Captain Rudolf Schierholz, Saxon Army 1914/1917

[michaeldr]

Can anyone add to the information already provided by Col. Klaus Wolf and Gunter Hartnagel?

From Klaus Wolf's book “Victory at Gallipoli 1915”

Schierholz, Rudolf Captain Saxon Army 1914/1917

In peace-time as Turkish major, instructor at a Turkish Staff Officers’ Training Camp;

in war-time, first responsible for the coastal defence of the 3rd Division;

then as Turkish lieutenant colonel, CO of the 9th Infantry Regiment in the Dardanelles

and in Palestine as Turkish lieutenant colonel, CO of a Regiment, for securing the Hejaz railway. Died 8.12.1917 from typhus in Maan,

re-interred 1932 in Nazareth.

…................................................................................................................................................

https://www.flickr.com/photos/39631091@N03/5481937167/in/photostream/ [1 of 3 photos]

from that site:- Rudolf Schierholz became a soldier approx. in 1895 in the Saxon army. He later served in the 108th Saxon Infantry Regiment (Sächsischen Infanterie-Regiment) in the rank of a Major.

In March 1914 he went to Constantinople as part of the German Military Mission. He became an instructor in an Ottoman training centre for members of the general staff.

With the outbreak of the war he became responsible for the coast protection of the 3rd Ottoman division. Later, in the rank of an Ottoman Lieutenant Colonel, he was commanding the 9th infantry regiment in the Dardanelles.

After 1916 he was transferred to the Palestine theatre. Commanding a regiment in Ma'an (today Jordan), he was responsible for the protection of the Hedjaz railway against Arab/Bedouin insurgents.

On December 8, 1917, he died in Ma'an because of dysentery (Ruhr) and was buried in Ma'an in a stone tomb.

A memorial stone was erected in his home town of Roda (Stadtroda) in 1918.

After the conquest by the Allied forces and Arab insurgents, his tomb was partly vandalised.

Due to insufficient funds, it took the German government until 1931, after the world crisis, to establish a war cemetery for the fallen Germans in Palestine. Tombs were searched and brought to the central war cemetery in Nazareth. The tomb of Schierholz was still existent, though damaged, while many others could not be found. When his tomb was opened, the workers got petrified as they found a hand grenade between the bones of his legs.

His remains were transferred in 1932 to the central German war cemetery in Nazareth.

 

 

Thanks in advance for any further information

Michael

[Guest]

Mate,

This is what I found on him

Schierholz (or Schierhaltz) Rudolf    Capt to Maj (LtCol)    Deutsche Militär-Mission in der Türkei shown Commander of the Menderes Western Forces (Bn/39th (Ottoman) Regiment 2xBns/31st Regiment) at Kum Kale 4-15 - CO 9th (Ottoman) Regiment 1915 to CO 146th (Ottoman) Regiment at Maan 4-17 - Kurmay Subay okulunda Ögretmen 9. Piyade Alayi Komutani (Teacher at the Staff Officer School 9th Infantry Area Commander)    1914-17    (born 1874 at Rauba Meißen DoD 8-12-17) Krankheit (illness) of typhus/dysentry at Maan from Saxon Infanterie Regiment No 108 and Infanterie Regiment No 182 although he was z.D. since 20-2-1914 (having left the army) rtn at start of war - awarded the Ritterkreuz of the Saxon Militär-St.Heinrichs-Orden (highest Saxon and oldest German gallantry order) for his role at Gallipoli shown in book by Klaus Wolf 

His name shows up in this unit

also known as Kazim Bey Div - Caucasus/Persia Dec 1914 around Dilam 4-15 and Van June 1915 later renamed 51st Div 9-15 reported to Mesopotamia at Ctesiphon Nov 1915    9th Corps 1915 18th Corps 9-15    

1st Expeditionary Force     

Commanders - LtCol Kazim Bey (Karabekir) Bey 12-14 to   LtCol Mehmet Ali Bey KIA 30-11-15 or   Ali Insan Bey 6-15    

Div 2ic - Capt Ismail Hakki (Berkuk) or (Berkok) Bey    

1-3/7th Regt                                

1-3/9th Regt                        

1-3/44th Regt    

7th Regt - LtCol Ismail Hakki Bey to Maj Kerfan or Irfan Bey

9th Regt - LtCol Schierholz (G) (1915) or LtCol Emin Bey  

44th Regt - LtCol Rifat Bey PoW 30-10-15 to Maj Hassan or Hasan Yetimi Bey KIA 30-11-15 2ic - Capt Nazmi (Solok) 1914    

Div used in fighting around Dilman 4-15 - shown June 1915 (7500 men) - and around Malazgirt near Lake Van July 1915 when 11th May the town of Manzikert had fallen and in July 1915 recaptured won the Battle of Manzikert and lost the Battle of Kara Killisse around Van July- Aug 1915- 7th Regt 9th Regt (3rd Div) 44th Regt (15th Div) formed as 51st Div 9-15 at Ctesiphon 22-11-15        

4th Artillery Regt    3Bn/4th FAR reported 3xMountain Btys    see 51st Div Arty

and

Caucasus Dec 1914 reformed as 1st Expeditionary Force disbanded 1915 later 51st Div    

1st Expeditionary Force     

3rd Composite Müretteb or Mürattep Division Caucasus    

Commander - Wajib Bey (unknown possibly Vecit/Vacit Bey

(9th Regt?)         

