Histories of Two Hundred and Fiftyone Divisions of the German Army Which Participated in the War 19141918 PDF
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Title: Histories of two hundred and fifty-one divisions of the German army which participated in the war (1914-1918) Author: United States Army Release Date: September 24, 2017 [EBook #55620] Language: English Character set encoding: UTF-8 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HISTORY OF 251 DIVS OF GERMAN ARMY *** Produced by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) HISTORIES OF TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY-ONE DIVISIONS OF THE GERMAN ARMY WHICH PARTICIPATED IN THE WAR (1914-1918) COMPILED FROM RECORDS OF INTELLIGENCE SECTION OF THE GENERAL STAFF, AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES, AT GENERAL HEADQUARTERS : : CHAUMONT, FRANCE : : 1919 WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1920 War Department Document No. 905 Office of The Adjutant General ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE PROCURED FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON, D. C. AT 60 CENTS PER COPY CONTENTS. Page. Introduction 7 Alpine Corps 8 Bavarian Cavalry Division 12 Bavarian Ersatz Division 13 Jaeger Division 16 1st Guard Division 18 1st Guard Reserve Division 22 Guard Ersatz Division 26 Guard Cavalry Division 29 1st Division 30 1st Reserve Division 33 1st Landwehr Division 36 1st Bavarian Division 39 1st Bavarian Reserve Division 42 1st Bavarian Landwehr Division 45 1st Cavalry Division 47 1st Naval Division 48 2d Guard Division 50 2d Guard Reserve Division 55 2d Division 59 2d Landwehr Division 62 2d Bavarian Division 64 2d Bavarian Landwehr Division 68 2d Cavalry Division 69 2d Naval Division 70 3d Guard Division 72 3d Division 76 3d Landwehr Division 78 3d Bavarian Division 80 3d Reserve Division 83 3d Naval Division 86 4th Guard Division 88 4th Division 92 4th Ersatz Division 96 4th Landwehr Division 99 4th Bavarian Division 101 4th Cavalry Division 104 5th Guard Division 105 5th Division 108 5th Reserve Division 112 5th Ersatz Division 115 5th Landwehr Division 117 5th Bavarian Division 120 5th Bavarian Reserve Division 123 5th Cavalry Division 126 6th Division 127 6th Reserve Division 131 6th Bavarian Division 134 6th Bavarian Reserve Division 138 6th Bavarian Landwehr Division 142 6th Cavalry Division 144 7th Division 145 7th Reserve Division 149 7th Landwehr Division 153 7th Cavalry Division 156 8th Division 157 8th Landwehr Division 160 8th Bavarian Reserve Division 162 8th Cavalry Division 166 9th Division 167 9th Reserve Division 171 9th Landwehr Division 174 9th Bavarian Reserve Division 176 9th Cavalry Division 179 10th Division 180 3 10th Reserve Division 184 10th Ersatz Division 188 10th Landwehr Division 191 10th Bavarian Division 194 11th Division 197 11th Reserve Division 201 11th Landwehr Division 204 11th Bavarian Division 206 12th Division 211 12th Reserve Division 215 12th Landwehr Division 219 12th Bavarian Division 222 13th Division 225 13th Reserve Division 229 13th Landwehr Division 233 14th Division 236 14th Reserve Division 240 14th Landwehr Division 244 14th Bavarian Division 246 15th Division 249 15th Reserve Division 254 15th Landwehr Division 258 15th Bavarian Division 260 16th Division 262 16th Reserve Division 266 16th Landwehr Division 271 16th Bavarian Division 273 17th Division 275 17th Reserve Division 279 17th Landwehr Division 283 18th Division 285 18th Reserve Division 289 18th Landwehr Division 293 19th Division 295 19th Reserve Division 299 19th Ersatz Division 303 19th Landwehr Division 306 20th Division 308 20th Landwehr Division 312 21st Division 314 21st Reserve Division 318 21st Landwehr Division 322 22d Division 324 22d Reserve Division 327 22d Landwehr Division 332 23d Division 333 23d Reserve Division 337 23d Landwehr Division 341 24th Division 343 24th Reserve Division 347 24th Landwehr Division 350 25th Division 351 25th Reserve Division 355 25th Landwehr Division 359 26th Division 361 26th Reserve Division 365 26th Landwehr Division 369 27th Division 370 28th Division 374 28th Reserve Division 378 29th Division 382 29th Landwehr Division 386 30th Division 388 30th Bavarian Reserve Division 392 31st Division 395 32d Division 399 33d Division 402 33d Reserve Division 405 34th Division 409 35th Division 413 35th Reserve Division 416 36th Division 418 36th Reserve Division 422 37th Division 425 38th Division 429 38th Landwehr Division 433 39th Division 436 39th Bavarian Reserve Division 440 40th Division 442 41st Division 446 42d Division 451 43d Reserve Division 454 44th Reserve Division 