Imperial and Royal Landwehr Infantry Regiment "Linz" No. 2

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The kk Landwehr Infantry Regiment "Linz" No. 2 was an association of the kk Landwehr of the Austro-Hungarian Armed Forces. It existed from 1889 until its dissolution in November 1918.

Captain of the Landwehr after 1908 in parade adjustment as an individual
The motto of the regiment was: "For God, Emperor and Upper Austria"

List and relevant events

In the course of the reorganization of the Landwehr, in May 1889 the k. 6 (Linz), No. 7 ( Wels ), and No. 8 (Salzburg- Hellbrunn barracks ) merged. k. Landwehr Infantry Regiment "Linz" No. 2 set up. Together with the Landwehr Infantry Regiment “St. Pölten ”No. 21 it formed the 87th Landwehr Brigade in Linz. This in turn was part of the 44th Landwehr Infantry Division in Innsbruck . The regiment was housed in the Landwehr barracks in Linz, which consisted of three main buildings. (The regimental command was in the part that was also called Object II or "Second Landwehr Barracks".).

The Landwehr infantry regiments were renamed rifle regiments on January 16, 1917 by Emperor Karl I by decree.

On July 31, 1914 in Austria-Hungary , the general mobilization proclaimed. The regiment moved out on August 18th. It had been commanded with the 44th Landwehr Infantry Division to the 3rd Army Corps (General of the Kavallerie Brudermann).

Object II or Second Landwehr Barracks in Linz

As early as October 1914, a member of the regiment was awarded the first gold medal for bravery . This medal was awarded posthumously to Sergeant Josef Fröschl on October 27, 1914.

Status 1914

  • Nationalities: 98% German - 2% other
  • Landwehr supplementary district: Linz and Salzburg
  • Commander: Colonel Konstantin Ritter Wasserthal von Zuccari
  • Staff officers: Lieutenant Colonel Franz Unger - Lieutenant Colonel Anton Möstl - Major Josef Morel - Major Leopold Hirsch - Major Julius Vogel - Major Vinzenz Beran - Major Franz Drtina

Battle calendar

1914

Members of the regiment marching out from Linz in 1914
  • August 29, 1914: Battle of Lviv . The Jeziernahöhe against Gliniany and a forest area near Zurawniki were stormed.
  • September 3-11 , 1914: Battle of Rawa Ruska and Zrotowice. The Russian massing of forces in the north required a regrouping. The 44th Landwehr Infantry Division (LITD) was moved to the 1st Army ( Colonel General Dankl ). The LIR No. 2 and No. 21 now formed the 122nd Infantry Brigade
  • October / November 1914: fighting near Cracow and Czenstochau

1915

  • December 1914 to March 1915: Battle of the Carpathian Mountains
  • May 1915: Austrian counterattacks in Galicia
  • from May 23, 1915: Relocation to the Italian theater of war. Defensive battles on the Isonzo in the Planina za Grebenom area above the Lepenjetal in the Krn area . The altitude in the area of ​​the peaks of the Vrisic, Lipnik and the Kote 1776, also called "Devil's Rock", was successfully defended by the LIR 2 for over eight and a half months.

1916

  • March to May 1916: The regiment was on restoration in the Bozen area and was then relocated to the plateau of the seven municipalities .
  • May 15, 1916: Participation in the South Tyrol offensive . Heavy fighting over Monte Pau
  • June 4, 1916: Beginning of the Brusilov offensive . Among other things, LIR 2 is being relocated to Eastern Galicia to strengthen it. Heavy fighting followed with great losses at Kolomea , Struby, Tlumacz, Palahycze and Uzin.
  • August 19, 1916: Ninth Battle of the Isonzo . The regiment relocated again to the Isonzo and was deployed east of Gorizia near Lokve in the Ternovan Forest. After an enemy breakthrough at Lokvica, the unit conducts a massive counterattack at the height of the battle and can take around 2,000 prisoners.

