German rampart I WW1
On January 23 (10), the leadership of the 12th Russian Army ordered the Latvian and Siberian riflemen to restore the previous position of the front. The Latvian rifle regiments sent to rest were again called to the front. The 3rd Kurzeme and 4th Vidzeme Latvian Regiments were assigned to the center of the attack, but the 12th Siberian and 54th Siberian Regiments were appointed on both flanks. The 4th Vidzeme Latvian Regiment was ordered to attack from the southern slope of Ložmetējkalns with the left flank of the unit along both sides of the German rampart on January 12 at 5.00 am, the right flank had to work together with the 3rd Kurzeme Latvian Rifle Regiment. Suffering heavy losses, the front companies of both regiments temporarily occupied the German positions at the 16th Goal in Maastricht. Depressed by the German forces, the riflemen retreated to the Ložmetējkalns district during the day. Apparently the 4th Vidzeme and 3rd Kurzeme regiments launched the attack at different times. During the preparation for the complex night battle, no physical contact was established between the soldiers of the two regiments. The attack by the four regiments did not have a concrete result either, because no one was conducting this night combat operation centrally.
The branch of the Latvian War Museum "Christmas Battle Museum" is located in the home of "Mangaļi" in Valgunde Parish, Jelgava Region. The museum houses the Christmas Battle Museum and World War I fortifications. Reconstructed section of the fortification system can be seen - a blind and a fragment of the first line of defense of the "German Wall"
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_Battles (views: 23.05.2021
Related objects
The Christmas Battle museum and outdoor exhibition
The Christmas Battle Memorial Park and Museum is located in Jelgava municipality, Valgunde parish, in the Mangaļi homestead. This museum is a branch of the Latvian War Museum. It was opened in 2005 and is located in the area where Christmas Battles took place. Unique World War I fortifications still remain in locations where battles took place. The indoor exhibit contains objects found in the battlefield. The open-air exposition has reconstructed fortifications. There are tourist routes and informative trails in the vicinity of the museum. The open-air exposition of World War I fortifications and indoor exhibits are available to visitors every day. Unique evidence of World War I fortifications can still be found in the vicinity of Ložmetējkalns. There is a 27 m tall observation tower that provides a panoramic view of the area where the Christmas Battle took place. The Christmas Battle is probably the best known and most dramatic event of World War I in Latvia. It has a special place in Latvia’s military and cultural history. This engagement is mainly associated with the attack of Latvian Riflemen on the German Army units in extremely harsh and unfavourable conditions. And it was also a unique situation where a large-scale combat operation was started without artillery support.
Related stories
An entry in the diary of the moment when soldiers learn about preparing for the Christmas battles.
Latvian riflemen and their officers were informed at the last minute about the start of the battle. Rūdolfs Ivanovs, a non-commissioned officer of the 5th Zemgale Latvian Rifle Regiment, described in the diary the last evening before the start of the battle. A short, but bright and authentic text that shows a very important moment for a soldier - learns about the day of battle.