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Mein Bild
In Mori (Stockelsdorf) bei Lübeck aufgewachsen, habe ich bereits von 1916 bis 1918 am Ersten Weltkrieg im Füsilierregiment "Königin" Nr. 86 teilgenommen. Im August 1939 wurde ich als Veteran in die Wehrmacht eingezogen. In diesem Blog veröffentliche ich mein Kriegstagebuch.

Sonntag, 10. Oktober 2010

Houthhulster Wald

In der Regiments- chronik findet sich eine gute Beschreibung der taktischen Lage des Regimentes.


Das Regiment lag am rechten Flügel der Einbruchstelle, wurde also vom Hauptstoß weniger stark getroffen und konnte flankierend eingreifen. Rechts waren die 119. Div., links die Regimenter 31 und 85 eingesetzt; dann kam die 208. Div. Das Gelände an der Front war fast eben, nur von einigen Baumstümpfen und zerfetzten Baumgruppen unterbrochen. Vor der Front dehnte sich der Wiesengrund, durch ihn floß der Steenbach, 11/2 – 2 m tief. Die Linie des Bachlaufs war durch Granatfeuer völlig verwischt, der ganze Grund in ein wassergefülltes Trichterfeld verwandelt. Andererseits hatten die schweren Granaten auch Furten in den Bach geschossen. Für Angriffe war es ein ungünstiges Gelände. Tanks waren hier ausgeschlossen.
Hinter dem Wiesengrunde des Steenbaches lagen die Kompanien, auf der rechten Hälfte im Trichtergelände, auf der linken hinter einem stark zerschossenen Erdwall. Das Grundwasser gestattete hier keinen Unterstandsbau. Schutz gegen Artilleriefeuer gewährte eine Reihe von Betonklötzen hinter der Stellung. Sie wurden nach Möglichkeit „vertarnt“, d.h. mit Astwerk überzogen, um sie der Sicht zu entziehen. Das Regiment lag tief gestaffelt. Das vordere Bataillon hatte drei Kompanien in Front, eine in Reserve.
Einen Kilometer hinter der Front lag das Bereitschaftsbataillon, ebenso gestaffelt. Das Ruhebataillon kam in Mispelareik unter. Der Regimentsstab hauste in einem Betonklotz in Houthulster Wald. Wie an der Ancre, wurde auch hier die vierten Züge als Essen- und Materialträger ausgeschieden. Das Regiment musste sich an eine ganz andere Kampfweise gewöhnen. Schützen- und Anmarschgräben gab es überhaupt nicht. Im Vorfeld lagen Feldwachen, Doppel- und Unteroffizierposten. Dann bildeten die Betonklötze die erste Widerstandslinie; sie sollten gleichsam die Kerne von Widerstandsnestern sein. Doch waren die Kompanien nicht an sie gebunden. Wie aus der Karte ersichtlich ist, hatte jede Kompanie nicht mehr ihre Linie, sondern ihren Raum. Hierin war sie beweglich, wechselte ihre Stellung nach dem Artilleriefeuer, indem sie sich auf feuerarme Inseln zurückzog.

Anmerkung: Unter http://poelcapelle-area14-18.be finden sich viele weiter informationen und viele Bilder aus der Zeit.

In the regiment's chronicles, a good desription of the tactical situation of the regiment is to be found.

It was positioned an the right wing of the breach, and consequently was hit less hard by the main attack enabling it to flank the attack. To the right was the 119th division, to the left regiments 31 and 85, further on there was the 208th division. The terrain alongside the front was almost flat, only disturbed by tree trunks and tree groups that were torn to pieces. Before the front, there was grassland, traversed by the Steen creek which was one to two yards deep. The bed of the creek had been totally obscured by shellfire, turning the whole grassland into a swampy, water-filled shell-hole field. On the other hand, the heavy grenades also had blasted crossings into the creek.
For attacks, this terrain was rather unsuitable. Tanks were out of question.
Behind the grassland of the Steen creek, the companies there positioned, on the right hand side within the shell-hole field, on the left-hand side behind a heavily shelled embankment. Sheltering was not possible here because of the high ground water level. Protection against shelling was only given by a small series of concrete blocks behind the position. They were camouflaged as good as possible to take them out of sight. The regiment was staggered deeply. the front batallion had three companies in front and one in reserve.
One kilometer behind the front, the standby battalion was located, staggered in the same manner. The resting battalion was located in Mispelareik. The regiment staff dwelled in a concrete block within the Houthoulst Woods. As with the Ancre, here also the fourth platoons were assigned to be carriers for provions and material. The regiment had to adapt to a completely new type of combat. There were no front or communication trenches. Before the front, there were sentries, double posts and posts of non-commissioned officers. Then the concrete blocks formed the first line of resistance; they were also meant as the cores of resistance nests. But the companies were not tied to them. As can be seen from the map, each company did not only have its line, but its space. Within this space, they were flexible; changing its position according to shell fire, withdrawing into islands with small shellfire.

