r/Austrohungarian

Image 1 — k.u.k. artillery depot, Serbia, 1914-1915
Image 2 — k.u.k. artillery depot, Serbia, 1914-1915
▲ 77 r/Austrohungarian+1 crossposts

k.u.k. artillery depot, Serbia, 1914-1915

Two gunners photographed in what seems to be an artillery depot or maintenance area, among different artillery pieces:

We can notice

Skoda M.15 7.5cm Gebirgskanone

9 cm Feldkanone M.75

Two 10 cm Feldhaubitze M.14

1 Škoda 3,7 cm trenchcannon

Parked under the trees, waiting.

On the back of a Feldpostkarte from the same period: "Serbien" probably early war

A Polish legionnaires is guarding a group of Russian prisoners,a paint by Wojciech Kossak

​

Wojciech Horacy Kossak (31 December 1856 – 29 July 1942) was a Polish painter and member of the celebrated Kossak family of artists and writers. He was the son of painter Juliusz Kossak, and twin brother of freedom fighter Tadeusz Kossak.[1] He was also the father of two highly talented literary daughters, Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska and Magdalena Samozwaniec and of a painter son, Jerzy Kossak.

This oil paint is now on display in the Muzeum Józefa Piłsudskiego w Sulejówku Poland

source and more information: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wojciech\_Kossak

http://muzeumpilsudski.pl/sites/default/files/kossak\_1.jpg

The K.u.K. 35. Infanteriedivision at the battle of St. Mihail on the Western Front and their first involvolment with the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF)

Unfortunately, there is no great documentation on the participation of the 35thbdivision , the photographic one practically non-existent, from a document it appears that in the battle of St. Miheil the losses of the division were 99 officers, 3268 soldiers in addition to the loss of 18 guns and 79 machine guns. The fallen were buried together with their German comrades, there is no monument to remember their sacrifice

The Battle of Saint-Mihiel occurred from September 12 to 16, 1918, during World War I. It was a significant conflict involving the Allied forces, primarily the United States and France, against the Central Powers, which included the Austro-Hungarian Army and Germany.

Key Details

DateSeptember 12-16, 1918

Location Saint-Mihiel salient, FranceAllied Forces: United States, France, Central PowersGermany, Austro-Hungarian

Us Army Commander John J. Pershing (U.S.)

Austrian Hungarian Commander FML Ludwig Goiginger

Role of the Austro-Hungarian Army

The Austro-Hungarian Army was one of the Central Powers involved in this battle. Although the primary focus was on German forces, the Austro-Hungarian troops contributed to the defense of the salient. The battle was characterized by the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) leading the charge, marking a pivotal moment for U.S. military involvement in the war.

Significance of the Battle

First Major U.S. Offensive: This battle was notable as it was the first large-scale offensive led mainly by American troops.

Strategic Importance: The objective was to break through German lines and capture the city of Metz, a crucial transportation hub.

Casualties: The Allies suffered approximately 7,000 casualties, while the Central Powers faced over 22,000.

The Battle of Saint-Mihiel demonstrated the effectiveness of American forces and set the stage for subsequent operations in the war.

sources and more information:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle\_of\_Saint-Mihiel

https://historycrunch.com/battle-of-saint-mihiel-in-world-war-i/

IWM

https://meaderingthroughtheprologue.com/austria-and-france-in-the-hapsburg-finale/

An Austrian Hungarian railway engineering unit

The operational capacity of the Imperial and Royal Army relied heavily on engineering units like the Kriegspressequartier, which oversaw official documentation and propaganda during the conflict between 1914 and 1918. These specialized railway and mechanical formations ensured the rapid repair of rolling stock and artillery, mitigating the chronic logistical bottlenecks that plagued the Habsburg Monarchy throughout the hostilities.

source:https://picryl.com/media/kriegsalbum-95-bild-28340-bildid-15680250-76da6c

u/Longjumping-Kale-283 — 2 days ago

An Austrian Hungarian position north of Opatovice (Brno-Country District) Czech republic

The Austro-Hungarian Army maintained complex defensive positions on the Eastern and Italian fronts during World War I, utilizing trench networks and fortified field emplacements to withstand artillery bombardments. Infantry regiments such as the Infanterieregiment Nr. 48 operated under rigorous conditions established by the Kriegspressequartier, which systematically documented military operations and daily trench life through official photography.

