As this is only a section of the chapter regarding RIR 111 and the battle of the Somme, here are the dispositions of the Regiment as of 30 June 1916 which I hope will be of help when reading the narrative:
1st Bn - Right flank. Nos. 4,2 and 1 Companies in the front line and behind each company one platoon of No.3 Company in support.
2nd Bn - left flank. Nos. 7,6 and 5 Companies in the front line and behind each company one platoon of No.8 Company in support.
3rd Bn - Resting and providing working parties.
No.9 Company at Edingerdorf,
No.10 Company two platoons on Höhenweg and one platoon on Pappelweg.
No.11 Company at the Nestlerhöhlen (Shoelace makers Cave)
No.12 Company in the Schlosspark, Fricourt
No.1 Machinegun Company RIR 111 - centre
No.2 Machinegun Company RIR 111 - left flank
Maschinengewehr Scharfschützentrupp 131 (Machinegun Marksman Troop 131) right flank
Maschinengewehr Scharfschützentrupp 161 - Edingerdorf
To avoid any confusion with trench names etc I have left them in German, the British Fricourt Trench is not the German Fricourt Trench etc. I have attached two maps one German and the other British for reference.
RIR 111 - 1st JULY 1916
In the early morning of the 1st July the bombardment rose to it’s upmost intensity. As it began to become light everything was cloaked in mist, which became thicker and thicker through the gas and smoke which had been released at 7am. Behind this curtain the English readied for the attack. Parts of their orders for the attack had been intercepted by „Moritz“ and in the early morning No. 4 Company had observed that the enemy had moved their barbedwire entanglements. The defenders were now on the alert, Machinegun and rifle fire was exchanged through the impenetrable mist. All the Artillery and close range weapons that were still usable and had ammunition opened fire. Shortly after 8am four loud detonations were heard. The English had detonated mines at La Boisselle, to the south at the Schwabenhöhe (Lochnagar), to the front of Fricourt (German Tambour) and at Höhe 110. That was the signal for the attack to begin. The enemy artillery fire moved it’s might from the forward trenches to the rear area and the remains on the gun batteries. Our artillery’s fire was very weak at an important time and could not prevent the English attack waves, who’s dense columns followed their Officers, some of whom were mounted on horseback, through Bécourt Mulde (Sausage Valley) in front of the Lehmgrubenhöhe (the area in 26d and 27c bounded by Empress Trench, Ball Lane and Dart Lane) and into the completely destroyed and partially abandoned positions of No. 4 Company on the right flank of the Regiment. The attack on this area had been practiced by the English on a training area Northwest of Corbie, where, as aerial reconnaissance showed, the trenches on the Lehmgrubenhöhe had been replicated. The garrison of the second and third lines, which had been joined by No.1 Platoon of No.3 Company, prepared to go on the defensive. Despite two of the Machineguns on the Höhenweg allocated for the defence of the area being knocked out by direct hits at the start of the attack, they were still able to inflict heavy loses on the opponent. The Machineguns on Hohe 110 were also able to direct their fire into this area. The attacking waves stalled and some retired back to Bécourt. To the right towards RIR 110 was a 150m gap caused by the explosion on the Schwabenhöhe, which had destroyed all the trenches. The English pushed through this gap and cut off the right flank platoon of No.4 Company including the Company Commander Leutnant Winkler. Leutnant Göbel, the Platoon Commander on the left flank closed in on No.2 Company, who’s No.3 Platoon had been thrown against the enemy which had appeared in their rear. These elements of No.2 and No.4 Companies soon became embroiled in hand to hand fighting in the Herzberggraben. The English had brought up Machineguns and Mortars which forced the weakened elements of RIR 111 to retire towards the western outskirts of Fricourt. Here the 1st Battalion’s dugout, which was close to the command post near the brickworks, formed a support position under the command of Leutnant Dusbach. Two Machineguns of No.2 Machinegun Company under the command of Oberleutnant Haug were moved into position and fired, with great effect, on the enemy in the Herzberggraben, Höhenweg and the Totenwäldchen. At about 11am, using this fire as cover, Leutnants Dusbach and Mencke (the Artillery Liaison Officer), took a few sections into the Herzberggraben and cleared it as far as No.4 Company’s area capturing some Machineguns. Gefreiter Haller with two sections of No.2 Company worked towards them from the foremost trench. Leutnant Mencke was killed and Leutnant Dusbach wounded. When all the Handgrenades had been used the men had to return to the northern edge of Fricourt.
