New Prussian engineer battalions
The structure of the pioneer troops in the royal Prussian army , from 1871 within the German army , was based on the New Prussian army organization .
history
In the course of the reorganization of the Prussian military after 1807, the reformer , Lieutenant Colonel August Neidhardt von Gneisenau , was commissioned in 1809 to combine the previously independent miners , pioneers and pontooners and fortress builders into one engineer corps.
Between 1807 and 1914, 28 engineer battalions were set up in the New Prussian and German armies.
Advances in technology resulted in new technical pioneer formations:
- In 1830 the telegraph force , from which in 1899 a separate branch, the later intelligence force, emerged.
- 1866 the railway pioneers
- 1870 the airship force
In 1859, before the army reform , the pioneers consisted of a guard division and eight pioneer divisions with a total of 2,500 men.
On December 18, 1872, as part of the reorganization of the German army, the pioneer troops of Baden , Württemberg , Saxony and Bavaria were transferred to Prussian structures (cf. non-Prussian pioneer battalions ). According to the military convention with the North German Confederation of 21./25. November 1870, Württemberg , Bavaria and Saxony had their own war ministries and general staff and were not part of the Prussian army.
At the time of peace in 1914, 28 out of 35 engineer battalions were Prussian.
After the mobilization in 1914, the engineer force of the German army had 218 engineer companies and 106 bridge trains with a total strength of 80,000 men. By 1918, another 431 pioneer companies and 46 bridge trains were put into service.
Construction of a pioneer battalion (brief description)
An engineer battalion consisted of four companies . A company was led by a captain , had four other officers, a medical officer and 264 NCOs and men.
Subordination
Within the army organization, the General Inspection of the Engineer and Pioneer Corps and the fortresses , based in Berlin, was the highest department of the engineer troops. There were also 4 engineer inspections to which the engineer battalions were subordinate. If several engineer battalions were assigned to an army corps , these were combined under the command of the engineers in the respective army corps. These departments were given the task of monitoring the training and readiness for war of the engineering units , while the general commands of the army corps were responsible for the administrative and supply affairs of the battalions.
Prussian engineer battalions
Guard Engineer Battalion
The Guard Pioneer Battalion was subordinate to the 1st Engineer Inspection and assigned to the Guard Corps . Berlin was the place of peace in 1914. The pioneer test company was assigned to the battalion.
Pioneer Battalion Prince Radziwill (East Prussian) No. 1
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The Pioneer Battalion Fürst Radziwill (East Prussian) No. 1 , together with the Samland Pioneer Battalion No. 18, was subordinate to the 4th Pioneer Inspection or the command of the pioneers in the 1st Army Corps . Königsberg in Prussia had been the place of peace since 1890 . Before that, the battalion had been in the Danzig garrison for 70 years . It bore the since 1889 honorary title of Prince Radziwill , after the well-deserved Chief of Engineers and Engineering Corps from 1860 to 1866, General of Infantry Wilhelm prince of Radziwill .
Pomeranian Pioneer Battalion No. 2
The Pomeranian Pioneer Battalion No. 2 was subordinate to the 4th Engineer Inspection and assigned to the II Army Corps . Stettin was the place of peace in 1914 . Foundation day was March 27, 1816.
Pioneer Battalion von Rauch (1st Brandenburg) No. 3
The Pioneer Battalion from Rauch (1st Brandenburgisches) No. 3 was subordinate to the 1st Pioneer Inspection and the III. Assigned to Army Corps . Spandau was the place of peace in 1914 . The battalion was previously stationed in Torgau and later partly in Brandenburg an der Havel . It was since 1889 the honorary title of smoke after the General Gustav von Rauch and recruited mainly from the Mark Brandenburg .
Magdeburg Pioneer Battalion No. 4
The Magdeburg Pioneer Battalion No. 4 was subordinate to the 1st Engineer Inspection and assigned to the IV Army Corps . The place of peace in 1914 was Magdeburg . The battalion was formed on March 27, 1816 by the highest cabinet order from the 4th and 6th Field Pioneer Company as the 6th Pioneer Department (Magdeburg) .
Lower Silesian Pioneer Battalion No. 5
The Lower Silesian Pioneer Battalion No. 5 , together with Posen's Pioneer Battalion No. 29, was subordinate to the 4th Pioneer Inspection and the command of the pioneers in the V Army Corps . The place of peace in 1914 was Glogau in Lower Silesia .
Silesian Pioneer Battalion No. 6
The Silesian Pioneer Battalion No. 6 was subordinate to the 4th Pioneer Inspection and the VI. Assigned to Army Corps . The place of peace in 1914 was Neisse in Silesia .
