WW1 German Occupation Troops in Antwerp Forts

[Fort 2]

I am trying to find out which German Units took possession of Fort 2 in Wommelgem near Antwerp, after it had been abandoned by the Belgians on october 9th 1914.

Most probably that the first German soldiers that set foot in the fort, belonged to an active unit. But afterwards I am almost sure that they have been replaced by Landsturm-units.

Up to now I did not find any single document directly proving presence of such units.

On the other hand, I found many letters to the local municipality of Wommelgem emanating from "Ortskommandanturen" in neighbouring villages.

So I could identify

- november 1914: Fort 3b/Antwerpen: Landsturm-Infanterie-Batallion Wetzlar 4de Kompagnie

- Spring 1915: Wijnegem: Landsturm-Infanterie-Batallion Amberg

- May 1915- Summer 1916: Merksem und Schoten: Landsturm-Infanterie-Bataillon Minden (VII.58), 1ste,2de,3de.4de Kompagnie

- May - Oktober 1916: Merksem: 3 Kompagnie 1 Landsturm-Inftanterie - Bataillon II Cöln (VIII/14),

- November 1916: Wijnegem Landsturm Fussartlillerie .Batl 18 A.K.(XVIII 1).

- December 1916 through februari 1917: Wijnegem: Landsturm Infanterie Batl Bielefeld (VII,42) 3de Cie

- From March 1917 :Bouchout : 1 Komp III Landst-Inftr-Batl Brandenburg. (with some reference suggesting presence of the 2de Kompagnie in Fort 2 Wommelgem on 27/10/1917?)

- Oktober 1918: Wommelgem: III Mar.Feldflieger Abteilung.

- november 1918: Wommelgem: Marinekorps.

Has anyone have some info, stories, documents, photographs on these units? Although my interest is focused on Fort 2, in extension some info related to the other Forts of the second inner ring (1 to 8) can also be of interest., and even, why not, from the first ring of concrete Forts.

Thanks on beforehand,

Willy

[bob lembke]

Willy;

I have studied the battle of Antwerp quite a bit (my grand-father was there), and I don't think that most of those forts were garrisoned after capture. I bought a manuscript diary of a Reserve sergeant from Berlin who fought there, and I have translated most of it (82 pages of Suetterlin) and the diary mentions being put into one of the fortresses after capture, but only a short while, and they were put to some work, I think repairing windows and doors. But your interest is the sort of thing that most sources don't go into. But it might be a lot easier to find out which units assaulted a given fort.

Bob Lembke

[Cnock]

Hi,

there was also a Festungslazarett at Antwerpen, Kazerne 5 (Fort 5???)

regards,

Cnock

[Cnock]

Landsturm Infanterie Bataillon Wetzlar was still at Antwerp in November 1915

Cnock

[Fort 2]

Willy;

I have studied the battle of Antwerp quite a bit (my grand-father was there), and I don't think that most of those forts were garrisoned after capture. I bought a manuscript diary of a Reserve sergeant from Berlin who fought there, and I have translated most of it (82 pages of Suetterlin) and the diary mentions being put into one of the fortresses after capture, but only a short while, and they were put to some work, I think repairing windows and doors. But your interest is the sort of thing that most sources don't go into. But it might be a lot easier to find out which units assaulted a given fort.

Bob Lembke

Bob,

Thanks for this comment.

I have some documents emanating from some "Ortskommandanturen" where they suggest the local authorities to seek help with the guards of the local forts.

This makes me believe that the forts were guarded by at least a few men with sort of janitor functions. It is very tempting to believe that these men belonged to the same bataillon as the one holding the "Ortskommandantur", but unfortunately I have no proof. Indeed, I am fully aware that I have started a search in a poorly documented field.

But also identities of assaulting forces are also wellcome.

Greetings,

Willy

PS: tried to add sample in attachment, but file was too big for quota.

