War diary/history Prussian Fusilier Regiment No. 73

[trajan]

Hi everyone,

 

Does anyone have a copy of the above or can direct me where to get hold of one? I am looking into the veracity of a report repeated by the 12th Infantry Brigade on 13 March 1917 that sometime before then an entire platoon of the Füsilier-Regiment Feldmarschall Prinz Albrecht von Preußen (Hannoversches) Nr.73 equipped with sawback bayonets had been captured by the French and then shot.

 

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

Julian

[charlie2]

If all else fails contact Patrick https://military-books.lima-city.de/hp20/index.html his english is very good. Even though the history isn‘t listed on his site, it might be in the pipeline. 

Charlie

[trajan]

Just now, charlie2 said:

If all else fails contact Patrick https://military-books.lima-city.de/hp20/index.html his english is very good. Even though the history isn‘t listed on his site, it might be in the pipeline. 

Charlie

 

Thanks Charlie - one to bear in mind!

 

Julian

[Latze]

I think the regimental history is online:

https://www.ub.uni-koeln.de/cgi-bin/redirect.pl?referrer=IPS:KOBV&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnbn-resolving.de%2Furn%3Anbn%3Ade%3A101%3A1-201304289205

 

The link is via the library of the university of Cologne. If that is blocked from your site please inform me: than I will see if one can download the book somehow.

[AOK4]

The link is for the first (smaller) regimental history, there is a more extended version as well. However, one would need to know when the shooting is supposed to have happened which was mentioned in March 1917...

[trajan]

55 minutes ago, Latze said:

I think the regimental history is online:

https://www.ub.uni-koeln.de/cgi-bin/redirect.pl?referrer=IPS:KOBV&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnbn-resolving.de%2Furn%3Anbn%3Ade%3A101%3A1-201304289205

 

The link is via the library of the university of Cologne. If that is blocked from your site please inform me: than I will see if one can download the book somehow.

 

49 minutes ago, AOK4 said:

The link is for the first (smaller) regimental history, there is a more extended version as well. However, one would need to know when the shooting is supposed to have happened which was mentioned in March 1917...

 

Many thanks both - I have no other date except that the belief among members of the 12th Infantry Brigade this was the case sometime before 13th March 1917.

[trajan]

59 minutes ago, Latze said:

I think the regimental history is online:

https://www.ub.uni-koeln.de/cgi-bin/redirect.pl?referrer=IPS:KOBV&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnbn-resolving.de%2Furn%3Anbn%3Ade%3A101%3A1-201304289205

 

The link is via the library of the university of Cologne. If that is blocked from your site please inform me: than I will see if one can download the book somehow.

 

Seems to have downloaded ok and so I'll settle down at some point with a large bottle of something and work my way through! I will assume that the story was 'current', i.e., around Spring 1917, and before mid- March 1917... Many thanks. 

 

One of the joys of GWForum is that sense and spirit of co-operation from all - it is greatly appreciated if not often directly expressed as such. So, thanks again!

 

Julian

[GreyC]

If the story is true, Ernst Jünger should have noted that in his war diaries which served as his starting point for IN STAHLGEWITERN. The diaries were also published in 2010.

GreyC

[trajan]

56 minutes ago, GreyC said:

If the story is true, Ernst Jünger should have noted that in his war diaries which served as his starting point for IN STAHLGEWITERN. The diaries were also published in 2010.

GreyC

 

I quite agree. I am currently re-reading Junger in English translation at the moment so keeping a sharp (no pun intended!) eye open for anything relevant. Remarque in All Quiet does of course talk about such episodes and so the lecture about not being caught with a sawback, but he is reporting heresay - i.e., the stories he has heard. Of all the stories noted in the German archives about German soldiers being killed for possessing a sawbacked bayonet the only one I have found that names a unit it is this one, and that is in the reports of the 12th Infantry Brigade on 13 March 1917.

 

Julian

[trajan]

There is a lovely bit in the regimental history on p.90 89 re: a trench raid - the group is challenged by an English watch post and replies (I quote): '"Allright" und "facking bon"' and is allowed to pass! 

Edited 9 February by trajan
Correct page number

[trajan]

OK, so the regiment was relocated against a French unit for a while after 15th February 1917 (p.90), but there is no mention of any massacre of their captured soldiers. In fact there is no mention of any men being captured, although details are given of those officers who died in action and also of trench raids. In early March (p. 92) they were redeployed to face an English unit.

 

I doubt that even a short regimental history would omit the massacre of an entire platoon captured with sawback bayonets - anyone have any thoughts? 

 

Julian