Part 101
─────────────┬───────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────────┬─────────────┼─────────────┬───────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼───────────── Infantry. │104. │35 Fus. │104. │35. │ │48. │ │48. │ │207 Res. │ │207 Res. ─────────────┼─────────────┴─────────────┼─────────────┴───────────── Cavalry. │1 Sqn. 1 Uhlan Rgt. │1 Sqn. 1 Uhlan Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Artillery. │228 Art. Command: │228 Art. Command: │ 39 F. A. Rgt. │ 39 F. A. Rgt. │ │ 92 Ft. A. Btn. (Staff, and │ │ 1, 2, and 3 Btries). │ │ 1143 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1144 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1145 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Engineers and│(228) Pion. Btn.: │228 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 389 Pion. Co. │ 389 Pion. Co. │ 395 Pion. Co. │ 395 Pion. Co. │ 197 T. M. Co. │ 197 T. M. Co. │ Tel. Detch. │ 116 Searchlight Section. │ │228 Signal Command: │ │ 228 Tel. Detch. │ │ 56 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Medical and │567 Ambulance Co. │567 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │63 Field Hospital. │63 Field Hospital. │260 Field Hospital. │260 Field Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │55 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Transport │M. T. Col. │ ─────────────┴───────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(3d Corps District—Brandenburg.)
1917.
The 228th Division appears to have been formed in the Sedan area in May, 1917. Its three regiments belonged to the 3d Corps District—the 35th Fusileer Regiment was taken from the 56th Division, the 48th Infantry Regiment from the 113th Division, and the 207th Reserve Regiment from the 220th Division.
VERDUN.
1. On June 22, 1917, the 228th Division was identified on the Verdun front in the sector of Les Chambrettes (35th Fusileers). It was still in line on the right bank of the Meuse (Louvemont) when the French attacks of August 20–24 were launched. It lost heavily there. “Our regiment has only two companies left” (letter from a man of the 48th Infantry Regiment, Aug. 23).
CÔTES DE MEUSE.
2. Relieved about August 24, it was sent to rest for a few days, then into line again about September 6 on the Côtes de Meuse (between Moulainville and Damploup). It was reorganized in both men and material. At the end of September 900 men came as replacements from the 1st Corps District (returned wounded for the most part). The 35th Fusileer Regiment, decimated in August, remained in the rear for reorganization.
RECRUITING.
The division was purely Brandenburg (infantry and field artillery).
For its reorganization after the attacks of August 20–24, 1917, the 228th Division received replacements from the 1st Corps District. A replacement unit was formed from the 3d Corps District, but the men are said to have refused to leave for the Western Front. In default of men from Brandenburg, they called upon the 1st Corps District. (Interrogation of prisoner, Sept. 30, 1917.)
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
This was a fairly good division.
1918.
1. The division was relieved northeast of Verdun in mid-February and went to rest and train southeast of Montmedy (near Marville) until March 17. It was then railed to Picardy via Montmedy, Sedan, Hirson, Aulnoye. From there it moved toward the front by Croix, Maurois, Beaurevoir, Bellicourt, Roisel, Maurepas, Bray, arriving there on the 27th.
BATTLE OF PICARDY.
2. It was engaged on the 29th–30th near Le Hamel, north of Marcelcave, and participated in heavy fighting about Hamel until April 13. All three regiments lost heavily in the attack. The 207th Reserve Regiment was too weak to hold more than 160 yards of front. The 35th Fusileer Regiment lost 700 men in killed and wounded. After resting from April 13 to 18 the division was reengaged on the 18th. It attacked at Villers- Bretonneux on the 24th without success. After suffering very heavy losses the division was withdrawn on April 27–28.
CHAMPAGNE.
3. On the 28th it entrained east of Peronne and was railed to Valenciennes, where it rested until May 6–7. From rest the division proceeded to south of Vouziers (May 7) and entered line near Tahure on the 13th and held that quiet sector until July 15. It did not attack in the offensive in Champagne, but remained behind in reserve of the 88th Division. Later it was used by battalions in support of units in line until the end of the month.
4. From the end of July to September 12 the division held a quiet sector of the line near Maisons de Champagne.
5. On the 12th it was moved to Spincourt by Mezieres, Sedan, Montmedy, Longuyon. It rested and trained until the 28th, when it marched toward the front at Romagne sous Montfaucon (Sept. 28 to Oct. 2).
6. The division was engaged near Cunel on October 8. Four days later it shifted to the right bank of the Meuse (east of Sivry sur Meuse) and held there until November 5. It retreated toward Fontaine and Ecurey after that date. The division was still in line on the day of the armistice.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. After its failure on the Somme in the spring it was used on unimportant sectors until October. It did not distinguish itself in the Meuse-Argonne battle.