While this was happening further waves of English passed through the gap on the northern flank and moved in an easterly direction through the Totenwäldchen and over the Contalmaisson - Fricourt road and advanced towards the Höhenwald. They first encountered resistance in the Fricourtgraben from the supports, No.1 Platoon of No.3 Company, and on the Höhenweg from Bauer’s and Schlageter’s platoons from No.10 Company (after the battle Schlageter was promoted to Vizefeldwebel for bravery in the face of the enemy). Regardless of casualties they attacked, counter attacked and threw Handgrenades at the numerically superior enemy. They became in danger of being encircled from the right and having been nearly wiped out they returned to the Fricourtgraben. The way to Edingerdorf was now open to the enemy.
As soon as No.9 Company was informed of the breakthrough by the artillery observer in the Totenwäldchen, they deployed on both sides of the Sigelgraben and with the support of a Machinegun of Machinegun Marksman Troop 161, fired on the advancing English and went over to the attack. In hard fighting the enemy was thrown back over the road. The Company’s casualties in the action were severe, they lost both officers - Lieutenants Musselmann and Bill, two brave and loyal soldiers who had really come to the fore during the day. Nearly all the Senior and Junior NCOs were lost as well. The Company’s strength was too weak for a pursuit and there was no contact to the left and right. The remnants of the Company remained in the Sigelgraben and in the divisional intermediate line to its left, 50m away from the enemy. The stay was made worse by one of our own batteries firing short. The last Officer in the front line, Leutnant Lieb, the commander of Machinegun Marksman Troop 161, was killed. Feldwebel Reitze took over command. It became necessary to provide support to the two platoons of No.11 Company on the left, as the enemy repeated his attack on a wide front. The enemy suffered such severe casualties at the Höhenwäldchen that they were forced to retire. The advance along the Höhenweg also broke down completely. On the sides of Fricourt farm the enemy faced two platoons of No.12 Company under Vizefeldwebel Benninger and Unteroffizier Kallenberger who had taken over command of the platoon from the mortally wounded Leutnant Riemer, and also a half platoon of No.10 Company commanded by Vizefeldwebel Winterer. The previously mentioned Machineguns positioned at the brickworks in Fricourt also helped to bring the breakthrough to a standstill. Shortly after 10am it became possible to form a defensive front against the breakthrough on the right flank along the line Sigelgraben, Höhenwäldchen, the slope towards the farm and up to the Parkweg. Feldwebel Reitze had in the meantime established contact with the Regimental command post using Runners. The orders they received were to attack, along with the adjoining units, the Totenwäldchen. The attack proved to be impossible, due to the opponent’s, who had also brought up many Machineguns, numerical superiority and his persistent attacks. The enemy had to be brought to a halt. Feldwebel Reitze decided to attack the English at the Sigelgraben tunnel, which led under the road to Fricourt. Among those who volunteered for the raid was Vizefeldwebel Eckert. Feldwebel Reitze made the following report:
„The Squad went along the devastated Sigelgraben and occupied a large shell crater about 20m in front of the tunnel. The moment the enemy Machinegunners on both sides of the tunnel crouched down, the squad sprang forward, drew Handgrenades and before the English on the left and right knew what was happening we were back , using a smoke screen as cover, in the shell crater with a captured Machinegun and a searchlight. We lost only one man - Reservist Schock. The english in, and in front of the tunnel were killed“.
The repeatedly mentioned attempts of the English to gain more ground further occupied the 3rd Battalion, and there were many gaps in the ranks. The gap between the two platoons of No.11 Company was filled, at about 3pm, by the last platoon of No.11 Company, which was now complete again under its commander Leutnant Behle. The reward for Nos. 9,11 and 12 Companies under Hauptmann Grieninger was that they prevented the English from using their success on the Lehmgrubenhöhe to cut off the other two battalions.
What was happening at Höhe 110? At the same time as the previously mentioned detonation on the western front of Fricourt, which could not damage the position much more, the English attack waves started to advance over the crater field towards No.1 Company under Leutnant Koch and the left flank of No.2 Company under Leutnant Hofheinz. The Bavarian Engineers detonated their own mine and about 80 Englishmen were buried. The rest poured back under fire from the trench garrison. Despite their losses the English did not give up. They repeatedly attacked the thinning line and as the artillery was not able to give much support, the Jäger Sap, the foremost part of the Ziegeleiweg and part of the forward trench were lost in hand to hand fighting at about 9am. "Where the enemy has occupied part of a trench, he must be ejected with an immediate counter attack" was the order from the Regimental Command Post. In view of this, all available strength was gathered together and thrown at the enemy. The Jäger Sap was cleared by bombing parties of the 2nd Bavarian Reserve Engineer Company. Ziegeleiweg was retaken by No.1 Company supported by the Engineers, 1 Officer and 56 men were taken prisoner. Through the actions of Unteroffizier Jäger of No.2 Company RIR 111, the situation in the front trench was soon under control.
