Germany WW1 | Entrance

IMPERIAL GERMANY

IN THE GREAT WAR

Argonne Forest at Midnight an excerpt

A German Sapper's Song from the World War 1

Should the enemy threaten us even more,

We Germans fear him no more.

And should he be so strong,

He will not take our position.

The storm breaks! The mortar crashes!

The sapper begins his advance.

Forward to the enemy trenches,

There he pulls the pin on a grenade.

The infantry stand in wait,

Until the hand grenade explodes.

Then forward with the assault against the enemy,

And with a shout, break into their position.

Argonne Forest, Argonne Forest,

Soon thou wilt be a quiet cemetery.

In thy cool earth rests

much gallant soldiers' blood.

-Anonymous

Hermann Rohers

1st (1st East Prussian) Grenadier Regiment "King Frederick III"

77th, 153rd, 72nd, 54th, 84th, Infantry Regiments

Hermann Rohers would serve in several different regiments from 1911 till the end of the war. Fighting at nearly every battle on the Eastern front. He would go on to battle the French British and Canadians for the rest of the war Earning the Iron Cross for bravery.

In 1918 he was shot in the chest, earning a black wound badge. After a spell in hospital he retuned home to civilian life.

Ernst Hermann Michael

18th Royal Bavarian Infantry "Prince Ludwig Ferdinand"

Ernst Michael would serve in the 22nd Infantry during the pre war period, transferring to the 18th Regiment when war broke out in 1914. As part of the 3rd Bavarian Division he would fight at the battle of 1st Ypres, Loos, The Somme, Arras and many more.

He would be awarded the Bavarian Military Merit Cross 3rd Class for bravery. He returned home with the regiment in 1919.

Franz Jandebeur

1st Royal Bavarian Foot Artillery "Vakant Bothmer"

Franz would serve with the 1st Bavarian Foot Artillery Regiment as part of the 1st Bavarian Division. Franz and his guns would take part in the early part of the war as well as the Brutal Battle of the Verdun and the Meatgrinder of the Somme.

He would earn the Bavarian Military Merit Cross 3rd Class for bravery and return home in 1919, Demobilizing in Munich.

Gustav Rohne

2nd Reserve Squadron, 10th Reserve Logistics/Supply Battalion

Gustave Rohne was married with one child when on the 5th of August 1914 he again answered the call to fight for the Fatherland.

On the 17th October 1901 he joined 79th infantry regiment and served with them until around 1912. During the Great War he served with the 2nd Reserve Squadron, 10th Reserve Logistics Battalion, from Hannover.

Being an old man by this time he was admitted with rheumatism to Field Hospital 936 in Hildahiem during a long period in 1916. As far as I am aware he survived the war.

Josef Runggatcher

2nd Bavarian Infantry Regiment "Crown Prince"

Landshutz Joseph Runngatcher was from the Italian town of Villnöß in Northern Italy

He served with with the 2nd Bavarian Infantry Regiment, 1st Bavarian Division, and during his time with the Regiment he would fight at the Battle of the Frontiers, Race to the Sea and Battle of Verdun.

In May 1916 they were in the line around Vimy and just prior to being relieved, Joseph died "A death of suffering" at 37 years old on the 28th of May 1916.

Martin Bikelsberger

13th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment

Martin served with the 13th Bavarian Infantry Regiment as part of the 5th Royal Bavarian Reserve Division. This Division took part in the Battle of the Frontiers, Race to the Sea, and Arras 1914.

Martin would be killed in action on the 8th of May 1915 while the division was in the trenches of Flanders.

Franz Rampl

16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment

Franz Rampl was the son of a Master shoe maker in Ampfing, prior to the war he worked their with his father. He served in the 11th Company of the 16th RIR, as part of the 14th Reserve Division. They would take part in the initial Offensives of 1914, including the "Great Retreat" Franz would fight the division at the Battle of Verdun next

He was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class for Bravery in Action during the war. On January 31st 1917 he died of wounds received during that goliath struggle for Verdun in France.

Simon Beisinger

Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment

Simon Beisinger was the son of a Master woodworker and owned a successful bakery in Munich before the war. He would serve 38 months in the front lines in an unknown Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment.

On the 23rd of October 1917 he "Died a glorious death for the Fatherland"