Infantry Regiment "Prinz Carl" (4th Grand Ducal Hessian) No. 118

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Regimental barracks around 1900
Older regimental flag

The Infantry Regiment "Prince Carl" (fourth Grand Ducal Hessian) no. 118 was an infantry joined the Grand Ducal Hessian quota within the Prussian army , whose history dates back to 1791.

history

The association was established on January 23, 1791 (Foundation Day) as the “Hereditary Prince” regiment in the Landgravial Hessian Army under Landgrave Ludwig X of Hesse-Darmstadt . It was initially formed into two battalions with four companies each . After Hessen-Darmstadt joined the French-dominated Rhine Confederation , the unit was reclassified, uniformed according to the French model, into an infantry regiment based on the French model. In 1806 it was named "Brigade Grand and Hereditary Prince". Two years later it was renamed the "Grand and Hereditary Prince" regiment until it finally formed the 4th Infantry Regiment on April 11, 1830 .

After the end of the German Confederation , the Grand Duke of Hesse subordinated his troops to the King of Prussia by means of a military convention. The Hessian troops were combined to form the 25th Division and added to the naming scheme of the Prussian Army. From October 25, 1871, the regiment was called the 4th Infantry Regiment "Prince Carl" (No. 118) and formed into three battalions with four companies each. On November 28, 1906, it received its last name Infantry Regiment "Prince Carl" (4th Grand Ducal Hessian) No. 118 . It was named after Prince Karl Wilhelm Ludwig of Hesse , the father of Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse . He was 1836 since 31 August owner was the regiment.

garrison

Memorial plaque at the former Prinz-Carl-Kaserne in Worms
View of the courtyard of the former Prinz-Carl-Kaserne (today: Prinz-Carl-Anlage ) in Worms

The regiment was originally stationed in Mainz . In 1872 the 2nd Battalion was first relocated to Worms and housed in the inner-city Palatine Barracks. Because of its limited space, a new barracks was built in the vicinity of the army hospital in 1897 . This was inaugurated in the same year under the name Prinz-Carl-Kaserne . After the First World War , the French moved there and called it Caserne de Vallieres . In 1936 the Wehrmacht took over the barracks and named them Kemmel barracks after the battle for the Kemmelberg in Flanders , in which the old infantry regiment No. 118 had participated . After the Second World War , the barracks briefly served the Americans as a prisoner-of-war camp , then it was handed over to the French occupation forces and was henceforth called Quartier Foch . In 1951 the Americans took over the barracks again and called them Taukkunen Barracks from 1956 . They added some constructions. In 1996 the Americans finally withdrew and the area, now named Prinz-Carl-Anlage , was converted into a hotel and commercial enterprise.

First coalition war

During the First Coalition War , the regiment took part in the campaign against the French on the Middle Rhine and the Lahn . It was used on November 11 in the battle near Kreuznach and on December 2, 1795 at Planig . On June 4th it was in action near Neustadt an der Wipper and on September 9th, 1796 the association took part in the conquest of the Platte near Wiesbaden .

Coalition wars

According to the treaties concluded with Napoleon Bonaparte , the regiment fought on the French side in Spain and in the campaign to Russia. Likewise in the Battle of the Nations near Leipzig . From March 13 to May 4, 1814, the regiment moved against France and was involved in the enclosure of the Mainz fortress . The 1st Battalion was deployed on June 23 at Rheinzabern and on June 28, 1815 at Strasbourg . The 2nd Battalion took part in the siege of Neu-Breisach from July 2 to August 10, 1815 and in the siege of Hüningen from August 15 to 26, 1815 .

Schleswig-Holstein War

In 1848 the regiment began its march to Schleswig-Holstein, but without actively intervening in the fighting.

German Revolution 1848/49

On the occasion of the revolutionary unrest, the regiment moved out and occupied Worms on May 29, 1849. In the course of the Baden Revolution , on May 30th, there were battles with insurgents near Hemsbach , in which the 5th and 6th companies were involved. Together with Prussian troops, the regiment subsequently took part in the battles near Weinheim , Großsachsen and Gernsbach .

German War 1866

During the German War , the regiment fought against Prussia in the German Confederation . There was fighting on July 13 at Frohnhofen and on July 25, 1866 at Gerchsheim .

Franco-German War 1870/71

During the war against France , the regiment first took part in the battle of Gravelotte and the siege of Metz . Subsequently it fought at Noisseville , Coulours, Orléans and during the Battle of Beaugency on the left bank of the Loire . It took part in the storm on Chambord on December 9, 1870 . This event was also processed into an anniversary spectacle on the 25th anniversary.

