Three Days on the Isonzo, pp

Footnotes

The Dnjester River flows from the Carpathian Mountains to the Black Sea. It represented the front line between Austria-Hungary and Russia during the autumn of 1915.
The 6th k.u.k. (Imperial and Royal) Infantry Division began its journey away from the Russian Front on 23 October 1915. It arrived in the vicinity of Prvacina and Reifenberg between 28 October and 1 November, and then proceeded to march up to its new position on the "Southwestern Front. (See: Geschichte des k.u.k. Feldjagerbataillons Nr. 8,1808-1918, by Univ.Prof. Dr. Jakob Baxa, Klagenfurt, 1974, page 408, as well as: Osterreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg, 1914-1918, Vol. III, Vienna, 1930, Beilage 10).
The probable order of battle for the 6th k.u.k Infantry Division during November l915 was as follows
The 6th Infantry Division was recruited from the district of the III. Korps which was headquartered in Graz.
south: "Southwestern Front" as it was designated by the Austro-Hungarians, or the "Italian Front" as it is more popularly known.
''Below": "The Hell on the Isonzo." This is what this area was widely called by the Austro-Hungarian soldiers. (See for example: Die Holle am Isonzo, by Georg Gellert, Berlin, 1940.)
This date is not known for certain, but it was probably the night of 2/3 November 1915. A minor front-line position was lost to the Italians on the 3rd of November due to a bad transfer of responsibility from the k.u. Landwehr (Honved) Infanterie Regiment Nr. 3 and the k.u.k. Feldjagerbataillon Nr. 8. This, in turn, led to something of a controversy between the Austrians and the Hungarians in regard to who was at fault and why it had happened. (See: Geschichte deg k.u.k. Feldjagerbataillons Nr. 8,1808-1918, by Univ.-Prof. Dr. Jakob Baxa, Klagenfurt, 1974, pp. 408-415.)
Wippach: Wippach River.
"the Carso (i.e. Karst Plateau) formed 'enormous natural fortresses,' the Carso being 'a howling wilderness of stones as sharp as knives.' " (See: The Battle of Caporetto, by Cyril Falls, New York. 1966, page 8).
"The grim and forbidding limestone plateau of the Carso, 'a howling wilderness of stones,' made entrenchments difficult, and the splintering stone multiplied the effects of fire. During the autumn and winter the plateau was swept by rain and snow, while during the summer months heat and the lack of water inflicted additional hardships on the armies." (See: The Army of Francis Joseph, by Prof. Gunther E. Rothenburg, Purdue Press, W. Lafayette, Indiana, 1976, pp. 187-188).
Krain: the Austrian province of Carniola.
"Moreover with the equipment then available, the building of good trenches was almost impossible in the rocky ground, and during the yearlong fighting along the Isonzo (in 1915), the Austro-Hungarian Army had failed to devise an efficient way of constructing trenches. The troops paid heavily for this. The 'trenches,' even in the most favorable conditions were constructed in three layers. The bottom layer was hacked out of rock, the next consisted of broken up rocks and this was, in the third layer, finally topped with sandbags. The preliminary fire from the Italian guns regularly levelled the sandbags and rocks and thus filled up the lower third of the cover available to the Austrians." (See: Purnell's History of the First World War, London, 1970, "Austria on the Defensive," by Dr. Friedrich Wiener, page 1230).
Welschen: Italians or French. It is used here in reference to the soldiers of Italy.
Honved: a Hungarian word which means literally "Homeland Defender." It is used here to describe the soldiers of the k.u. (Royal Hungarian) Landwehr. In 1917 Kaiser Karl of Austria officially changed the title of these units to k.u. Honved.
The Hungarians refered to here were men of the 20th k.u. Landwehr (Honved) Infantry Division. The men of this division had just endured the Third Battle of the Isonzo which lasted from 18 October 1915 until 5 November 1915. This battle cost the Italians 67,000 casualties and the Austro-Hungarians 42,000. (See: Österreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg, 1914-1918, Vol. III, Vienna, 1930, page 42, as well as Der Erste Weltkrieg, by Anton Wagner, Vienna, 1968, page 102).
Steierland: or Steirermark, is the Austrian province of Styria.
"It was sheer hell for the Austro-Hungarian soldiers on the Karst Plateau. The limestone made the construction of lines and trenches doubly difficult, splintering stone increased the effect of the Italian's fire. heat and a lack of water resulted in agonizing living conditions and the fact that there was no vegetation for protection or camouflage restricted movement and aggravated problems of supply. The heavy autumn and winter rainfall made it similarly difficult for the Italian troops situated in the low-lying plains. The ground was transformed into a swampland, in which every trench and dugout was filled with water." (See: Purnell's History of the First World War, London, 1970, "Austria on the Defensive," by Dr, Friedrich Wiener, page 1236 ).
