Das Königlich Preußischen Infanterie-Regiments Landgraf Friedrich I. von Hessen-Kassel (1. Kurhessisches) Nr. 81
Short History of the Royal Prussian Infantry Regiment ‘Count Friedrich Ist of Hessen Kassel (1st Hessian)’ Nr 81 between 1914 and 1918.
Western Front
1914
22. August – Fighting near Bertrix , Belgium
23. August – Battle of Orgeo
24. August – Fighting near Matton
28. August – Crossed the Meuse
6.–11. September – Battle of the Marne (Etrepy – Maurupt)
22. September – 8. October – Enghagements at Champien, Roye, Villers les Roye and Andechy
10. October – Trench warfare at Roye (replaced on evening of 14. October Regiment Lübeck in positions around St. Aurin-Laucourt )
14. November – Engagements in front of Andechy
1915
January . Trench warfare and engagements with enemy forces from January continuing until October 15th.
15. October - Regiment withdrawn with entire 21.Div. to St. Quentin for rest, training and refitting.
1916
26. January – Regiment and entire 21. Div transferred North of Verdun.
21. February preparations for the Battle of Verdun
27. February to 16 March – Engagements at Battle of Verdun, Storming of Caureswaldes
24. February – Attack on Hill 344 (Samogneux)
25. to 28. February – Fighting around Pepper Ridge
2. to 11. March – Fighting in Choffour and Albain Forest
17. March to April 9. – Regiment reorganised – Casualties were 2,500 officers and men in the previous eight weeks.
10. to 25. April – Fighting in Cailette-Wald (Kämpfe im Caillette-Wald)
15. May – Transfer to the Champagne Region and trench warfare around Chemin des Dames
13. to 30. September – Battle of the Somme, sector Clery-Bouchavesnes suffering heavy casualties.
9. October to 5. November – Regiment withdrawn with 21. Div from Somme front to Apremont area (Favril and La Groise) in Cotes de Meuse for rest and refitting.
From 24th November – Trench warfare in the Somme ares of Gomiecourt wood of Kratz.
1917
10. February – Regiment withdrawn from Somme and sent for rest and refitting near Chaumont Porcien
3. March – Regiment and 21. Div. Moves into positions at the front south of Berry an Bac between Godat and Loivre
16. April – Battles of the Aisne – The three regiments suffered heavy losses.
21. April – Regiment and Div. relieved and reformed in Neufchatel area.
Transfer to the Eastern Front
09. May to 16. May – Entrained to Eastern Front - reorganised in Vilna (Wilejka), Poland
12. June – Assigned to the neighbourhood of Krewo-Smorgon-Naroczsee. The Regiment was not involved in any important operations during this period.
19. September – Regiment with the Div. Transferred back to France
Transfer to the Western Front
From 24. October – Engagements in static defence in line northeast area of Rheims area
1918
To 20. April – The Regiment engaged in defensive operations in the Clonay-La Pompelle sector around Reims
1. May – Defensive positions Rosieres en Santerre and on the Avre front. Later in the line at Castel-Boise
25. July – The Regiment removed from the line for rest and refitting.
13. August – Defensive engagements dirung the Battle of the Somme north of Lihons. The Regiment and the Div. conducted a fighting retreat through Cappy, Frise, Clery and Le Mont St. Quentin
9. September to 7. October – Defensive battles between Cambrai and St. Quentin.
8. October to 1. November – Strategic withdrawls in the area east of Deynze.
2. to 11. November – In the closing days the Regiment was with the Division at Heurne (5.), Wendle (8.), South of Ghent (10.) east of the Schelde River
After 11. November the Division withdrew to Germany and was demobilised. The records show that the 81. Regiment was demobilised on 30. Nov, 1918.
Allied intelligence rated the value of the Division in 1918 as first class. In 1918 it was used entirely in a defensive role. At the end IR81 had been reduced to two batallions, each with two companies, morale was said to be above average.
The total losses of the Regiment in the First World War amounted to 3048 officers, NCOs and Men.
Appendix A:
81st Infantry Regiment war history account of the first engagement with Allied troops on 22/8/14 :
"Saturday 22 August had we our first combat. About four o'clock in the afternoon we got the instruction to attack in support of other troops, the town of Mersaille, 10 kilometers southwest from Libramont, occupied by the Frenchmen. We marched with fixed bayonets through a local forest. We met the already wounded from two other infantry regiments withdrawing through the forest. Soon were we in front and met by a barrage of enemy artillery shells and shrapnel. On the right of and left our infantry lines got thinner, but we went restlessly forward. When we had left the forest, we saw a hill, which was occupied by hostile infantry and artillery at a distance of approximately 150 meters. There was no ground cover across the distance. We advanced across an oat field engaging the enemy at every opportunity. Then we heard the command to storm the hill and Mersaille. Our Colonel, Prince Friedrich Karl of Hessen, seized our flag and carried it in front for us. That not all fell, is because of bad shooting of the Frenchmen, who probably did not take aim but shot wildely in confusion. Soon the position was in our possession and the enemy were in full retreat. We pursued them for 10 kilometers distance. In a trench we found about a dozen Frenchmen, who did not make a sound of itself and played dead. We soon noticed the ruse and made them prisoners. The enemy suffered many dead, in addition, we had many light wounded.