King of Württemberg visits the Ypres battlefront
14 April 1915
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Between 10th and 17th April 1915 King Wilhelm von Württemberg made a journey to the Western Front in northern France and Belgium to visit troops from the Württemberg Kingdom.
On 14th April the King paid a visit to the 39. Division and 30. Division in the sector south-east of Ypres. These two divisions formed the XV. Corps under the command of General von Deimling. Two of the eight regiments in the XV. Corps were selected for inspection by the King. They were on parade for the special visit at the rear of the corps' front line sector.
126. Infanterie-Regiment (39. Division)
This was the first time that the King had inspected this regiment in the field. During his visit he presented medals to a number of the men.
Immediately after the outbreak of the war 126. Infanterie-Regiment had been in the German 7th Army (commanded by General von Heeringen). It had fought against the French Army in Alsace, taking part in some of the first engagements of the war. The commander of the 126. Infanterie-Regiment, Oberst von Schimpf, was killed within the first few months of the fighting.
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At Mulhouse and Cernay (Sennheim) it had been successful in repulsing an attempt by the French Army to capture the plain at the southern end of the Vosges mountains, which at that time was part of German occupied Alsace. On 9th August one of the regiment's battalions captured the first French guns of the war from the enemy's artillery.
In September 1914 the 126. Infanterie-Regiment was transferred with 39. Division to the Aisne. A month later at the end of October the division was moved to the right wing of the German 6th Army, commanded by Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria.
Until the summer of 1915 the 39. Division was attached to the German 4th Army, where it formed the 4th Army left wing.
105. Infanterie-Regiment (30. Division)
From the first days of the war 105. Infanterie-Regiment also fought with the German 7th Army (commanded by General von Heeringen), having engaged French troops in the northern Vosges mountains of Upper Alsace. From the middle of September 1914 the 30. Division was transferred with 39. Division to the Aisne. At the end of October the division was transferred to the Lys, to the south-east of Ypres, where it formed part of the German 6th Army, commanded by Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria.
In April 1915 the 30. Division was attached to the German 4th Army, where it formed the left wing to the south-east of Ypres. It remained in this sector until January 1916.