[Fort 2]

Landsturm Infanterie Bataillon Wetzlar was still at Antwerp in November 1915

Cnock

Hi Cnock,

Thank you for this reply:

Indeed I have even a document dated 5 march 1917 emananting from this bataillon, 4th Kompagnie. It was send to the local authorities of Wommelgem, and had been written in Schoten near Antwerp. So it proves the presence even in 1917.

Do you have the document of November 1915, and can you see where it has been written?

If available in public, can you give me the reference?

Thanks on beforehand,

Willy

[Ken S.]

This is interesting:

http://www.altearmee.org/LdStInfBtl_Wetzlar.htm

[Cnock]

Cnock

[Fort 2]

Cnock

Hi Cnock,

Thanks for this postcard. I can clearly recognise the Wetzlar sign. Could you also read the text on the postcard, and if yes, is there any reference to whatever geographical area, or fortress in or around Antwerp?

Thanks on beforehand

Willy

[Fort 2]

This is interesting:

http://www.altearmee...Btl_Wetzlar.htm

Thanks Ken,

Since a few weeks I am in contact with Mario and Raphael of this group.

I have send them some photographs of documents that I found in our municipal archives. But even for them, it seems to be very dfificult to go deeper in the matter.

Greetings,

Willy

[AOK4]

Hello,

The fortresses of Antwerp were in no way taken care of by the Ortskommandanturen! The Germans installed their own Command of the Antwerp Fortifications (I believe I have seen Feldpost stamps of this before). They had a few units to do the real work. For instance 1/Arm.Btl. 59 (Armierungs-Bataillon 59, 1. Kompagnie) was in Antwerp in 1915 to clear the fortresses: cleaning, getting the ammunition out and the guns etc. Some of the Landsturm units may have been involved as well to do the guarding etc. (the Landsturm units were usually spread out all over many communes and units within a certain area).

I quickly checked their war diary when I was in Stuttgart some years ago. If you can read Kurrent, there should be a bit of info there.

Jan

[Fort 2]

Jan,

Thanks for this reply. You are bringing here a very interesting aspect of the fortoccupation that was completely unknown to me. (do you have more info, or references to be consulted?). I am looking for a map of the Antwerp Area with the boundaries of the Generalgouvernement, Abschnitte, especially Ostabschnitt. etc...

Can I understand that in Stuttgart war diaries of Landsturmunits can be found, or is it only the war diary of Armierungs-Bataillon 59, 1. Kompagnie?

Do you have the adress or name of the archive-holder? I cannot read Kurrent or Süterling, but I have some comparison sheets.

In the mean time I can tell you that I have made some small progresses on the matter. My main question was to find out which units occupied Fort 2 in Wommelgem (Antwerp) during WW1, as I explained in my initial question.

Finally I could get hold on a document undersigned by a German Fortkommandant of Fort 2, on 16/2/1915, but the document did not bear any unit-identification. Thanks to the Feldgrau Forum (users KIR and Ruhrpottpreusse), I found out that the man in question was the named JOSEPH SCHULLER, Feldwebelleutnant at the Landsturm Infanteriebataillon AMBERG. In the mean time I have also the content of his Stammbuch. The fact that Mr Schuller had only the rank of Feldwebelleutnant gave me the indication that the fort could only be occupied by a minor group of people, a platoon at the maximum.

The interesting thing was also that at the same period Wommelgem was subject to the Ortskommandantur Wijnegem, where also the Ortskommandeur was an officer of the Landsturm Infanterie Bataillon AMBERG.

This gives an indication that tprobably there was a correlation between the regiment or bataillon, holding the Ortskommandantur and the fortoccupation in its territory.

This came on top of an other document describing an incident in october 26, 1917 where a soldier from the Landsturm Infanterie Bataillon BRANDENBURG was assaulted by 2 Belgian civilians at 30 meter from the entrance of Fort 2, while on patrol. Was he based in Fort 2?? But again: the Orstkommandantur was in that period in Bouchout, and it was occupied by......Landsturm Infanterie Bataillon BRANDENBURG. So again, half of a confirmation of the theory.

