Royal Bavarian 5th Infantry Regiment "Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse"

Monument erected in 1922 for the dead of the 5th Infantry Regiment in Bamberg's Luisenhain .

The 5th Infantry Regiment "Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig von Hessen" was an association of the 7th Infantry Brigade of the Bavarian Army . The regiment's peacetime location was Bamberg .

history

Lineup

The regiment was established in Ingolstadt on July 4, 1722 . It was from the III. Battalion of the Leib Regiment (21 officers and 332 men), formed from the “Maffei” regiment (ten officers and 95 men) and from the “Kurprinz” regiment (four officers and four NCOs / men). The first regiment owner was Sergeant General Wilhelm Benedikt Marquis de Cano, who was also the first to name the regiment ( regiment on foot "Count Cano" ). The first colonel in command was Colonel Karl Wilhelm Freiherr von Lerchenfeld. The flag of the Leib-Kompagnie was made of white silk with a painted portrait of Mary . The flags of the companies consisted of two white and two blue stripes. The elector's initials were affixed to the top of the flag. The owner of the regiment had the privilege of keeping the flags, which were already issued at that time with special formalities. As of August 6, 1722, the regiment was divided into ten fusilier companies and consisted of thirty officers, ten ensigns, a quartermaster, an adjutant, a regiment drum, ten sergeants , ten commanders , ten fouriers , nine model clerks, ten field clerks , forty corporals, 27 musicians and 344 men. On May 25, 1724 soldiers mutinied in Ingolstadt because of backward pay , and a lieutenant deserted . From September 1725 the staff and the 2nd battalion were stationed in Straubing , the 1st battalion in Donauwörth . In August 1726 a company of the regiment was deployed in Friedberg against striking Augsburg workers. In April 1731 the regiment was once again housed in Ingolstadt. On April 3, 1732 the III. Battalion set up, the regiment now numbered 1,300 men. On June 27, 1732 there were officers, NCOs and men to set up the regiment "Prince Joseph-Ludwig" . On May 27, 1737 Johann Leonhard de Friderico was appointed Colonel Commander. The infantry regiment "Graf Cano", established on August 6, 1722, was awarded to Sergeant General Theodor Heinrich Graf von Morawitzky on Tenczin and Rudnitz on November 5, 1734 , who met the owner, Sergeant-General Wilhelm Benedikt Marquis de Cano, because of "certain conditions "Had agreed on a settlement that was also renamed the regiment on foot" Count Morawitzky " . In 1735 the regiment took on 264 men from the Upper Palatinate flags . On August 12, 1770, the elderly General Feldzeugmeister, Count Morawitzky, renounced his regiment and handed it over to the Privy Council , Colonel Stable Master and Colonel of the Infantry Karl Count von Daun.

Campaigns against the Turks in 1738/39

The regiment sent the 1st Battalion with fourteen officers, five ensigns and 593 NCOs and men to the auxiliary corps. On October 17, 1738, two men died near Ratza, two men died for other reasons. In the battle near Grotzka on July 22, 1739, the battalion lost an officer and two grenadiers and ten men were wounded. On July 30, 1739 it suffered no man during the fighting to retreat near Pancsowa. Soon afterwards the battalion received 159 replacements. From August 20 to September 1, 1739 it took part in an attempt at relief in Belgrade , which was besieged by Turkish troops , where four officers and thirteen men were killed. The combat strength of the battalion at that time was 330 men, Ratza were 102 sick. By April 1740, the battalion had lost a total of 657 men.

Seven Years War 1757/59

The regiment at the Battle of Leuthen (lithograph by Anton Hoffmann )

On April 3, 1757, the regiment placed the 1st Battalion with 31 officers, 38 NCOs and 584 men in the auxiliary corps of Major General Count Seyssel. In October and November 1757 it was involved in the occupation of Schweidnitz on November 12th and Breslau on November 22nd by the Austrian army, whereby it suffered only minor losses from combat operations (one fallen, four wounded). However, the regiment lost 31 sick people and 70 deserters during the period. In the unfortunate battle of Leuthen on December 5, 1757, twenty men of the battalion fell, three officers and 64 men were wounded, three officers and 114 men were taken prisoner.

