New 2nd Edition Content
Imperial Germany’s ‘Iron Regiment’ of the First World War
War Memories of Service with Infantry Regiment 169, 1914-18
The 2nd edition of Imperial Germany’s ‘Iron Regiment’ of the First World War, War Memories of Service with Infantry Regiment 169, 1914-1918 adds over 100 pages of new text, while compressing sections of the original work. This new edition is essentially a rewrite, which was spurred by the acquisition of compelling source material unavailable in the first effort. The book includes major enhancements and additions to the maps, with an on-line Google Earth Map provided at www.ironregiment169.com.
The most prolific of these sources came from excerpts from two books written by Otto Lais, one of a handful of survivors from Infantry Regiment 169’s destruction in the Argonne Forest on November 1, 1918. Presented for the first time in English, Lais’ remarkable accounts of service in the regiment from 1917-1918 greatly expands our understanding of that period from the perspective of a small unit leader.
For those who have read the previous edition, below is a summary of the most important new content. I hope you enjoy the enhancements of this now complete story a German infantry regiment’s bloody journey through the horrors of the First World War.
Chapter 1, Prelude to War: A considerable amount of new information is provided on the training and composition of pre-war German infantry regiments. The most authoritative of these sources is the excellent The Great War Dawning: Germany and its Army at the Start of World War One, written by the team of Frank Bucholz and Frank and Janet Robinson.
Chapter 5, The Race for the Sea: The First Battle of Ypers: In the transition of mobile to static warfare, greater detail is provided on how a Baden regiment constructed trenches in the soggy battlefields of Flanders. Much of this sourcing came from Sebastian Laudan’s article on the evolution of German trenches in the La Bassee sector in a September 2015 edition of Western Front Association journal.
Chapter 9, ‘This Terrible Bench,’ Serre, December 1916 and Altkirch, Early 1917: Otto Lais’ 1917 book details IR 169’s early 1917 transition from the Somme to the Alsace region (and extreme southern portion of the Western Front). Here, we learn how a small-unit trench raid was executed, as well as its consequences in disturbing the tranquility of what had been a quiet section of opposing trench lines.
Chapter 10, The 1917 Aisne Campaign: Juvincourt and the Winterberg: IR 169 suffered enormous losses resulting from a major French offensive targeting the Chemin des Dames ridgeline. Lais tells of IR 169’s entry to the Juvincourt trenches and details a platoon sized-trench raid. In a war full of unimaginable hardships, IR 169 experienced its very worst horrors on the crest of the ‘Winterberg’, a small plateau above the village of Craonne where it lost 900 men in a matter of days.
Chapter 11, The Battle of Pinon: After a brief refit, IR 169 returned to the front in October 1917 to counter a renewed French attack on the western edge of the Chemin des Dames line. Lais underwent an especially harrowing experience when he was trapped in cave that became pounded by the enemy’s heaviest artillery. IR 169 was nearly destroyed in its stand to cover the German retreat when its front line crumbled at Pinon.
Chapter 12, Transition to the 1918 Spring Offensives: IR 169 spent the winter of 1917-18 rebuilding itself in the vicinity of the Argonne Forest. In late 1917, the regiment conducted a large scale trench raid at Mesnil as it gained proficiency in Storm Troop tactics. In early 1918, the regiment trained alongside German tanks at the Sedan Training Center in final preparation for the Spring 1918 Offensives.
Chapter 13, The 1918 Asine Offensive and Flanders: In late May 1918, IR 169 returned to its Chemin des Dames battleground and took a lead role in smashing through British trenches near Juvincourt. Lais wrote of the subsequent German 20 mile dash to the Marne River. IR 169’s fortunes reversed after being overwhelmed by French counterattacks along the northern banks of the Marne. Following a refit, the regiment resumed trench operations in the vicinity of Lens. Now commanding a machine-gun company, Lais faced leadership challenges resulting from the German Army’s inability to replace its best soldiers.
Chapter 16, The Meuse-Argonne Forest (Part I): The Kriemhilde Stellung: The regiment, after being decimated in the Battle of Bapaume, was rebuilt again in August 1918. In late September, IR 169 is thrust to the front in a desperate attempt to halt a breakthrough of the American First Army. Through 18 days of intensive, uninterrupted combat, IR 169 battled elements of three US infantry divisions to defend the all-important Kreimhilde Trench Line.
Chapter 17, The Meuse-Argonne Forest (Part I): The Kriemhilde Stellung: After a five day break, IR 169 returned to the Argonne Front. IR 169, a shell of its former self, was largely manned by new replacements of dubious combat value. The American artillery barrage, much of it using highly lethal gas munitions was unrelenting. In the early hours of November 1, 1918, IR 169 was virtually wiped out by the attack of a US Marine Brigade supported by a heavy concentration of armor. Of its 1,500 men who entered the Argonne Forest a month earlier, fewer than 50 remained in ranks. The war ended as IR 169’s fragments returned to a Germany gripped in a socialist revolution.
Postscript: Addition research has uncovered more about the remarkable life of Otto Lais and his career as a troubled, but ultimately renowned artist. He was recalled to the German Army in World War II, where he was awarded with Germany’s highest honors while commanding an infantry regiment on the Western Front.