1st Westphalian Pioneer Battalion No. 7
The 1st Westphalian Pioneer Battalion No. 7 , together with the 2nd Westphalian Pioneer Battalion No. 24, was subordinate to the 2nd Pioneer Inspection and the command of the pioneers in the VII Army Corps . The place of peace in 1914 was Cologne . The battalion was mainly recruited in the Prussian province of Westphalia .
1st Rhenish Pioneer Battalion No. 8
The 1st Rhenish Pioneer Battalion No. 8 , together with the 3rd Rhenish Pioneer Battalion No. 30, was subordinate to the 2nd Pioneer Inspection and the command of the pioneers in the VIII Army Corps . The 1914 peace location was Koblenz. It was erected on March 27, 1816.
Schleswig-Holstein Pioneer Battalion No. 9
The Schleswig-Holstein Pioneer Battalion No. 9 was subordinate to the 1st Pioneer Inspection and the IX. Assigned to Army Corps . The peace location in 1914 was Harburg (Elbe) . The battalion was mainly recruited in the Prussian province of Schleswig-Holstein .
Hanover Pioneer Battalion No. 10
The Hanoverian Pioneer Battalion No. 10 was subordinate to the 1st Pioneer Inspection and assigned to the X. Army Corps . The place of peace in 1914 was Minden . The battalion was mainly recruited in the Prussian province of Hanover .
Kurhessisches Pioneer Battalion No. 11
The Kurhessian Pioneer Battalion No. 11 was subordinate to the 2nd Pioneer Inspection and the XI. Assigned to Army Corps . The battalion was set up in 1866 as the Hessian Pioneer Battalion No. 11 in Mainz-Kastel and continued the tradition of the former Hessian pioneer units (Foundation day March 1, 1842). The place of peace in 1914 (from October 1, 1901) was the Kurhessen barracks in Hannoversch Münden . The battalion was mainly recruited in Kurhessen .
Baden Pioneer Battalion No. 14
The Baden Pioneer Battalion No. 14 was established in 1850 and was part of the Baden contingent of the Prussian army. It was the '3. Pioneer Inspection 'and assigned to the XIV Army Corps . The peace location was Kehl . There is a monument in the Kehler rose garden.
1st Alsatian Pioneer Battalion No. 15
The 1st Alsatian Pioneer Battalion No. 15 was together with the 2nd Alsatian Pioneer Battalion No. 19 of the 3rd Pioneer Inspection or the command of the pioneers at the XV. Army Corps subordinated. The place of peace in 1914 was Strasbourg in Alsace .
1st Lorraine Engineer Battalion No. 16
The 1st Lorraine Pioneer Battalion No. 16 was together with the 2nd Lorraine Pioneer Battalion No. 20 of the 3rd Pioneer Inspection or the command of the pioneers at the XVI. Army Corps subordinated. The place of peace in 1914 was Metz (→ Metz Fortress ).
1st West Prussian Pioneer Battalion No. 17
The 1st West Prussian Pioneer Battalion No. 17 was subordinate to the 4th Pioneer Inspection and the XVII. Assigned to Army Corps . The place of peace in 1914 was Thorn in West Prussia .
Samland Pioneer Battalion No. 18
The Samland Pioneer Battalion No. 18 , together with the Pioneer Battalion Fürst Radziwill (East Prussian) No. 1, was subordinate to the 4th Pioneer Inspection and the command of the pioneers in the 1st Army Corps . The place of peace in 1914 was Königsberg in Prussia . The battalion was recruited in the Samland .
2nd Alsatian Pioneer Battalion No. 19
The 2nd Alsatian Pioneer Battalion No. 19 was together with the 1st Alsatian Pioneer Battalion No. 15 of the 3rd Pioneer Inspection or the command of the pioneers at the XV. Army Corps subordinated. The place of peace in 1914 was Strasbourg in Alsace .
2nd Lorraine Engineer Battalion No. 20
The 2nd Lorraine Pioneer Battalion No. 20, together with the 1st Lorraine Pioneer Battalion No. 16, was subordinate to the 3rd Engineer Inspection or the command of the engineers at the XVI. Army Corps . In 1914, the peace location was Metz . The battalion was mainly recruited in the Lorraine part of the Reichslande Alsace-Lorraine .
1st Nassau Pioneer Battalion No. 21
The 1st Nassau Pioneer Battalion No. 21 was together with the 2nd Nassau Pioneer Battalion No. 25 of the 2nd Pioneer Inspection or the command of the pioneers in the XVIII. Army Corps subordinated.
Founded March 26, 1901, the place of peace in 1914 was Mainz fortress . The battalion was mainly recruited in the Prussian province of Hessen-Nassau . Until 1918 it was stationed in the Archduke Wilhelm barracks in Mainz-Kastel .
2nd West Prussian Pioneer Battalion No. 23
The 2nd West Prussian Pioneer Battalion No. 23 was together with the Masurian Pioneer Battalion No. 26 of the 4th Pioneer Inspection or the command of the pioneers at the XX. Army Corps subordinated. The place of peace in 1914 was Graudenz in West Prussia .
