Generalstab

[David Müldner]

Hi!

I am looking for data of Hauptmann Louis M******252;ldner von M******252;lnheim in the WWI, who was in the General Staff on the Western Front from 1914-1916. From 1916 onwards, he was aide de camp to HIRH Crownprince Wilhelm.

Now I am puzzled. Before the war Louis was Adjudant of the 4th Garde-Infanterie-Brigade. Now I am not sure if there was just one overall General Staff, or every Infanterie-Brigade had its own General Staff.

With the answer to that question, I am looking for either an overview of the officer in the General Staff on the western front, or of the officers in the General Staff of the 4GIB.

Do such overviews exists at all? Are the positions of the officers (which would give an indication of the daily work) mentioned in these overviews?

Lots of questions

Thanks onesmore!!

David

[David Müldner]

Is it just me being not-to-bright?

[Glenn2438]

Adjutant

David,

a brigade adjutant was not an officer of the General Staff. Divisions and above had General Staff officers assigned to their headquarters.

Regards
Glenn

[David Müldner]

Ah! I see, so if he was a general staff officer on the western front a la suite the 4 Garde-Regiment zu Fuss, that would make him in the General Staff of the division which the 4GRzF was part of, right?

[Glenn2438]

General Staff

Hi David,

Ah! I see, so if he was a general staff officer on the western front a la suite the 4 Garde-Regiment zu Fuss, that would make him in the General Staff of the division which the 4GRzF was part of, right?

The fact that Louis wore the uniform of the 4.G.R.z.F. had nothing to do with the fact that he may have been employed in some staff function. To become a General Staff Officer an indivudual in peacetime attended the three year course at the Kriegsakademie. In wartime shorter courses were held to provide sufficient General Staff Officers. Those officers who attended the Kriegsakademie course but were not considered suitable for a General Staff post were often assigned as adjutants on higher formation staffs.

Normally during WW1 only one fully qualified General Staff officer, two at the most were employed on the staff of a Division, the 1st as the Operations Officer and sometimes a second as the staff officer responsible for supply. The other officers on the staff carrying out other functions were not General Staff officers but officers seconded from other posts as necessary.

The term à la suite for officers employed outside their regiments ceased to be used after the 2nd of September 1902. Consequently Louis is listed in the 1914 Rangliste as the Adjutant of the 4. Garde-Infanterie-Brigade not as à la suite but with the uniform of 4.G.R.z.F.

Regards
Glenn

[David Müldner]

Hi Glenn,

Well it is becoming some clearer to me, although I still don't know where they have this Offizier im Generalstab coming from as it is stated

Only yesterday I found out that in his personal archives, Louis wrote a short overview of his actions during WWI, its only some 3 or 4 pages long, but I hope to find all I ever wanted to know on his orders and decorations and his wartime actions before becoming the CP's adc in 1916.

When I get it, I'll let you know and make a short overview of it myself.

So, I will get back on this, but it might take 3-6 weeks before Selke GmbH managed to copy the stuff.

Thanks again

DM

[David Müldner]

Angaben über meine militarischen Tätigkeit im Weltkriege

Dear All,

As promised, some further details on the actions of Louis M******252;ldner von M******252;lnheim, which I obtained from copies of a short account he wrote. The copies got here today after two weeks from my request, which is reall quick!!

Under his GM von Gontard, Louis entered the scenes of WWI a Adjudant to the 4. Garde-Infanterie-Brigade. He saw action at Auvelais a.d. Sambre (21.-22.8.1914), then at St. Quentin, in which his Brigade especially saw action at La Val******233;e. Louis gets wounded at the back of the head on September 7th during the Battle of the Marne. He went into hospital at Reims, after his return to the field he was awarded the EKII at 13th September. He remained in his position as Adjudant untill Christmas 1914. The Louis went to D******246;beritz, to assist in creating the 261st Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment, which he was added as a Kompagnief******252;hrer. At the battle of the Masuren, his bataillonscommandor Hauptmann von Gruter(?) was heavily injured and Louis took the command of the Bataillon, which lastet to the end of August 1915. In the battle of the Jessja (hard to read, when did this take place??) he received the EKI.
Ath 25.9.1915 he was replaced into the General Staff of the AOK5, Deutscher Kronprinz. At the 27.3.1916 (kaisersgeburtstag) he was made an effective officer of the General Staff at 4.5.1916 he then was 'zum pers******246;nlichen Adjudanten des Kronprinzen des Deutschen Reiches und von Preussen ernannt, unter Belassung der Uniform des Generalstabes der Armee. He remained in this position untill the end, being released at 26.11.1918.

So this is a compulsory of his own account, partly typed partly written.

On the document I have 2 questions.

1 when was the battle of Jessja were he received his EKI
2 Who was Hauptmann von Gr******252;ter it says in his account "mein bisheriger Bataillonsf******252;hrer, fr******252;her Garde-Regiment" The name of the officer is part of the written part of the account (Louis later squezed in notes which he wrote, within tghe typed account). Any details on the officer greatly appreciated! I googled around a bit and did not find a separate family "von Gr******252;ter" however there were several mentions of the family Freiherren von Diepenbroick-Gr******252;ter my geuss would be the Hauptmann mentioned would have been a member of this family. I just remembered having a copy of the DOA (library copy) it says Friedrich von Diepenbroick-Gr******252;ter Hauptmann 2. Garde Regiment zu Fuss, geboren Wilhelmsh******246;he 8.10.1869. he held the PrKr4, PrZM and a Johannitercross. Funny thing is, he is 1908 a Hauptmann born in 1869 and should still be in 1914 (I think he would have been a major by than right?)

After doing a bit od searching on he net, I found out that there is a regimental hisroy on the 261st RIR:

RESERVE-INFANTERIE REGIMENT 261, (Garde-Kriegsformation) i. Ost u. West, v. C. v. Schwerin u. K. Schmidt, Bln. 1923, 13 inter. Fotos, (teils Freikorpsuniformen, PLM-Tr******228;ger), 2 Skizz., Stellenbes., Ehrentafel, 128 S., bedr. Pappbd.; dazu „In Kampf u. Ruhe", Bilder v. Res.Inf. Rgt. 261, Bln. 1925, 188 inter. Fotos, (Flieger, Tanks, Stellungen, Kampfszenen u.a.), 96 S., gld.gepr. Ln.

Anyone who might have it.......please let me know<O></O>

Thanks

David

[Glenn2438]

River Jesia

Hi David,

Jessja is the River Jesia which is a tributary of the Niemen and runs in a southerly direction from the town of Kowno. The German 10th Army fought the battle on the Jesia and at Wejwery from the 21st of July to the 7th of August 1915 before continuing to advance eastwards in the direction of Vilna and beyond.

R.I.R. 261 was a part of 79. Reserve-Division, XXXX. Reserve-Korps, 10. Armee at this time.

Regards
Glenn

[David Müldner]

Hi Glenn

Thanks for clearing that up

Bye for now!

David