First World War

At the outbreak of the First World War, the association mobilized on August 2, 1914 as part of the 50th Infantry Brigade of the 25th Division. It invaded neutral Belgium and took part in the battles near Longlier and Neufchâteau . This was followed by the battle of the Meuse and the Marne . On October 11, 1914, the regiment was involved in position battles near Damremy- Soyécourt / Vesle - Somme - Avre . On the evening of December 17, 1914, the 17th Reserve Division was defeated in the trench warfare at Roye between Saint-Mard and the then Saint-Aurin , today's L'Échelle-Saint-Aurin after it merged with the former neighboring town of L'Échelle the 25th division relieved. The position of the infantry regiment "Lübeck" (3rd Hanseatic) No. 162 was taken over by the infantry regiment "Prince Carl" No. 118. On March 7, the subordination changed. The regiment now joined the 112th Infantry Brigade of the newly formed 56th Division . Initially deployed on the western front, the regiment moved to the eastern front in May 1915 and participated here u. a. in the battles near Gorlice-Tarnów and Lemberg . At the end of June 1915 it was relocated to the Western Front. Initially held in reserve, the regiment was deployed in the autumn battle in Champagne at the end of September . On September 25th it was involved in fighting near Sommepy-Tahure . This was followed by position battles in the Champagne until the end of April 1916. At the end of May 1916 it entered the battle for Verdun . There it fought on August 5th on the Thiaumont Ridge . After trench warfare in Flanders and Artois , the regiment took part in the Battle of the Somme . During the subsequent trench warfare in Champagne , the regiment received a 2nd and 3rd MG company.

In the Easter battle near Arras on April 9, 1917, only the 1st battalion fought at Vimy . On April 23, 1917, the entire regiment was deployed there. The association was then engaged in trench warfare for the coming months until April 1918 and took part in the battle of the Kemmel . After heavy losses in the defensive battles in Flanders, the 4th, 6th and 12th companies had to be disbanded on October 8, 1918, as no replacement was available.

Whereabouts

After the end of the war , the remnants of the regiment marched back home. Since the previous Worms garrison was in the now demilitarized zone, it was no longer available. The regiment therefore had to move to a location on the right bank of the Rhine and arrived in Bensheim on December 20, 1918 . The demobilization took place in January 1919 and the regiment was officially disbanded on May 10, 1919. A volunteer battalion , also known as the “von Goessel” volunteer battalion, with MG and MW companies , was formed from demobilized parts in January 1919 . After the formation, this unit transferred to the Hesse Freikorps. In the course of the formation of the Provisional Reichswehr , the takeover as 2nd Battalion in the Reichswehr-Schützen-Regiment 35 followed.

Commanders

Major König at the Lübeck cemetery of honor
Rank Surname date
Colonel / Major General Ludwig of Hesse January 23, 1791 to May 31, 1803
Colonel / Major General Johann Georg von Schäffer-Bernstein 0June 1, 1803 to August 20, 1808
Lieutenant colonel Karl von Ledebur August 23 to December 7, 1808
Lieutenant colonel Wilhelm Damm 0December 8, 1808 to February 18, 1809
major Franz Eysermann February 19 to August 10, 1809
major Christian Weber August 11, 1809 to July 8, 1810
Lieutenant colonel Ernst Koehler 0July 9, 1810 to January 19, 1821
Colonel Wilhelm Gran January 20, 1821 to 0August 1, 1823
Colonel Ulrich Pultz from Carlsen 0August 2, 1823 to December 12, 1837
Colonel Georg Franz Pfaff December 13, 1837 to February 23, 1842
Colonel Roeder von Diersburg February 24, 1842 to September 15, 1845
Colonel Heinrich Joseph von Weitershausen September 16, 1845 to December 31, 1852
Lieutenant Colonel / Colonel Christian von Bechthold 0January 1, 1853 to March 26, 1859
Colonel Johann Jakob Weitzel March 27, 1859 to October 17, 1860
Colonel August von Stockhausen October 18, 1860 to March 9, 1866
Colonel Ludwig Schenck March 10 to July 26, 1866
Colonel Johann Christian Bickel July 29, 1866 to January 23, 1867
Colonel Wilhelm Weber January 24th to July 9th, 1867
Lieutenant Colonel / Colonel Ludwig von Lyncker July 10, 1867 to September 30, 1868
Lieutenant colonel Ludwig Zwenger November 20, 1868 to August 20, 1870 (in charge of the tour)
Lieutenant colonel Karl von Gründler 0September 7-22, 1870 (in charge of the tour)
Lieutenant Colonel / Colonel Karl von Gründler September 23, 1870 to February 5, 1873
Lieutenant colonel Ernst von Tschirschky and Bögendorff 0February 6, 1873 to October 14, 1874
Lieutenant colonel Rudolph Tiehsen October 15 to December 14, 1874 (in charge of the tour)
Lieutenant Colonel / Colonel Rudolph Tiehsen December 15, 1874 to July 9, 1880
Lieutenant Colonel / Colonel Julius von Rosen July 10, 1880 to March 21, 1886
Colonel Alexander Johannes March 22, 1886 to February 15, 1889
Colonel Theodor Kuchenbecker February 16, 1889 to June 15, 1891
Hugo Langenmayr June 16, 1891 to March 24, 1893
Colonel Heinrich von Puttkamer March 25, 1893 to May 19, 1896
Colonel Leo von Weiher May 20, 1896 to July 2, 1899
Colonel Rudolph d'Heil 0July 3, 1899 to December 17, 1901
Lieutenant colonel Arthur Dietlein December 18, 1901 to April 21, 1902 (in charge of the tour)
Colonel Arthur Dietlein April 22, 1902 to March 19, 1906
Lieutenant Colonel / Colonel Friedrich von Böckmann March 20, 1906 to March 21, 1910
Colonel Karl von Behr March 22, 1910 to May 19, 1913
Colonel Richard Münter May 20, 1913 to November 8, 1914
Lieutenant colonel Hellmuth von Maltzahn 0November 9, 1914 to February 8, 1915
Lieutenant colonel Hugo Semrau 0February 9 to June 13, 1915
major Wilhelm King June 14 to October 6, 1915
Lieutenant colonel Karl Hermann Lockemann 0October 7, 1915 to June 26, 1916
Lieutenant colonel Walther Reinhardt June 27 to July 19, 1916
Colonel Karl von Dunker July 20 to October 29, 1916
Lieutenant colonel Bernhard Fabarius October 30, 1916 to April 1, 1917
Lieutenant colonel Friedrich von Weyrauch 0April 2, 1917 to January 19, 1919
Colonel Heinrich von Bibra January 20 to April 1919

