Part 13
1. The 3d Bavarian Division was relieved from Armentieres March 20, 1917. It was transported to the Arras District, situated on the Scarpe front, on April 11. It suffered considerable loss in the two unfortunate counterattacks of Monchy-le-Preux and in the French counterattack of April 23.
2. The division was withdrawn from the front April 25 and sent to rest in the Roubaix zone until the beginning of June.
FLANDERS.
3. On June 5 the 3d Bavarian Division began to relieve the 40th Division in the Messines sector. The British attack took place on the 7th during this relief. The division lost the village and the summit of Messines. It suffered considerable loss and left 1,531 prisoners in the hands of the enemy. (The 17th Battalion was reduced to 800 men; the 23d suffered about equal losses; the 18th lost fewer men.)
LORRAINE.
4. The 3d Bavarian Division was withdrawn from the Messines sector June 8, 1917, and taken to the Conflans area. After a short period of repose, during which it was partially reconstituted, it was put into the line in the sector of the Bezange forest (south of Château-Salins) July 18.
5. The 3d Bavarian Division received a reinforcement of 4,500 men—convalescents, exclusively—between June 8 and the end of August. (At the end of August the personnel averaged only 120 men who drew rations (80 combatants) per company in the 17th Battalion.) The losses sustained the 7th of June had not been made good by the 28th of August.
6. The division was sent into Lorraine for rest and reconstitution, remaining on the defensive, and pursuing the instruction of its detachments in the use of light minenwerfers and assault tactics.
AISNE.
7. It left Lorraine in the middle of October. On the 28th it occupied the Aisne front to the north of Braye-en-Laonnois (Trucy sector). The 17th Battalion was the only one to engage in the October battles which preceded the German retreat to the north of the Ailette.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 3d Bavarian Division is one of the best German units.
It always fought well, showing great energy in the offensive and preserving a great tenacity in the defensive.
Nevertheless, the fighting value of this division appears to have diminished during the course of the year 1917.
1918.
1. About January 1 the division was relieved and went into training in the region Fournes-Chimay, where it remained for four weeks.
ST. GOBAIN.
2. The division relieved the 47th Reserve Division near Septvaux about February 1, and occupied the line until March 28.
3. Retired from the front on the 28th; the division was sent toward Chauny-La Fere, where it constituted the reserve division of the 8th Reserve Corps.
NOYON.
4. In April the division alternated between short periods in line and brief rests. North of Plemont it relieved the 7th Reserve Division about April 2, was relieved by the 1st Bavarian Division a few days later, and returned to line about April 11, relieving the 1st Bavarian Division. About this time the division received a draft of 900 men of the 1919 class.
5. The division was withdrawn from the Lassigny front about May 25.
BATTLE OF THE OISE.
6. The division participated in the Oise fighting of June, although it did not take a direct part in the opening attack. It supported the effort of the 3d Bavarian Reserve Division, lending some battalions, from which prisoners were taken. About the middle of June the division passed to the second line, rested two weeks, and returned to the Montdidier-Noyon front about June 30.
LASSIGNY.
7. The division remained in line throughout July and encountered the Allied attack of middle August. About August 21 it was withdrawn.
8. Between August 21 and October 7 the division was not satisfactorily identified. Elements were reported near Terguier in September, near Ypres, and in the region of St. Etienne-Arnes.
WOEVRE.
9. The division entered the Woevre line on October 7, near Manheulles, where it remained until the armistice.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was used during 1918 as a sector-holding division. It took no prominent part in the offensives of the year.
3d Reserve Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │5 Res. │2 Res. │5 Res. │2 Res. │5 Res. │2 Res. │ │9 Res. │ │9 Res. │ │9 Res. │6 Res. │34 Res. │6 Res. │34 Res. │6 Res. │20 │ │ │ │ │ │ Landst. │ │49 Res. │ │49 Res. │ │49 Res. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │5 Res. Dragoon Rgt.│5 Res. Dragoon Rgt.│ │ (3 Sqns.). │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │3 Res. F. A. Rgt. │3 Res. F. A. Rgt. │3 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ (6 Btries.). │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │2d Pion. Btn. No. │2d Pion. Btn. No. Liaisons. │ │ 2: │ 2: │ │ Field Co. 2 Pions.│ 2 Res. Co. 2 │ │ │ Pions. │ │ 3 Res. Pont. Engs.│ 203 T. M. Co. │ │ │ │ │ 3 Res. Tel. Detch.│ 3 Res. Pont. Engs. │ │ │ │ │ │ 3 Res. Tel. Detch. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │5 Res. │2 Res. │5 Res. │2. │ │49 Res. │ │34 Fus. │ │34 Fus. │ │49 Res. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │ │1 Sqn. 22 Drag. │ │ Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │73 Art. Command: │73 Art. Command: │ │ │ 3 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ 3 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ (9 Btries.). │ │ │ 4 Abt. 14 Res. Ft. │ │ A. Rgt. │ │ 865 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1177 Light Am. │ │ Col. │ │ 1195 Light Am. │ │ Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│303 Pion. Btn. (?):│303 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 2 Res. Co. 2 │ 2 Res. Co. 2 │ Pions. │ Pions. │ 2 Co. 34 Res. │ 203 T. M. Co. │ Pions. │ │ 203 M. T. Co. │ 196 Searchlight │ │ Section. │ 403 Tel. Detch. │403 Signals │ │ Command: │ 3 Res. Pont. Engs.│ 403 Tel. Detch. │ │ 33 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │502 Ambulance Co. │502 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │14 Field Hospital. │14 Res. Field │ │ Hospital. │15 Field Hospital. │15 Res. Field │ │ Hospital. │16 Field Hospital. │163 Vet. Hospital. │163 Vet. Hospital. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │704 M. T. Col. │704 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │154 Cyclist Co. │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(2d District—Pomerania.)
