French prisoner from the raid of April 13/14, 1917 (RIR13) 2/2
Postcard from the Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment 13,
prisoner from the 89ème Régiment d'Infanterie Territoriale. That seems to be a member of a machine gun company, the armband can be for mouning purpose but from what I saw it was also used in MG company as disctintion with regular troops. Also interesting to see the Chauchat machine gun often depicted as a useless weapon but according to what I read in the German and French accounts of the time it seems on the contrary an effective weapon, in particular by its mobility. It is always counted as a trophy when it was captured when other elements are never mentioned in the reports such as bomb throwers, rifles...
The action took place at Sillery on the Beine' road near La Pompelle.
Extract from the 89ème RIT (from Haute-Vienne):
"Very heavy artillery activity - On the night of the 13th to the 14th after a very violent bombardment of the 1st line trenches of the front occupied by the 9th and 10th Companies and which lasted from 4:20 to 4:50 am three enemy groups of 10 to 15 men each attack in T^2??? (East of Rte de Beine) and T^5 (West of Rte de Beine - Welding point of the 9th and 10th Cies). They use jets of fire liquids after a violent hand-to-hand combat. They are thrown out of our trenches, leaving two Germans killed on the ground. We have during the night: during the attack: 2 killed - 10 injured - 5 missing.
CM^2 93 has: 2 killed - 8 missing. In the other Companies and as a result of the bombardment: 4 killed - 13 wounded including M.M. S/Lts Regnier (1st Company), S/Lts Lavaui (CM^3 89)"
Note: CM = Machine gun Company
Extract from the 93ème RIT (from Dordogne):
"Killed: (list of three names) by shrapnel
Wounded: (list of four names) by shrapnel
Missing: All missing in combat of "quartier de la route de Beine" defending their machine guns in hand-to-hand fight - (list of 9 names from the 2nd machine gun company)"
Extract from the Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment 13:
"Both on our right and on the neighboring division on the left (14th Reserve Division) there was barrage all day. Barrage was constantly requested here. In the evening we heard that French patrol advances collapsed in our barrage. Our division is ready to attack as a surprise tank attack is to be expected.
In order to gain clarity about the circumstances and intentions of the enemy opposite us, a larger patrol advance "Strauchdieb" was undertaken early in the morning of April 14, in which volunteers from the 1st and 2nd battalions took part with engineer, demolition and flamethrower squads. and which led Oberleutnant der Reserve Hodelmann II/13. Point 4.15 am Barrage started for one minute on the French first trench opposite our subsections 133 to 135, which was then advanced.
When the artillery fire began, the shock squads advanced. Six of them were formed: No. 1 of 6/13 Vizefeldwebel Helses, No. 2 of 7/13 NCO Neu, Nos. 3 and 4 of 8/13 Lieutenant of the Reserve Städel and Vice Sergeant Jagsch, Nos. 5 and 6 of 4/13 Lieutenant the reserve horn, Sergeant Starp. Target points for the II/13 are points 35 and 39 of the enemy position, known to us from Operation "Mondschein" on March 20, while the two squads of the 4/13 are to penetrate at point 11.
Here the obstacles were still intact, and the alert enemy received the patrol with such heavy fire that only two of the 10 men remained unwounded. Lieutenant Hupe, who was also wounded, was forced to go back, while NCO Starp unfortunately remained in enemy hands.
On the other hand, the detachments of II/13 quickly got into the French trench. Our flamethrowers, incendiary tubes and hand grenades worked so well that around 30 to 40 French men lost their lives despite the bravest resistance. The brave band of heroes returned at 5.25 am with 14 prisoners. Casualties: 1 man dead, 7 wounded, 2 missing"
Transcripted by AI, corrected by me and then translated by google so probably some mistakes (fixed by Xiphophilos).
REF: 48-50-9
French prisoner from the raid of April 13/14, 1917 (RIR13) 2/2
Postcard from the Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment 13,
prisoner from the 89ème Régiment d'Infanterie Territoriale. That seems to be a member of a machine gun company, the armband can be for mouning purpose but from what I saw it was also used in MG company as disctintion with regular troops. Also interesting to see the Chauchat machine gun often depicted as a useless weapon but according to what I read in the German and French accounts of the time it seems on the contrary an effective weapon, in particular by its mobility. It is always counted as a trophy when it was captured when other elements are never mentioned in the reports such as bomb throwers, rifles...
The action took place at Sillery on the Beine' road near La Pompelle.
Extract from the 89ème RIT (from Haute-Vienne):
"Very heavy artillery activity - On the night of the 13th to the 14th after a very violent bombardment of the 1st line trenches of the front occupied by the 9th and 10th Companies and which lasted from 4:20 to 4:50 am three enemy groups of 10 to 15 men each attack in T^2??? (East of Rte de Beine) and T^5 (West of Rte de Beine - Welding point of the 9th and 10th Cies). They use jets of fire liquids after a violent hand-to-hand combat. They are thrown out of our trenches, leaving two Germans killed on the ground. We have during the night: during the attack: 2 killed - 10 injured - 5 missing.
CM^2 93 has: 2 killed - 8 missing. In the other Companies and as a result of the bombardment: 4 killed - 13 wounded including M.M. S/Lts Regnier (1st Company), S/Lts Lavaui (CM^3 89)"
Note: CM = Machine gun Company
Extract from the 93ème RIT (from Dordogne):
"Killed: (list of three names) by shrapnel
Wounded: (list of four names) by shrapnel
Missing: All missing in combat of "quartier de la route de Beine" defending their machine guns in hand-to-hand fight - (list of 9 names from the 2nd machine gun company)"
Extract from the Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment 13:
"Both on our right and on the neighboring division on the left (14th Reserve Division) there was barrage all day. Barrage was constantly requested here. In the evening we heard that French patrol advances collapsed in our barrage. Our division is ready to attack as a surprise tank attack is to be expected.
In order to gain clarity about the circumstances and intentions of the enemy opposite us, a larger patrol advance "Strauchdieb" was undertaken early in the morning of April 14, in which volunteers from the 1st and 2nd battalions took part with engineer, demolition and flamethrower squads. and which led Oberleutnant der Reserve Hodelmann II/13. Point 4.15 am Barrage started for one minute on the French first trench opposite our subsections 133 to 135, which was then advanced.
When the artillery fire began, the shock squads advanced. Six of them were formed: No. 1 of 6/13 Vizefeldwebel Helses, No. 2 of 7/13 NCO Neu, Nos. 3 and 4 of 8/13 Lieutenant of the Reserve Städel and Vice Sergeant Jagsch, Nos. 5 and 6 of 4/13 Lieutenant the reserve horn, Sergeant Starp. Target points for the II/13 are points 35 and 39 of the enemy position, known to us from Operation "Mondschein" on March 20, while the two squads of the 4/13 are to penetrate at point 11.
Here the obstacles were still intact, and the alert enemy received the patrol with such heavy fire that only two of the 10 men remained unwounded. Lieutenant Hupe, who was also wounded, was forced to go back, while NCO Starp unfortunately remained in enemy hands.
On the other hand, the detachments of II/13 quickly got into the French trench. Our flamethrowers, incendiary tubes and hand grenades worked so well that around 30 to 40 French men lost their lives despite the bravest resistance. The brave band of heroes returned at 5.25 am with 14 prisoners. Casualties: 1 man dead, 7 wounded, 2 missing"
Transcripted by AI, corrected by me and then translated by google so probably some mistakes (fixed by Xiphophilos).
REF: 48-50-9