2nd Westphalian Pioneer Battalion No. 24
The 2nd Westphalian Pioneer Battalion No. 24 , together with the 1st Westphalian Pioneer Battalion No. 7, was subordinate to the 2nd Pioneer Inspection and the command of the pioneers in the VII Army Corps . The place of peace in 1914 was Cologne . The battalion was mainly recruited in the Prussian province of Westphalia .
2nd Nassau Pioneer Battalion No. 25
The 2nd Nassau Pioneer Battalion No. 25 was together with the 1st Nassau Pioneer Battalion No. 21 of the 2nd Pioneer Inspection or the command of the pioneers in the XVIII. Army Corps subordinated.
Founded on October 1, 1909, the peace location in 1914 was Mainz or Mainz-Kastel , where the mudra barracks were occupied until 1918 . The battalion was mainly recruited in the Prussian province of Hessen-Nassau .
Masurian Engineer Battalion No. 26
The Masurian Pioneer Battalion No. 26 was together with the 2nd West Prussian Pioneer Battalion No. 23 of the 4th Pioneer Inspection or the command of the pioneers at the XX. Army Corps subordinated. The place of peace in 1914 was Graudenz . Most of the battalion was recruited in Masuria .
2nd Rhenish Pioneer Battalion No. 27
The 2nd Rhenish Pioneer Battalion No. 27 was subordinate to the 3rd Pioneer Inspection and the XXI. Assigned to Army Corps . The place of peace in 1914 was Strasbourg in Alsace and Trier . The battalion was mainly recruited in the Prussian Rhine province .
2nd Brandenburg Pioneer Battalion No. 28
The 2nd Brandenburg Pioneer Battalion No. 28 was established in 1913, was subordinate to the 1st Pioneer Inspection and the III. Assigned to Army Corps . The 1914 peace location was Cüstrin . The battalion was mainly recruited in the Mark Brandenburg .
Posensches Pioneer Battalion No. 29
The Posensche Pioneer Battalion No. 29 was established in 1913, was subordinate to the 4th Engineer Inspection and assigned to the V Army Corps . Year of construction was 1913; The place of peace was Posen in the Prussian province of the same name .
3rd Rhenish Pioneer Battalion No. 30
The 3rd Rhenish Pioneer Battalion No. 30 was set up in 1913 as a fortress pioneer battalion in Koblenz and, together with the 1st Rhenish Pioneer Battalion No. 8, was part of the 2nd Pioneer Inspection and the pioneers' command of the VIII. Army Corps subordinated. It was entirely housed in Fort Asterstein . After the mobilization in 1914, the battalion was expanded to a pioneer regiment .
Non-Prussian engineer battalions
1st Royal Saxon Pioneer Battalion No. 12
The 1st Royal Saxon Pioneer Battalion No. 12 was established in 1698 and was part of the Saxon army . It was the XII. Assigned to Army Corps . The place of peace was Pirna .
Württemberg Pioneer Battalion No. 13
2nd Royal Saxon Pioneer Battalion No. 22
The 2nd Royal Saxon Pioneer Battalion No. 22 was established in 1698 and was part of the Saxon Army. It was the XII. Assigned to Army Corps . The place of peace was Pirna .
Royal Bavarian 1st Pioneer Battalion
The Royal Bavarian 1st Pioneer Battalion was established in 1872 as part of the Bavarian Army . It was the I. Kgl. Bayer. Army Corps subordinated. Munich was the place of peace .
Royal Bavarian 2nd Pioneer Battalion
The Royal Bavarian 2nd Pioneer Battalion was established in 1872 as part of the Bavarian Army. It was the II. Kgl. Bayer. Army Corps subordinated. The place of peace was Speyer .
Royal Bavarian 3rd Pioneer Battalion
The Royal Bavarian 3rd Pioneer Battalion was established in 1872 as part of the Bavarian Army. It was the II. Kgl. Bayer. Army Corps subordinated. Munich was the place of peace .
Royal Bavarian 4th Pioneer Battalion
The Royal Bavarian 4th Pioneer Battalion was established in 1912 as part of the Bavarian Army. It was the III. Kgl. Bayer. Army Corps subordinated. Ingolstadt was the place of peace .
literature
- Hein: The little book of the German Army. A manual and reference book for instruction on the German war power , Kiel and Leipzig 1901, reprinted unchanged by Weltbild Verlag, Augsburg 1998
- War Ministry, Secret War Chancellery (editor): Ranking list of the Royal Prussian Army and the XIII. (Royal Wuerttemberg) Army Corps for 1914. [...] According to the status of May 6, 1914. [...] , Verlag ES Mittler, Berlin o. J.