After the previously described large scale attack on Hartmannsweilerkopf (See HERE), both French and German troops settled down to a war of attrition and aggressive patrolling. These actions were too small to merit a mention in the general histories of the war, but can be found in the regimental histories and diaries of the units involved in the fighting.

The 124th Landwehr Infantry Regiment was part of the 26th Landwehr Division - rated by the Allies as one of the least effective divisions of the German army. It was especially important that in units like this that the Sturmbataillons detached training cadres of storm-troopers. In the case of the 26th Landwehr Division soldiers from Sturmbataillon 16 were attached to train the regimental storm-troops. The regimental storm-troopers were hand-picked younger men who were assembled into assault groups and tasked with carrying out small scale offensive operations.  

In November 1917 it appeared to the Germans that the French were planning an attack on Hartmannsweilerkopf. Accordingly, raids were ordered with the dual goal of capturing prisoners to determine the enemy’s intentions and to destroy enemy positions with the intention of creating a buffer zone.

Above: The Sturm troops of the L.I.R. 124 practicing for their raid at the training ground at Ollweiler

Above: An Iron Cross Second class award document awarded to flame thrower operater Garde-Pionier Wilhelm Jakob Schlösser for his participation in the raids described on this page. Compare the document to the more decorative flame thrower regiment document pictured HERE

One such raid planned for 10th November - Operation “X64” – was an attack intended to push deep into enemy positions. The attack was to be carried out by four assault groups consisting of four officers and one hundred and twenty other ranks. Included in this number were thirty-eight members of Sturmbataillon 16 and eighteen pioniers equipped with eight flamethrowers. The assault groups were drilled in their mission by Hauptmann Huzel on the training ground at Ollweiler.   In support of the attack, Minenwerfer Bataillon 13, plus three attached artillery batteries and the 124th regiment’s light Werfer, would provide covering fire. The remaining batteries in the sector would target enemy artillery and observers, and provide a barrage to seal off the combat zone once the attack was underway. Additionally a diversion would take place in front of the enemy positions on the Molkenrainweg in an effort to distract the French and split their artillery fire.   From 16:20 to 17:05 artillery fire fell on the French frontline positions. Fourteen heavy Minenwerfer were used to blow paths through the barbed wire and obstacles, but despite a furious counter-bombardment they accomplished their task. The counter-bombardment inflicted few casualties among the Minenwerfer crew, with only two seriously and three lightly wounded. Eight of the Werfer were damaged by rounds exploding in their tubes, another was destroyed by a direct hit, and one had to be dug out after being buried by debris. The remaining Artillerie and Minenwerfer - under the control of the regimental staff - were able to adapt their fire plans to counter this loss of materiel. Five minutes before the last salvo was fired the raiders advanced through the gaps in the defences. Cutting through or blowing up obstacles that survived the bombardment and still blocked their way, they reached the front line as the last shell fell, but before the defenders had time to exit their bunkers. The French artillery barrage was ineffective; much of it fell behind the German lines and in sectors not involved in the attack. In spite of this Leutnant Klenk and one of his men were wounded in the advance and an Unteroffizier of the Sturmbataillon was killed by a Minenwerfer splinter when he passed through the target area and into the German barrage.   The result of the bombardment was impressive, bunkers were flattened and trenches collapsed, at one French mortar post the barrel and stand of the mortar had been thrown 30 meters from its original position. The raiders prepared charges to destroy the ammunition they found. A large bunker was encountered but jets of flame from the flamethrowers convinced nine enemy soldiers to surrender without firing a shot. They were lead to the rear while a group of German machine-gunners took up position to protect the raider’s flanks. The French dead were strewn among the ruins of their bunkers and trenches. Thirty-seven survivors from the 65eme Chasseur Bataillon were grateful to have survived the bombardment - even though they were now prisoners of war. They told the attackers in no uncertain terms that the violence and rapidity of the attack had come as a total surprise to them. German losses were comparatively light - other than the already mentioned badly wounded -there were twelve lightly wounded, eleven of these were able to remain with their unit. The sector commander commended the brave men of the Sturmabteilung and Leutnants Klenk, Hoffman, Marquardt and Weitmann.

Above: Storm troop training in Ollweiler

Further raids followed as the German High Command was expecting a French attack to be launched on or about 2nd December. Reinforcements were dispatched with the result that the camps and barracks in the area were overflowing with soldiers. The attack did not eventuate, although the French paper war intensified with propaganda leaflets being dropped from balloons.   The German artillery began to work overtime, with one bombardment after another. At night the French positions to the rear were bombarded with gas shells, and supply lines were targeted with random salvoes. The initial French response to this activity was weak, but in the middle of December their response became livelier with bombardments that saw up to 1000 rounds per minute hitting the German lines. The effect however was minimal, with occasional damage to bunkers and every now and then a soldier wounded.   The Germans still needed to know what was happening on the other side of the hill so they sent out patrols frequently. On one of these patrols - carried out on a stormy night - Leutnant Ersle cut through the barbed wire at Sermet and captured a sentry. In the days that followed there were many moonlit nights that made patrols too dangerous to carry out. Eventually though the weather changed and one night the Leutnant was woken by an experienced patroller who came to him and reported that the weather had turned stormy and was now perfect for patrolling. Leutnant Ersle organised a patrol and headed for the French lines. It was discovered that the French had closed the gap in the wire he had cut days earlier so it had to be re-cut; fortunately the sentries guarding the area were distracted by the clanging of tins on another section of wire. The patrol worked their way forward to within ten meters of the trench, and, as the moonlight shone through the clouds, Vizefeldwebel Schmelze and Gefreiters Bühler and Herbstreuter sprang forward to capture the two sentries and bring them back through the wire. Alerted by the noise of the capture other French soldiers came hurrying along the trench, Bühler opened fire with his pistol to slow their progress down and allow their exit from the French position. On reaching the wire they found they had missed the previously cut path, and there were some anxious moments until the covering party was able to cut a new path for them. After waiting two hours between the lines - while the commotion died down - the raiders finally returned to their own trenches.   An increase in reports of a coming French offensive caused the Germans to decide another reconnaissance in force was required. Accordingly this was ordered and assigned the code name “Unternehmung A 130”, the reconnaissance would be carried out by a strong force of 240 men. As many of the Minenwerfer used to provide cover and create gaps in the enemy wire were damaged beyond repair, the task was assigned to the supporting artillery. On the night before the raid, enemy batteries were subjected to a gas bombardment of fifty rounds of Blue Cross and Green Cross gas shells per hectare, a total of 3460 rounds. The gas bombardment would be repeated at one hour, half an hour and quarter of an hour before the assault. The attack was planned for 7:20am on 21st December. The preparations for the assault were carefully carried out, but the French were alert and detected them. They were expecting an attack and according to prisoners taken on the raid, they had been waiting three days for it.   The French sentries were alert and recognised German attempts to secretly blow paths through the wire under cover of the bombardment. The pioniers sent ahead with the charges to blow gaps in the wire were greeted with hand grenades from the French positions and as the assault group was readying to leave the German trenches French artillery bombarded the staging area. As the raiders reached the French wire it was found that the pioniers had failed to create the necessary gaps and there was a delay while the wire was blown. It was also found that the barrage had failed to neutralise the French sentries and these were still in place.

A big thanks to Steve Conway for giving a hand with editing this and making some good suggestions.