Coalition wars

Third Coalition War 1805

On November 22nd, 1805, the Colonel Commandant Colonel Philipp von Bieringer at the head of his 1st Battalion advanced to the entrenchments of the Strub Pass, but had to lead the men back in an orderly manner due to excessive enemy fire. He attacked repeatedly that day, but without success. For his personal bravery and his military leadership qualities in front of the Strubpass, he was nevertheless awarded the Military Medal of Honor , which was converted into the Knight's Cross of the Military Max Joseph Order by army order of March 1, 1806 .

Fourth coalition war 1806/07

In the battle near Glogau from November 11th to 13th, 1806, the Prussian troops were repulsed by the Bavarian cavalry in an attempt to retire and holed up behind some large piles of wood in front of the glacis of the fortress. The commander of the lieutenant colonel company, staff captain Heinrich von Stonor, had a scouting party made up of a rifle sergeant and three brave soldiers clear up the enemy behind the piles of wood. However, they attacked fearlessly and, in spite of the violent karta fire, chased around twenty to thirty Prussians to flight. Realizing the piles of wood needed to go, Stonor suggested they burn them down. On November 12th he re-examined the situation with the logs. Before sunrise the next day, he and nine men brought enough fuel to the piles of wood and set them on fire. For his particular bravery at his company near Glogau, he received the Knight's Cross of the Military Max Joseph Order.

Fifth Coalition War 1809

On April 16, 1809, the 1st Battalion of the regiment, which was located near Landshut, received the order to march to Altdorf and occupy all roads leading to Bruckberg and Moosburg in order to allow the 3rd Division "Deroy" to retreat from Landshut to Altdorf cover. Since Altdorf was already occupied by Austrian skirmishers and cavalry and the Pfettrachbach could not be waded through due to high water, the battalion had to pass man by man over a bridge. For this purpose, Lieutenant Anton Fabris was deployed with sixty riflemen to cover the battalion. The Austrians advanced very quickly, but Fabris was able to stop the enemy again and again with large amounts of ammunition. After the battalion had passed the Brückensteig, Fabris and his men also withdrew and threw the Brückensteig under violent enemy fire into the Pfettrachbach. In the village of Pfettrach he created a new defensive position and held the place with stubborn resistance until the Austrian artillery set it on fire. He withdrew from Pfettrach and reached the village of Arth. He immediately set up in the village and in the higher churchyard for defense. He always encouraged his tired troops not to give up, and repeatedly rejected the Austrians' cavalry and infantry skirmishers with lively fire. At dusk, he and his exhausted men gave way to Weihmichl and occupied an existing military position there. Fabris was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Military Max Joseph Order for his brave stand against the Austrians who pushed after him at Pfettrach.

On August 8, 1809, Lieutenant Colonel Franz Joseph Ferdinand von Schmöger received the order in Imst to take possession of the Inn bridge leading to Arzel. When he arrived there with three companies of the 2nd Battalion, the bridge was already occupied by Tyroleans. He ordered Lieutenant Sack with half a company to occupy the bridge on this side of the river. The Tyroleans on the other side of the bridge made no move to prevent the project. The Colonel Commandant Colonel Baron Wilhelm von Metzen , who marched with the 1st Battalion to Landeck, ordered that the bridges at Roppen, which were to be held at Mayerbach, should be occupied and thrown down. To do this, he put Captain Renner and the Colonel Company on the march for reinforcement, which, however, was intercepted by around 350 Tyroleans at Karras. Lieutenant Colonel von Schmöger ordered Captain Renner to hold his position and to move to Imst only after dusk in order to deceive the Tyroleans about the strength of the Bavarian troops and to make them believe that Karras would be held by the Bavarians. Schmöger had the two companies and parts of the colonel company bivouacked around Imst and thrown the six to seven bridges that were there. On August 9, before sunrise, the Tyrolean Karras attacked and Tyrolean farmers pushed forward from Arzel to the Inn Bridge. Oberleutnant Sack, threatened to fight, escaped from three sides on the hills near Imst. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel von Schmöger received the order to make the battalion ready to march. Colonel von Metzen withdrew from Landeck with the 1st Battalion. There was now a danger that the battalions would be cut off from one another. Schmöger reinforced Oberleutnant Sack's company with thirty men under Lieutenant Eckel and a howitzer, with which he fired a few shots into the advancing Tyroleans. The Tyroleans hesitated, Schmöger ordered Lieutenant Sack to proceed immediately and to take the old positions again, which succeeded with flying colors. At the same time Lieutenant Eckel won the road to Karras and was able to hold it for a quarter of an hour, which was enough for the 1st Battalion to pass. After uniting with the main column, the Bavarians were taken under fire by the Tyroleans on the hills. Schmöger immediately threw back the Tyroleans in a dashing attack. When the regiment's two battalions, the 2nd Dragoon Regiment and the remnants of the 10th Line Infantry Regiment, came together in Imst , the Tyroleans attacked from all sides. Schmöger's piquets brought up the rear, which he ordered not to vacate the position until he had given his express order so that the Bavarian troops would not be cut off and worn out one after the other. To do this, he reinforced the thirty grenadiers of Lieutenant von Mayerhofen with all available men, who held out against the Tyroleans for about three quarters of an hour. Then he ordered the retreat through the hostile Imst and had to fight his way to Imst through the Tyroleans, who had already outstripped him, to the main column. Schmöger stayed with the Arriere Guard, which covered the retreat of the Bavarians, until via Telfs. For his brave and prudent behavior at Imst, Schmöger was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Military Max Joseph Order.