uniform

The regiment wore the uniform of the Prussian infantry, with the deviations allowed for the Grand Ducal Hessian contingent. The helmet ornament consisted of the striped Hessian heraldic lion in a half-open wreath of laurel and oak leaves. Regardless of the button color, the helmet fittings were always made of tombac . Instead of the plate attachment, the helmet always had a cross fitting with a sixfold point. The national cockade was red and white and smooth, in contrast to the fluted designs of the other contingents. On the belt lock was a raised, embossed Grand Ducal crown.

Since the five regiments of the Grand Ducal Contingent deviated from the Prussian system with the color of the epaulettes (here each regiment within an army corps wore the same sleeve flap and shoulder flap color), regiment No. 118 was equipped with sleeve flaps and epaulettes in golden yellow. Because of these noticeable features, the regiment was nicknamed "The Canaries". When the regiment started together with other units in the formation, all the surrounding troops began to whistle.

tradition

118 monument in Worms

The tradition in the Reichswehr was adopted by the 3rd and 4th companies of the 15th Infantry Regiment in Giessen by decree of the Chief of Army Command, General of the Infantry Hans von Seeckt , on August 24, 1921 . In the Wehrmacht the tradition led the III. Battalion of the 115th Infantry Regiment in Worms.

Seal mark of the III. Battalions

The 118 monument by Paul Birr in Worms, unveiled on August 21, 1932, commemorates the regiment .

References

literature

  • Fritz Beck: History of the Grand Ducal Hessian flags and standards. ES Mittler & Sohn , Berlin 1895.
  • Hall of Fame of our Old Army. Published on the basis of official material from the Reichsarchiv , Militär-Verlag, Berlin 1927, p. 21.
  • August Justus Alexander Keim: History of the 4th Grand Ducal Hessian Infantry Regiment (Prince Karl) No. 118 and its tribes. 1699-1888. ES Mittler & Sohn, Berlin 1879.
  • Jürgen Kraus : Handbook of the associations and troops of the German army 1914-1918. Part VI: Infantry. Volume 1: Infantry Regiments. Verlag Militaria, Vienna 2007, ISBN 978-3-902526-14-4 , p. 200.
  • The capture of Badajoz in Spain and the IV. Grand Ducal Hessian Infantry Regiment (Prince Carl) No. 118. (to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the IV. Grand Ducal Hessian Infantry Regiment (Prince Carl) No. 118 in Mainz on January 22nd 1891), Mainz and Wallau 1891.
  • Reichsarchiv (Ed.):
Volume 13: Battles of the World War: "The tragedy of Verdun" 1st part.
Volume 14: Battles of the World War: "The tragedy of Verdun" 2nd part.
Volume 15: Battles of the World War: "The tragedy of Verdun" 3rd and 4th part.
Volume 28: Battles of the World War: "The Easter Battle of Arras" Part 1.
Volume 29: Battles of the World War: "The Easter Battle of Arras" Part 2.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Alfred Börckel : Mainz as a fortress and garrison from Roman times to the present . Verlag von J. Diemer, Mainz 1913, p. 293 .
  2. ↑ Prinz-Carl-Anlage. From the barracks to the culture and service park. City administration of Worms. ( Memento from January 23, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ^ Alfred Börckel: Mainz as a fortress and garrison from Roman times to the present . Verlag von J. Diemer, Mainz 1913, p. 301 .
  4. ^ Otto Dziobek: History of the Lübeck Infantry Regiment (3rd Hanseatic) No. 162 ; first edition 1922
  5. ^ Günter Wegmann (Ed.), Günter Wegner: Formation history and staffing of the German armed forces 1815-1990. Part 1: Occupation of the German armies 1815–1939. Volume 2: The staffing of active infantry regiments as well as Jäger and MG battalions, military district commandos and training managers from the foundation or list until 1939. Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1992, ISBN 3-7648-1782-8 , pp. 304 ff.
  6. ↑ Imposing parades. Otmar Weis reports on the Mainz garrison and its regiments. in: Mainzer Allgemeine Zeitung. dated April 4, 2007.
  7. ↑ Brown University Library UA713.Z6 118th K4X 1879