Regimental History

[Larry Dunn]

Good news, look what I found!


Bad news: It's in the library at the University of Szeged in Hungary.

If anyone is planning a vacation on the lovely shores of Lake Balaton, let me know. There is also a regimental history of IR 61 covering 1798 to 1892.

-Larry

[Larry Dunn]

Here's a thumbnail history of IR 61:

First raised in the Temesvar area of the Banat region (currently Timisoara, Romania) in 1798, IR 61 served in the Napoleonic campaigns and in Italy in 1848 and 1866. The Banat was home to large numbers of "Danube Schwabians," so IR 61 was always ethnically mixed, with Germans, Magyars and Romanians in roughly equal numbers.

IR 61 was sent to Galicia in the opening days of the Great War, and spent the horrendous winter of 1914/15 battling the Russians with VII Korps.

In May of 1915, VII Korps was transferred to the Italian Front, arriving just after the 1st Battle of the Isonzo. The 61st took up its position in the Carso area of the front, where it would particpate in every major engagement along the Isonzo from the 2nd Battle to the stunning victory at Caporetto in the autumn of 1917. AH forces underwent an extensive reorganization during the winter of 1917/18; the 61st was transferred to the 1st Infantry Division, then sent to the Western Front in the spring of 1918 as part of Etappenstelle West, where they remained for the duration of the war.

Notable members of IR 61 include Peter Roosz, who was awarded The Military Order of Maria Theresia (the Empire's highest honor) for his actions during the 10th Battle of the Isonzo.


Comments and questions welcome,

Larry

[oskar2ndchev]

Interesting...the one theme that stands out is that Galicia wasn't healthy for Austro-Hungarian soldiers. First Galicia, then Siberia...

[forty8r]

Could you elaborate more on Austrian Hugarian units on the Western front in 1918? Anything o the internet for a quick read.

[oskar2ndchev]

Check here:

greatwarforum.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=austrohungarian&action=display&thread=78

[Larry Dunn]

Here's another link:

www.geocities.com/haugh58/WF1918.html?1073530029953

Other sources note that by October 15, 1918, IR 61 had been reduced to less than half-strength (6 companies, and under-strength companies at that).

-Larry