Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 14 Attempts Landing at Turku?

[geo69jock]

In February of 1918, Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 14 landed on Åland as a detachment of The Ostsee-Division to establish initial port facilities and security in southwest Finland. Later, in April the remainder of the Ostsee-Divion landed in Finland and attacked Hanko. I have found a reference which states that parallel with the Hanko attack, in time, The Jager=Bataillon Nr. 14, attempted a landing from Åland, against the coastal defenses of Turku, on the southwest coast of Finland.

Does anyone have any information about this attempted landing ?

[Seppo Koivisto]

The Åland detachment was ordered to occupy Turku. The main group was planned to be moved with the steamer Baltic, but it could not move through the ice. Therefore the detachment was sent on foot over ice to Houtskär. On April 4th there was a battle at Mielis with the Reds. Later the occupation of Turku was cancelled and the detachment was ordered to cover the flank of the Ostsee-Division.

Sources:
Finlands frihetskrig år 1918, vol. 5, pages 329-332, Helsinki 1924.
http://www.denkmalprojekt.org/misc_laen ... 1_finn.htm
http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saariston_Vapaajoukko

[geo69jock]

Seppo:

Thank you very much for the valuable information, and the Finish web site !

[Seppo Koivisto]

Here follows a longer description of the battles fought in the archipelago.

Already on March 20th two groups of German troops had arrived Houtskär. On 24-25th the Finnish Archipelago Free Corps (Skärgårdens frikår SFK) had moved there and made on 28th an attack against the Reds stationed at Korpo mansion. After losing almost 20 men the Reds retreated partly to Nagu and partly to the Russian barracks on Lohm island.

The main German group arrived Houtskär on April 2nd led by Captain Schweinberg. He decided to attack with two detachments, one against Nagu and the other against Lohm. In the morning the troops moved with horses over the ice.

The right flank of a group of Germans and the 1st Company of Free Corps attacked against the Lohm barracks, which held due to the advantageous location.

The left flank of three groups of Germans and the 2nd Company of Free Corps took the Mielis village on the north side of Nagu main island. The Reds lost almost 40 men, 12 prisoners, one machine gun and all supplies. In the attack against Thoras the Germans met an overwhelming enemy and could not move forward.

In the evening the Reds got reinforcements from Turku in the form of the Russian gun boat Bobr and ice breakers Murtaja and Snjek, which appeared in the rear between Houtskär and Nagu. Therefore Captain Schweinberg ordered the troops to retreat to Korpo mansion.

The red troops in Nagu embarked the ships to reinforce the troops in Lohm. It was prevented by the German cruiser Kolberg, which arrived with the help of the ice breaker Sampo. The crew of Murtaja left the ship and fled over ice to Turku.

On April 6th the Åland detachment was ordered to Finby to be shipped to Hanko, but the Archipelago Free Corps decided to continue to Turku. In the evening of April 13th, SFK arrived to Turku, which Red and Russian troops had already left and e.g. sunk 13 ships.

Finlands frihetskrig år 1918, vol. 6, page 61, Helsinki 1924.
http://www.ts.fi/uutiset/kotimaa/107427 ... rannikolle
http://www.ts.fi/mielipiteet/lukijoilta ... aajoukosta
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saaristo.png
http://www.korpogard.fi/

[geo69jock]

Seppo:

Did The Jager-Bataillon Nr. 14 go with The SFS to Turku, on the evening of April 13th. Also, considering the entire Baltic Operation:

The first and 2nd expedition detachments arrived in Aland by March 5th. Admiral Meurer returned to Danzig after the Aland occupation to plan for the 3rd detachment transport to Hanko, on March 30th,

The 3rd detachment did not reach Hanko until April 3rd.

The Jager-Bataillon Nr. 14 went to Aland simply because it was available at the time, having just returned from two years in Galicia / Volhynia.

In mid March the Admiral did not even know what troops were to be transported, in the 3rd detachment.

All the troops involved in the Baltic operation were essentially a "random" group, gathered very quickly.

In a general Order of Battle, could they all be considered to be part of The Ostsee Division ? That is how the OOB is normally listed !

[Seppo Koivisto]

Did The Jager-Bataillon Nr. 14 go with The SFS to Turku, on the evening of April 13th.

No, the Jager-Bataillon Nr. 14 landed at Ekenäs/Tammisaari on April 10th and was attached to the Ostsee-Division.

In a general Order of Battle, could they all be considered to be part of The Ostsee Division ? That is how the OOB is normally listed !

In Finnish literature is separated:

Sonderverband Ostsee (Hugo Meurer)
The Jager-Bataillon Nr. 14 was first attached to the Sonderverband

Ostsee-Division (v.d. Golz)

Detachement Brandenstein, later attached to the Ostsee-Division

[geo69jock]

Seppo:

I assume, that after landing at Ekenas / Tammisaari, on April 10th, The Jager-Bataillon Nr. 14, now assigned to The Ostsee Division, progressed along the railway from Tammisaari toward Helsinki. I have a map of the railway system, and have read about the Germans fighting against the "Red" armoured trains. Did The Bataillon do any more fighting, or was it involved in occupation duty, along the railway?

I know The Bataillon was back on the Western Front, near Cambrai, by April 25th, assigned to The 195 Division, now as The 14th Jager "Regiment".

Russell

[Seppo Koivisto]

A Finnish Battalion led by Colonel Thesleff (Etappipataljoona I) was sent to Kemiö on April 5th to receive the Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 14, but was stopped there by an overwhelming enemy. The Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 14 was sent from Tammisaari to help the Finnish Battalion on 10th, but the enemy was already defeated an the battalions met at Perniö on 11th and returned to Tammisaari on 12th.

After that the Finnish Battalion was moved to Helsinki, but sofar I could not find any more information on the Nr. 14.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vilhelm_Al ... r_Thesleff

[geo69jock]

Seppo:

I am sure The Jager-Bataillon Ne. 14 was shipped to The Western Front, after returning to Tammisaari on April 12th. It appeared with The 195th Division, as 14. Jager "Regiment", on April 25th near Cambrai.

Jager-Bataillon Nr. 14 was in High demend during the war:

1914, 39th Division-Alsace-Vosges-Battle of Albroschwiller
1915, 12 Landwehr Division- Vosges-attacks on Hartmannswillerkopf-Battaillon destroyed-840 casualities- sent to reform in Belgium
1916-1917, 108th Division- Galicia / Volhynia- German counter-attacks against Brusilov and Kerensky Offensives
1918, Sonderverband Ostsee-Aland and southwest Finland operations, 195th Division- defended against Meuse-Argonne Offensive

Thanks again for all your help,

Russell

[Seppo Koivisto]

After landing on Aland, did The Bataillon fight any "Reds",in those islands, before attempting to fight through the archipelago toward Turku in late March and early April ?

The Uusikaupunki White Guards had arrived to Åland in the beginning of February and defeated the Russian troops there. But they were fooled by Swedes to leave Åland on February 20th and Sweden could occupy the islands.

Åland islands was occupied by Swedish troops and there was no large scale fighting with Reds. Only lone Russians and Reds were unarmed with the help of remaining Whites.

Source: Saksalaisten sotilaallinen toiminta Suomessa 1918 (German military operations in Finland) by R. Arimo, 1991.