Dragon Posted 1 October , 2009 Share Posted 1 October , 2009 The group of summits which comprise Moenchberg-Reichackerkopf (about 780 metres high) were the site of extremely fierce fighting between the German troops and the French chasseurs alpins between February and April 1915. The two summits of Petit and Grand Reichackerkopf were immensely important, partly because they controlled access to the town and valley of Munster. 4500 French soldiers and 4000 Germans were killed or lost on this small section, but in the two weeks between 6th and 20th March, the 6th and 23rd Battalions of the Chasseurs Alpins suffered 1403 casualties, including those wounded, killed and vanished. These men are still being discovered. Egbert's wonderful pictures show the scene across the valley, at Schratzmännele and Barrenkopf, and his mountain-top bunker above Hohrodberg looks across at Reichackerkopf. I walked several kilometres of Reichackerkopf last week. I had been before, in May 2008, but this time I was able to spend a lot more time looking round. I start from the Col du Sattel. There are several paths from here and the first one I explore is the central one, going straight up the mountainside. This is the same scene: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 1 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 1 October , 2009 The stone cross is a memorial to Jean le Guardia: À la memoire du sous-lieutenant Jean de Guardia du 51e Chasseurs Alpins Chev de la Lég. d'Honneur Promotion de la Gde Revanche Mort pour la France le 21 février 1915 et des Chasseurs tombés à l'assaut du Reichacker qu'ils reposent en paix. Il est mort à vingt ans, il est mort pour la France! Il était l'avenir. Il état l'espérance; mais la gloire passait; ce fier diable bleu sentit frémir en lui, bouillonner sous le feu, le vieux sang de sa race et grave, calme et beau il entra dans la mort et ce fut en heros! and Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 1 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 1 October , 2009 Within a couple of minutes, I come across this cross marking where a French soldier, killed in the attack on the German first lines, was discovered in 2004: At the base of the cross are various pieces of debris and shrapnel. Here they don't pocket it and take it home; they put it somewhere where other visitors can share the interest. I notice a small piece of a shell base under some shrubs, so I place it on the little shrine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 1 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 1 October , 2009 The path leads away around the mountainside and shortly I come to a German observatory: . It's accessed by a mossy entrance and a few steps, and the view over the devastated mountainside was very extensive. Now it is dense forest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 1 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 1 October , 2009 Fortunately I was wearing decent shoes. Not far across the path is the first of many pieces of shattered corrugated iron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 1 October , 2009 Share Posted 1 October , 2009 I know this will become a most interesting picture thread -keep them coming Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 1 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 1 October , 2009 (edited) A little further around the mountain, someone has covered over a shaft: Scrambling down a little, I find an entrance: Edited 4 October , 2009 by Dragon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 1 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 1 October , 2009 It's an entrance to a heavy mortar blockhaus, and this is its interior. (I know I said to Egbert that I don't go in bunkers, but this seemed well ventilated and sound.) (See the shaft in the roof at the far end?) Its constructors left their inscription: 22nd Bavarian Pioneers (I think - if I'm wrong, please tell me.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 1 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 1 October , 2009 Externally, the whole place is littered with debris: and In taking these photos, I was also interested in the way that these relics of evil times mingle with nature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 1 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 1 October , 2009 The structure was surrounded by a vast, complex system of trenches. The Germans built numerous galleries into the mountainside in a dense weaving of tunnels and shelters. Many of them were lined with oak beams. It really is impossible and unsafe to try to enter these. I spotted this by the entrance to one. I don't know what it is and if anyone can tell me, I would be glad to hear. Here's another entrance, a bit further on: There's a sandbag to its right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 1 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 1 October , 2009 Entrance: and sandbag: You can even see where it was tied at its neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 1 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 1 October , 2009 Indulging in an arty shot to show the intermingling of nature and war. Here is a principal German defence blockhaus. Not much to see of this one. It enabled a good field of view, and fire, of the two summits, Petit and Grand Reichacker. I believe it could be reached by tunnels and trenches from round the other side of the mountain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 1 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 1 October , 2009 I guess about 200 metres away, there is another cross. This one marks the place where Félix Bouchet of the 62 BCA was discovered by walkers in 1971. He was identified by his identity medallion (sorry, I don't know the right word) and his family were able to achieve closure. Again, you should be able to pick out the little shrine of shrapnel and debris which walkers have created at the foot of the cross. The next set of images will include a French fort and more structures. I need to edit them and put them into Flickr. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 1 October , 2009 Share Posted 1 October , 2009 Gwyn, I was waiting on all the Reichacker photos you have taken last week since some time. I appreciate very much your time effort to resize, crop and titling the images. I know you are dissapointed upon the very lack of interest here. Sadly no Vosges battleground interest on this forum. The world interestingly does not stop short of Serre or Ypres!...but some truly believe. Heads up Gwyn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandy hall Posted 1 October , 2009 Share Posted 1 October , 2009 I am interested please keep posting Mandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Ring Posted 1 October , 2009 Share Posted 1 October , 2009 I am interested please keep posting Mandy Yes I agree with Mandy - please keep posting. The then & now photos are very interesting !!! Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAT58 Posted 1 October , 2009 Share Posted 1 October , 2009 More, Please!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 1 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 1 October , 2009 Thank you very much. As Egbert says, I was unsure whether to post any more, but if there's interest, I will. The whole walk took about seven hours, because of the time I spend looking round and taking pictures, and I have a lot of pictures! By mid-afternoon, it was possibly about 28°; it was a section which was a long, steep ascent in full sun, and I thought I would dehydrate. I'd had a decent breakfast, adequate sleep, was wearing only jeans and a teeshirt, yet was almost too overheated to complete what I wanted to do. The courage of the men of both sides, who fought up open, unsheltered mountainsides because the forests were shot to pieces, sometimes in exceptional snowfall or intense heat, carrying equipment and wearing heavy clothing, is absolutely admirable. The other aspect is that the enemy was just around the side of the hill - three minutes walk in some places. Petrifying. For me, this was a personal challenge. I tried Reichackerkopf in May 2008, climbed to the top, thought I was about to go into cardiac arrest, and had to give up because I was in intense pain - I had two dental abscesses being treated by a French dentist and I was out of my head on opiates. I hate giving up. I was determined to try again. Since then, I've worked on my fitness and this time I did not only one of the three possible circuits of Reichackerkopf, but two. Then we went down to Munster (bought some gorgeous chocolate and ate it by the abbey looking up at the storks) and then back up to Trois-Epis to seek some before and after shots which Egbert had requested. I felt pretty pleased with myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 1 October , 2009 Share Posted 1 October , 2009 Gwyn/Egbert, Please continue with the illustrated tour(s). It is sometime since I visited the Vosges (and then only on a wine-tasting trip to Alsace) but next time I'm visiting the in-laws in Belgium I'll try and spend a day visiting the sites you have so well described and photographed. It's fascinating. As winter approaches it's good to have inspiration for next year's trips ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim_oz Posted 1 October , 2009 Share Posted 1 October , 2009 Gwyn Great photos please keep them coming there are some of us who realise the front went south of Verdun. Tim B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred van Woerkom Posted 2 October , 2009 Share Posted 2 October , 2009 Gwyn, Thank you very much for the great photos and the useful comments. Please keep them coming. Glad you have overcome your toothaches. All the best, Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 2 October , 2009 Share Posted 2 October , 2009 Gwyn/Egbert, You both post consistently good photographic records on the Forum: which of the Forum's suggested methods do you use to attach/link/paste your pictures ? I have only ever pasted from non-copywright sources other than my own photos and would appreciate any advice. Please excuse the content: I know it is technically "off-topic", I know you two aren't the only ones who post such pieces and I Know I could have PM'd you both; I just feel the more photo-tours we can get on the Forum the more we'll inspire each other to visit new battlefields etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 2 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 2 October , 2009 Hi Steve Thanks for your appreciative comments. Alsace is gorgeous and I like to split the time between there and the Vosges. Most of my photos that I use on forums are hosted on Flickr. I'm mightygwyn. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mightygwyn/ Or on my personal website (though I've got behind with that). I link them to the forum using the 'insert image' icon and dialogue box. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Trim Posted 2 October , 2009 Share Posted 2 October , 2009 Please keep posting, I foresee a Verdun, Vosge trip either nexy year or the year after. My only problem is that the guy I usually go with, although passionate about the battlefields does not do walking. A walk round High Wood was more than enough for him! I might do a solo effort. Len Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 2 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 2 October , 2009 Thanks for the comments. I appreciate them. I'll add some more pictures when I've edited them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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