Part 100
3. It rested near Guiscard during the first half of May. On the 15th it was engaged in front of Noyon (Larbroye-Mont Renaud-Pont l’Eveque) until the 30th. It took part in the Oise offensive of June, crossing the river and advancing in the Bois de Carlepont in the direction of Caisnes and Cuts. It established itself on the line Bailley-Tracy le Val-Oise and held that sector until the French attack of August 18.
OISE-AISNE.
4. The French attack of the 18th threw the division back on Salency. It was relieved on the 22d and railed to Anizy le Chateau the same day. From there it was taken to north of Soissons and reengaged on the 29th on the line Chauvigny-Juvigny. In these two engagements the division lost 688 prisoners.
5. The division had lost heavily in March and in the August fighting. Its morale was poor. The authority of the officers was low and desertions were frequent. As a result the division was dissolved in September. Its effectives were turned into the 52d, 103d, and 115th Divisions.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. Prior to the March offensive it had been regarded a good division.
224th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1916 │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │ │19 Ldw. │216. │19 Ldw. │216. │19 Ldw. │ │61 Ldw. │ │61 Ldw. │ │61 Ldw. │ │429 Ldw. │ │429 Ldw. │ │429 Ldw. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │ │(?) Sqn. 10 Mounted│4 Sqn. 10 Mounted │ │ Jag. Rgt. │ Jag. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │284 F. A. Rgt. │224 Art. Command: │224 Art. Command: │ │ 284 F. A. Rgt. │ 284 F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ 795 Light Am. Col. │ │ │ 1015 Light Am. │ │ │ Col. │ │ │ 1029 Light Am. │ │ │ Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │224 Pion. Btn.: │423 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ │ │ 2 Co. 27 Pions. │ 2 Co. 27 Pions. │ │ 434 T. M. Co. │ 3 Landst. Co. 9 C. │ │ │ Dist. Pions. │ │ Tel. Detch. │ 251 Searchlight │ │ │ Section. │ │ │224 Signal Command: │ │ │ 224 Tel. Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │234 Ambulance Co. │234 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │181 Field Hospital.│336 Field Hospital. │ │330 Field Hospital.│324 Field Hospital. │ │324 Vet. Hospital. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │794 M. T. Col. │ │ │795 M. T. Col. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │1 Landst. Pion. Co.│ │ │ (8 C. Dist.). │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(429th Landwehr: 3d Corps District—Brandenburg. 19th Landwehr: 5th Corps District—Posen. 61st Landwehr: 17th Corps District—West Prussia.)
1916.
RUSSIA.
1. Upon its formation the 224th Division appeared on the Eastern Front about October, 1916.
2. At this time it was near the 31st Division, north of Lake Narotch.
1917.
VOLHYNIA-SVINIOUKI.
1. At the beginning of February, 1917, the composition of the 224th Division appeared to be as follows: 19th Landwehr Regiment taken from the 18th Landwehr Division; 61st Landwehr Regiment, from the 85th Landwehr Division, and the 429th Landwehr Regiment, a new formation (1916).
2. The 224th Division then occupied the sector of Sviniouki in Volhynia. It remained there during the entire year of 1917, during the latter months furnishing important replacements to the Western Front, to such a degree that in November the companies of the 429th Landwehr did not have more than 100 men left (Russian interrogation).
RECRUITING.
The 224th Division was recruited from Brandenburg and the eastern Provinces of the empire.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The division was on the Russian front from its formation and was of mediocre combat value.
In December, 1917, in Volhynia, 50 men of the youngest classes were taken from each company of the 429th Landwehr Regiment to be sent to the Flanders front.
In January, 1918, the companies of the 61st Landwehr Regiment were composed of men of the Landsturm. (Prisoner’s statement, Jan. 13.)
1918.
VOLHYNIA.
At the beginning of March the division left the Sviniouki region and went via Pinsk to Gomel.
UKRAINE.
2. Toward the end of April the division was identified in the Vorojva region (southwest of Koursk). On the 9th of September the division was identified a little farther to the north in the Delgorod region.
WOEVRE.