231st Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────────┬─────────────┼─────────────┬───────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼───────────── Infantry. │231. │442. │231. │442. │ │443. │ │443. │ │444. │ │444. ─────────────┼─────────────┴─────────────┼─────────────┴───────────── Cavalry. │ │1 Sqn. 9 Drag. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Artillery. │Art. Command: │3 Gd. Res. F. A. Rgt. │ 3 Gd. Res. F. A. Rgt. │90 Ft. A. Btn. │ │910 Light Am. Col. │ │912 Light Am. Col. │ │1135 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Engineers and│(231) Pion. Btn.: │231 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 353 Pion. Co. │ 353 Pion. Co. │ 354 Pion. Co. │ 354 Pion. Co. │ 358 (?) T. M. Co. │ 181 Searchlight Section. │ 418 T. M. Co. │231 Signal Command. │ 231 Tel. Detch. │ 231 Tel. Detch. │ │ 57 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Medical and │243 Ambulance Co. │243 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │183 Field Hospital. │184 Field Hospital. │184 Field Hospital. │217 Field Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │227 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Transport. │641 M. T. Col. │641 M. T. Col. ─────────────┴───────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(Guard.)
1917.
The 231st Division was formed on January 15, 1917, at the Zossen Camp, near Berlin. Its infantry regiments (442d, 443d, and 444th) were formed from the depots of the Guard and the 43d Reserve Division, likewise a subsidiary of the Guard. Initial effectives: 235 to 240 men per company, one-half of the 1918 class, one-fourth of returned sick and wounded, one-fourth men withdrawn from the front. The composition is practically the same for the divisions Nos. 231 to 242, as regards infantry and pioneers.
HAYE.
1. The 231st Division left the Zossen Camp on March 30, 1917, detrained at Audun le Roman on April 3, and went into line on the 13th at Flirey (Haye). It did not show any activity there and left the front on May 12.
CHAMPAGNE.
2. Entraining at Jaulny on May 16, it was concentrated in the vicinity of Epoye, northeast of Rheims, and went into line on May 18–19 north of La Pompelle.
MONT HAUT.
3. In the middle of June it went into line in the Nauroy sector, between Cornillet and Mont Haut, and suffered the French attack of the 18th, which caused it heavy losses (especially in the 443d Infantry Regiment, where the 10th Company had only 1 officer and 10 men left). It was relieved about July 6.
4. After two weeks’ rest in the vicinity of Rethel the division was sent into line at Bermericourt on July 21.
RECRUITING.
The 231st Division was recruited from the entire extent of Prussian territory, the same as the Guard from whose depots it was formed.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
At the time of the formation of the 231st Division 40 per cent of the men were of the 1918 class. In consequence of replacements, the proportion of the men of this class appeared to be 50 per cent in November, 1917.
The 231st Division opposed an honorable resistance to the French assault of June 18, 1917, at Le Cornillet.
However, taking into consideration that it has never given proof of offensive qualities, it seems impossible to class it among the good divisions.
1918.
CHAMPAGNE.
1. Early in February the 231st Division was relieved by the 213th Division and went to the Givet-Namur area for training in open warfare.
PICARDY.
2. On the 21st of March it was in support behind the 45th Reserve Division. Two days later it attacked southwest of Ham in the direction of Esmery-Hallon, suffering heavy losses. It was in reserve near Roye on the 28th. Early in April it was resting near Laon, and later in the month it moved to the Marle area, where it was reconstituted.
AISNE.
3. It then relieved the 3d Reserve Division in the Bouconville sector (southeast of Laon) early in May. On the 27th other divisions attacked through its sector, the 231st following up in reserve via Fismes and Fère en Tardenois. It became engaged on the 30th near Beuvardes and advanced through Verdilly to Château Thierry; relieved by the 201st Division about the 16th of June. It refitted in the Laon region, entrained at Sissonne, and traveled via Asfeld to Dun sur Meuse.
VERDUN.
4. About the 1st of July it relieved the Bavarian Ersatz Division in the Avocourt sector (northwest of Verdun). It was relieved by the 37th Division on the 7th of August.
PICARDY.
5. The division traveled via Sedan-Laon-Chauny and reenforced the front near Appilly (east of Noyon). In the fighting that followed the division was forced to withdraw through Lagny, Champagne, Villeselve, Artemps, Mont d’Origny, and Hauteville. It was withdrawn about the 20th of October.