Photo:

kriegspressequartier alben 1914 1918

source:

https://picryl.com/media/infanterie-kampfstellung-des-ir-48-nordl-opatovice-bildid-15539593-24b1a8

u/Longjumping-Kale-283 — 2 days ago

An Austrian Hungarian field telephone and communication installation

 The specific image captures field telephone and communication installations, known in contemporary military terminology as Telefonanlagen. The establishment of reliable telecommunication networks was critical for command and control across complex trench systems, replacing vulnerable runner systems with instantaneous wire-based telegraphy and telephony.

photo: kriegspressequartier alben 1914 1918 

u/Longjumping-Kale-283 — 2 days ago
▲ 11 r/Austrohungarian+1 crossposts

Where can i get best Isonzo Braun type of paint for my helmet restoration

What is the best place to get best Isonzo Braun paint, i know that ral8008 is thr closest match but it seems too dark to me(I'm a bitt colorblind but for red blue and green lol) Armyzdar does not send to most of thr countries. And what type of modern paint can be best replacement because no one makes boiled lineseed oil enemal anymore....

u/Leather_Shallot794 — 3 days ago
▲ 5 r/Austrohungarian+2 crossposts

Can i use this for M17 austro hungarian chinstrap

I know that m17 chinstrap were made out of canvas webbing type of material with a slanted line twill or whatever the name of that is but I cant find it anywhere and only places I knew that made these stopped making em or they aren't responding

u/Leather_Shallot794 — 3 days ago

A probably 7,5 cm M 15 destroyed cannon

I have found this original print in my collection. The barrel is burst open — probably from overuse or a defective shell.

Given the terrain and damage, I think this is from the Karst/Isonzo front, not far from where I live in Triest

You can see the splintered wheels and torn shield. No crew in the photo — likely abandoned after being knocked out.

u/Longjumping-Kale-283 — 3 days ago
▲ 83 r/Austrohungarian+2 crossposts

White War - Marmolada mapped out

Hi everyone. I recreated the battlefield map in Google Earth Pro.

I already made a post about this before, but I noticed a few mistakes. I think this version of the map should now be more or less clearer and better.

The images show the battlefield as it appears in the game. I hope you like it. I have also included the sources below, which are in German and Italian.

The images are numbered. But I didn't wrote it onto the pictures. So you have to imagine it.

Image 00: Placeholder

Image 01: The general situation

It's not the best picture (sorry), you have to look close because the vallies are always marked with white lines.

The big question is probably why anyone would fight at more than 3,000 metres above sea level. Why did the Austrians and Italians haul tons of material up onto the Marmolada?

At the beginning of the war in 1915, neither side was particularly interested in occupying the Marmolada glacier. Both sides essentially considered it too impractical to establish permanent positions up there in the ice. This changed in early 1916, when the Austrians began occupying the glacier.

Holding the Marmolada gave the Austrians an excellent view of Italian movements and allowed them to occasionally shell Italian positions further east. Even more importantly, it allowed them to gather information and direct artillery fire from guns positioned down in the valleys much more effectively.

The Italians were understandably worried that this could threaten the flank of their positions around Col di Lana. They therefore began occupying the Serauta positions in April 1916. More on this in Image 02.

The Italians initially concentrated much of their effort on Col di Lana, whose summit was blown up on 17 April 1916, with the broader aim of advancing towards Val Badia and eventually reaching the Pustertal to the north. In theory, Innsbruck would no longer have been impossibly far away from there. However, the Austrian occupation of the Marmolada now threatened the western flank of the Italian forces which were situated at Col di Lana.

This raises the question: what were the Austrians trying to achieve?

In the image, you can see three yellow pins running from Pordoijoch via Passo di Falzarego to Sasso di Sesto/Toblinger Knoten, the location of the first battle in the game. Broadly speaking, the Austrians were trying to prevent the Italians from breaking through into the Pustertal to the north, while also maintaining control towards Bozen in the west.

The occupation of the Marmolada became part of this wider defensive situation. The Austrians had withdrawn from parts of the original border because many of their divisions were still tied down in Galicia and defending the entire border line would have overstretched their limited forces.

