trenches and refuges the rate of casualties lowered except during the assaults or defence against the assaults of the enemy . Erich Maria Remarque wrote in his book Return that in the last formation of his unit once in Germany ,First Leutnant Hehl walked in front of the Company and after him the ghosts of his predecessors . Bentick, Raedecke, Buttner, Moeller and two more ,Six company chiefs in two years .

[Ulsterman]

from the Bavarian Armeemuseum