This is in fact the reason why I am trying to get as much information as possible about the bataillons I mentioned in my initial question.

One answer arouses a lot of new questions, but thanks on beforehand,

Willy

http://www.unibook.c...s-Brialmontfort

[AOK4]

Hello,

Landsturm-Bataillone were spread out over a wide area, a company here, a platoon there, two men yet at another place etc.

While a company HQ (or the battalion HQ) may have been in Wommelgem, and the CO have been the Ortskommandant (the OK was usually the highest ranking officer present in a village), it didn't mean that all installations in the commune were under his command. F.i. (active) training grounds, airfields, ammo dumps, fortresses etc. were not under his powers, they were usually under command of a Corps HQ, Army HQ, Generalgouvernement etc. However, the unit of which the CO was the local Ortskommandant, may have had to detach a few men to the installation to guard it. In this case, these guards, although belonging to a certain unit (in this case a Landsturm-Bataillon), were not taking their orders from that unit, but from in this case the Kaiserliche Fortifikation Antwerpen or something similar.

I hope you understand a bit how the Germans were organised.

Jan

[Fort 2]

Hello,

Landsturm-Bataillone were spread out over a wide area, a company here, a platoon there, two men yet at another place etc.

While a company HQ (or the battalion HQ) may have been in Wommelgem, and the CO have been the Ortskommandant (the OK was usually the highest ranking officer present in a village), it didn't mean that all installations in the commune were under his command. F.i. (active) training grounds, airfields, ammo dumps, fortresses etc. were not under his powers, they were usually under command of a Corps HQ, Army HQ, Generalgouvernement etc. However, the unit of which the CO was the local Ortskommandant, may have had to detach a few men to the installation to guard it. In this case, these guards, although belonging to a certain unit (in this case a Landsturm-Bataillon), were not taking their orders from that unit, but from in this case the Kaiserliche Fortifikation Antwerpen or something similar.

I hope you understand a bit how the Germans were organised.

Jan

Jan,

Thanks for this answer. I do understand in big lines. Yet, I have found evidence that, although there was a local guard-detachment in our fort, the Ortskommandant was based in one of the neighbouring villages. I found in the local municipal archives hundreds of letters and dictates coming from the Ortskommandantur in Wijnegem, Schoten, Merksem, Deurne, Bouchout, none of them from an Ortskommandantur in Wommelgem (except in October and November 1918). Therefore I am a strong believer that Ortskommandanturen at least in our region were installed regionally. I know that Generalgouvernement Antwerpen was organised in Abschnitte.

• Nord und Ostabschnitt. (in 1915 and part of 1916 situated in Brasschaat, under Oberst, later General Major von Schlabrendorff)
  - Unterabschnitt Nord
  - Unterabschnitt Ost; (in the period von Schlabrendorff, situated in Wijnegem, later Schoten,and Merksem, under Major Libstoven,Likstoven or Likstowen). Later, especially after the move to Boechout, there seems to be a further division into Verwaltungsbezirke I, II,.......
• Westabschnitt
• Sudabschnitt
• Sudostabschnitt

It is very probable that this organisation was not stable and was modified during the 4 years of the War. It is also highly probable that the boundaries were subject to modification. See already the changing authorities over the village of Wommelgem.

So you see one answer raises many new questions. And I remain very interested in any reference that can bring clarification in these matters.

Thanks on beforehand,

Willy

PS: in the meantime I became a member of the Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart. I also discovered that soldier Georg KRAFT died on 26/6/1915 while he was in Antwerp with the Armierungs-Bataillon 59, 1ste Kompanie. (Ehrenbuch der Gefallenen Stuttgarts 1914–1918", herausgegeben vom Wohlfahrtsamt der Stadt Stuttgart, Stuttgart 1925)

This is another confirmation of the presence of this Compagnie in Antwerp during 1915)