6. After having rested about a week it came back into line west of Guise about the 28th. Again it fell back, being identified east of Guise and southeast of Etreux. It was still in line on the 11th of November.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division did not distinguish itself during the battle of the Somme, but, on the other hand, it did not do badly, for soon afterwards the division commander was granted “Pour le Mérite.” After the Aisne offensive the brigade commander also received it. The division was mentioned in the German official communiqués of September 4 and October 31. Its losses necessitated the reduction of the battalions to three companies but did not lower the morale to any great extent. It should be considered as a good second-class division.
232d Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────────┬─────────────┼─────────────┬───────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼───────────── Infantry. │232. │445. │232. │445. │ │446. │ │446. │ │447. │ │447. ─────────────┼─────────────┴─────────────┼─────────────┴───────────── Cavalry. │4 Sqn. 1 Uhlan Rgt. │4 Sqn. 1 Uhlan Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Artillery. │37 F. A. Rgt. │232 Art. Command: │ │ 37 F. A. Rgt. │ │ 776 Light Am. Col. │ │ 981 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1093 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Engineers and│(232) Pion Btn.: │232 Pion Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 355 Pion Co. │ 346 Pion. Co. │ 356 Pion Co. │ 356 Pion. Co. │ 419 T. M. Co. │ 419 T. M. Co. │ 232 Tel. Detch. │ 119 Searchlight Section. │ │232 Signal Command: │ │ 232 Tel. Detch. │ │ 162 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Medical and │244 Ambulance Co. │244 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │185 Field Hospital. │185 Field Hospital. │186 Field Hospital. │186 Field Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │267 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Transport. │642 M. T. Col. │642 M. T. Col. ─────────────┴───────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(445th Infantry Regiment: 1st Corps District—East Prussia. 446th and 447th Infantry Regiments: 20th Corps District—Eastern section of West Prussia.)
1917.
The 232d Division belonged to the series of divisions 231 to 242, formed in January, 1917, by drafts upon the depots (1918 class) and upon the front. It was recruited principally from the 1st and 20th Corps Districts (East Prussia).
After its formation the division was sent for training to the Arys Camp and then, on April 3, 1917, to the Eastern Front.
COURLAND.
1. On April 6 the 232d Division went into line in the vicinity of Illukst; it remained there until July.
SMORGONI.
2. Relieved by the 2d Division, coming from Flanders on July 7, it entrained on the 9th, was transferred by railroad to Soly on July 11, and from there went to the sector of Smorgoni-Krevo, where it suffered the Russian attack of July 22.
GALICIA.
3. On July 31 the 232d Division left the Smorgoni front for Galicia. It went into line northeast of Tarnapol, west of Zbaraz. It was identified there on December 25 (fraternization with the Russians). It was during this rest period, in November and December, that the division received its first reenforcements of the 1919 class, which it later took to France.
RECRUITING.
The 232d Division was recruited from East and West Prussia, with a certain number of Alsace-Lorrainers.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
Having always occupied the Eastern Front from its formation (beginning of 1917) until March, 1918, the 232d Division was of mediocre combat value (April, 1918).
In the 445th Infantry Regiment the majority of men were very young; many belonged to the 1919 class (April, 1918). (Interrogation of prisoner.)
In the 2d Company of the 1st Battalion of the 447th Infantry Regiment, one-third belonged to the 1919 class (May, 1918). (Interrogation of prisoner.)
1918.
1. The division held the sector west of Vaudesincourt until about May 10, when it went to rest in the Juniville-Neuflize area. While there the division was trained for mobile warfare.
BATTLE OF THE AISNE.
2. On May 22 the division left the region of Juniville and moved in three marches to Lor and Le Thour (north of Asfeld). On May 26 the division left Lor and advanced toward the battle front, following the 86th Division. It passed the former French first line near Juvincourt, arrived near Treslon-Bouleuse on May 29, and on the 30th was engaged to the right of the 86th Division, near Sarey, where it relieved the troops of the 7th Reserve Division.
3. After that date the division was in the sector on the west bank of the Ardre near Chambrecy. The division losses were small during the first three days of the offensive, but later it suffered seriously, especially in its unsuccessful attack on Bligny on June 4. The division was relieved on the 18th by the 123d Division.
4. It marched by stages to Asfeld and was railed to Montmedy. On the night of June 28–29 it relieved the 19th Ersatz Division in the Beaumont sector. It held the quiet sector until August 18, when it was withdrawn. On the night of August 26–27 the division entrained and traveled via Montmedy-Sedan-Charleville-Revin-Charleroi-Mons-Valenciennes-Cambrai, detraining near Etricourt and Manancourt on August 28 after a journey of 28 hours.
