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| Died for France July 6, 1916: Capitaine Demmler, Doctor Espange, J. Francois Bouvier, and J. Marie Renaud of the 62 Battalion of Chasseurs Alpins _________________ In Memory of the Officers and Chasseurs Alpins Killed at the Tête des Faux, 1914–1918 |
Dedicated in 1921, this two segment stone marker is in honor of several French soldiers who fell here in a 1916 action and in memory of all the Chasseurs Alpins who fell around the mountain Tête des Faux throughout the war. In most sources, it is referred to as the "Demmler Monument" after the first French officer listed. In our series of Lonesome Memorials, this selection might be the most difficult to get to.
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| The Mountain is 1 KM from the village of Bonhomme |
The mountain Tête des Faux (Head of the Scythe) was the site of a short but deadly battle in December 1914 and subsequently became a case study in the horrors of mountaintop trench warfare. It is located 12 miles northwest of Colmar in the Vosges Mountains of Alsace at 1,220 meters altitude. A strategic observation point, Tête des Faux allows views east to the Rhine River and an almost 360-degree view of the key peaks and passes of the Vosges. It was a very valuable piece of wartime property.
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| Chasseur Alpins in the Vosges |
In August 1914, German observers quickly settled there and directed artillery fire at French forces just across the border. By the end of November, they had successfully destroyed a French army camp. In early December, French Chasseurs Alpins were ordered to occupy the summit and gained control of it. The famous German counterattack of 1914 began on Christmas night with French Chasseurs Alpins facing off against German Jaeger troops for control of the summit. The Chasseurs held the summit that night earning the nickname "Blue Devils." A subsequent German counterattack failed, but regained a piece of the summit which they would share with their adversaries for most of the remaining war. What percentage each side held for the duration is unclear in the sources I've found.
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| The View from Tête des Faux Toward the Rhine |
By one estimate the fighting at Tête des Faux and nearby Le Linge (a similar position) cost France 10,000 men killed and Germany 7,000 in 1914 and 1915 alone. For the rest of the war, the area settled into attritional trench warfare with the positions frozen just a few meters apart. The casualty rates were lower, but thousands more were added to the death toll. Over the next three years, the troops industriously enhanced their positions, so surrounding the memorial today are numerous bunkers, barbed wire entanglements, shelters, and old trenches as well as both a French and German cemetery. Both cemeteries are UNESCO World Heritage sites. There are also remnants of the cable car system the German army built to supply its forces. Incidentally, men of the U.S. 5th Division were deployed in this sector during the summer of 1918.
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| The Beautiful German Cemetery Has Been Decommissioned |
Getting There
A visit to Tête des Faux sites should only be attempted by experienced mountaineers AND who are experienced in driving on very narrow mountain roads as the final approach would require.
Map 1: Drive from Colmar
(Click to Enlarge)
The memorial is approximately at coordinates 48.153983, 7.114621. The route shown on Map 1 is for an auto from (1) Colmar to (2) the Hôtel Résidence De L'etang Du Devin. This is apparently as far as you can approach via auto. The drive from central Colmar to the hotel is 33 minutes under normal traffic.
Map 2: at Tête des Faux
(Click to Enlarge)
From (2), the Hôtel Résidence De L'etang Du Devin, the sites shown on Map 2 must be approached by trail: (3) German Cemetery, (4) the memorial) and (5) the French Cemetery. Round trip to the hotel is about 6 km as the crow flies but it is over rough terrain and up and down a mountain peak. Note: This is a highly simplified route. There should be more detailed maps available from the local tourism board HERE.
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| The Summit of Tête des Faux Today |
Sources: Discovering la Tete des Faux by Gwyneth M. Roberts; Pierre's Western Front
Great article!
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