458 44th Landwehr Division 462 45th Reserve Division 464 45th Landwehr Division 468 46th Reserve Division 469 46th Landwehr Division 473 47th Reserve Division 474 47th Landwehr Division 477 48th Reserve Division 479 48th Landwehr Division 483 49th Reserve Division 485 50th Division 489 50th Reserve Division 493 51st Reserve Division 497 52d Division 500 52d Reserve Division 504 53d Reserve Division 507 54th Division 511 54th Reserve Division 514 56th Division 517 58th Division 521 75th Reserve Division 525 76th Reserve Division 528 77th Reserve Division 531 78th Reserve Division 534 79th Reserve Division 537 80th Reserve Division 541 81st Reserve Division 544 82d Reserve Division 547 83d Division 550 84th Division 554 85th Landwehr Division 558 86th Division 560 87th Division 563 88th Division 566 89th Division 569 91st Division 571 92d Division 573 93d Division 575 94th Division 577 95th Division 579 96th Division 580 101st Division 582 103d Division 584 105th Division 589 107th Division 592 108th Division 595 109th Division 598 111th Division 600 113th Division 603 115th Division 606 117th Division 609 119th Division 612 121st Division 616 123d Division 620 183d Division 623 185th Division 627 187th Division 630 192d Division 633 195th Division 636 197th Division 639 199th Division 642 200th Division 645 201st Division 648 202d Division 651 203d Division 654 204th Division 657 205th Division 660 206th Division 662 207th Division 665 208th Division 668 211th Division 671 212th Division 674 213th Division 676 214th Division 679 215th Division 682 216th Division 684 217th Division 687 218th Division 689 219th Division 691 220th Division 693 221st Division 696 222d Division 699 223d Division 702 224th Division 705 225th Division 707 226th Division 710 227th Division 712 228th Division 715 231st Division 717 232d Division 719 233d Division 721 234th Division 723 235th Division 725 236th Division 727 237th Division 729 238th Division 731 239th Division 733 240th Division 735 241st Division 737 242d Division 739 243d Division 741 255th Division 744 301st Division 746 302d Division 748 INTRODUCTION. The following pages contain the record of the organization and service of the 251 divisions of the German Army during the years 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, and 1918, or during as many of these years as they existed—for a number of them were created after the war had started. The record of each has been known as a “divisional history.” The history of an enemy division is a summary of all the information obtained from all sources. It includes the latest composition—that is, the regiments and other units that make up the division; a record of its past engagements; its recruitment and racial features; commanders; present strength; and morale. On a basis of these factors the division’s fighting quality is rated on a standard of classes adopted by General Headquarters and noted in the history. The data is collected and filed daily at various troop headquarters and eventually in the Enemy Order of Battle subsection of the General Staff, Intelligence Section at the General Headquarters. The information comes chiefly from the front-line troops, resulting from their observation, reconnaissance, and the interrogation of the prisoners they take. This evidence is often fragmentary and inconclusive, being gathered as more or less disassociated items, here and there along the whole front. But when it is consolidated and collated it becomes of great value and warrants deductions which may be depended upon. Prisoners’ statements and captured documents are the source of almost all the information contained in a divisional history. The outline of the past engagements of a division is known from the Battle-Order records. Prisoners add to this specific account of successes, citations, failures, internal disturbance, etc. The divisional composition is established by prisoners, and in the case of the smaller divisional units from addresses on captured letters. The effective strength is deduced from prisoners’ stories of recent losses incurred and drafts of new men arriving. In estimating the quality of a division the Intelligence Section considers principally the conditions under which the enemy command has used it in previous military operations. All this information is kept posted up to date so that a history of present value can be written without delay and dispatched to our front- line troops opposite whom a new or additional enemy unit has appeared or is about to appear. The use to our troops of these histories is obvious. Much of the information contained is of direct value to our