Imperial Infantry Regt 161

[Lemm]

Hi,
Would anybody be able to give me a brief history of Imperial Infantry Regt 161 of the 185th Infantry Division from 1914 to 1918.

I am particular interested in where that Regt fought from 1917 onwards and if possible the commanding officer of the Regt and/ or 185th Infantry Division.

Thanks

Phil

[MauserKar98k]

I think I can type something up. I'll see what I can find.

[MauserKar98k]

Infanterie-Regiment (10. Rheinisches) Nr. 161 was formed on 31 March 1897 out of various battalions of IR29, IR30, IR69, and IR70 and was recruited from Rheinprovinz. Its first two battalions were garrisoned in Trier, Rheinprovinz and the III. was garrisoned in Köln. It was part of the 29th Infantry Brigade [Aachen], 15th Division [Köln], VIII Armee-Korps [Koblenz], IV Armee [Duke of Württemberg.] In 1914, the regimental commander of IR161 was one "Oberst von Bernuth". From 1915 to 1917, the regimental commander was a "Oberstleutnant Schütz"

1914
The Great War began for IR161 and the rest of the 15th Division with the invasion of Belgium. After detaching one regiment to help with the Siege of Liege (IR25), the division entered Luxemburg on 6 August and "Belgian Luxemburg" on 19-20 August. IR161 and the rest of the 15th Div. was engaged around Porcheresse, Graid, and Bievre on 22-23 August and entered French territory on 26 August; IR161 and the rest of the 29th I.B. crossed the Meuse River at Sedan. After advancing through the Champagne region, the 15th Div. fought at the Battle of the Marne near Vitry le Francois. IR161 and the rest of the 15th Division withdrew and took up a position near Souain-Perthes and remained there until November. In November, the 15th Division was temporarily split in half and IR161's 29th Infantry Brigade went into line near Ypres, after which, it went into the line in Alsace.

1915
IR161 and the 29th Infantry Brigade suffered very heavy casualties while on- line in Alsace; IR25 was reduced to 600 men on 26 March 1915. In May, IR161's 29th Infantry Brigade was reunited with the 80th Infantry Brigade and reconstituted the 15th Division. The reunited 15th Div. went into line in the Artois region, where it stayed until mid-June. While there, the IR161 endured extreme casualties, loosing 31 officers and 1,653 men. After this action, the 15th Div. spent the period from June 1915 to July 1916 being shuffled between different sectors of the Aisne region (Vailly-Pommiers: late-July, Nouvron: September, Ste. Marguerite-Bucy le Long: October.)

1916
In July 1916, IR161 and the rest of the 15th Division were transferred to the Somme region. During this time, "It took part in the battle and participated in the attack at Biaches, where it suffered heavy losses." In August, the 15th Div. was withdrawn back to its old position in the Ste. Marguerite-B.l.L. sector of the Aisne front. At this time, the 15th Division was reorganized and IR161 became part of the 185th Division, with which it would stay until the war's end. IR161 went back to the Somme with its new division and "was engaged near Ginchy and Combles until the middle of October." After a short rest near Soissons from late-October to early-November, IR161 and the rest of the 185th Div. was put into line again in the Somme district, Saillise sector. "Here it was put to a test." On 9 December, the 185th Division and IR161 left the Somme for rest near Aalst, Belgium.

1917
In early-January, elements of the 185th Division were put into the trenches in the Lille region, Grenier Wood sector. From early-February to mid-April, IR161 and the 185th Div. "occupied a sector north of Ypres (Wieltje)" in Flanders. In mid-April, the division was sent to the Artois region, where it saw action near Arras in early-May. As a result of casualties sustained in this action, the division was forced to draw replacements from the "Ersatz Truppe of Warsaw (class of 1918 and men put back of the 1917 class)", which arrived on 5 May. From late-May to late-September, IR161 and the 185th Div. held the line in the La Basee region, Hulluch-Vermelles sector. The division was given three weeks of rest near Carvin in October. The 185th Division finished out 1917 by being on-line in Flanders (Houthulst Forest: 6-7 November) and the Cambrai region (until 10 January 1918.)

In 1917, Allied Intellegence had this to say about IR161 and the rest of the 185th Division:
"The 185th Division gave good account of itself in all the battles in which it took part."

1918
In early 1918, IR161 and the rest of the 185th Division was with pulled out of the Cambrai front and trained for use "in offensive operations" in the Solemes area. In mid-February, the division went on-line in the Arras region, Monchy le Preux sector. It attacked on 28 March and "suffered heavy casualties from enfilade machine gun fire; officer casualties for the division amounted to 90." IR161 and the 185th Div. was withdrawn from the front in late-April. After a rest period, the division was sent back to Arras in the Mercatel sector and stayed there from mid-May until early-August. In mid-August, the 185th Div. was sent to the Somme front, Herleville sector and remained on-line until early-September. In mid-September, IR161 and the rest of the 185th Div. were sent to reinforce the Villeret sector until it was withdrawn on 1 October. While the 185th Div. was in action at Herleville and Villeret, the division suffered heavy casualties, including 2,050 prisoners. The division then went into line in early-October near Ligny en Cambresis and was pulled out on 25 October. After "a fortnight of rest", IR161 and the 185th Division went into line southwest of Mons on 8 October and was there in line when the Armistice was signed.

In 1918, Allied Intelligence described IR161 and the 185th Division as such:
"The 185th was rated as a second-class division. Although trained in open warfare, it was used in only one of the great German offensives, and there did nothing to indicate that it merited a better rating."

A [small] picture can be found here of the Gneisenaukaserne in Trier where most of IR161 was garrisoned. Two pics down from that is apparently where the III. Battalion was quartered in Trier:
http://www.razyboard.com/system/more...5558872-0.html

Sources:
-Good 'ol Wikipedia
-Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-One Divisions of the German Army Which Participated in the War (1914-1918)
-Colonel J's Pickelhaube Website, Kammer Marks
-http://wiki-de.genealogy.net/IR_161
-http://wiki-de.genealogy.net/Milit%C3%A4r/Formationsgeschichte/Deutschland/Erster_Weltkrieg

[Lemm]

That is fantastic...way more than I expected. Thankyou so much for all that info. My reason for inquirey was due to the recent purchase of a very nice EK 2 award document dated 1917 for that Regt with the divisional stamp. Its nice to put a bit of history to the document and thanks also for the information re your sources.

Regards

[MauserKar98k]

That is fantastic...way more than I expected. Thankyou so much for all that info. My reason for inquirey was due to the recent purchase of a very nice EK 2 award document dated 1917 for that Regt with the divisional stamp. Its nice to put a bit of history to the document and thanks also for the information re your sources.

Regards

Glad to help.