1914.
EAST PRUSSIA-RUSSIA.
1. At the beginning of the war the 3d Reserve Division, recruited in the 2d District (Pomerania), formed a part of the 8th German Army (Hindenburg). It fought with this army in eastern Prussia; it was engaged in the battle of Tannenberg (Aug. 26–28), in the battles of Biallo, Lyck, Suwalki, and Augustowo (September-October).
1915.
1. In February, 1915, the 3d Reserve Division participated in the battle of the Mazurian Lakes, and in May in the battles on the Polish frontier.
2. During the great offensive of the summer of 1915 the division was engaged in the operations on the Bobr, which resulted in the taking of Ossovietz. In August it fought in the vicinity of Kovno. It participated in the siege of this city (Aug. 13–18) at the battle of Niemen (Aug. 19- Sept. 8). When the front was stabilized it took position to the north of Smorgoni (southeast of Vilna).
1916.
1. The 3d Reserve Division occupied this sector (north of Smorgoni) up to March, 1917. At this time it was placed in reserve in the Vilna sector.
BELGIUM.
2. At the beginning of May, 1917, it was sent to the western front. It entrained May 13 at Soly (east of Vilna), and was transported via Vilna, Wirballen, Gumbinnen, Berlin, Hanover, Aix-la-Chapelle, Liege, Louvain, and Brussels up to Bruges, where it detrained May 18. It was sent to rest in this district until June 4.
3. On this date the division was transported to the district north of St. Quentin and went into the line on the 8th in the Vendhuille- Bellicourt sector (west of Catelet), where it habituated itself to the western front.
1917.
YPRES.
4. The division was relieved the end of July. After having been in reserve for several days it engaged in the battle of Ypres on the Frezenberg front on August 4; here it was severely tried by artillery fire.
5. It was withdrawn from the front August 18 and sent to rest, first at Tournai and later in the Moorslede District.
6. On September 23 it was again sent into the line in the battle of Flanders to the south of Zonnebeke (Polygone wood), and again suffered serious losses on the 26th.
ALSACE.
7. The 3d Reserve Division was relieved September 28 and transported to Alsace (Mulhouse District), where it remained in repose up to the middle of October.
8. About the 10th or 15th of October it occupied the sector north of the canal from the Rhone to the Rhine, and remained there till the end of October.
9. At this time it was withdrawn from the front. It entrained for Metz November 10. In December it was in the vicinity of Sissone.
AISNE.
10. About December 13 it entered the line in the Craonne sector (Juvincourt area). At the beginning of January it took over the neighboring sector (Bouconville).
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
Very mediocre morale. The 49th Reserve Regiment was very severely tested by losses and desertions to such a point that it had to be returned to the rear after August 18, 1917. September 26 the 8th Company of the same regiment refused to take part in the attack. The relatively high proportion of men of the 2d Landsturm levy may be responsible for these facts, since they formed part of the regiments of the Second District.
According to prisoners captured in February, 1918, the 3d Reserve Division seemed to be of mediocre quality: “6,000 men lost in Flanders, poorly replaced by men 50 per cent of whom were old, many being above 40, and by 30 per cent Poles.”
Nevertheless, despite the mediocrity of its personnel, it must be noted that the 49th Reserve was subjected to a special training for attack troops in November and December.
1918.
LAON.
1. The division held the line in the Craonne sector until about April 20, when it was relieved.
OISE.
2. It reappeared on May 1 near Hainvillers (southeast of Montdidier), where it remained until about June 20. The division was in the thick of the June fighting on the Oise and lost heavily.
3. About June 20 the division went to rest in the region of Guise.
MARNE.
4. The division participated in the fighting between the Marne and Soissons when the Allies delivered their attack on the Marne salient. It relieved the 115th Division at Longpont on July 18 and withstood the attack until July 31. The 49th Reserve Regiment was almost annihilated in the course of the fighting near Mery. The other regiments were reduced to 70–80 rifles per company.
5. Retired from the front on July 31, the division rested at La Capelle until September 1.
CAMBRAI.
