egbert Posted 2 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 2 September , 2014 Over the last 10 years many constructor signs and inscriptions at HWK have been stolen or deliberately damaged beyond repair. I am glad this remote located one survived so far. It is from 11.Kompanie L.I.R. 56 and is dated September 1916 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 2 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 2 September , 2014 Entering the right side bunker to wards the observation slits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 2 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 2 September , 2014 Note the original wooden panel below the embrasure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 2 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 2 September , 2014 Same complex, between the 2 entrances, looking back to wards Zick-Zack trail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 2 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 2 September , 2014 And the look down into the bored hell galleries. Did not explore them as my company was bored to hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 2 September , 2014 Share Posted 2 September , 2014 Hoping that Egbert doesn't mind, but here're some WW1 trench maps of the HWK which may assist in locations... Firstly, a German trench map from June 1916... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 2 September , 2014 Share Posted 2 September , 2014 ...a French Trench Map from December 1917... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 2 September , 2014 Share Posted 2 September , 2014 ...two more German trench maps, this time from June and July 1918... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 2 September , 2014 Share Posted 2 September , 2014 The complexity of the site and its defences, and the robustness of the structures which survive to this day, is simply staggering. Thanks for the maps, Dave. For locating, on the second map in the post immediately above, where it says Silberloch, is that roughly the site of the cemetery? Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 2 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 2 September , 2014 Thanks Dave for the maps. Excellent as ever, but unfortunately the wrong snippets. So they do not support this pictured climb. If you could substitute them with the more Northern areas?. I'll help you posting the thread-corresponding map snippets if you send me the overview portion...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andalucia Posted 2 September , 2014 Share Posted 2 September , 2014 Wonderful Thread. Amazing how much remains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 2 September , 2014 Share Posted 2 September , 2014 ...unfortunately the wrong snippets. So they do not support this pictured climb... Oops! That's what happens when I don't read a thread properly! (I'll leave them on for future reference anyway)... These should be the correct ones I think?... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 2 September , 2014 Share Posted 2 September , 2014 For locating, on the second map in the post immediately above, where it says Silberloch, is that roughly the site of the cemetery? Hi Gwyn. Approximately, yes. Just above and slightly to the left of the wording I think. Using the contours of this French map and those on the modern IGN version (and also using distances from the trig points on the HWK and Molkenrain), I think that the extremely artistic red blob I've drawn on the below map shows its location... Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 2 September , 2014 Share Posted 2 September , 2014 Egbert (or Gwyn... or anyone really!), a quick question if I may whilst I'm thinking... Have you any idea why the trench named 'Sorgenkind' in 1916 appears to have been renamed to 'Freudenkind' by 1917 (after it appears to have incorporated 'Kanzelgraben')? Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 2 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 2 September , 2014 Yes Dave, I know. Both names were used over time. Some maps say Freudenkind, some say Sorgenkind-it is the same. It is a German play with words. Fk means "child of joy" and Sk means "child of worries/Trouble". It all depends on the military situation - and the emotional situation they lived through during their time of entrenchment. Hope that clarifies the two differing names for the same trench. PS. a third name for this trench was by the way "Jägertannen-Graben" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 3 September , 2014 Share Posted 3 September , 2014 PS. a third name for this trench was by the way "Jägertannen-Graben" Indeed it was...as illustrated on the French map from above (highlighted below). Thanks for the other info. I suspected as much (and was once even called a 'sorgen kind' by a verger in the Kölner Dom for refusing to remove my cap!) but was unsure. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 3 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 3 September , 2014 About to leave Freudenkind and walking back to the trail through the communication trench remnants Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 3 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 3 September , 2014 Looking uphill, bunkers and trenches everywhere connected with communication trenches Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 3 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 3 September , 2014 This is how it looked here in the early days of the mountain warfare. We are approximately half way up the HWK at some 550m altitude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 3 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 3 September , 2014 A frequent sight along the trail but too dangerous to crawl in.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 3 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 3 September , 2014 Leaving the trail , the first fortress shows up in the forest. Of course there was no obstructing vegetation in the wartime and this picture lets the viewer only guess of the commanding view with possibility of enfilading fire support View from top of multilevel fortress Felsennest I to wards fortified Hartfelsen and Sudelkopf (right) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 3 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 3 September , 2014 The fortress comprised of a massive concrete block, multilevel with crew galleries, other living quarters and bored galleries deep into the rock, THEN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 3 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 3 September , 2014 The mountain slope on the other side of the valley is called Hartfelsen. I have marked in red (French) and blue (German) the first line trenches with no-mans-land. So the covering fire from here to the other side into the enemy lines is evident The yellow marked line is the trail that I roamed when visiting the Hartfelsen earlier this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 3 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 3 September , 2014 One of the entrances Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 3 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 3 September , 2014 Original tar paper still attached to the ceilings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now