commanders. The strength, morale, and fighting qualities of the opposing divisions are, of course, an important factor in our plans and operations. Other items, such as the names of the enemy commanders, assist the examining officer in checking the veracity and accuracy of prisoners’ statements. It has been often observed that the more the intelligence officer knows or appears to know of the prisoner’s organization the better results he obtains from his questions. The uses to which information of the enemy may be put have proved so various and unexpected that the principle is established that no fact about the enemy is too unimportant to be recorded. In preparing this set of Histories of German Divisions the histories published by French General Headquarters have been used for the years prior to 1918. For the last year of the war the histories were written by the Second Section of the General Staff, General Headquarters, A. E. F., from the American records. These included all information from American sources and also that which was received from Allied armies. 7 Alpine Corps. 8 COMPOSITION. 1915 1916 1917 1918 Brigade. Regiment. Brigade. Regiment. Brigade. Regiment. Brigade. Regiment. Infantry. 1 Bav. Jag. 1 Bav. Jag. 1 Bav. Jag. Body Inf. 1 Bav. Jag. Body Inf. 1 Bav. Jag. Body Inf. Body Inf. 1 Bav. Jag. 1 Bav. Jag. 1 Bav. Jag. 2 Jag. 2 Jag. 2 Jag. 2 Jag. 2 Jag. 2 Jag. 3 Jag. 3 Jag. Cavalry. 3 Sqn. 4 Bav. Light Cav. Rgt. Artillery. 203 F. A. Rgt. 2 Mountain F. A. Abt. Detch. of the 187, 203, and 204 F. A. Rgts. Art. Command: 7 Art Command: 203 F. A. Rgt. (1 Abt.) 204 F. A. Rgt. 6 Mountain A. Abt. 1 Abt. 1 Bav. Res. Ft. A. Rgt. 6th Mountain Art. Abt. (Staff and 1, 2, and 17 Btries.). 1401 Light Am. Col. 1402 Light Am. Col. 1403 Light Am. Col. Engineers and 102 Pion. Co. Pion. Btn.: 9 Bav. Pion. Btn.: 105 Pion. Co. 102 Pion. Co. 102 Pion. Co. 106 Pion. Co. 283 Pion. Co. 283 Pion. Co. 175 Mountain T. M. Co. 175 T. M. Co. 175 Mountain T. M. Co. 204 Bav. T. M. Co. 102 Searchlight Section. 102 Bav. Searchlight Section. 622 Signal Command: 622 Tel. Detch. 622 Tel. Detch. 88 Div. Wireless Detch. 133 Bav. Wireless Detch. Medical and Veterinary. 201 Ambulance Co. 201 Ambulance Co. 239 Ambulance Co. 239 Ambulance Co. 202 Field Hospital. 201 Field Hospital. 203 Field Hospital. 44 Bav. Field Hospital. 18 Bav. Field Hospital. 18 Bav. Field Hospital. Vet. Hospital. Transport. 444 M. T. Col. 695 Bav. M. T. Col. 695 M. T. Col. 790 M. T. Col. Odd units. 201 Mountain M. G. Detch. 201 Mountain M. G. Detch. 202 Mountain M. G. Detch. 202 Mountain M. G. Detch. 205 Mountain M. G. Detch. 205 Mountain M. G. Detch. 209 Mountain M. G. Detch. 209 Mountain M. G. Detch. Attached. Cyclist Btn. (dissolved in June). 10 HISTORY. 1915. The Alpine Corps was formed in May, 1915. ITALY. 1. At the end of May, 1915, it was sent by way of Innsbruck to the Trentino, where it remained until October 16 (vicinity of Campitello). It took part in several smaller actions (particularly on Sept. 24). FRANCE. 2. On October 17 it left Bozen and went to France by way of Innsbruck, Neu-Ulm, Stuttgart, Deux-Ponts, and detrained at Laonnois on the Mezieres-Rethel line on October 19. 3. It remained in this area until October 25. At that time it was transferred to Serbia by way of Mezieres, Germershein, Augsburg, Munich, Vienna, Budapest, Temesvar. It detrained at Weisskirchen on October 29. SERBIA. 4. The Alpine Corps advanced in Serbia by way of Kragujevac and Kraljevo as far as Novipasar (near the Montenegrin frontier); from that place to Mitrovica. Elements of the Alpine Corps remained south of Uskub until the end of March, 1916. 1916. FRANCE. 1. On March 21, 1916, the Alpine Corps was taken to Hungary by way of Belgrade, and then to France. Itinerary: Budapest, Breslau, Dresden, Leipzig, Cologne, Aix-la-Chapelle, Liege, Charleville. 2. It went into line on the front east of Rheims (the Leib Regiment at Cernay) on April 1. VERDUN. 3. Relieved at the beginning of May, it went to rest in the vicinity of Charleville. About May 30 it went to the Spincourt area by way of Sedan. At the beginning of June it went into action at Verdun north of the Vaux Fort, northeast of Fleury, and took part in the attacks launched in this sector during the month of June (attack of June 23 upon Thiaumont). 4. After reorganization, at the end of June or the beginning of July, the Alpine Corps came back into line near Fleury on July 11. ARGONNE. 5. After having lost 71 per cent of its Infantry in the various attacks at Verdun, the Alpine Corps was withdrawn on August 12 and took over the sector Fontaine-aux-Charmes-Vauquois, in the Argonne. The 3d Jaeger Regiment was taken from it and entered into the composition of the 200th Division (Carpathian Corps). 