Because of its conduct during the engagement near Sieniawa on 26 May 1915, the k.u.k. Infanterie Regiment Nr. 36 (in 1914: 95% Czech, 5% other) was disbanded and its number dropped from the list of army regiments. This was done by a decree from Kaiser Franz Joseph a few days after the battle as the result of a request put forth by the regiment's commander. It never was to be reinstated and the majority of its men were corseted into more reliable units of the III. Korps. This disgrace only befell one other k.u.k. infantry regiment throughout the Austrian Army's long history. This was the k.u.k. Infanterie Regiment Nr. 28 from Prague, and it came about as a result of its conduct near Zboro on 3 April 1915. However, this regiment eventually was allowed to reform about one year later, partially due to the fine conduct of its XI Marsch Bataillon on the Isonzo during the autumn of 1915. But after it was reformed many Sudetenland Germans also were included in its ranks to help ensure its reliability. (See: Osterreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg, 1914-1918, Vol. III, Vienna, 1930, various pages)
Pane: a Czech word with a meaning somewhere between "you" and mister."
Polentahengste: Polenta -- the national dish of Italy. It is something of a corn meal mush, and its use dates back to ancient Rome where it was consumed by Caesar's legions. Hengste -- stallion, jackass or the male of other similar animals, such as the zebra.
The Austro-Hungarians felt especially justified to use such terms as "scoundrels" and "bandits" in regard to the Italians due to the ill feeling caused by Italy's Triple Alliance upon the outbreak of hostilities, her subsequent efforts to "blackmail" Austria-Hungary into surrendering substantial amounts of territory in return for neutrality and finally for her "stab in the back'' when she joined the Allies by declaring war on Austria-Hungary on 23 May 1915.
Katzelmacher: Kettlemakers -- a name used by the Austrians for the Italians. It was descended ostensibly from the Middle Ages when it had been a designation used almost exclusively with reference to the Italians, since they made and exported kettles to Austria. (See: Das Infanterieregiment Nr. 47 im Weltkrieg, Vol. I, by Ludwig Freiherrn von Vogelsang. Graz, 1932, page 361 ).
"Böhm": a Bohemian.
nemsabat: Magyar word for "not into there."
The Fourth Battle of the Isonzo lasted from 10 November until 14 December 1915. Casualties during this battle were 49,000 men for the Italian Army as compared to 25,000 men for the Austro-Hungarian Army. (See: Geschichte des steirischen k.u.k. Infanterie-Regiments Nr. 27 fur den Zeitraum des Weltkrieges, 1914-1918, by Oberst Hermann Frohlich, Graz, 1937, page XIII., as well as Der Erste Weltkrieg, by Anton Wagner. Vienna, 1968, page 103).
Any confusion over the dates of the Third and Fourth Battles of the Isonzo is best explained by the following passage: "Having filled the gaping holes in his ranks and further increased his artillery, Cadorna (the Italian commanding general) tried again on October 18. In the Third Battle he again directed his main offensive on Gorizia (Gorz), but this time he had resources sufficient for flanking attacks -- on the right over the Carso (Karst Plateau), on the left against Piava on the left bank of the Isonzo 12 miles south of Caporetto. Again, after the attack had petered out on November 4, he renewed it in the so-called Fourth Battle, beginning on November 10, and lasting to December 2. Once more he accorded the honor of two names to what was really one battle. It was a dubious honor indeed for all but the Italian infantry, which in many cases showed splendid courage in hopeless tasks, but it is to be feared that the double title was gasconade." (See: The Battle of Caporetto, by Cyril Falls, New York, 1966, page 9).
Further mention of the tunnels can be found in: Geschichte des k.u.k. Feldjagerbataillons Nr. 8, 1808-1918, by Univ.-Prof. Dr. Jakob Baxa, Klagenfurt, 1974, page 412, as well as Geschichte des steirischen k.u.k. Infanterie-Regiments Nr. 27 für den Zeitraum des Weltkrieges, 1914-1918, by Oberst Hermann Frohlich Graz, 1937, pp. 473-474.