It is probably easiest to look at the front lines themselves. But, put simply, the Italians wanted to push the front further towards the Pustertal and ultimately towards the Brennerpass, which would have opened an important route deeper into Austria. Italian pre-war planning even considered the possibility of occupying Innsbruck, although this turned out to be a massive overestimation of what the Italian Army could realistically achieve. However, the main attack concentrated always in the east. So these plans were more fantasies then anything else.

Images 02–04: The battlefield

As already mentioned, the Italians occupied the Serauta positions. I am not entirely sure about the exact role and location of Forcella Serauta in this phase of the fighting.

They pushed further forward and occupied Quota 3065. In the game, this is the position with that annoying tunnel which is extremely difficult to capture before the fighting continues towards Forcella V, or the Fesura position.

From there, the Italians attempted to capture Quota 3153 in 1917. Eventually, a group of Alpinisti managed to reach the position by climbing up the south face and successfully captured the summit. The fighting there must have been extremely brutal.

The original plan was apparently to attack the Austrians in the Spitzenkaverne, since fire from that position threatened the Italian positions below around Passo Ombretta. However, this attack never took place.

The Austrian positions on the Marmolada were connected by caves and tunnels to the Eisstadt. The Eisstadt was located slightly west of Sasso delle Dodici and was itself connected by cableway to the main supply base at Gran Poz, which at the time lay outside the glacier. The entire Eisstadt strechted over a complex cavern system of 8 kilometers.

From there, the Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Spalte provided access towards the higher positions and the Spitzenkaverne, which appears to have been one of the most important Austrian positions in this sector. The Austrians had dug themselves into the rock there and had an excellent view over the southern side of the mountain.

Following the Italian defeat at Caporetto and the subsequent retreat towards the Piave, the entire situation on the Marmolada became obsolete. The Italians evacuated the mountain on 4 November 1917, abandoning even the hard-fought position at Quota 3153.

This differs from the game, where the fighting continues all the way to the foot of the Austrian fortifications. Once the Italians had withdrawn, there was no longer any reason for the Austrians to maintain their positions on the Marmolada either, and they also left the area.

Only after the end of the war did the entire massif become part of Italy.

The Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Spalte was probably only an actual natural crevasse as far as the first bend shown on the map. Beyond that point, the route most likely consisted of passages and tunnels beneath the glacier.

I would really appreciate any suggestions for improvements, especially regarding the exact locations of some of the positions.

I have not yet figured out how to make the Google Earth map publicly accessible, so for now the screenshots will have to do.

If you notice any major mistakes or have additional information, feel free to contact me via private message.

Otherwise — Haltetst die Schädl unten.

If you like it, I plan to map out all the maps. Next is probably the war at Sasso di Sesto.

u/Amonum — 5 days ago
▲ 94 r/Austrohungarian+1 crossposts

Arrival in Odessa of the Supreme Commander of the Austro-Hungarian troops, His Excellency Eduard von Böhm-Ermolli

source: österreichisches Staatsarchiv

u/Longjumping-Kale-283 — 5 days ago

Greetings from Basovica.Trieste/Trst/Triest Tonight we’re having BBQ right here. 100+ years ago this photo shows AU soldiers coming back from the polygon. Same ground, different day.

u/Longjumping-Kale-283 — 4 days ago

Staff officers of the k.u.k. I.R. 69 in a trench on the Isonzo Front, Bainsizza sector, August 1917

Someone took a photo to them and one between shells and attacks, wrote home.

IR 69. Pécser Regiment.

To: Frau Kornéloffer, Pécs.

Message: _"Grüße und Kuss. Alles gut."

A husband telling his wife he’s alive and all is ok

August 1917

u/Longjumping-Kale-283 — 5 days ago

Group of Austro-Hungarian soldiers, Bozen ( South Tyrol) 1914-1915 - probably of the k.k. Landesschützen-Regiment „Bozen“ Nr. II

The men hold a shield reading Kriegs-Jahr 1914-1915 Bozen — "War Year 1914-1915 Bozen". Ground is still snowy.

The back of the postcard is postmarked BOZEN 2, 15.III.15 and was sent to Frau Hoffinger in Ried im Innkreis, Upper Austria.

u/Longjumping-Kale-283 — 5 days ago