15 German Cig. Cards Of World War 1 (incl. Von Richthofen), Issued In 1937, 1/3
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:27538969 | Modified Item: No |
| Country/Region of Manufacture: Germany |
Offered here are 15 original German cigarette cards ofWorld War I, issued in 1937 by a number of German cigarette companies for thealbum Der Weltkrieg (The World War). Pictured here are: No. 90: Supporting Troops Under Cover (1916). Duringthe Battle of Verdun it was often difficult for the reserve and supportingtroops to find cover. As we moved forward, we were sometimes able to use Frenchfacilities, otherwise they had to use the craters created by artillerybarrages. And... sometimes the artillery barrage was heavier on these supportareas than on the front line. No. 92: EnglishSoldier with a Trench Mirror (1916). Since the French Army was chewed up badlyat Verdun, the English were forced to take over two-thirds of the front on theSomme River. This picture shows how the English spied on German trencheswithout leaving their cover: a small mirror raised above the lip of the trenchon a bayonet. No. 93: Launchinga Tethered Balloon. Such balloons were anchored to the ground with a cable andcould be pulled back down when their assignment was finished by the use of awinch. They were useful for identifying targets for artillery. However, windand enemy airplanes made their use very dangerous for the men who flew withthem. On one day during the Battle of the Somme we lost six of nine observationballoons. No. 96: Loading HeavyMunitions (1916). The large amounts of munitions that were needed at the frontrequired munitions trains to travel as close as possible to the fighting. Therest of the way to the artillery batteries the shells were carriedby motor vehicles or horse-drawn wagons. No. 131: Clemenceau Visits the Front (1917). GeorgeClemenceau was the head of the French government from 1906 to 1909 and wasre-elected to the post of Minister President in 1917. He was a bitter opponentof Germany and opposed all attempts to arrange a peace treaty during the war.The Versailles Treaty is a witness to his bitterness toward Germany. No. 132: The Assault Group Advances. Often theonly way to know where the enemy was positioned in his trenches was to sendassault groups whose purpose it was to capture a few prisoners who could beinterrogated for intelligence. This type of assault could only work, however, if the artillery and infantry worked closely together. No. 140: The "Heroes Cellar" inSt. Quentin (1917). Everywhere where the German army was stationed in a town orcity there was a local command headquarters that oversaw the welfare of thetroops in the town, as well as provided for order, watched over the citizens ofthe town and passed along commands from central command. No.142: A Dog Runs Out aTelephone Line (1917, on the Western Front). Laying out telephone lines oftenled to heavy losses in troops. Therefore, the army experimented with dogs forthis task, since they can run faster than a man. But this attempt was onlysuccessful in a few cases." No. 143: Those on Leave Return to the Front (1917).Starting in 1916 all troops were entitled to an R & R break from thefighting at home in Germany. Transporting large numbers of troops on breakcreated logistical problems, and so special vacation trains were set up for thetask. On the way back home, the troops were also provided with food and otherthings. No. 146: Defending against aRussian Attack (1917). In March 1917 the Russian Czar abdicated and arepublican government was formed under Kerenski. He made necessary changes inthe army and ordered a summer offensive. However, the Russian attacks wereturned back, particularly at Duenaburg and Smorgon. No.149: General Litzmann Crosses the Dniester River (1917). "OldLitzmann" was one of the most popular German generals of the war. Hebecame famous for his breakthrough at the Battle of Brzeziny in November of1914, as well as for other victories at Kownos, Galicia (1917) and Masuria. No. 150: The Trail of a Russian Retreat (1917). Thediscipline of the Russian Army under Kerenski was always very questionable, butafter the failure of the Russian offensive in the summer of 1917, it collapsedentirely. Along the paths of the Russian withdrawal one could find manyvaluable items, thrown away for little or no reason. No.167: Artificial Fog (1917).A new weapon in WWI was artificial fog. It was used to conceal a beginningattack, or to reduce losses while defending against an attack. The fog could beproduced either by firing fog-producing artillery shells, or in a hand-heldpot. No. 179: Manfred von Richthofen(1918). Baron von Richthofen, leader of a squadron of fighter planes of thesame name, was the most successful and popular German fighter pilot of the war.He was shot down on April 21, 1918 near Vaux on the Somme River. His successoras leader of the squadron was the later Reichsmarshal G. The first squadron of the newly reformed airforce after 1933 was named after von Richthofen. No.235: With the High Seas Fleet. Only once in the war did our battleshipsengage in an outright battle with the enemy's fleet: in the Battle of Skagerrakon May 31, 1916. Subsequent attempts to draw the English into battle wereunsuccessful. The last fight of the battleships was against our own Revolutionof 1918. Cruisers and torpedo boats, however, saw quite a bit of action duringthe war.The card measures 2 and3/8 inches by 1 and 7/8 inches.With multiple purchases, please wait for the invoice for reduced shipping.
