This week Sabine’s battlefield guide Saturday :
A French breakthrough attempt at Wallemolen on the 11th of December 1914
The night had been quiet, hardly any gunfire could be heard. But the water was rising inexorably in the trenches. To protect the health of the crews, work had begun on a new trench behind the old one, which was to be drained at a depth of 40 cm at the most by the old trench lying behind it. At dawn, around 7 o’clock, heavy artillery fire began. Just then, 1 and 3 Company in the front trench were dislodged by 2 and 4 Company. 3 Company had already been disengaged, while 1 Company was still in front with its relief. Adjacent to 4 Company on the left lay 11/236. Unexpectedly and surprisingly, in the prevailing fog, shapes came rushing in. At the same moment as the danger was recognised, the machine guns rattled off and devastating infantry fire greeted the onrushing enemy. But the bodies of the fallen away, new attackers pushed up to the German trench and succeeded in penetrating our protective trench on the right wing. there were no obstacles in front of the regimental front and at this point in particular, the German position was staggered along a hedge. The land between the ends of the trench was thought to be sufficiently protected by a strong swamp. However, it was precisely here that the French managed to break in very skilfully.
A fierce scuffle now developed, with soldiers fighting with spades and axes. first and foremost, Lieutenant Liebenmayer, the leader of the 1st company, heroically defended himself until he collapsed, fatally shot in the heart. Lieutenant Münstermann of the same company died just as bravely. However, the invading enemy was overwhelmed by the resistance, with the exception of 40 men who surrendered.
When the losses were ascertained afterwards, the war volunteer Albert Sticht, who had acted as interpreter, was missing from 7th Company. At dusk, the guards saw a German soldier running towards the trench through the open countryside, pursued by four Frenchmen. Once in the trench, he prevented his supposed pursuers from being fired on , soon the soldiers saw who the German was. It was the missing Sticht with four Frenchmen.! When the French fire started, Sticht had jumped into a shell hole near the French trench and fell between five Frenchmen. Somehow he made them threw their weapons over the edge of the hole. He first had to allay their concerns about the treatment of prisoners of war in Germany, then he managed to persuade four Frenchmen to surrender. when the fifth, a dutiful sergeant, returned to his troops , Sticht ran with his prisoners to the regiment’s position. For this act he was awarded the E.K. II.
not an hour had passed since the French attack when the regiment’s success was assured. The repulse of the infantry attack and the success of the counterattack were effectively supported by the fire of the 3 and 5 reserve feldartillerie regiment 51. In front of the position of the IR 236 lay the corpses of the attackers. Most of them had fallen victim to the well-aimed fire of the extremely well-placed machine guns. 2 Offiziere, 3 fedwebel, 9 unteroffizier, 291 mann wurden unverwundet gefangen. In addition, there were numerous wounded French. At least the same number lay dead in front of our line. The attackers belonged to the 92 and 153 Line Regiments.
Next week we will focus on what the French wrote about this attack, a few surprises on who was there and who was not. The French diaries are so well written and so many details. Who knows we might have a clue who the 4 French were that Sticht brought in as POW.
das reserve infanterie regiment 236 Mayor Arthur
Thank you to Jürgen Schmieschek for letting me use the map