BAPAUME.
5. The division was engaged in the Bapaume area (Le Forest, Bouchavesnes, Moislains) on August 29. It lost 1,500 prisoners before it was withdrawn on September 9.
6. It rested in the Le Cateau area until September 21, when it reenforced the battle front northwest of Hargicourt. After four days it was relieved by the 54th Division and rested near La Capelle. It had been there but 10 days when it was hurried to the Oise front by motor trucks.
7. On October 6 it was engaged at Lesdins, with the exception of the 447th Regiment, which remained at rest at Pont a Bucy and joined the division later. It continued in line until about the end of the month, when it retired from the Villers le Sec vicinity. It was considered in reserve of the German 18th Army at the time of the armistice.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as 4th class. By October its morale was very low and its combat value small. On October 25 the division had but 850 infantrymen, 300 machine gunners, and 120 trench mortar effectives. After August there were but three companies to a battalion and but two battalions to the 446th Regiment in October. Influenced by Bolshevists, elements of the division refused to go into action in October.
233d Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918[39] ─────────────┼─────────────┬─────────────┼─────────────┬───────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼───────────── Infantry. │243. │448. │243. │448. │ │449. │ │449. │ │450. │ │450. ─────────────┼─────────────┴─────────────┼─────────────┴───────────── Cavalry. │ │3 Sqn. 9 Drag. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Artillery. │81 F. A. Rgt. │233 Art. Command: │ │ 81 F. A. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Engineers and│(233) Pion. Btn.: │233 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 357 Pion. Co. │ 357 Pion. Co. │ 358 Pion. Co. │ 358 Pion. Co. │ 420 T. M. Co. │ 420 T. M. Co. │ 233 Tel. Detch. │ 233 Tel. Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Medical and │245 Ambulance Co. │245 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │187 Field Hospital. │187 Field Hospital. │188 Field Hospital. │188 Field Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │268 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Transport. │880 M. T. Col. │643 M. T. Col. ─────────────┴───────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────
Footnote 39:
Composition at the time of dissolution, September, 1918.
HISTORY.
(448th and 449th Infantry Regiments: 2d Corps District—Pomerania. 450th Infantry Regiment: 17th Corps District—West Prussia.)
1917.
The 233d Division, formed at the Hammerstein Camp in January, 1917, recruited its infantry (448th, 449th, 450th Regiments) from the 2d and 17th Corps Districts. It then contained 40 per cent of the 1918 class and 40 per cent returned wounded.
1. After six weeks in training at Hammerstein, the 233d Division was transferred to Beverloo, where it continued its training from the end of February to the beginning of April.
2. About April 10 it occupied a calm sector between La Fère and Alaincourt.
FLANDERS.
3. On May 16 it left the Oise front and went to Flanders. Sent into line at Ypres, on both sides of the Ypres-Roulers road (May 19–20), the division had very heavy losses in this sector toward the end of July, during the artillery preparation which preceded the British attack of the 31st. “In the course of the nine weeks passed in Flanders the 450th Infantry Regiment lost 900 men, more than half of whom were killed.” (Letter of Aug. 6.)
4. Relieved on the eve of the attack, the 233d Division was brought back by railroad into the Guise area and sent to rest for two weeks.
5. From the middle of August until September 28 it occupied the sector of St. Quentin (Gauchy), after having pillaged the city the same as several other divisions.
FLANDERS.
6. On October 2 it entrained for Flanders and was sent by way of Origny, Le Cateau, Maubeuge, Mons, Ath, Ghent, Deynze. From October 5 to 12 it was engaged southeast of Sonnebeke and lost very heavily during the British attacks of October 6 and 9.
LORRAINE.
7. The division was withdrawn from the Ypres front on October 12, sent to rest for four days at Sottegem, then sent to Lorraine by way of Brussels, Namur, Hirson, Charleville, Sedan, Metz. Detraining at Sarreburg, it rested from the 20th to the 29th, then went into line south of Blamont.
RECRUITING.
The 233d Division was recruited from Pomerania and West Prussia, with a certain admixture from the neighboring Provinces (3d and 5th Corps Districts).
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
A German official document of June 12, 1917, gives the following appreciation of the troops of the 233d Division engaged at that moment in the Ypres sector: “These men are too young to be able to furnish prolonged resistance and to have great endurance in a critical situation. Nevertheless, their conduct is generally good. One cannot say that this organization is in a good condition; it is not suited for trench warfare.” (Report from the 2d Battalion of the 450th Regiment.)