The tunnels' location on the map was based primarily on: Geschichte des steirischen k.u.k. Infanterie-Regiments Nr. 27 fur den Zeitraum des Weltkrieges, 1914-1918, by Oberst Hermann Frohlich, Graz, 1937, Skizze 66. While the rest of the map was put together from several sources: (See: First World War Atlas, by Martin Gilbert, New York, 1970, various pages. as well as Militarwissenschaftliche Mitteilungen Jahrgang 1930, Heft 7/8, "Zum Aufsatz 'Taktische Erfahrungen aus dem Weltkrieg' von Mjr. Nemeth," as well as Osterreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg, 1914-1918, Vol. III, Vienna, 1930, Skizze 13 -- "Die ital. Durchbruchs-und Umfassungsversuche auf dem Karst vpm 12. bis 15. Nov. 1915," as well as Ein Buch der Erinnerung an Grosse Zeiten -- Hessen I.R. 14 -- 1914-1918, Linz, 1919, Karte 2).
This was the official cap badge for the k.u.k. Feldjagerbataillons (in this case Nr. 8). The badge of this size was worn only by the officers of the unit on the front of their caps and underneath the Imperial cypher.
This was the semi-official cap badge of the 9th k.u.k. Feldjagerbataillon. It could be worn by all members of the unit and generally was fastened to the side of the cap.
This was the semi-official badge of the 7th k.u.k. Feldjagerbataillon. It could be worn by all members of the unit and would have been fastened either to the side of the cap or to a breast pocket.
"adventure stories by James Fenimore Cooper and his German imitator, Karl May. The latter had never been to America but his tales of noble Indians and hardy cowboys were accepted as gospel by generations of German and Austrian boys." (See: Adolf Hitler, by John Toland, Garden City, N.Y.. 1976, page 14)
Pace: the official length of one pace (Schritt) in the Austro-Hungarian Army was 75 cm. (1 cm. equals .394 inches). (See: "Osterreichisch-ungarischer Kriegs-Taschen-Kalender 1915-1916," page 49).
Revolver Kanone: Austrian soldier's jargon for the M1886 "47 mm. Mitrailleuse" (system Hotchkiss) artillery pieces. The name derived from the fact these guns had 5 rotating barrels (see: Kampf um die Drei Zinnen, by Peter Kubler and Hugo Reider, Bozen, 1981, page 184).


Introduction and Page 1 Page 2.html Page 3.html Page 4.html Page 5.html Page 6.html Page 7.html Page 8.html Page 9.html Page 10.html Page 11.html Page 12.html		Footnotes The Dnjester River flows from the Carpathian Mountains to the Black Sea. It represented the front line between Austria-Hungary and Russia during the autumn of 1915. The 6th k.u.k. (Imperial and Royal) Infantry Division began its journey away from the Russian Front on 23 October 1915. It arrived in the vicinity of Prvacina and Reifenberg between 28 October and 1 November, and then proceeded to march up to its new position on the "Southwestern Front. (See: Geschichte des k.u.k. Feldjagerbataillons Nr. 8,1808-1918, by Univ.Prof. Dr. Jakob Baxa, Klagenfurt, 1974, page 408, as well as: *Osterreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg, 1914-1918, Vol. III, Vienna, 1930, Beilage 10). The probable order of battle for the 6th k.u.k Infantry Division during November l915 was as follows 11. k.u.k. Infanterie Brigade: k.u.k. Infanterie Regiment Nr. 7 k u k. Bosnisch-herzegowinisch Inf Regt Nr. 2 12. k.u.k. Infanterie Brigade: k.u.k. Feldjagerbataillon Nr. 7 k.u.k. Feldjagerbataillon Nr. 8 k.u.k Feldjagerbataillon Nr. 9 Divs. Kavallerie: 5th and 6th Schwadron from k.u.k. Dragonerregiment Nr s 6. Feldartillerie Brigade: k u.k. Feldkanonenregiment Nr 9 I Div. k.u.k Feldhaubitzregiment Nr. 3 The 6th Infantry Division was recruited from the district of the III. Korps which was headquartered in Graz. south: "Southwestern Front" as it was designated by the Austro-Hungarians, or the "Italian Front" as it is more popularly known. ''Below": "The Hell on the Isonzo." This is what this area was widely called by the Austro-Hungarian soldiers. (See for example: Die Holle am Isonzo, by Georg Gellert, Berlin, 1940.) This date is not known for certain, but it was probably the night of 2/3 November 1915. A minor front-line position was lost to the Italians on the 3rd of November due to a bad transfer of responsibility from the k.u. Landwehr (Honved) Infanterie Regiment Nr. 3 and the k.u.k. Feldjagerbataillon Nr. 8. This, in turn, led to something of a controversy between the Austrians and the Hungarians in regard to who was at fault and why it had happened. (See: Geschichte deg k.u.k. Feldjagerbataillons Nr. 8,1808-1918, by Univ.