Heeresgruppe Scholz 1917

[Chris Dale]

I just found this very interesting photo on http://www.uniformfotos.de . The caption says he's from the Heeresgruppe Scholz 1917.
Does anyone know anything more about this unit? What units it comprised of? Who Scholz was? And most importantly where and when they were deployed?
Any help would be appreciated.
Cheers
Chris Dale

[Peter H]

Chris,
AG Scholtz was based in Macedonia,on the Salonika Front.Originally AG Below,under Otto von Below,was formed in October 1916,in the words of Hermann Cron--"a firmer grip had to be taken on the Bulgarian Armies.It [OHL]therefore agreed to form with Bulgaria a special Army Group under overall German command".

Otto von Below was later transferred to the Western Front,and General Friedrich Wilhelm von Scholtz took over on the 23rd April 1917,with his renamed AG Scholtz,HQ Ueskueb.

AG Scholtz retreated from Macedonia/Serbia in September 1918.On the 6th October 1918,being replaced by the 11th Army reforming in Serbia,it was transferred to Bucharest,via Belgrade,to organise the Danube defences in that region.

More on Scholtz here--he won fame for his command of the XXth Corps at Tannenberg,later for his commands on the Eastern Front.

http://home.comcast.net/~mjviser/scholtzx.htm

A photo of Scholtz and his 8th Army HQ 1915 is below.

Regards,
Peter

[VJK]

Hi!

Scholz is in fact General der Artillerie Friedrich von Scholtz. He commanded Heeresgruppe Scholtz from 22.4.1917 - 5.10.1918.The Heeresgruppe is the twice re-named Heeresgruppe Mackensen and then from 10.10.1916 - 22.4.1917 Heeresgruppe Below (Otto von Below). The Heeresgruppe was deployed in Macedonia. Im May 1917 it was made up of the following units:

A.O.K. 11
Genkdo. 61 und 62
Div.Stab 302
Stäbe der 22. und 201. IB

22. Infanterie Brigade (FF) Breslau

201, Infanterie Brigade (Reserveformation)

GR 11, IR 42, 45 und 146, I/IR 59

JägRgtsStab 10 (Carlowitz), GJägBtl, GSchüBtl, ResJägBtl 8, JägBtl 9,

Jäger-Regiments Stab Reserveformation des Jäger Bataillon Nr 10

ResJägBtl 11, JägBtl 12

GebMGA 210, 211, 214, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 221, 228, 229, 230 und 231

Reserveformationen
Teile des BayResKavR 1, des GrenzPf 3, HR 5 und DragR 10

kgl bayerisches ReserveKavallerieRegiment 1
Grenadier Regiment zu Pferde wie oben

Husaren Regiment Fürst Blücher von Wahlstadt (Pommersches) Nr 5 (FF) Stolp
Dragoner Regiment König Albert von Sachsen (Ostpreussisches Nr 10 (FF) Allenstein
FAR 10 und 33

Teile der GebArtAbt 1, 3 und 5

FsARStab 108

6. und 7. Battr. BayFsAR 2, I/ResFsAR 8 (1., 2. und 9.), I/FsAR 5 (1.-3.),
5. Battr./FsAR 4, bayFsABtl 14 (1.-3.), FsABtl 65 (1.-3.), 15 cm

Mar.Kan.Battr. 16

Teile der PiBtle 15, 19 und 21

1. Elsässisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr 15 Straßburg i. E.
2. Elsässisches Pionier Bataillon Nr 19 Straßburg i. E.
1, Nassauisches Pionier Bataillon Nr 21 Mainz
PiKp 106 und 205

Reserveformation
GebMWK 172 und 176

Gebirgs-Minen-Werfer Kompanie 172
Gebirgs-Minen-Werfer Kompanie 173

Reserveformationen
FlAbt 34, 38 und 246, Jagdstaffel 25

Bulg. 2. Div (unter Genkdo. 61)
Bulg. 1. und 6. Div. (unter Genkdo. 62)
Bulg. 3. Div.

Regards,

VJK

Edit: Peter beat me to the punch whilst I was writing!

[Peter H]

Great minds think alike.

Also as highlighted by the photo that Chris posted is the use of tropical,colonial uniforms as used by some of the Germans in Macedonia.

[Chris Dale]

Thanks again Peter and VJK for answering so fully and quickly. I might have known you two would have the all answers as usual!
The use of occasional colonial (or in this case tropical marine) uniforms in the Balkans is very curious.
Here's another photo from the same website attached. This time the unit appears to be wearing East Asian Strawhats.
Cheers
Chris

[Peter H]

From ebay,seller antique_art_paper.

Hill 1050 position held by Germans,Macedonian front 1917

[Peter H]

From: http://www.lostbulgaria.com/?cat=3

Germans in Macedonia

[Peter H]

More...

[Peter H]

More..

[Peter H]

From ebay,seller bokluci

German on right with strawhat

[Chris Dale]

Once again Peter... thank you so much for finding these!

Cheers
Chris

PS I just looked through the host album... really amazing photos. I've never seen so many Bulgarin WW1 photos before!