6. The division came into line east of Chevisy on September 2. Its composition had been altered by the disbandment of the 2d Reserve Regiment and the addition of the 2d Grenadier Regiment from the 109th Division. The British attack on the Somme of September 12 engulfed the division, which lost 1,300 prisoners.
BELGIUM.
7. It was withdrawn about September 27 and transferred to Belgium, where it entered the line near Dixmude on September 29. It held the line in this sector until October 16, when it passed into the second line for a week’s rest. Returning to line on the 23d, it remained in line until the armistice.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division is rated as a third-class division. Its morale was on the whole bad. The Polish elements deserted freely. In July pillaging of supply trains was apparently prevalent in the divisional area. Elements of the division refused to fight in the Oise battle in June, and the German command appeared to have confidence in its fighting value.
3d Naval Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────────┬─────────────┼─────────────┬───────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼───────────── Infantry │4 Nav. │1 Mar. │Mar. │1 Mar. │ │2 Mar. │Inf. Brig. │2 Mar. │ │3 Mar. │ │3 Mar. ─────────────┼─────────────┴─────────────┼─────────────┴───────────── Cavalry │ │3 Sqn. 7 Hus. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Artillery │9 F. A. Rgt. │2 Matr. F. A. Rgt. │ │925 Light Am. Col. │ │1234 Light Am. Col. │ │1292 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Engineers and│1 Co. Mar. Pion. Btn. │115 Pion. Btn. Liaisons │ │ │3 Co. Mar. Pion. Btn. │ 1 Res. Co. 24 Pions. │337 Pion. Co. │293 Signal Command: │165 T. M. Co. │ 293 Tel. Detch. │ │ 66 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Medical and │ │610 Ambulance Co. Veterinary │ │ │ │2 Mar. Field Hospital. │ │390 Field Hospital. │ │569 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Transports │ │679 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Attached │Coast Defense Btn. │ ─────────────┴───────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────
HISTORY.
1917.
1. The 3d Naval Division was organized in April, 1917. Its Regiments (1st, 2d, and 3d Naval Infantry) were detached from the Naval Corps, before the constitution of the division, to take part in the attacks upon Steenstraat on April 22, 1915, and on the Somme from September, 1916, to April, 1917. Since its formation the 3d Naval Division has scarcely left the coast.
FLANDERS.
2. In August, 1917, the 3d Naval Division occupied the sector of Lombartzyde.
3. In October it was in action on the Ypres front at Poelcappelle.
4. In December it again took over the sector of Lombartzyde.
RECRUITING.
The 3d Naval Division is recruited from the entire German Empire, the naval troops being imperial troops.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
Before the war the troops of the 3d Naval Division were landing and occupying troops for the German colonies. They are good units whose recruiting has been kept up to a high standard.
1918.
ALBERT.
1. The division was relieved north of St. Georges about the 1st of March and moved to Valenciennes, where it arrived about the 13th. From March 18 to 23 it moved up to the front by stages via Haussy-Cattenieres- Lesdain. On the 23d it followed up the advance, passing through Fins and Manancourt on the 24th–25th and coming into action at Contalmaison on the 25th. It captured Albert on the 26th. The division held a sector west of Albert until mid-April, and on April 24 returned to its former sector west of Anthuille. It was relieved about the end of May by the 24th Division.
2. On June 20 the division returned to relieve the 24th Division in the Aveluy sector. In mid-July the company strength was low. No drafts had been received recently and sickness was prevalent. This, together with the August spell in line, had considerably reduced the morale of the division. It was relieved on August 19 by the 83d Division.
SCARPE-SOMME.
3. The division rested at Flers for five days, when it came into line west of Grevillers on the night of August 23–24 to reinforce the line. It was withdrawn in a few days (Aug. 26) and rested at Cambrai. Five hundred prisoners were taken from the division in this period.
4. The division rested at Thourout during the first half of September. On the 27th it was engaged west of Marcoing and fought in that area until the end of the month. The total prisoners captured from the division was 700.
5. After two weeks’ rest in the Cambrai area, the division returned to line at Molain on October 17. It fought in the Molain-Catillon area until October 23, when it was relieved by the 19th Reserve Division. On November 1 it was again in line, northwest of the Hattencourt Farm. The last identification was at Any, on November 7.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. Its use in the Somme March offensive and as an intervention division in the Scarpe-Somme battle suggest that the division was a second class division.
4th Guard Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │ │5 Ft. │5 Gd. │5 Ft. │ │5 Gren. │ │5 Gren. │ │93 Res. │ │93 Res. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │ │3d Sqn. Gd. Res. Ulan Regt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │ │(z) 2d Gd. Res. F. A. Rgt. │ │6 Gd. F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│ │(z) Co. 3 Gd. Pions. Liaisons. │ │ │ │261 Pion. Co. │ │4 Gd. T. M. Co. │ │4 Gd. Pont. Engs. │ │4 Gd. Tel. Detch. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────