6. In the first half of September the Alpine Corps left the Argonne and entrained for Roumania. ROUMANIA. 7. At the end of September it went into action in the vicinity of Hermannstadt, then in the vicinity of Brasso. On December 10 it reached Ploesci; it was at Rimnicu-Sarat on the 24th. Upon the stabilization of the Roumanian front it occupied the front of Panciu-Focsani. During the active period in Roumania the Leib Regiment lost heavily. 1917. 1. Relieved northwest of Focsani on April 6, 1917, the Alpine Corps was sent to Hungary, in the vicinity of Karlsburg. After a rest of three weeks it was transferred to the western front. Itinerary: Karlsburg (May 10), Szegdin, Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, Rosenheim, Munich, Strassburg, Colmar, Neu-Breisach. UPPER ALSACE. 2. On June 15 it went into line on the Alsatian front (Rhone-Rhine Canal, Aspach). 3. On July 20 it was withdrawn from the front and sent to rest. ROUMANIA. 4. At the beginning of August it was again sent to Roumania. It took over its old sector near Focsani and received the Russo-Roumanian attacks launched between Briala and Panciu. ITALY. 5. In September it was sent to the Italian front. IZONZO. 6. On October 24 it attacked on both sides of the Tolmino and took possession of Mont Cucco on the 25th. It rested in November. MONTE TOMBA. 7. On November 25 it was engaged at Monte Tomba, and on December 12 on the slopes of Monfenera, with the exception of the 1st Jaeger Regiment, which was in reserve. 8. Relieved between December 15 and December 20, it remained behind the lines until the middle of January, 1918. RECRUITING. The Leib Regiment and the 1st Regiment of Jaegers are Bavarian, recruited principally from upper Bavaria. The 2d Regiment of Jaegers is purely Prussian. VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE. The discipline and firmness of the commanding officers make the Alpine Corps an elite body, of a genuine combat value. 1918. LORRAINE. 1. In January the Alpine Corps entrained for Alsace (itinerary Salzburg, Munich, Ulm, Friburg, Saverne); then went to rest in the region of Sarreburg. 2. It remained here undergoing training until the 10th of April. 3. It was sent to Flanders, via Metz, Sedan, Namur, and detrained near Lille on the 12th. BATTLE OF THE LYS. 4. The division was engaged northeast of Bailleul from the 14th to the 18th. It then rested east of Lille until the 23d. It reentered the line on the Kemmel-Locre front, where it remained until about the 10th of May, when it was withdrawn, after having suffered heavy losses. 5. It moved then to the Ghent region, where it rested until the end of July. It then rested near Tourcoing until the 8th of August. It entrained at Tourcoing and Tournai on the 8th and went to St. Quentin via Ham. BATTLE OF PICARDY. 6. The division entered line in the Hallu-Fransart-Hattencourt sector north of Roye on the 11th. On the 27th it fell back along the Somme Canal near Bethencourt. It was withdrawn from line the beginning of September. 7. It came back to line almost immediately north of Peronne in the Moislain sector; on the 7th it was thrown back upon Longavesnes- Epehy-Villers-Guislain, where it was withdrawn on the 23d, after losing heavily (861 prisoners). 8. Elements of the Alpine Corps were identified at Walincourt in rear of the front on October 10. BALKANS. 9. Sent to the eastern front, the Alpine Corps reinforced the troops in the Balkans near Nish in October. VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE. The Alpine Corps was considered one of the best German units. It showed its worth by retaking the village of Hallu on the 11th of August, and while counterattacking at Moislains on the 2d of September. Nevertheless, the morale was lowered. The Alpine Corps comprised about 3,500 Infantry combatants early in August. It lost about 700 prisoners in August and September. 11 Bavarian Cavalry Division. 12 COMPOSITION. 1918 Brigade. Regiment. Cavalry. 1 Bav. Cav. 1 Heavy Reiter. 4 Bav. Cav. 1 Bav. Ulan. 2 Bav. Ulan. 5 Bav. Cav. 1 Bav. Light Cav. 6 Bav. Light Cav. Artillery. 5 Bav. Horse Art. Abt. Engineers and Liaisons. Pion. Detch. 1 Bav. M. G. Btry. 300 Bav. T. M. Co. Attached. Glatz Landst. Inf. Btn. (VI/9). HISTORY. 1918. 1. The units of this division were used on police duty in the Ukraine and in Roumania in the spring of 1918. A part of the division was serving in the Crimea in the early summer. It continued in that general area through the year. VALUE. The division was rated as fourth class.
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