7th Regt                                      

8th Regt - 8th MG Co                  

9th Regt     

7th Regt - LtCol Ismail Hakki Bey to Maj Kerfan or Irfan Bey  

8th Regt - Capt Stange (G) 1914  

9th Regt - LtCol Schierholz (G) (1915) or LtCol Vecit/Vacit Bey   

Jan 1915 - 8th Regt replaced by 44th Regt (see 1st Expeditionary Force)            

reported 2xFA Btys and 3xMountain Btys 6-15
 

Mate, How and when he moved between units is unknown, but having served with the 3rd Div at Kum Kale, he moved to the 9th Regt and later 51st Div in the Caucasus in fighting around Eastern Turkey, then down to Mesopotania, before finishing up in Palestine on the railway.

Cheers

S.B

Edited 18 November , 2021 by stevebecker

[charlie2]

Appointed as a Portepeefähnrich with No. 8 Company, Infanterie Regiment 107 on 31st May 1895.

[AOK4]

He has been discussed earlier on the Great War Forum:

 

Jan

[michaeldr]

Steve, Charlie & Jan;

many thanks for your comments and guidance

Also noted; a couple of quotes from  our Pal 'bierast' [Posted 7 July , 2020 on the other thread]

Hptm. Rudolf Schierholz was awarded the Ritterkreuz of the Saxon Militär-St.Heinrichs-Orden (highest Saxon and oldest German gallantry order) for his role at Gallipoli. He is described as an officer of IR 182 in peacetime - a unit with which, incidentally, he could not have begun his peacetime career as it was only formed in 1912 (it was Germany's youngest peacetime infantry regiment). Perhaps the far more prestigious SR 108 was his previous regiment prior to that, and he preferred to wear its far more distinctive and glamorous uniform while in his wartime post.

The body of the citation is roughly as follows in English:

"Hptm. Schierholz was the first officer to enter retaken Kum Kale after the landing attempt by French troops on 25.4.1915 during the fighting for the Dardanelles. Immediately after the battle for one day and two nights straight he personally supervised the retrieval of all of the wounded from the burning town under heavy fire from enemy naval guns. As a result of having repulsed the landing attempts of two strong enemy reconnaissance forces in his capacity as independent detachment leader of coastal defence of the 3rd Ottoman Division, he succeeded in safeguarding the Asiatic coast from further attacks. Subsequently he spent months on the Gallipoli peninsula supervising the development of the defensive position on a flank at Anaforta under constant enemy fire. Throughout the conduct of all of these operations he distinguished himself by outstanding gallantry and boldness."

 

Thanks again

Michael

[michaeldr]

 

Edited 18 November , 2021 by michaeldr

[charlie2]

He remained with IR107 and is recorded in the 1913 Army List as being transferred to IR182.

21.01.1896 - Leutnant

23.10.1903 - Oberleutnant

17.06.1910 - Hauptmann

20.02.1914 - Hauptmann z.D.

Charlie

[michaeldr]

Thanks for that further information, Charlie

regards, Michael

[Guest]

Mate,

 

My understanding of the 146th Regt is mixed, it seams he may have took command while in Mespot (not sure the Div arrived there) as part of the 46th Div (13th Corps) (144th 145th and 146th Regts) around April 1917 after moving from Salonika, but I am unsure if the Regt/Div arrived there, being side tracked to Palestine around June 1917.

as some Ottoman records show 46th Div with the;

20th Corps - Nov 1916 and 13th Corps- Feb 1917

Known Movements of the 46th Div from 1914 to Feb 1918 are;

