Wurttemberg Jaeger Battalion

[Fred Green]

Hello,

As a lot of you know I have a keen interest in the Wurttemberg/Bavaria area around Ulm/Neu Ulm. I know the WWI units that came from there, the provisional Reichsheer units, the Reichsheer units and the Third Reich units. In doing some reading I came across a lot of Freikorps units in the area that I am not familiar with. I was wondering if anybody knew anything about these units:

1) Freiwilligen-Abt Haas Divided into 2 regiments:
a) 1. Freiwill. Rgt. Obstlt Frhr Seutter von Loetzen
b) 2. Freiwill. Rgt. Oberst Schaefer

2) Wurttemberg Jaeger-Battalion

There are references (pictures) of the 1. Wurttembuergerisch Freiwilligen Regiment in Munich in Charles Wooley's book, GERMAN UNIFORMS, INSIGNIA, AND EQUIPMENT, 1918-1923 but I haven't seen any other reference to them.

Any help on finding information on either of these units is greatly appreciates. I am also looking for insignia worn by them. I believe that Freiwilligen-Abt Haas was a sub unit of Freiwilligen Epp. Thanks again.

Fred

[Brian L.]

Hello,

As a lot of you know I have a keen interest in the Wurttemberg/Bavaria area around Ulm/Neu Ulm. I know the WWI units that came from there, the provisional Reichsheer units, the Reichsheer units and the Third Reich units. In doing some reading I came across a lot of Freikorps units in the area that I am not familiar with. I was wondering if anybody knew anything about these units:

1) Freiwilligen-Abt Haas Divided into 2 regiments:
a) 1. Freiwill. Rgt. Obstlt Frhr Seutter von Loetzen
b) 2. Freiwill. Rgt. Oberst Schaefer

2) Wurttemberg Jaeger-Battalion

There are references (pictures) of the 1. Wurttembuergerisch Freiwilligen Regiment in Munich in Charles Wooley's book, GERMAN UNIFORMS, INSIGNIA, AND EQUIPMENT, 1918-1923 but I haven't seen any other reference to them.

Any help on finding information on either of these units is greatly appreciates. I am also looking for insignia worn by them. I believe that Freiwilligen-Abt Haas was a sub unit of Freiwilligen Epp. Thanks again.

Fred

For info and badges of Freikorps Haas see the following link, post #8
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...=752965&page=2

As far as I am aware there was no such Freikorps unit as the Wurttemberg Jaeger-Battalion. There were a couple of Bavarian Jaeger units, a Prussian unit (the Black Jaegers) and a Westphalian Jaeger unit formed from the Buckeburg Jaegers.

[Fred Green]

Hello,

Thanks for the link to the Abt Haas insignia. I know what I need to look for now. Was this unit a sub unit of Freikorps Epp? Did they wear anyspecific sleeve insignia? Again, any help or direction is appreciated.

My reference for the Wurttemberger Jaeger-Battalion comes from "ULM GARNISON UND FESTUNG" Festschrift zum Garnisontreffen Anlaesslich der 1100- Jahrfeier. Printed in 1954. They make mention of this unit as a selfstanding unit from Weingarten. They go on later and mention that this unit and the 1. Wurttemberger Freiwilligen Regiment supplied some of the manpower for IR13 when it came to be.

Best regards,
Fred

[Brian L.]

They may have been attached to Freikorps Epp during the campaigns in Bavaria. But, they weren't subordinate. All the Wurttemburg Freikorps were part of Freikorps Haas, as far as I know and wore the same collar badge. I have quite a bit of reference material on the Freikorps and as far as I'm aware there were only 3 Wurttemburg units all under the umbrella of Fk Haas. None is referred to as a Jaeger Batl.

[Fred Green]

Hello Bowelwts58,

Thanks again for the info. What are the 3 Wurttemberger units that you have listed under Freiwilligen Abt Haas? I am looking for any units specific to the Ulm/Neu Ulm region. Thanks again.

Fred

[Brian L.]

Here's everything I have on the evolution of Freiw. Abt. Haas. I've highlighted "Württ. Reichswehr-Jäger-Btl. 13", the unit you were asking about. It was not specifically a Freikorps unit, but a Vorläufige Reichswehr unit that served during the Freikorps actions.

Württembergische Freiwilligen-Abteilung Haas

The Württembergische Freiwilligen-Abteilung Haas was formed on 25 February 1919 at Truppenübungsplatz Münsingen. It saw action in Augsburg, against the Münchener Räterepublik in Munich in April-May and in the Ruhr in April 1920.
It was used to form Reichswehr-Brigade 13 in June.

