German 66th Regiment in the First World War (eBook)

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PRE-WAR HISTORY

Infantry-Regiment 66 (IR 66) was established by the Army Reorganisation which is associated with the name Kaiser Wilhelm, who laid the foundation of the greatness of both Prussia and Germany. The Prussian mobilisation in 1859, to support Austria–Hungary in its war against France and Piedmont, showed serious deficiencies in the Prussian Army; the then Prince Regent Wilhelm began a farsighted reorganisation. The youngest year groups of the Landwehr (National Guard) were retained on active duty. With men from the older year groups of the Ersatz (Replacement) Battalions and the Line regiments, they formed new units, called Landwehr Cadre Regiments. So, the Landwehr Regiment and elements of IR 26, who drew their recruits from the Bezirke (Counties) of Stendal, Burg and Neuhaldensleben, were formed by Allerhöcheste Kabinetts-Ordre (Royal Order in Council) of 5 May 1860 into a ‘combined infantry regiment’, with its first commander, Colonel von Kirchbach, who would later win considerable fame. It was designated 3. Magdeburgisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 66 (3rd Magdeburg Infantry Regiment No. 66) in the Allerhöcheste Kabinetts-Ordre of 4 July 1860.

The campaign against Austria in 1866 gave the young regiment its first opportunity to show its mettle in combat. When cannon fire announced the advance of the Elbe Army at the Battle of Münchengrätz, 13 Brigade was given the mission of driving the enemy from Musky Hill. While the first enemy shells landed (which fortunately caused no casualties), II/ 66 and Fusilier Battalion (III/ 66) advanced with a loud ‘Hurrah!’ and Regimental Bandmaster Schulz ordered the Prussian Anthem played. The regiment won undying fame in heavy fighting as an element of the 7th Infantry Division (7 ID) at the Battle of Kõniggrätz. The success was dearly bought, with fifteen officers and 476 enlisted men becoming casualties, after the 26th Infantry Regiment (IR 26) the heaviest casualties in the division. The reward for this quick and glorious campaign was the creation of an energetic and militarily powerful league of north German states under the leadership of the King of Prussia. The fruits of this victory, which promised a brilliant future, were due for the greatest part to the discipline and training of the Prussian army. In these, IR 66 showed that it was the equal of the older regiments, and added the laurels of victory to its young colours. This was reflected in the decorations that the king awarded the regiment: for the battalion standards, the combat ribbon to the 1866 Campaign Cross with silver tassels, surmounted by two upright swords. The standard of II/ 66, whose peak had been damaged by a shell, was given a silver ring with an inscription below the peak. In the following years of peace, the regiment trained energetically to maintain the edge it had gained in combat.

In the campaign of 1870–71 against France, it contributed significantly to the victory at Beaumont on 30 August 1870. Its mission was to allow the division to deploy out of the woods, which it accomplished with exceptional bravery. The losses, in only 90 minutes of combat, were terrible: ten officers, fourteen NCOs and 111 enlisted men dead, thirteen officers, forty NCOs and 439 men wounded – almost half the casualties suffered by the entire division. The regimental commander, Count Finkenstein, was wounded in the shoulder but remained in command, and during the pursuit was hit in the mouth and killed. The regiment won additional fame during the siege of Paris.

The heroic deeds of wartime were followed by quiet, unceasing work in peacetime. In 1872, the officers laid a granite tablet with the names of their fallen comrades at the cemetery at Beaumont. On 6 August 1875, a monument with the names of the fallen of both wars was unveiled in the courtyard of the Ravensburg Kaserne.

The regiment frequently had the opportunity to demonstrate its combat readiness to the Kaiser: in 1873 at Eisleben, 1876 at Merseburg and again in 1883 at the Kaisermanöver (Imperial Manoeuvres), for the last time in front of the venerable hero Kaiser of the great wars.

In 1885, the regiment held an unforgettable celebration of the 25th anniversary of its founding. Old comrades returned from all directions: the first commander, General Count von Kirchbach, was among the guests of honour.

The year 1888 brought deep mourning. On 9 March, shortly before his 91st birthday, death took the venerated hero Kaiser from Germany. After a few weeks, his son, Kaiser Friedrich, followed him. His lasting fame will be secured as much by the manner in which he unflinchingly bore his pain as by his generalship in battle. For the second time in the same year, the regiment formed ranks to swear its oath to its new warlord, Kaiser Wilhelm II.