-Prof. Dr. Jakob Baxa, Klagenfurt, 1974, pp. 408-415.) Wippach: Wippach River. "the Carso (i.e. Karst Plateau) formed 'enormous natural fortresses,' the Carso being 'a howling wilderness of stones as sharp as knives.' " (See: The Battle of Caporetto, by Cyril Falls, New York. 1966, page 8). "The grim and forbidding limestone plateau of the Carso, 'a howling wilderness of stones,' made entrenchments difficult, and the splintering stone multiplied the effects of fire. During the autumn and winter the plateau was swept by rain and snow, while during the summer months heat and the lack of water inflicted additional hardships on the armies." (See: The Army of Francis Joseph, by Prof. Gunther E. Rothenburg, Purdue Press, W. Lafayette, Indiana, 1976, pp. 187-188). Krain: the Austrian province of Carniola. "Moreover with the equipment then available, the building of good trenches was almost impossible in the rocky ground, and during the yearlong fighting along the Isonzo (in 1915), the Austro-Hungarian Army had failed to devise an efficient way of constructing trenches. The troops paid heavily for this. The 'trenches,' even in the most favorable conditions were constructed in three layers. The bottom layer was hacked out of rock, the next consisted of broken up rocks and this was, in the third layer, finally topped with sandbags. The preliminary fire from the Italian guns regularly levelled the sandbags and rocks and thus filled up the lower third of the cover available to the Austrians." (See: Purnell's History of the First World War, London, 1970, "Austria on the Defensive," by Dr. Friedrich Wiener, page 1230). Welschen: Italians or French. It is used here in reference to the soldiers of Italy. Honved: a Hungarian word which means literally "Homeland Defender." It is used here to describe the soldiers of the k.u. (Royal Hungarian) Landwehr. In 1917 Kaiser Karl of Austria officially changed the title of these units to k.u. Honved. The Hungarians refered to here were men of the 20th k.u. Landwehr (Honved) Infantry Division. The men of this division had just endured the Third Battle of the Isonzo which lasted from 18 October 1915 until 5 November 1915. This battle cost the Italians 67,000 casualties and the Austro-Hungarians 42,000. (See: Österreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg, 1914-1918, Vol. III, Vienna, 1930, page 42, as well as Der Erste Weltkrieg, by Anton Wagner, Vienna, 1968, page 102). Steierland: or Steirermark, is the Austrian province of Styria. "It was sheer hell for the Austro-Hungarian soldiers on the Karst Plateau. The limestone made the construction of lines and trenches doubly difficult, splintering stone increased the effect of the Italian's fire. heat and a lack of water resulted in agonizing living conditions and the fact that there was no vegetation for protection or camouflage restricted movement and aggravated problems of supply. The heavy autumn and winter rainfall made it similarly difficult for the Italian troops situated in the low-lying plains. The ground was transformed into a swampland, in which every trench and dugout was filled with water." (See: Purnell's History of the First World War, London, 1970, "Austria on the Defensive," by Dr, Friedrich Wiener, page 1236 ). Because of its conduct during the engagement near Sieniawa on 26 May 1915, the k.u.k. Infanterie Regiment Nr. 36 (in 1914: 95% Czech, 5% other) was disbanded and its number dropped from the list of army regiments. This was done by a decree from Kaiser Franz Joseph a few days after the battle as the result of a request put forth by the regiment's commander. It never was to be reinstated and the majority of its men were corseted into more reliable units of the III. Korps. This disgrace only befell one other k.u.k. infantry regiment throughout the Austrian Army's long history. This was the k.u.k. Infanterie Regiment Nr. 28 from Prague, and it came about as a result of its conduct near Zboro on 3 April 1915. However, this regiment eventually was allowed to reform about one year later, partially due to the fine conduct of its XI Marsch Bataillon on the Isonzo during the autumn of 1915. But after it was reformed many Sudetenland Germans also were included in its ranks to help ensure its reliability. (See: Osterreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg, 1914-1918, Vol. III, Vienna, 1930, various pages) Pane: a Czech word with a meaning somewhere between "you" and mister." Polentahengste: Polenta -- the national dish of Italy. It is something of a corn meal mush, and its use dates back to ancient Rome where it was consumed by Caesar's legions. Hengste -- stallion, jackass or the male of other similar animals, such as the zebra. The Austro-Hungarians felt especially justified to use such terms as "scoundrels" and "bandits" in regard to the Italians due to the ill feeling caused by Italy's Triple Alliance upon the outbreak of hostilities, her subsequent efforts to "blackmail" Austria-Hungary into surrendering substantial amounts of territory in return for neutrality and finally for her "stab in the back'' when she joined the Allies by declaring war on Austria-Hungary on 23 May 1915. Katzelmacher: Kettlemakers -- a name used by the Austrians for the Italians. It was descended ostensibly from the Middle Ages when it had been a designation used almost exclusively with reference to the Italians, since they made and exported kettles to Austria. (See: Das Infanterieregiment Nr. 47 im Weltkrieg, Vol.