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What skill sets for fortress pioneers?

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Jun 28, 2023Liked by Bruce Ivar Gudmundsson

Regarding the reserve companies.

Do you know if both were assigned to one battalion (like the field engineers) or if they were split amongst the two battalions?

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author

This is an excellent question. The answer, I think, can be found in regimental histories. I will let you know what I find.

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Jun 28, 2023Liked by Bruce Ivar Gudmundsson

I have found a wiki that claims they were structured the same as the field engineers.

They cite Cron's work.

I will check with it when I have access to my computer.

Also, the same wiki says that both types of regiments had a Scheinwerfer-Zug (searchlight platoon). In the field units, it deployed with the I Bn, and stayed at the corps level.

Here is the wiki in question:

https://wiki.genealogy.net/PB_18

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author

The link (for which I thank you) led to a copy of a history of the Pionier Bataillon 18, which, on mobilization, became a pioneer regiment. On page 14, the book explains that each battalion got two active and one reserve company. (I. Bataillon got 1., 2., and 1. Reserve. II. Bataillon got 3., 4., and 2. Reserve.)

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Jun 28, 2023Liked by Bruce Ivar Gudmundsson

Nice.

I looked through Cron's work, and it made no mention of the company allocation in fortress units.

I assume the wiki must have incorrectly extrapolated from the field ones.

What Cron did mention was that all of the fortress regiments formed on 2. Aug. had a siege train as well (some, if not all, of which contained medium and heavy minenwerfer).

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