Gus1914 Posted 23 December , 2021 Share Posted 23 December , 2021 Has anyone got any details for the following please: The German strongpoint immediately north-east of Clapham Junction which commanded the length of the main approach route along the Menin road from Hooge. It apparently contained an anti-tank gun and serious hindered British tank movement on the opening day of Third Ypres. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 23 December , 2021 Share Posted 23 December , 2021 A lot more than that is not immediately known. I have written a book about Gheluvelt in WWI and I haven't figured out when it was built and by whom, nor exactly which unit was manning it. Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EDWARD1 Posted 23 December , 2021 Share Posted 23 December , 2021 Dont know if this will help. 8th Div HQ war diary with map showing German strongpoints circled in green (pg 241) and naming some of them (pg 236,237) Ancestry.co.uk - UK, World War I War Diaries (France, Belgium and Germany), 1914-1920 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus1914 Posted 23 December , 2021 Author Share Posted 23 December , 2021 51 minutes ago, AOK4 said: A lot more than that is not immediately known. I have written a book about Gheluvelt in WWI and I haven't figured out when it was built and by whom, nor exactly which unit was manning it. Jan What's the book called pleased Jan, I'd be interested in that... 25 minutes ago, EDWARD1 said: Dont know if this will help. 8th Div HQ war diary with map showing German strongpoints circled in green (pg 241) and naming some of them (pg 236,237) Ancestry.co.uk - UK, World War I War Diaries (France, Belgium and Germany), 1914-1920 Thanks, I'll have to look through the National Archive War Diary as I don't have Ancestry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus1914 Posted 23 December , 2021 Author Share Posted 23 December , 2021 Also Jan, I seem to remember reading somewhere that the strongpoint that accounted for the tanks was two floored... I can't find that reference now but I'll keep looking... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EDWARD1 Posted 23 December , 2021 Share Posted 23 December , 2021 Map of strong points and German Infantry in the area Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus1914 Posted 23 December , 2021 Author Share Posted 23 December , 2021 Thanks EDWARD1...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 23 December , 2021 Share Posted 23 December , 2021 Hello, I checked my book (Halfweg Menin Road en Ypernstrasse. Gheluvelt 1914-1918) and found the sentence: Ten men are put at the disposal of Unteroffizier Rehse [of Feldartillerie Regiment 268] on 26 January [1917] to build a bunker for an anti tank gun on the Zandberg Height. The British lines can be directly observed from here because of which construction is only possible during the nighttime. A specially built 800 metre long narrow gauge line connects the construction area with Veldhoek [where there was an advances Pionierpark]. The bunker is constructed without any harassment and is finished without losses. (from the regimental history of FAR 268) Whether it was this anti tank gun that disabled many tanks on 31 July 1917 is uncertain. Special Smk ammo was issued to machin gun units with which the armour could be pierced (or at least caused splinters flying around in the inside of the tank when hit by these bullets). Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus1914 Posted 23 December , 2021 Author Share Posted 23 December , 2021 Thanks Jan, very interesting... I'll try and find where the Zandberg Height is now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 23 December , 2021 Share Posted 23 December , 2021 2 hours ago, Gus1914 said: Thanks Jan, very interesting... I'll try and find where the Zandberg Height is now... Zandberg is the official name for the height at Clapham Junction... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus1914 Posted 23 December , 2021 Author Share Posted 23 December , 2021 1 hour ago, AOK4 said: Zandberg is the official name for the height at Clapham Junction... Brilliant, thanks for that Jan...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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