Imperial German Forces At Mouquet Farm, August 1916

5th Guard Grenadier Regiment (part of the 4th Guard Division: with the 5th Foot Guards Regiment and 93rd Reserve Infantry Regiment (R.I.R.), however these two regiments deployed closer to Thiepval and were not in the Mouquet Farm sector.

The 7th Company of the 5th Guard Grenadiers held Point 54 (strongpoint), west of Mouquet Farm.

Commanders: Vizefeldwebel (Sergeant-Major) Richter.

Machine-gun Company north of Point 54 Lieutenant von Borcke, MG Company Commander.

1st Guard Reserve Division: 1st and 2nd Guard Reserve Regiments (G.R.R.) and the 64th R.I.R.;

The 2nd G.R.R. held Mouquet Farm and the Fabeck Graben.

The Australian attack on Point 54 is repulsed; Richter is wounded; von Borcke is mortally wounded (later dies).


However, Point 77 falls to the Australians, but Mouquet Farm, is momentarily captured by the Australians, but within several hours is recaptured by the Germans.



Some info from the Great War Forum:

The "Prussian Guards" (as already said, this could refer to several units) were considered even at the outbreak of war to be the toughest, most elite and most feared of German units. Therefore there was a natural inclination both among soldiers and the popular press to cast the enemy in any particular engagement as belonging to the Prussian Guard.

Even some veterans refer to fighting the Prussian Guard in engagements where this couldn't be possible, sometimes this belief is a rational one -based on the fact that the Germans were wearing "litzen", a type of collar and cuff lace worn by senior regiments in the German Army- or sometimes just because the Germans were large, sturdy men or unusually tough.

From a propaganda point of view, if you've just given the enemy a good kicking it's always good PR to suggest that you've beaten the best they had to offer.

All the best

Paul.