Imperial Germany’s ‘Iron Regiment’ of the First World War
War Memories of Service with Infantry Regiment 169, 1914-18
The 2nd edition of Imperial Germany’s ‘Iron Regiment’ of the First World War, War Memories of Service with Infantry Regiment 169, 1914-1918 adds over 100 pages of new text, while compressing sections of the original work. This new edition is essentially a rewrite, which was spurred by the acquisition of compelling source material unavailable in the first effort. The book includes major enhancements and additions to the maps, with an on-line Google Earth Map provided at www.ironregiment169.com.
The most prolific of these sources came from excerpts from two books written by Otto Lais, one of a handful of survivors from Infantry Regiment 169’s destruction in the Argonne Forest on November 1, 1918. Presented for the first time in English, Lais’ remarkable accounts of service in the regiment from 1917-1918 greatly expands our understanding of that period from the perspective of a small unit leader.
For those who have read the previous edition, below is a summary of the most important new content. I hope you enjoy the enhancements of this now complete story a German infantry regiment’s bloody journey through the horrors of the First World War.
Chapter 1, Prelude to War: A considerable amount of new information is provided on the training and composition of pre-war German infantry regiments. The most authoritative of these sources is the excellent The Great War Dawning: Germany and its Army at the Start of World War One, written by the team of Frank Bucholz and Frank and Janet Robinson.
Chapter 5, The Race for the Sea: The First Battle of Ypers: In the transition of mobile to static warfare, greater detail is provided on how a Baden regiment constructed trenches in the soggy battlefields of Flanders. Much of this sourcing came from Sebastian Laudan’s article on the evolution of German trenches in the La Bassee sector in a September 2015 edition of Western Front Association journal.
Chapter 9, ‘This Terrible Bench,’ Serre, December 1916 and Altkirch, Early 1917: Otto Lais’ 1917 book details IR 169’s early 1917 transition from the Somme to the Alsace region (and extreme southern portion of the Western Front). Here, we learn how a small-unit trench raid was executed, as well as its consequences in disturbing the tranquility of what had been a quiet section of opposing trench lines.
Chapter 10, The 1917 Aisne Campaign: Juvincourt and the Winterberg: IR 169 suffered enormous losses resulting from a major French offensive targeting the Chemin des Dames ridgeline. Lais tells of IR 169’s entry to the Juvincourt trenches and details a platoon sized-trench raid. In a war full of unimaginable hardships, IR 169 experienced its very worst horrors on the crest of the ‘Winterberg’, a small plateau above the village of Craonne where it lost 900 men in a matter of days.
Chapter 11, The Battle of Pinon: After a brief refit, IR 169 returned to the front in October 1917 to counter a renewed French attack on the western edge of the Chemin des Dames line. Lais underwent an especially harrowing experience when he was trapped in cave that became pounded by the enemy’s heaviest artillery. IR 169 was nearly destroyed in its stand to cover the German retreat when its front line crumbled at Pinon.
Chapter 12, Transition to the 1918 Spring Offensives: IR 169 spent the winter of 1917-18 rebuilding itself in the vicinity of the Argonne Forest. In late 1917, the regiment conducted a large scale trench raid at Mesnil as it gained proficiency in Storm Troop tactics. In early 1918, the regiment trained alongside German tanks at the Sedan Training Center in final preparation for the Spring 1918 Offensives.
Chapter 13, The 1918 Asine Offensive and Flanders: In late May 1918, IR 169 returned to its Chemin des Dames battleground and took a lead role in smashing through British trenches near Juvincourt. Lais wrote of the subsequent German 20 mile dash to the Marne River. IR 169’s fortunes reversed after being overwhelmed by French counterattacks along the northern banks of the Marne. Following a refit, the regiment resumed trench operations in the vicinity of Lens. Now commanding a machine-gun company, Lais faced leadership challenges resulting from the German Army’s inability to replace its best soldiers.
Chapter 16, The Meuse-Argonne Forest (Part I): The Kriemhilde Stellung: The regiment, after being decimated in the Battle of Bapaume, was rebuilt again in August 1918. In late September, IR 169 is thrust to the front in a desperate attempt to halt a breakthrough of the American First Army. Through 18 days of intensive, uninterrupted combat, IR 169 battled elements of three US infantry divisions to defend the all-important Kreimhilde Trench Line.
Chapter 17, The Meuse-Argonne Forest (Part I): The Kriemhilde Stellung: After a five day break, IR 169 returned to the Argonne Front. IR 169, a shell of its former self, was largely manned by new replacements of dubious combat value. The American artillery barrage, much of it using highly lethal gas munitions was unrelenting. In the early hours of November 1, 1918, IR 169 was virtually wiped out by the attack of a US Marine Brigade supported by a heavy concentration of armor. Of its 1,500 men who entered the Argonne Forest a month earlier, fewer than 50 remained in ranks. The war ended as IR 169’s fragments returned to a Germany gripped in a socialist revolution.
Postscript: Addition research has uncovered more about the remarkable life of Otto Lais and his career as a troubled, but ultimately renowned artist. He was recalled to the German Army in World War II, where he was awarded with Germany’s highest honors while commanding an infantry regiment on the Western Front.