egbert Posted 29 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 29 December , 2012 The wooden barracks above the memorial are all gone; they were regimental HQs, HQs for the sector commanders and collapsed in the early 80s. THEN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 29 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 29 December , 2012 It is still in a fine state and is evidence of a long gone but not forgotten reverence for a great leader. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 29 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 29 December , 2012 One of my Christmas presents (selected from my Amazon wish-list !) is 'Haute-Vosges 1914-1918' by Daniel Roess. I believe it has been mentioned in one of Egbert's or Dragon's threads, but I'm unable to find it at the moment. The book contains a host of wonderful photographs (both wartime and postwar) of the Vosges battlefields. I suspect a lot of them will match up with modern photos in Egbert's and Dragon's threads. For anyone interested in the war in this area, I would recommend this book. It is still available on Amazon, so get in there sharpish ! Keith ......and if you can read German, order the best book about the HWK. It is from mentioned Lt Killian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 29 December , 2012 Share Posted 29 December , 2012 One of my Christmas presents (selected from my Amazon wish-list !) is 'Haute-Vosges 1914-1918' by Daniel Roess. I believe it has been mentioned in one of Egbert's or Dragon's threads, but I'm unable to find it at the moment. Mine. Glad you're enjoying it. Also worth seeking: HWK Éphémérides 1916-1918 by Phillippe Koch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithjk Posted 29 December , 2012 Share Posted 29 December , 2012 Thanks for that Gwyn Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 30 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 30 December , 2012 Some 20m farther right at bend no.2 is the row of HWK HQs for sector-, battalion-, regimental- and divisional commanders with all necessary facilities such as sheltered kitchen, Ops- centers, casino, quarters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 30 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 30 December , 2012 Post war picture of same place. Note the vicinity to already presented Sprösser memorial, marked in yellow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 30 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 30 December , 2012 This picture shows bend no.2 with a kitchen shelter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 30 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 30 December , 2012 One of the shelter windows holds recent finds like this French aerial torpedo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 30 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 30 December , 2012 ...as well as this fragment that is identified as part of a Livens projector Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottsGreys Posted 30 December , 2012 Share Posted 30 December , 2012 Thank you, Egbert--every post is fascinating. This is one of the top, most engrossing threads I have seen in my 9 years on the GWF. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 31 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 31 December , 2012 Thank you, Egbert--every post is fascinating. This is one of the top, most engrossing threads I have seen in my 9 years on the GWF. Chris Now that's a real motivation -thank you very much Chris! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 31 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 31 December , 2012 A major structure in the HQ row in bench no.2 is this one, known as Kantine Zeller. 1st floor bunker and top structures wooden barracks. You can barely see the building in post #557 at the very end. THEN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 31 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 31 December , 2012 NOW The complex was inhabited and opearated by the Alsatian Zeller family who lived there since 1920 and it was turned over to a local HWK preservation group when Mme Zeller died in 1972. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 31 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 31 December , 2012 ....and a post war image Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roel22 Posted 31 December , 2012 Share Posted 31 December , 2012 What a great thread! (I know, I'm starting to repeat myself) Roel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 31 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 31 December , 2012 Some 20m farther right at bend no.2 is the row of HWK HQs for sector-, battalion-, regimental- and divisional commanders with all necessary facilities such as sheltered kitchen, Ops- centers, casino, quarters. Behind the board partition is the entrance to a pristine tunnel system that reaches far into the mountain. As it is private property since 1920 there is no public access. The system was used by the commanders and staff in case of general alarm and when French bombardments occurred. It had enough space for all the different HQ with all their staff and support personnel...... The men in self-irony baptized the bunker system "Heldenkeller" (=heroes cellar) because they, the "heroes" had to seek cover deep in the mountain when the French bombardments rolled over bend no2. I did not enter this system but use this image of a connecting hallway that leads to various HQ galleries to show how well preserved the tunnels must be. "Heldenkeller" was constructed by Pionierbataillon 250. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 31 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 31 December , 2012 What a great thread! (I know, I'm starting to repeat myself) Roel Well Roel and others - your exclamations are well heard and serve me well as motivation. You can imagine that it is a lot of work to set this thread together with all necessary information and THEN picture material. Since my walk downhill comes closer and closer to the end, this kind of encouragement makes me think to maybe continue this HWK thread with my recent climb-so to speak part II-, using the Eastern route (remember the string of fortresses at East slope of HWK). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithjk Posted 31 December , 2012 Share Posted 31 December , 2012 I can't wait to see the Eastern route Egbert Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandy hall Posted 31 December , 2012 Share Posted 31 December , 2012 Happy New Year Egbert. Looking forward to seeing the eastern route in 2013. Thank you for putting so much time and effort into this thread. Mandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b3rn Posted 31 December , 2012 Share Posted 31 December , 2012 Thanks Egbert, still following, great thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roel22 Posted 1 January , 2013 Share Posted 1 January , 2013 I'd love to see the eastern route, Egbert. And ofcourse the northern and southern route . Best wishes! Roel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 1 January , 2013 Author Share Posted 1 January , 2013 Thank you all for your comments, but ---hold your horses , we are not finished with this tour yet. Let's wait until the end and than decide whether and how to proceed. Now leaving bend no.2 and enjoying the view down into the Rhine River plains. I am down to 650m alt. already looking to wards the village that named the mountain "Hartmannsweiler" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 1 January , 2013 Author Share Posted 1 January , 2013 Not far away is the enchanted ancient cemetery from Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment 124. The regiment that earned its merits on the mountain . All that is left of the cemetery are the terrace works, a memorial with spring and the typical plant for all the German HWK cemeteries, the periwinkle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 1 January , 2013 Author Share Posted 1 January , 2013 A beautiful and tranquil place. You recognize the terraces on which the graves once existed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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