This week Sabine’s battlefield guide Saturday is going to the area around Boezinge to see the German actions. Most regimental German histories are pretty expensive to buy, I only had access to RIR 209
The 22nd of October 1914 German actions around Bikschote
In the night of 22.10.1914, the 46 reserve division had been taken out of combat of the XXIII reserve corps, because they were going to support the XXVI reserve corps in the line Bikschote Langemark. After daybreak, the 45 reserve division had put RIR 210 and 212 in the front line. RIR 212 advanced on both sides of the road Kippe- Steenstraete, while RIR 210 with Reg Jäger Batl 17 on the right wing tackled the enemy at Merkem and Luihgem. RIR 211, as a division reserve, initially remained at its assembly point at the exit of Roonehoek (east of Woumen Castle). The first company had been detached to Nachtegaal at daybreak to cover the heavy artillery. At 2.45 the regiment had advanced to Kippe and there at 4.40 ertz. von Wasielenski gave the order to intervene towards Bikschote in support of the hard-pressed RIR 212.
The III Battalion was split up 11th and 12th company advanced into the front line, 10th and 9th Company on the left, staggered over Draaibank and the St. Jansbeek against the eastern edge of Bikschote. Only half an hour later, II Battalion had to intervene and deployed 5th and 8th Company to lighten the left wing of the front line. 6th and 7th Company followed, while I Battalion remained behind as the division’s last reserve at ‘Kippe’. The English where approaching the front with a sense of desperation. Ieper was at stake, which had become a matter of honour for them to hold. Their field artillery fired as hard as the barrels could. They could see the assault lines from their prepared observation posts. on the other hand, only one regiment of artillery was at the disposal of their own division in the area Luighem to Bikschote.
But where to fire? there was nothing of the enemy to be seen, but seemingly from all the hedges and farms, from the edges of ditches and bare fields, there was a crash and the bullets were aimed and tore gaps. and yet the young troops were going into their first field battle here, for it very quickly became clear to all that the previous ones had been easier compared to this struggle. The Highlander was tough, he fired until he was dead, he let the enemy run, and sometimes he even managed to bring down the dangerous pack with a hand grenade. The hand grenades were completely unknown to our men. Only the crack, which did not come from artillery fire, and the peculiar fracture wounds gave them an inkling. And despite all this, we went forward , the trenches, the hedges were taken. The lines were partly torn apart ,but the long thorny hedge in the east offered only one hole to slip through.
Involuntarily, packs would gather, and people would stay behind in houses, because there was another hedge to be taken. And in between, shrapnel clattered and grenades crashed. Were they from the enemy or from our own artillery? A messenger from 8 company was send towards RIR 211 RIR 211 claimed that the latter was the case. The bullets were pelting from all sides, even from behind. what was the point, we ran forward, here, in the truest sense of the word, the infantrymen won the victory with their legs.
III Battalion, falling over to the right from the NE of 10 Company, was the first to break into Bikschote soon after 6 o’clock. Pushing the enemy, which here consisted of Frenchmen, in front of them, at the church they came upon 7th Company, which had broken through in the middle. it was pushed forward towards the north-western edge, while III Battalion won the western edge and advanced towards Steenstraete. Darkness had fallen in the meantime, and many French who had been overrun or had remained hidden in the houses had come to life again. In the back of the front line, across the streets and from the church tower, the bullets clapped, who was it, friend or foe? The confusion that had already begun took on the ominous forms that were to destroy what had already been achieved. The regimental commander, who had arrived in the village and had first ordered his troops ,the III Battalion on the western edge, received the order from a general staff officer there: to call in all the troops of regiments 211,212,213,216 and to secure the section from Merkem to Bikschote for a line of more than 3 km. at his disposal were the disorganised, widely scattered troops. the last reserve I/209 had been placed at the disposal of the 46 reserve division and only became available again on the following day. The severely wounded were brought to a house near the mill, The lightly wounded were placed in English trenches and protective holes in a circle, while the others moved into the surrounding area. A column of approx. 120-150 men was formed. Oberleutenant Wiedemann (RIR 211) took the lead, and so the column headed NW towards a c. 200-metre distant ridge. There was constant banging from all sides, whether it was friend or foe, who knows. At least they wanted to reassure the friend and so they started singing , ” Deutschland, Deutschland über alles “. The effect was devastating, and now it was pattering all the more, so it was better to be quiet as a mouse, luckily, as later experience confirmed again and again during night-time shoving, the fire went up too high most of the time. Lieutenant Becker took over the post duty. The officers dined in a farmhouse parlour. The wounded lay on beds and mattresses and were cared for by Unterartzt Treffurth. It was decided to rest in the farmhouse for the time being.
Sources:
Geschichte des reserves infanterie regiments Nr. 209 im Weltkrieg by Schultz Eugen, Kissler Arnold, Schulze Paul
Boezinge 14 18 Baccarne- Steen