02.08.14 Adana 04.11.14 Istanbul (Orta Köy Police stn) 09.11.16 Edirne Stn 05.12.16 Senciste Stn 07.12.16 Veznik 04.02.17 Senciste Stn 06.02.17 Istanbul (Aya Stefanos Stn) 12.03.17 (de-comissioned) - 146. Regiment of the 46. Infantry Division (Turkish & German mixed unit)(absconded to the 2. Bulgarian Army) __.11.16 Istanbul (Orta Köy Police stn) 25.11.16 Istanbul (Çekme'ce i Sagîr Stn) 27.11.16 Drama Stn 07.12.16 Veznik 09.12.16 Dut'lu 17.03.17 Sirûz Stn __.03.17 (ordered to join the 25 Div absconded to the 11. German Army __.03.17 Sirûz Stn 23.03.17 [Üsküb Stn __.03.17 Nis Stn __.03.17 Sofya Stn] __.04.17 Rus'cuk __.04.17 Çerna Voda __.04.17 Su'suz Ali Beg farm __.04.17 Constanta port __.05.17 Istanbul (Selîmiye barracks) __.06.17 (absconded to Yildirim Group of Armies __.06.17 Istanbul (Selîmiye barracks) __.06.17 Islâhiye Stn 16.06.17 Sam es Serîf (Hîcaz Stn) 19.06.17 Dera’a Stn __.06.17 Remle-Led Stn __.07.17 Bî’r es Seb’a __.10.17 Hirbet el Muveyle 31.10.17 Tel es Serîa 06.11.17 Halîl er Rahman 09.11.17 Yatta 14.11.17 Beni Nâim 16.11.17 Ras es Serîfe 19.11.18 Beyt es Sefâfe 06.12.17 Ebu Dis 26.12.17 Ümm ec Cemal 29.12.17 Erîha __.02.18 Sam es Serîf (Hîcaz Stn)

These are the closest Railway station to there locations

I show a Maj Pfeiffer    possibly Ottoman 146th Regt replaced Schienholz DoD 8-12-17     1917-18    (shown KIA 9-18) reported died the hero’s death in book by von Sanders (not identified)

Cheers

S.B

Edited 21 November , 2021 by stevebecker

[michaeldr]

On 17/11/2021 at 20:45, michaeldr said:

as Turkish lieutenant colonel, CO of the 9th Infantry Regiment in the Dardanelles

On 17/11/2021 at 20:45, michaeldr said:

in the rank of an Ottoman Lieutenant Colonel, he was commanding the 9th infantry regiment in the Dardanelles.

The above quotations are corrected in the notes by Philip Rance given in his 'The Struggle for the Dardanelles – the memoirs of a German Staff Officer in Ottoman Service' [Pen & Sword Military, 2017, ISBN 978 1 78303 045 3]

see page 225 –

Schierholz was appointed commander of 9th Infantry Regt., 3rd Div., at the out break of hostilities. However, in mid-December 1914 the three regiments of the 3rd Div. (including the 9th Regt.) were transferred to other fronts and the 3rd Div. reconstituted with replacement regiments: 31st, 32nd & 39th.

Schierholz did not move away from the Dardanelles with the 9th Regt., but he remained in the Gallipoli theatre on the Staff of the newly reconstituted 3rd Div.

In his note Rance cites Erickson [Gallipoli, the Ottoman Campaign, Pen & Sword Military, 2010, ISBN 978 1 84415 967 3]

see Erickson page 85 -

In the landings at Kum Kale, the French inflicted heavy casualties and the 39^th Regt reported to 3^rd Div the loss of significant numbers, including its CO, Lieut-Col Nurettin. Colonel Weber then “formed the survivors of the 39^th Regt. into a provisional detachment under the command of German Major Schierhaltz (sic)”

Presumably it is this latter stage which is referred to in the opening of the citation for the award of his Ritterkreuz of the Saxon Miltär-St.Heinrichs-Orden

[michaeldr]

At some point between his having “spent months on the Gallipoli peninsula supervising the development of the defensive position on a flank at Anaforta under constant enemy fire” and his taking up the command of a regiment in Ma'an protecting the Hedjaz railway, Schierholz may have, for short while, been on the Macedonian front. The following refers to someone who would later go on to become one of Israel's early Prime Ministers, Moshe Sharet.

Sharet was born in Ukraine, which was then part of the Russian Empire. His family emigrated to Palestine in 1906. He had a good command of Arabic, Turkish, French and German, and he studied law in Istanbul. Sharet signed up for service in the Turkish army in 1916. After attending staff training courses in Istanbul, he was assigned to the command of Lieutenant Colonel Rudolf Schierholz as his personal interpreter in Macedonia.                       (info from various websites)

Can Schierholz's period of service on the Macedonian front be identified?

[michaeldr]

2 hours ago, michaeldr said:

Can Schierholz's period of service on the Macedonian front be identified?

A few more snippets from the life of Moshe Sharett:-

Sharett is drafted into the Ottoman army in April 1916. He is then sent to an officer training school at Ba'albek (in today's Lebanon) but this establishment was about to close and in May 1916 he is at an officer training school in Istanbul

After training he is posted to Macedonia where he serves first on the outskirts of the city of Seres (Seria) on the Greek-Macedonian border and with this unit he spends half a year in Macedonia

After Macedonia the unit is briefly in Palestine (near Rishon leZion) before moving east to Puyla on the Ma'an-Aqaba road.