In 1889, the Fusilier Battalion was designated III/ 66 and was issued black leather web gear (replacing white). The other two battalions had been re-equipped in 1887. In 1890, the regiment was issued the Model 1888 rifle, which led to the recall of many reservists for training with the new weapon. In 1891, the regiment participated in the Kaisermanöver as part of IV Corps, for the first time under Kaiser Wilhelm II.

In 1895, the regiment celebrated the 25th anniversary of its heroic battle at Beaumont. The regiment was at the Major Training Area at Loburg on 30 August. The brigade formed a square, the standards that were at Beaumont were decorated with oak-leaf garlands and the brigade commander gave a speech to commemorate the dead. The actual celebration was held on 26 September. By dint of hard work, the caserne courtyard was transformed into a richly decorated festival grounds. After the regiment had formed up, almost 1,100 veterans assembled on the Local Training Area, the Schroteplatz, and marched forward, organised in their old companies. After an address by Chaplain Dr Hermens, the regimental commander gave an impassioned speech, recalling the heroic deeds and the fallen, who were true to the soldier’s oath they had taken, and laid a wreath at the war memorial. This was followed by the regiment and the veterans, many led by their old commanders, passing in review, then a banquet for the officers and veterans and celebrations by the individual battalions. The camaraderie and happy reunion with the old officers was clearly apparent at this festival. In November, the Grenadier March of the old von Bonin and von Kalckstein Regiments (1806) was given to the regiment as its march.

The commemorative festival gave reason to restore the weathered memorial at the Beaumont cemetery. The inscription was smoothed off and the only remaining ornamentation was an iron cross. The chain around the monument was replaced by a wrought-iron fence. An iron tablet with the names of the fallen officers and numbers of casualties was affixed to the middle.

In 1897, IV/ 66 was transferred to the newly formed Infantry Regiment 152. At the unveiling of the Kaiser Wilhelm Monument in Magdeburg on 25 August, the regiment passed in review in front of the Kaiser; 1/ 1/ 66 brought the garrison’s standards out of the Headquarters to 11/ 66, the Honour Company at the monument, and then replaced them there again. The barracks of III/ 66 were rebuilt with a second and sometimes third storeys, a welcome improvement.

In 1898, the regiment participated in the Kaisermanöver in Westphalia. The call for volunteers for the China expedition was warmly received and answered by an officer, a medical officer, seven NCOs and sixty-eight enlisted men.

The Allerhöcheste Kabinetts-Ordre of 1 January 1900 directed that the tattered standards that had been carried in glorious battles be refurbished, so that in the summer of 1903 the three battalion standards received new bunting. They were ceremonially affixed to the standards and consecrated on 30 August, the anniversary of Beaumont, in the presence of the Kaiser and royal family in the Hall of Honour at Berlin. Present were the regimental commander, First Lieutenant Bonsac, the son of Captain Bonsac who had fallen at Beaumont, two lieutenants and three standard bearers. The new standards were given to the regiment by the Kaiser personally on the occasion of the Kaiserparade (parade at the Kaisermanöver) at the historic site of the Battle of Rossbach.

Since the death of General von Alvensleben in 1881, the regiment had no chief. In 1902, the regiment had the high honour that the King of Spain, Alfonso XIII, be named chief on the occasion of his coronation. The Kaiser named as head of the German delegation to the coronation at Madrid, Prince Albrecht of Prussia, accompanied by Colonel von Dehn-Rotfelser, who brought the king the uniform of the regiment. On the first anniversary of this day, 17 May 1903, the king sent as a present his life-size portrait wearing the regimental uniform. A special delegation first presented the portrait to the Kaiser, then it was brought to the regiment and hung in the Officer’s Club.

On 9 November 1905, the regiment had the high honour to receive its chief personally. He first inspected the regiment and a delegation of former regimental commanders and then they passed in review. He watched combat training on the Schroteplatz LTA, followed by a tour of the barracks and breakfast in the Officer’s Club.

The marriage of King Alfonso to Princess Ena of Battenberg, on 31 May 1906 in Madrid, was attended by a German delegation representing the Kaiser, led by Prince Albrecht, with Colonel Baron...