1917

  • August 1916 to May 1917: defensive battles on the Isonzo
  • May 12, 1917: Beginning of the 10th Isonzo Battle. The regiment defended the northern slope of Fajti Hrib.
  • May 23, 1917: After extensive artillery preparations, a strong Italian attack followed, which the regiment was able to repel with great losses to the attackers.
  • May to August 1917: Defensive battles on the Isonzo
  • August 17, 1917: 11th Battle of the Isonzo. The regiment was continuously involved in the defensive battles.
  • August to October 1917: defensive battles on the Isonzo
  • October 27, 1917: Twelfth Isonzo Battle The regiment stormed the Italian positions at Fajti Hrib and followed the fleeing enemy into the Italian lowlands in pouring rain and difficult road conditions. After days of marching, the first chase battles took place near Zaghi on November 7th, where the Livenza river was overcome with strong resistance and the embankment on the other side was stormed. After further pursuit battles reached the top of the III. Battalion was the first unit to cross the Piave on November 9 and was able to occupy the embankment on both sides of Salgareda .
  • November to December 1917: Defensive battles in the Zenson bridgehead position on the right bank of the Piave.
  • December 26, 1917: It had become impossible to hold the bridgeheads west of the Piave any longer. The troops lying there (the crews of the dam position at Zenson) had to be taken back to the eastern bank.

1918

  • December 1917 to February 1918: defensive battles in the Venetian lowlands
  • February to June 1918: re-establishment and training in the new combat tactics of the "elastic combat mode". Under the direction of Major General Schönauer, this phase served as preparation for the last Austrian offensives in June 1918 ( Piave battles ), in which the rifle regiment No. 2 had to survive under the most difficult conditions. This is where the regimental commander, Colonel Alfred Purtscher, fell in his command post on June 22, 1918. After the failure of the Piave offensive and heavy losses of their own, violent attacks by the Italians followed, culminating in the so-called Battle of Vittorio Veneto . The regiment took part in the defensive battles on the eastern bank of the Piave.

On November 4, 1918, at three o'clock in the morning in the Gemona - Osoppo area, news of the armistice reached the regiment . Despite the now erupting chaotic conditions and different interpretations of the armistice conditions, regimental commander Colonel Franz Karl Unger von Zurawniki was able to escape with most of his regiment to the area north of the demarcation line. In rapid marches through the Canal Valley , Pontebba was reached first and Villach on November 6, 1918 . The orderly condition of the troops prompted the mayor of Villach to ask the regiment to stay in Villach for a few more days in order to maintain peace and order. On November 10, 1918, the train was transported to Linz, where Colonel Unger's men and officers were released the following day in the Landwehr barracks. The Imperial and Royal Rifle Regiment "Linz" No. 2 ceased to exist.

literature

  • History of the Upper Austrian Rifle Regiment 1915 - 1918. Linz, 1958.
  • The two riflemen in the world war . Regiment chronicle, published by the Comradeship Association of the former two riflemen.
  • Fruit. Anton Wagner: History of the Landwehr in Austria. In: Ost. Federal Army: Troop service 3/1970.
  • Hans Rödhammer : Upper Austrian military history since 1848. Kulturverein Schloss Ebelsberg, S. oA
  • Wolfgang Joly: The officer corps of the Imperial and Royal Austrian Standschützen. In: Zeitschrift für Heereskunde , Heft 378, 59th vol., 1995, pp. 152–156.

Original documents (chronological):

  • Schematic of the kk Landwehr and kk gendarmerie of the kingdoms and states represented in the Reichsrathe for 1894. kuk Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Vienna 1894.
  • Leaflets on the history of the war of the kk rifle regiment No. 2. Published by SchR No. 2 in 1918.
  • Franz Thierry: KK Landsturminfanterieregiment Nr. 2. Memorial and fame sheets from the first years of the world war 1914/1915. Linz, 1916.

Evidence and Notes

  1. ↑ The Landwehr Infantry Regiments (LIR for short) always had the full name of the staff garrison
  2. ↑ Second Landwehr Barracks , linz.at ›Culture› City History ›Monuments
  3. ↑ He did not give a reason for this.
  4. ↑ recovery
  5. ↑ Although it is topographically the plateau of Lavarone / Folgaria, the area was always referred to by the Austro-Hungarian military, but there are also current Italian maps that see it that way
  6. ↑ hardly any ammunition, food or replacement personnel
  7. ^ Until then, border station between Italy and Austria-Hungary