3. On September 29 the division was relieved (probably by the 45th Landwehr Division) and, entraining at Sadtowo, traveled via Kubiantz- Kharkov-Kiev-Kovel-Kattovitz-Dresden-Frankfort on the Main-Saarbrueken- Metz-Batilly, where it detrained on October 12. Resting here until the 16th, it marched via Bruville-Mars la Tour-Chambley and relieved the 88th Division during the night of the 16th–17th south of Dampvitoux. The division was identified by prisoners on November 7 here and does not seem to have been withdrawn before the armistice.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was a very poor one. About the middle of the summer the best men were chosen to be sent to the Western Front. They were paraded before the commanding general and when they reached the place where he was standing they dropped their guns and went back to the caserne. Later when the whole division was to come to the west, the men were far from satisfied, not being entirely consoled when they were informed that they were to enter a quiet sector.
225th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1916 │ 1917 │ 1918[37] ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │5 Ers. │18 Res. │5 Ers. │18 Res. │5 Ers. │373. │ │217 Res. │ │217 Res. │ │18 Res. │ │373. │ │373. │ │217 Res. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │3 Sqn. 13 Uhlan │3 Sqn. 13 Uhlan │3 Sqn. 13 Uhlan │ Rgt. │ Rgt. │ Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │ │225 Art. Command: │225 Art. Command: │ │ 47 F. A. Rgt. │ 47 F. A. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │(225) Pion. Btn.: │259 Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ │ │ 259 Pion. Co. │413 T. M. Co. │ │ 344 Pion. Co. │225 Tel. Detch. │ │ 413 T. M. Co. │ │ │ Tel. Detch. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │259 Ambulance Co. │240 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │155 Field Hospital.│259 Ambulance Co. │ │172 Field Hospital.│155 Field Hospital. │ │265 Vet. Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │ │M. T. Col. ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
Footnote 37:
Composition at the time of the dissolution, September, 1918.
HISTORY.
(18th Reserve: 18th Corps Division—East Prussia. 217th Reserve: 7th Corps District—Westphalia. 373d Infantry Regiment: 1st Corps District—East Prussia.)
1916.
The 225th Division, including the 18th Reserve Infantry Regiment (from the 1st Reserve Division), the 217th Reserve Infantry Regiment (from the 47th Reserve Division), and the 373d Infantry Regiment (from the 10th Landwehr Division), was formed on the Eastern Front in the vicinity of Wladimir-Volynski about September, 1916.
ROUMANIA-TRANSYLVANIA.
1. In November, 1916, the 225th Division was transferred to the Roumanian Carpathians. It was there in December in the valley of the Uz.
1917.
ROUMANIA.
1. During the first half of 1917 the 225th Division occupied the calm sectors in the vicinity of Uz (Hills 1031 and 1640).
2. In July the 373d Infantry Regiment was transferred to the valley of the Putna to withstand the Russo-Roumanian offensive. The division took part in the Austro-German counterattack and established its positions near Ocna in September and October.
FRANCE.
3. Relieved about November 11, it went to Bereczk, where it entrained on the 18th for the Western Front. (Itinerary: Kronstadt (Brasso)-Budapest- Vienna-Munich-Carlsruhe-Sarrebruecken.) It detrained on November 25 at Vallieres-Vantoux, near Metz, and from there was transferred to the vicinity of Vigneulles (Cote de Meuse).
COTES DE MEUSE.
4. On December 4–5, it took over the sector of Chevalierswood, south of Vaux les Palameix-Seuzey.
RECRUITING.
Two regiments were drawn from East Prussia (18th Reserve and 372d Infantry Regiment), the 217th Reserve from Westphalia.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 225th Division which comprised drafts from Baden, Alsace, Westphalia, East Prussia, and the Rhine was not homogeneous and was not considered as a fighting division.
The 18th Reserve Regiment had a bad reputation. On January 6, 1917, it refused to attack at Hill 1298 in Hungary. (Interrogation of prisoners Feb. 3 and Mar. 17, 1918.)
The division included a large number of Poles. However, men of the young classes gradually replaced the older men, who still made up a large part of the division in 1917; consequently, the combat value of the division may have improved.
1918.
1. The division held the Woevre sector until the beginning of May. It entrained at Jeandelize about May 15 and was railed by Sedan, Givet, Dmant, Namur, Charleroi, Mons, and Cambrai. It detrained near Peronne and marched toward the Avre front by Chaulnes, Rosieres en Santerre.
BATTLE OF THE SANTERRE.
2. It was engaged north of Moreuil (east of the Villers aux Erables- Thennes) on May 22. The Allied attack struck the division and threw it back on Beaufort, losing 2,358 prisoners. It was relieved on the 10th and rested 15 days. Reengaged on the 25th east of Albert (Contalmaison, Montauban) the division again lost heavily. It was withdrawn on the 30th.
