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@Brynley_H @hildreth_roger @sommecourt @3468marsh But who is the soldat 2e classe ? And what is the tenuous link to Peter Sagan ? He was in 7eDI at the Battle of Ethe. First an intro to the battle: facing the 7e DI were 10ID (Kosch) of 5AK and 53rd Brigade (von Moser) of 13AK.
The divisional commander Trentinian didn’t receive his orders for 22/08 until 2.00am the same day: “at 05.00 advance to the region of Saint-Léger via Ethe to cover any attacks coming from Arlon and the west”
At 4.00: 14e Hussards set off to recon the region Etalle-Vance-Arlon supported by 3eBn (Vicq), 103eRI. The support Bn weren’t ready as “on watch”. 14e Hussards set off any way. Sighting Uhlans of 13AK they charge and fighting continues near the rail station.
At 5.30. Col Hauteclocque arrives, nr Hamawé, they are met by rifle fire & decide to await the arrival of the support bn. At 6:00 it arrives but as it pushed forward to Saint-Léger it's attacked and suffers heavy losses These German troops are from 13AK advancing westward
Around 7.20 the avant-garde of 14eBde (Felineau) enters Ethe,followed by Trentinian & his Diivsional Staff & the rest of 14e Brigade, with three artillery batteries. Until 8.30, a thick fog covers the area following the storms of the day before and the hot summer temperatures.
In the night of 21/08, the German 10DI was sent S from EtalIe. At 6:00 they emerged from the woods N of Ethe. Hearing the fighting between the Uhlans and Hussards they deployed on the N edge of the village. Their artillery deployed on the plateau.
Meanwhile…..Whilst his support battalion could open the way for him to Saint-Léger, Colonel Hauteclocque and his hussards waited in Ethe. He grew agitated as Ethe became more crowded as the 7e DI descended, it wasn’t the place for cavalry.
The only way out was N was through the Pont d’Arminies. Instead he ran into three companies of infantry from 10ID who formed a firing line just 100m from the bridge. His son was killed in the charge and he died later that day from wounds; he was the uncle of General Leclerc.
Shortly afterwards the fog lifts, the German gunners to the N can’t believe their eyes as they see the French descending the hills on the S of the valley & the artillery in column on the road. Their guns cut down the advancing French, trapping the avant-garde & 7eDI staff in Ethe
Further E the Bn LaPlace of 101eRI was sent in the direction of Bleid as extreme flanc-garde as Trentinian couldn’t get confirmation that 5e Corps were protecting his R flank. The French are overwhelmed by Moser’s brigade.
The Brigade included a young Erwin Rommel as a platoon commander (and the later despised Nazi, Oskar Dirlewanger). In pursuit Moser’s brigade headed NW to Gevimont where they were repulsed by artillery of………German 5AK to the N, mistaking them for French
At noon,Trentinian decided to leave Ethe to regain command of the whole division and order 13e Brigade forward, leaving General Félineau to hold in Ethe as long as he can. Half his escort are killed but he manages to escape back up the hill and arrives safely at Gomery.
Astonished, he finds 13eBde in full retreat which he halts but it's too late to reinforce Ethe. The Germans have crept through the Bois de Loges to Latour on W, whilst Moser’s troops now threaten E. Meanwhile fighting in Ethe becomes more intense: house-to-house and hand-to-hand,
The German commander, Gen Kosch had moved his Staff and that of his brigades out on to the plateau to the N, by the German artillery, which had hardly been bothered by French counter-battery fire all day.
Suddenly they were hit by a rapid-fire barrage of 75mm shrapnel shells from a battery of 44eRAC (the French Corps’ artillery) firing at maximum range from SW of Virton. 80 shells hit in a minute causing many casualties amongst the officers
In the evening, flanking troops from 10ID start to withdraw. Following the artillery shelling, Kosch is wary of French to W and decides to consolidate. Moser’s brigade, having wiped out the French at Gévimont and Bleid retires from the other flank to rejoin the bulk of 13AK.
That only left the German troops in Ethe and after one last violent assault they withdraw also at 18.00. The retreat of the debris of 14e Bde still wasn’t easy as soon as they climbed out of the valley they come in the sights of the German artillery.
Under the cover of darkness and muffling the horses hooves they manage to escape, guided through the wood at Baconveau they reach Gomery at 22.00 and Ruette by midnight
The battle cost the Germans 2,600 “hors de combat”, incl. 700 dead and the French 7eDI 5,324, incl. 2,200 dead. And the soldat 2e classe ? He was in 102eRI 13e Brigade. He developed the military meteorology service and rose to the rank of Brig-General by the end of the war.
More importantly, his name was Milan Rastislav Stefanik, one of the three driving forces behind the establishment of Czechoslovakia; he was the Slovakian input. It’s his portrait on the wall behind the President and @petosagan
