***Antonio Wednesday’s Wonders ***Der Jäger und seine Maschinengewehr. (III)

We finish talking in this article about the life of Bruno Wegner during the First World War. Before going into action, let me show you the 2 last pieces of the group: 2 Paperweights with comments about his Decorations. I am pretty sure, they are presents from friends or customers of his home town in Braunschweig, because in both of them, they mentioned, that he is the son of a R. Wegner (Wegener by mistake in one of the Paper Weights). Also, in both of them, we can also see his rank and unit, where he was in that moment.
Last week, we left Bruno at the end of 1916 in a Hospital in Germany, because he was sick with Malaria. He may have been very sick, because he saw no action until the end of 1917. The only important entry in his records is, that he was promoted to Vizefeldwebel.
On the 14th of October 1917, he was transferred as “Zugführer” in the MG-Company of the Royal Bavarian 2. Jäger Bataillon or Light Infantry. As you can see in the Paper Weight with the Iron Cross, he was in that unit in the moment he received the decoration.
The 2. Jäger Bataillon was part of the 1st Jäger Regiment in the Alpenkorps, an elite Division (one of the units in the 14th German Army – General Otto von Below). During 1917, the Alpine Corps fought hard in Romania, but since September, they were employed along with the Austro-Hungarian troops in Italy and were about to take part in the Battle of Caporetto (the 12th Battle of Isonz), the big combined offensive, which will end up with an enormous Italian defeat.
The Alpenkorps stomerd the Hohe 1114, not that far away from Mont Nero and Tolmino, taking around 3.000 prisoners in the attack and further advance. Soon, this number was going to be very low in comparison with the numbers on the following days. Just a couple of days after, the Division took more than 10.000 prisoners and 80 Artillery pieces. The Italian Army was already collapsing and after the battle of Udine (noted in Bruno´s records), the race to the river Piave started. This defeat costed more than 400.000 casualties (dead, wounded, captured, desertes, etc) to the Italians, causing a huge crisis in the government and the need to receive reinforcement from its allies. Even with this victory, the Central Powers did not manage to take Italy out of the war. That “decisive battle” didn’t take place and this front would remain active after the end of the war.
To finish with 1917, just to mention, that Bruno was awarded with the Iron Cross 2nd Class on the 15th of November and 40 days later, on the 24th of December, he was promoted to Lieutenant of the Reserve.
At the beginning of 1918, the Alpenkorps was sent to Lorraine in France and then to Belgium. This was the first time that Bruno fought in the Western Front.
During the famous Kaiserschlacht or the spring offensive of 1918, another of those frustrated “decisive battles”, the Alpenkorps took part in the battle of Armentieres (Battle of the Lys, fighting in the line between that city and Bailleul in April 1918. They also participated in the offensive for the Kemmelberg, northeast from Bailleul (and not very far away from the Bavarian Forest – Bayernwald, whose remains can be visited). On the 10th of May 1918, the division had to be replace due to the huge amount of casualties.
Just 5 days later, on the 15th of May 1918, Bruno was sick again, but this time with Gonorrhoea. He will be out of action in Belgian Hospitals until August and then transferred again to the Jägers. Before that, he was awarded with the “Bayern Militär-Verdienstorden 4. Klasse mit Schwertern”.
At this point, the German were already retreating until the great push made by the Allies. Still Bruno was going to see action in the Somme (more retreat) and will end the war up in Serbia.
All in all, Bruno fought in all fronts since 1915 and managed to survive the war and over 100 years later, he was still remember thanks to this blog. His medals, Identification Tag and Paperweights are also in a good home in Munich, not far away, from where he trained.
Sources:
Histories of the Two Hundred and Fifty One Divisions of the German Army.
Das Bayernbuch vom Weltkriege,
Die Bayern im Großen Kriege 1914-1918
Maps von Wikipedia