3. After its withdrawal the division was dissolved to the profit of the 1st Reserve Division and 2d Division.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. In the August fighting in Picardy it did not make a strong resistance. In the two engagements in August the division lost 3,593 prisoners.
226th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1916 │ 1917 │ 1918[38] ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │5 Ldw. │2 Ldw. │5 Ldw. │2 Ldw. │5 Ldw. │2 Ldw. │ │9 Ldw. │ │9 Ldw. │ │9 Ldw. │ │ │ │ │ │ Rgt. │ │439. │ │427. │ │427. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │ │1 Sqn. 4 Mounted │1 Sqn. 4 Mounted │ │ Jag. Rgt. │ Jag. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │ │64 Res. F. A. Rgt. │(?) Art. Command: │ │ │ 64 Res. F. A. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │(226) Pion. Btn.: │2 Ers. Co. 18 Liaisons. │ │ │ Pions. │ │ 2 Ers. Co. 18 │Searchlight │ │ Pions. │ Section. │ │ (?) T. M. Co. │430 T. M. Co. │ │ 26 Searchlight Co.│226 Tel. Detch. │ │ 226 Tel. Detch. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │257 Ambulance Co. │257 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │Field Hospital. │Field Hospital. │ │262 Vet. Hospital. │262 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │471 M. T. Col. │635 M. T. Col. ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
Footnote 38:
Composition at the time of dissolution, May, 1918.
HISTORY.
(2d Corps District—Pomerania.)
1916.
The 226th Division was formed about December, 1916.
RUSSIA.
1. At the end of December it was identified on the Eastern Front in the vicinity of Smorgoni, forming, with the 205th Division, the 3d (reenforced) Reserve Corps of the 10th Army.
1917.
1. The 226th Division included in 1917 the 2d and 9th Landwehr Regiments (5th Landwehr Brigade), taken from the 35th Reserve Division, and the 439th Infantry Regiment, formed in 1916.
SMORGONI.
2. The division occupied the sector of Smorgoni-Krevo from January until August, 1917. In this sector it received the Russian attacks of July 2 and 23, which caused it very heavy losses, in consequence of which Emperor William II called himself commander of the 2d Landwehr Regiment.
3. About the beginning of August the 226th Division was relieved south of Smorgoni and replaced the 123d Division south of Lake Svir. In November the 2d Landwehr Regiment sent men to reenforce the 121st Division and the 9th Landwehr to reenforce the 2d Guard Division.
LAKE NAROTCH.
4. In December the division was in line north of Lake Narotch, relieving the 31st Division, which was sent to the Western Front.
1918.
1. The division was still there in January, 1918. It was dissolved in June.
ROUMANIA.
2. The presence of the headquarters of the 226th Division at Targovistea was reported early in October. These headquarters apparently had under its order the 58th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment, of which the headquarters and three batteries are at Bucharest, the remaining batteries at Durnu Margurelf, Targovistea, and Cantulung.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as fourth class.
227th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────────┬─────────────┼─────────────┬───────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼───────────── Infantry. │49 Ldw. │417. │49 Ldw. │417 and 477. │ │441. │ │ │ │477. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────┴─────────────┼─────────────┴───────────── Cavalry. │ (?) │1 Sqn. 10 Hus. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Artillery. │92 F. A. Rgt. │227 Art. Command: │ │ 92 F. A. Rgt. │ │ 3 Abt. 20 Ft. A. Rgt. (9 │ │ and 11 Btries.). │ │ 853 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1102 Light Am. Col. │ │ 113 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Engineers and│227 Pion. Btn.: │227 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 339 Pion. Co. │ 339 Pion. Co. │ 347 Pion. Co. │ 347 Pion. Co. │ 162 T. M. Co. │ 162 T. M. Co. │ 227 Tel. Detch. │ 213 Searchlight Section. │ │227 Signal Command: │ │ 227 Tel. Detch. │ │ 155 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Medical and │65 Ambulance Co. │65 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │278 Field Hospital. │278 Field Hospital. │285 Field Hospital. │285 Field Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │208 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Transport. │M. T. Col. │637 M. T. Col. ─────────────┴───────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(417th Infantry Regiment; 14th Corps District—Grand Duchy of Baden. 441st Infantry Regiment; 18th Corps District—Hesse—Nassau. 477th Infantry Regiment; 8th Corps District—Rhine Province.)