* I, by Ludwig Freiherrn von Vogelsang. Graz, 1932, page 361 ). "*Böhm": a Bohemian. nemsabat: Magyar word for "not into there." The Fourth Battle of the Isonzo lasted from 10 November until 14 December 1915. Casualties during this battle were 49,000 men for the Italian Army as compared to 25,000 men for the Austro-Hungarian Army. (See: Geschichte des steirischen k.u.k. Infanterie-Regiments Nr. 27 fur den Zeitraum des Weltkrieges, 1914-1918, by Oberst Hermann Frohlich, Graz, 1937, page XIII., as well as Der Erste Weltkrieg, by Anton Wagner. Vienna, 1968, page 103). Any confusion over the dates of the Third and Fourth Battles of the Isonzo is best explained by the following passage: "Having filled the gaping holes in his ranks and further increased his artillery, Cadorna (the Italian commanding general) tried again on October 18. In the Third Battle he again directed his main offensive on Gorizia (Gorz), but this time he had resources sufficient for flanking attacks -- on the right over the Carso (Karst Plateau), on the left against Piava on the left bank of the Isonzo 12 miles south of Caporetto. Again, after the attack had petered out on November 4, he renewed it in the so-called Fourth Battle, beginning on November 10, and lasting to December 2. Once more he accorded the honor of two names to what was really one battle. It was a dubious honor indeed for all but the Italian infantry, which in many cases showed splendid courage in hopeless tasks, but it is to be feared that the double title was gasconade." (See: The Battle of Caporetto, by Cyril Falls, New York, 1966, page 9). Further mention of the tunnels can be found in: Geschichte des k.u.k. Feldjagerbataillons Nr. 8, 1808-1918, by Univ.-Prof. Dr. Jakob Baxa, Klagenfurt, 1974, page 412, as well as Geschichte des steirischen k.u.k. Infanterie-Regiments Nr. 27 für den Zeitraum des Weltkrieges, 1914-1918, by Oberst Hermann Frohlich Graz, 1937, pp. 473-474. The tunnels' location on the map was based primarily on: Geschichte des steirischen k.u.k. Infanterie-Regiments Nr. 27 fur den Zeitraum des Weltkrieges, 1914-1918, by Oberst Hermann Frohlich, Graz, 1937, Skizze 66. While the rest of the map was put together from several sources: (See: First World War Atlas, by Martin Gilbert, New York, 1970, various pages. as well as Militarwissenschaftliche Mitteilungen Jahrgang 1930, Heft 7/8, "Zum Aufsatz 'Taktische Erfahrungen aus dem Weltkrieg'* von Mjr. Nemeth," as well as *Osterreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg, 1914-1918, Vol. III, Vienna, 1930, Skizze 13 -- "Die ital. Durchbruchs-und Umfassungsversuche auf dem Karst vpm 12. bis 15. Nov. 1915," as well as Ein Buch der Erinnerung an Grosse Zeiten -- Hessen I.R. 14 -- 1914-1918, Linz, 1919, Karte 2). This was the official cap badge for the k.u.k. Feldjagerbataillons (in this case Nr. 8). The badge of this size was worn only by the officers of the unit on the front of their caps and underneath the Imperial cypher. This was the semi-official cap badge of the 9th k.u.k. Feldjagerbataillon. It could be worn by all members of the unit and generally was fastened to the side of the cap. This was the semi-official badge of the 7th k.u.k. Feldjagerbataillon. It could be worn by all members of the unit and would have been fastened either to the side of the cap or to a breast pocket. "adventure stories by James Fenimore Cooper and his German imitator, Karl May. The latter had never been to America but his tales of noble Indians and hardy cowboys were accepted as gospel by generations of German and Austrian boys." (See: Adolf Hitler, by John Toland, Garden City, N.Y.. 1976, page 14) Pace: the official length of one pace (Schritt) in the Austro-Hungarian Army was 75 cm. (1 cm. equals .394 inches). (See: "Osterreichisch-ungarischer Kriegs-Taschen-Kalender 1915-1916," page 49). Revolver Kanone: Austrian soldier's jargon for the M1886 "47 mm. Mitrailleuse" (system Hotchkiss) artillery pieces. The name derived from the fact these guns had 5 rotating barrels (see: Kampf um die Drei Zinnen*, by Peter Kubler and Hugo Reider, Bozen, 1981, page 184).