South of the mine crater field, in front of No.6 Company commanded by Leutnant Wittwer and No.7 Company under Hauptmann Engländer, where the enemy was not expecting any resistance they advanced in closed ranks. Shortly after leaving their trenches the attack collapsed and having suffered very heavy losses was driven back to their own trenches. No.1 Platoon of No.10 Company was able to provide effective support to the trench garrison from higher up in the Marktplatz position. The Machineguns were also employed to help keep the enemy pinned down.
Heavy fighting developed on Höhe 110. The enemy repeatedly attacked this important point and by about 8.30am had occupied a small part of the crater position. After about half an hour of bitter fighting in the trenches, No.5 Company supported by the fearless Bavarian Engineers, was once again in command of their positions and was able to hold out against all further attacks. The fighting did not go well over on the left, where RIR 109 had only recently taken over the positions south of Mametz. Here the enemy was able to occupy the German front line and hoped to force Höhe 110 from the front and flank. The last reserves, a few sections of No.5 Company and a platoon of the 8th, had to be deployed to resist the attack and seal off the quarry on its left hand side. The platoons commanded by Leutnants Kleinjung and Kauffmann tenaciously defended every yard of trench. Their calls for reinforcements became more and more desperate. Leutnant Rothacker had already deployed all available men into the firing line. He hoped that a counter attack by RIR 109 would save his precarious situation. To no avail! On the contrary, the enemy gained more ground towards Montauban - Mametz and threatened the company from the rear.
Contact with the battalion command post was cut. Hauptmann Bumiller at the command post, still without any knowledge of the situation regarding RIR 109, suddenly saw Tommies in a trench behind him to the left carrying timber. What was to be done? There were no more reserves available, Fricourt would be lost if the enemy was able to advance from Mametz further westwards. Only help from the rear would be of any use. Communication with the division was established using signaling lamps „hold out, reinforcements are on their way“ was the answer that came back. Despite this, the command post still had to be evacuated. Telephonists Fink, from Immeringen, and Dehmer, from Burladingen, carried the heavy telephone apparatus under heavy fire to the new dugout. That is devotion to duty!
About midday on 1st July the situation in the regiments sector was as follows. Apart from the breakthrough on the right flank the sector had been held despite the heavy attacks and the dwindling ability of the artillery to provide support. Without doubt there was, on the grounds of the report from the 2nd Battalion that the sector held by RIR 109 had been overrun, a dangerous situation on the left flank. There was confidence that the battle hardened sister regiment would, with or without outside help, be able to throw back the English. Just in case, a platoon of No.12 Company under Leutnant Meichelt was placed at the disposal of the 2nd Battalion. This desperately needed help for Höhe 110 arrived piecemeal. As it moved through the clearing Fricourt Park the platoon became scattered. Oberst Ley wanted to stabilize the situation on the Lehmgrubenhöhe and regain control of the regiment’s sector. In order to achieve this he ordered the 1st Battalion to advance in a northerly direction through the Fricourt and Herzberggraben. Using a signaling lamp the division was requested to release reserves. The counter attack by the 1st Battalion and sections of No.10 Company started at 1.30pm and met with initial success. Their opponents defended tenaciously and losses on both sides were heavy. All the available troops - two platoons of the 2nd Bavarian Reserve Engineer Company and two half platoons of No.12 Company, which had to be taken from the position at the farm - had to be deployed. The hoped for effect of the simultaneous attack on the Totenwäldchen came to nothing as the attack never got into its stride. The attack stalled and handgrenade battles developed along the front from the north of Fricourt to the Höhenwäldchen. They lasted into the evening and brought no relief to the regiment. They were a drain on men and material, ammunition was beginning to run short. Leutnant Rupp, No.10 Company, tried to bring No.2 Company’s reserve ammunition forward from the Nestlerhöhlen (Shoelace makers cave). On the way through the crater ridden ground he encountered some English, handgrenades flew through the air and through this officers determination it was possible to capture 1 NCO and 10 men.
The English had recognized a favourable situation and wanted, at all costs, to capture the key to Fricourt - Höhe 110 - in the afternoon. About 3pm a barrage from all calibres of Guns and Mortars was laid down on the trenches of the 2nd Battalion. About 4pm masses of the enemy, apparently fresh troops, advanced from Fricourt station towards Höhe 110. All those which were available from the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th 10th and 1st and 2nd MG Companies and could carry a weapon, threw themselves at the attackers. It cannot be said that this gaggle of worn out remnants, which held onto every shell crater, was a
co-ordinated defence, yet the English attack broke and suffered heavy losses due to their resolute resistance. The enemy managed to pass through the gap between the 5th and 6th Companies and due to their advance from the direction of Mametz, passing behind the quarry position, the fate of No.5 Company, which became encircled from two sides, was sealed.The enemy had to fight hard to become the undisputed master of the blood soaked Höhe 110.