Napoléon's Russian campaign in 1812

At the beginning of the campaign, the 1st and 2nd Battalion started with 47 officers, 135 NCOs and 1,450 men.

War against Prussia 1866

On May 12, 1869, Gustav Franz Xaver Ritter von Mühlbauer took over command of the regiment.

Franco-German War 1870/71

The regiment during the storming of the Weissenburger Tor (lithograph by Anton Hoffmann 1896)

After the march from July 22 to July 30, 1870, the regiment entered with 68 officers, 2,736 NCOs and men, 73 horses and thirteen carriages. It had its baptism of fire in the Battle of Weissenburg on August 4, 1870, in which two officers, Corporal Mühlbauer (the commander's son) and eleven men were killed, three officers and 42 men were wounded. In the battle of Wörth on August 6, 1870, the 1st and 2nd battalions suffered losses of nine dead and 35 wounded. On August 14, 1870, the Marsal regiment captured sixty artillery pieces, 3,000 rifles and substantial ammunition supplies. Thereafter, the regiment was involved in the siege of Toul and took part in the Battle of Sedan on September 1, 1870 , where it lost only one dead and three wounded. From September 20, 1870 to January 28, 1871 it was part of the siege ring around Paris .

First World War

The regiment entered on August 2, 1914 with a strength of 84 officers, 3,260 NCOs and men and 234 horses as part of the 6th Army . It was first used on the Western Front in Lorraine .

The regiment lost overall during the war

• Fallen and accidentally deceased: 70 officers, 361 NCOs, 3,613 men
• Illness deceased: one officer, twelve non-commissioned officers and 121 men
• Missing persons: one officer, fourteen non-commissioned officers and 223 men

At the end of the war there were 27 officers, three doctors, 176 NCOs and 1,098 men in captivity.

Whereabouts

After the armistice , the regiment returned home, where it was demobilized on December 1, 1918 .

The tradition in the Reichswehr was taken over by the 10th Company of the 21st (Bavarian) Infantry Regiment in Bayreuth on August 24, 1921 .

literature

• Konrad Krafft von Dellmensingen , Friedrichfranz Feeser: The Bavaria book of the world wars 1914-1918. Volume 1. Chr.Belser AG Verlagbuchhandlung, Stuttgart 1930.
• Günther Voigt: Germany's armies until 1918. Volume 10: Günter Wegner: Bavaria: Infantry Leib Regiment, Infantry Regiments 1–23, Jäger Battalions 1–2, 1st machine gun division. Biblio Publishing House. Osnabrück 1984. ISBN 3-7648-1199-4 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ The term commander did not come into use until 1872.
2. ↑ Hans Gerneth, Bernhard Kiessling: History of the Royal Bavarian 5th Infantry Regiment (Grand Duke of Hesse). Written on the basis of archival research. Volume 1. Verlag ES Mittler and Son. 1883. p. 51ff.
3. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from September 29, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
4. ^ Jürgen Kraus: Handbook of the associations and troops of the German army 1914-1918. Part 6: Infantry. Volume 1: Gerhard Bauer, Jürgen Kraus: Infantry Regiments. Verlag Militaria, Vienna 2007, ISBN 978-3-902526-14-4 , p. 438.