Commanders
Generalleutnant Otto Haas

Formed in the area of
Generalkommando XIII. Armeekorps Stuttgart (Freistaat Württemberg)

Manpower strength
2.376

Order of battle
1. Württembergische Freiwilligen Regiment
2. Württembergische Freiwilligen Regiment
3. Württembergische Freiwilligen Regiment

Notable members
General der Infanterie Karl Allmendinger
Generalleutnant Walter Botsch
SS-Brigadeführer Christoph Diehm
SS-Oberführer Oskar Dirlewanger
Generalmajor Gustav Feller
Generalleutnant Otto Haas
Generalmajor Hermann Hiller (Luftwaffe)
Generalleutnant Hermann Plocher (Luftwaffe)
SS-Gruppenführer Rolf Reiner
(the ranks are the highest ranks reached in the Third Reich era)

Reichswehr-Brigade 13
The Reichswehr-Brigade 13 Stuttgart of the Vorläufige Reichswehr was formed in June 1919 from the Freikorps units Württembergische Freiwilligen-Abteilung Haas, Sicherheitsregiment 1-3 and several smaller units formed in the area of Freistaat Württemberg.

It merged with Reichswehr-Brigade 14 in October 1919 into Reichswehr-Brigade 13 of the Übergangsheer.

It was used to form 5. Division in October 1920.

Commanders
Generalleutnant Otto Haas (? May 1919 - 5 May 1920)
General der Infanterie Ernst Kabisch (5 may 1920 - 30 Sep 1920)
Wehrkreis V

Order of battle (Vorläufige Reichswehr)
Reichswehr-Schützen-Regiment "Alt-Württemberg" Nr 25
2. Württ. Reichswehr-Schützen-Regiment Nr 26
Württ. Reichswehr-Jäger-Btl. 13
Württ. Reichswehr-Kavallerie-Regiment 13
leichtes Württ.Reichswehr-Artillerie-Regiment 13

Order of battle (Feb 1920, Übergangsheer)
Reichswehr-Schützen-Regiment 25
Reichswehr-Schützen-Regiment 26
Reichswehr-Schützen-Regiment 113
Reichswehr-Kavallerie-Regiment 13
Reichswehr-Kavallerie-Regiment 113
leichtes Reichswehr-Artillerie-Regiment 13
Reichswehr-Pionier-Btl 13
Reichswehr-Pionier-Btl 313

Order of battle (May 1920, Übergangsheer)
Reichswehr-Schützen-Regiment 25
Reichswehr-Schützen-Regiment 26
Reichswehr-Schützen-Regiment 113
Reichswehr-Artillerie-Regiment 13

Notable members
Erwin Rommel ("The Desert Fox", forced to committ suicide to avoid trial for involvement in the resistance against Hitler, the Bundeswehr barracks Generalfeldmarschall Rommel-Kaserne in Augustdorf was named in his honour 1961 and the Rommel-Kaserne in Dornstadt/Ulm in 1965 as was the Bundesmarine destroyer D187 Rommel)

Reichswehr-Brigade 14

The Reichswehr-Brigade 14 Karlsruhe of the Vorläufige Reichswehr was formed in June 1919 from the Freikorps unit Badisches Volksheer.
It merged with Reichswehr-Brigade 13 in October 1919.

Order of battle (Vorläufige Reichswehr)
1. Bad. Reichswehr-Schützen-Regiment
2. Bad. Reichswehr-Schützen-Regiment
Bad. Reichswehr-Kavallerie-Regiment Nr 14
Bad. leichtes Artillerie-Regiment Nr 14
Bad. schwere Artillerie-Artillerie-Abteilung 14

Badisches Volksheer

The Badisches Volksheer was used to form Reichswehr-Brigade 14 in June 1919.

Commanders
General von Pfeil
General von Friedeburg
Formed in the area of
Generalkommando XIV. Armeekorps Karlsruhe (Freistaat Baden)

Manpower strength
4.646

Order of battle
Bad. Freiwilligen Battalion I
Bad. Freiwilligen Battalion II
Bad. Freiwilligen Battalion III
Bad. Freiwilligen Battalion IV
Bad. Freiwilligen Battalion V
Bad. Freiwilligen Battalion VI
Freiw.Esk.Badisches Volksheer
Freiw.Bttr.Badisches Volksheer

Sources used
Nigel Jones - The birth of the Nazis: How the Freikorps blazed a trail for Hitler
French L. MacLean - The Cruel Hunters: SS-Sonder-Kommando Dirlewanger Hitler's Most Notorious Anti-Partisan Unit
Georg Tessin - Deutsche Verbände und Truppen 1918-1939
Robert G. L. Waite - Vanguard of Nazism: The Free Corps Movement in Postwar Germany 1918-1923
Charles Woolley - German Uniforms, Insignia & Equipment 1918-1923
Andris J. Kursietis - Between Kaiser and Führer: The history of the German Army 1919-1933
Georg Tessin - Deutsche Verbände und Truppen 1

[Fred Green]

Hello,

Awesome!! Thanks a lot. Great info.

Fred