1917.
The 227th Division, formed in March, 1917, was composed of three newly- formed regiments—the 417th (Baden), the 441st (18th District-Hesse), the 477th, formed by drafts upon the units of the 38th and 13th Divisions and upon the 16th Corps, then attached after its formation in the autumn of 1916 to the 33d Division of this corps.
ARGONNE.
1. The 227th Division was identified for the first time on March 27, 1917, on the Argonne front. It occupied the calm sector of the Fille- Morte until May 26.
AISNE.
2. About June 1 it went into line south of the Aisne (La Neuville-Godat) and extended its sector, at the beginning of July, to Hill 108 (Sapigneul).
3. Relieved about August 5, it was sent for rest and training to the Asfeld area. On August 20 it went into line north of Berry au Bac, between the Miette and Hill 108, from which it was withdrawn on August 2.
The division did not take part in any important engagement on the Aisne front. Its losses were very slight.
FLANDERS.
4. On October 5 and 6 the 227th Division entrained at Amagne (east of Rethel), and was transferred to Belgium by way of Hirson-Toumai- Courtrai-Thielt. Detraining at Pitthem on October 6 and 7, it reached the front north of Poepcappelle on the night of the 8th–9th, was in action for a week and suffered very heavy losses.
5. The division left the Ypres front about October 15 to go to Ghent (two days), then into the Champagne in the vicinity of Aussonce. It was filled up with three replacements, the most important of which was made up of 1,200 men taken from units on the Eastern Front, especially from the 12th Landwehr Division, from the same Provinces as the 227th Division (end of October).
CHAMPAGNE.
6. At the beginning of November the 227th Division went into line north of Cornillet.
RECRUITING.
The 227th Division was recruited from the Rhine Districts (Baden, Hesse- Nassau, the Rhine Province), which gives rise to a certain homogeneity.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 227th Division lost very heavily in Flanders and received as replacements a certain number of men coming from the Russian front whose combat value was mediocre (October, 1917).
The 227th Division was of only mediocre offensive value.
1918.
CHAMPAGNE.
1. About the middle of January the 227th Division was relieved by the 28th Division and went to the Juniville area, where it was intensively trained in open warfare with a view to its being used as an assault division.
2. On February 16 it relieved the 28th Division. It was withdrawn toward the end of March.
PICARDY.
3. About the 10th of April it relieved the 5th Guard Division near Canny sur Matz (west of Lassigny). The battle of the Somme had come to end by this time, and so, although there was still considerable artillery activity here, the division was not seriously engaged in infantry attacks, and remained in line until relieved by the 75th Reserve Division during the night of May 16–17, when it went to rest and be trained in the region of Ham.
OISE.
4. On June 7 it started to march to the front via Ognolles-Champien Wood-Beuvraignes-Crapeaumesnil. On the 9th it attacked through the line and succeeded in passing Ricquebourg, Ressons, and Marqueglise. This advance cost the divisions heavy losses, and it suffered still more heavily when the French counterattacked in force on the 12th. The following day it was relieved by the 17th Reserve Division and marched by stages to the region east of St. Quentin.
WOEVRE.
5. About the 20th it entrained at Origny and traveled via Charleville- Sedan-Longuyon-Conflans-Dampvitoux, where it detrained the 21st and 22d. It relieved the 8th Bavarian Reserve Division in the St. Baussant- Richecourt sector (south of Thiaucourt) on the 27th. It was relieved by the 10th Division on the 22d of August.
SOISSONS.
6. About the 30th it reenforced the front in the Terny-Sorny sector (north of Soissons). It was withdrawn about the 8th of September.
AISNE.
7. There was some talk of dissolving the division at this time, but it was not done, and it came back into line, relieving the 17th Division in the Pont-Arcy sector (east of Vailly) on the 17th. It remained in line, falling back via Monchâlons-Coucy les Eppes-Pierrepont-Montcornet- Ebouleau-Renneval-Jeantes la Ville. It had not been withdrawn on the 11th.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The 227th was rated a third-class division. It was in no heavy fighting during 1918 until June, when it did not distinguish itself, neither advancing far nor holding its ground in counterattack. Its conduct, however, can not be characterized as poor. It is to be noted, moreover, that the division commander was awarded “Pour le Mérite” in July.
228th. Division.
COMPOSITION.