Remark: http://poelcapelle-area14-18.be provides further information and many pictures of that time.

FRA
Nel diario di reggimento si può trovare una buona descrizione della situazione tattica.

Il reggimento era posizionato sul lato destro del varco aperto e conseguentemente fu colpito meno pesantemente dall'attacco principale e ciò gli permise di poter fiancheggiare l'attacco. Sulla destra c'era la 119^ Divisione, sulla sinistra il 31° e 85° reggimento, più in là c'era la 208^ Divisione. Il terreno attorno al fronte era quasi piatto, interrotto solo da tronchi d'albero o alberi ridotti in pezzi. Davanti al fronte c'erano prati, attraversati dal torrente Steen che era profondo uno o due metri. Il suo letto era completamente coperto da proiettili e i campi erano diventati una distesa paludosa di fori di bombe pieni d'acqua. D'altro canto, le pesanti granate erano pure esplose attraversando il torrente. Questo terreno quindi, era praticamente inadatto per l'attacco. L'uso dei tanks era fuori questione.

Dietro i campi del torrente Steen, le compagnie erano schierate sul versante destro, nei prati bucherellati dai proiettili, e sul versante sinistro dietro un terrapieno già pesantemente bombardato. Qui non ci si poteva rifugiare a causa del livello dell'acqua troppo alto. La protezione dall'artiglieria era data solo da una piccola serie di blocchi di calcestruzzo dietro le posizioni. Erano mimetizzati alla meglio per tenerli fuori dalla vista. Il reggimento era pericolosamente ondeggiante, il battaglione frontale aveva tre compagnie davanti ed una di riserva.

Un chilometro dietro il fronte, era in posizione il battaglione di riserva, che ondeggiava gravemente allo stesso modo. Il resto del battaglione era dislocato a Mispelareik. Il comando di reggimento stava in un blocco di calcestruzzo dentro il bosco di Houthoulst. Come ad Ancre, anche qui i quattro plotoni furono incaricati di portare approvvigionamenti e materiali. Il reggimento dovette adattarsi ad un tipo di combattimento completamente diverso. Non c'erano trincee avanzate o di collegamento. Prima del fronte c'erano sentinelle, postazioni doppie e postazioni di sottufficiali. Poi c'erano i blocchi di calcestruzzo che costituivano la prima linea di resistenza; essi dovevano essere intesi come il fulcro della linea difensiva. Le compagnie, però, non erano ad essi collegate. Come si può vedere dalla mappa, ogni compagnia non solo aveva la sua linea, ma anche il suo spazio. All'interno di questo spazio esse erano flessibili; cambiando la propria posizione in base al fuoco dell'artiglieria, ritirandosi sulle isolette in caso di fuoco leggero.


1 Kommentar:

  1. In the regiment's chronicles, a good desription of the tactical situation of the regiment is to be found.
    It was positioned an the right wing of the breach, and consequently was hit less hard by the main attack enabling it to flank the attack. To the right was the 119th division, to the left regiments 31 and 85, further on there was the 208th division. The terrain alongside the front was almost flat, only disturbed by tree trunks and tree groups that were torn to pieces. Before the front, there was grassland, traversed by the Steen creek which was one to two yards deep. The bed of the creek had been totally obscured by shellfire, turning the whole grassland into a swampy, water-filled shell-hole field. On the other hand, the heavy grenades also had blasted crossings into the creek. For attacks, this terrain was rather unsuitable. Tanks were out of question.
    Behind the grassland of the Steen creek, the companies there positioned, on the right hand side within the shell-hole field, on the left-hand side behind a heavily shelled embankment. Sheltering was not possible here because of the high ground water level. Protection against shelling was only given by a small series of concrete blocks behind the position. They were camouflaged as good as possible to take them out of sight. The regiment was staggered deeply. the front batallion had three companies in front and one in reserve. One kilometer behind the front, the standby battalion was located, staggered in the same manner. The resting battalion was located in Mispelareik. The regiment staff dwelled in a concrete block within the Houthoulst Woods. As with the Ancre, here also the fourth platoons were assigned to be carriers for provions and material. The regiment had to adapt to a completely new type of combat. There were no front or communication trenches. Before the front, there were sentries, double posts and posts of non-commissioned officers. Then the concrete blocks formed the first line of resistance; they were also meant as the cores of resistance nests. But the companies were not tied to them. As can be seen from the map, each company did not only have its line, but its space. Within this space, they were flexible; changing its position according to shell fire, withdrawing into islands with small shellfire.

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