Tom Oliviers Posted 4 February , 2022 Share Posted 4 February , 2022 In this topic we will follow a single trench (one of hundreds in that area). This trench was called "Hermansgraben" on German trenchmaps. Some regular pictures taken in this trench when we're folowing it... offcourse there where some nice features to see which will follow in this reportage: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Oliviers Posted 4 February , 2022 Author Share Posted 4 February , 2022 The first big thing we found on the slope of the hill, connected with the Hermansgraben is this Geschützstand, not made of concrete, but dug into the rock. Entrance seen from the Hermansgraben A hallway leading down to a bigger room with a nice open embrassure pointed to the front, this is for me no doubt it was a place where a gun was positioned! We follow the slope of this rock where the embrasure was peaking through... This is the frontline, because all barbed wire is still present! And offcourse an uxo... still live, still dangerous, never touch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Oliviers Posted 4 February , 2022 Author Share Posted 4 February , 2022 The next thing we found is in the middle of the Hermansgraben, on the German map its called Rgt Gef Std (Regimentsgefechtsstand), an HQ, which is dug into the rock and reïnforced with a concrete roof. Unfortunatly its collapsed Right next to the Regimentsgefechtsstand lies this dugout (stollen), with the isolators still in place i think this was the communicationsroom (nachrichten) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 4 February , 2022 Share Posted 4 February , 2022 thanx for showing these pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Oliviers Posted 4 February , 2022 Author Share Posted 4 February , 2022 Dugout 1 (Stollen 1), the entrance is not visible anymore: Dugout 2 (Stollen 2): A steel pin in the ground... The bigger dangers camouflaged as innocent! (this is the backside of a trenchmortar!, still live and very kicking. It flew in the slope of the Hermansgraben, just 2m next to it, and sucked into the ground (not detonated but still live). Those soldiers had real luck there! I carefully removed some leaves and loose ground... do you see the fins allready? this is real dangerous stuff! Dugout 3 (Stollen 3): Some German Formsteine (Bunker building blocks) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Oliviers Posted 4 February , 2022 Author Share Posted 4 February , 2022 Dugout 4 (Stollen 4): Dugout 5 (Stollen 5): Dugout 6 (Stollen 6): Dugout 7 (Stollen 7): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Oliviers Posted 4 February , 2022 Author Share Posted 4 February , 2022 Dugout 8 (Stollen 8): Hermansgraben (trench) with barbed wires still finding everywhere Another pin in the ground, carefully removing some surface leaves and loose ground to show you guys the dangers that lies underneath! The same story as the one above, thisone also sucked into the flank of the Hermansgraben without detonating. Those soldiers where real lucky at that moment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Oliviers Posted 4 February , 2022 Author Share Posted 4 February , 2022 Again in the Hermansgraben, just simply following them: With more dugouts every now and then, the most of them where collapsed... Another UXO, with my hand next to it to show the largeness of the item (do not touch it!) Dugout... euh which number? Thisone is reinforced with a concrete roof and concreted sandbags. Another one with Heinrichbogen in it And another one, with some nice minierrahmen (wooden poles) inside: Notice the concrete reinforcement above the entrance! Thats all folks! Best regards Tom Oliviers, Bunkerfreaks Antwerpen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themonsstar Posted 5 February , 2022 Share Posted 5 February , 2022 Thank you for posting Tom, great pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kath Posted 5 February , 2022 Share Posted 5 February , 2022 Thank you, Tom. Fascinating to see. Take care. Kath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 5 February , 2022 Share Posted 5 February , 2022 Nice one`s Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grantmal Posted 6 February , 2022 Share Posted 6 February , 2022 Bravo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 10 February , 2022 Share Posted 10 February , 2022 Excellent photographs, Tom. Do you have a trench map of the lines you followed? David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 10 February , 2022 Admin Share Posted 10 February , 2022 Is this in the bois de Bovettes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Oliviers Posted 11 February , 2022 Author Share Posted 11 February , 2022 (edited) I thought it is the Bois de goutes d'or (or something like that, my French is real bad, i visit the country allready for 20 years every month, but still dont speak that language) roughly, this is the hermansgraben (the line in the middle with the GefStd and vermittlung), in the forest above the hamlet "Soupir" That is why i spent so much time in drawing trenchmaps as layer over google earth, it makes field-research a bit more easy ( a bit, because the terrain is really rough) Edited 11 February , 2022 by Tom Oliviers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 11 February , 2022 Admin Share Posted 11 February , 2022 I have visited Soupir on the Aisne many times, but never been in the woods. My late father had a look around many years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Oliviers Posted 12 February , 2022 Author Share Posted 12 February , 2022 If you re-visit, be aware that there are some underground quarry's which you dont want to miss, such as the "Elephantenhöhle" with a nice altar and a sculpture of a German soldier in 1:1 scale on the wall. just finding the entrance is a bit of a mission, the main entrance has collapsed, you need to enter via a crack in the wall of the rock-formation, which leads you to the chapel with the altar. we searched almost 4hrs for that entrance. I'll start a fresh topic of thisone with entrance coords Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 12 February , 2022 Share Posted 12 February , 2022 (edited) Found the area on a trench map- Chemin des Dames 2 January 1917. You are correct the wood is Bois des Gouttes d’or which morphs into Bois de la Bovette. Edited 12 February , 2022 by David_Blanchard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Oliviers Posted 12 February , 2022 Author Share Posted 12 February , 2022 Wauw nice map! new for me! That caverne de coblentz we also found, its completely collapsed, only some small parts remains with a lot of wellblech- and heinrichbogen arround. On another map this area is called Pionierwalddepot. If you see the area there, its was bombarded heavily, i think they hit the walddepot badly. Nearby there are some concrete remains (foundations) for waterstorage (wasserbehälter) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscherinfanteriest Posted 16 February , 2022 Share Posted 16 February , 2022 That is nice, I can imagine the wood scent, the bushes too large and the darkness of old shelters. Thanks for sharing that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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