Sharett notes that when his commander (Rudolf Schierholz) falls ill and dies, then the unit is disbanded.

Is it possible to confirm which unit Schierholz (& Sharett) were serving with at this time before their transfer to Palestine?

 

[Guest]

Mate,

Its possible he may have been sent to the 146th Regt before I thought ?

If your sources are correct, he possibly didn't return to the 9th Regt after Kum Kale but to the 146th Regt?

The 46th Div was raised in Syria, some time in 1915, and sent to 20th Corps in Macedonia and Salonika around Nov 1916 (I am still not sure on these dates like wise when the Div moved to the East.)

The Div was broken up after moving to Palestine in 1917, with the 146th Regt being grouped into what was later called the 1st Composite (Lütfü) Müretteb or Mürattep) Division formed 8-17 for recapture of Aqaba and took part in operations in and around Tafileh in early 1918 and Palestine.

This grouping changed over time but had during 1917

1-3/146th - LtCol Schienholz (G) 4-17 DoD 8-12-17                              

1-3/162nd Regt -                                

1-3/178th Regt - LtCol Munip Bey (Özsoy) 6-17 to 3-18                            

3Bn/24th Regt
                    

If this is correct then possibly LtCol Schienholz arrived at the Regt in April 1917

Which would mean when the Regt was in Macedonia ?

So the problem I see is where he was between late 1915 to early 1917

Possibly he was sent back to the 9th Regt after Gallipoli, untill he moved to the 146th Regt in Macedonia in April 1917?

We may need Ezeme to confirm some of this?

Cheers

 

S.B

 

[michaeldr]

18 hours ago, stevebecker said:

So the problem I see is where he was between late 1915 to early 1917

Agreed

Schierholz (per the citation for the Saxon decoration) went to the Anafarta front after Kum Kale [quote:- Subsequently he spent months on the Gallipoli peninsula supervising the development of the defensive position on a flank at Anaforta under constant enemy fire.]

What happened and where did he go in 1916 after the allies evacuated Gallipoli?

Moshe Sharett joined the Ottoman army 19th April 1916 and was sent for training first to Ba'albeck, and then to Istanbul. This training was 6 to 8 months and must in all probability have been completed by December 1916. At which point he is ordered to join Schierholz at Serres/Serrai on the Greek-Macedonian border, not far from Bulgaria. Sharett then spent about six months with Schierholz at this place before they were transferred to trans-Jordan (having spent a very brief period in Palestine on the way) - “I am now in Fuvela an oasis on the way from Ma’an to Aqaba a day from Ma’an, two days from Aqaba. There is no army more south of us.”

Allowing for transportation across all of Anatolia and Syria from one front to another (not easy in Turkey at that time) then this must be the mid-to-late summer of 1917.

This could well coincide with your date of of August 1917

But where was Schierholz posted immediately after Gallipoli?

 

[Guest]

Mate,

Yes I would agree.

The mention of the Anafarta Group is interesting, as it contain a number of attatched German and even a Austrian officer.

The Anafarta Group was under Ahmet Fevzi, untill replaced by Kemal.

My sources on Schierholz show he was in the 9th Regt in 1915?

So if, as you show, he left the 9th Regt in Nov 1914, then I can only sumize he went back to the 9th Regt after the Chanakkale battles, for operations in Eastern Turkey and Mesopot.

That's the best I can find so far?

Cheers

S.B

[MattyBoy]

From the Naumburger Tageblatt dated 13th December 1915:- 

 

[stevenbecker]

Matty

Mate sorry can you translate, I can follow most of it but a few of the old words missed me?

S.B

 

[michaeldr]

I'd like to thank Charlie and Andi for their help here and for their providing access to research on a subject unfamiliar to me (the Imperial German Army).
With their help and the assistance of the GWF's Pals here, I have put together a brief essay on Rudolf Schierholz which was yesterday accepted by the Gallipoli Association (see https://www.gallipoli-association.org/news/2022/kum-kale-to-nazareth-rudolf-schierholz/)
[One of the GA's German members has been in touch with Gunter Hartnagel and we hope to soon be able to switch the photographs and loose the overprinting.]
 

Gentlemen, once again, many thanks.
Michael

[charlie2]

Michael

Thank you for the link, I’m happy to have helped in a small way.

Charlie

[stevenbecker]

Charlie,

You did better then me, it was gone by the time I got to it

All I get is  Error 404?

S.B

[michaeldr]

 

Steve,

Go to https://www.gallipoli-association.org/news/2022/kum-kale-to-nazareth-rudolf-schierholz/
or to https://www.gallipoli-association.org/ and then scroll down to Latest News

regards, Michael

 

[stevenbecker]

Michael,

Cheers on it now

S.B