Part 17
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │9. │8 Body │9. │8 Body │10. │8 Body │ │ Gren. │ │ Gren. │ │ Gren. │ │48. │ │48. │ │12 Gren. │10. │12 Gren. │10. │12 Gren. │ │52. │ │52. │ │52. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │3 Hus. Rgt. (3 │ (?) │3 Hus. Rgt. (3 │ Sqns.) │ │ Sqns.). ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │5 Brig.: │5 Brig.: │5 Brig.: │ 18 F. A. Rgt. │ 18 F. A. Rgt. │ 18 F. A. Rgt. │ 54 F. A. Rgt. │ 54 F. A. Rgt. │ 54 F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │1 Pion. Btn. No. 3:│1 Pion. Btn. No. 3: Liasions. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ Field Co. 3 Pions.│ 1 Co. 3 Pions. │ │ 5 Pont. Engs. │ 5 Pont. Engs. │ │ 5 Tel. Detch. │ 5 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ 5 T. M. Co. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │ │Field M. G. Co. of │ │ │ the 10 Brig. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │10. │8 Body │10. │8 Body │ │ Gren. │ │ Gren. │ │12 Gren. │ │12 Gren. │ │52. │ │52. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │3 Hus. Rgt. (?). │3 Sqn. 3 Hus. Rgt. │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │5 Art. Command: │142 Art. Command: │ 18 F. A. Rgt. │ 18 F. A. Rgt. │ │ 67 Ft. A. Btn. │ │ (Staff and 1, 2, │ │ and 3 Btries). │ │ 848 Light Am. Col. │ │ 879 Light Am. Col. │ │ 792 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│116 Pion. Btn. │116 Pion. Btn.: Liasions. │ (formerly 1 Pion.│ │ Btn. No. 3): │ │ 1 Co. 3 Pions. │ 1 Co. 3 Pions. │ 2 Co. 3 Pions. │ 2 Co. 3 Pions. │ 5 T. M. Co. │ 14 Bav. Pion. Co. │ 319 Searchlight │ 5 T. M. Co. │ Section. │ │ 5 Tel. Detch. │ 35 Searchlight │ │ Section. │ 99 Searchlight │5 Signal Command: │ Section. │ │ │ 5 Tel. Detch. │ │ 29 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │9 Ambulance Co. │9 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │Field Hospital. │27 Field Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │26 Field Hospital. │ │5 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │11 Supply Train. │538 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │M. T. Col. │ │ │ │M. G. S. S. Detch. │ │ No. 5. │ │68 Anti-Aircraft │ │ Sect. │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(Third District—Brandenburg.)
1914.
FRANCE.
1. The 5th Division with the 6th Division formed the 3d Army Corps. At the beginning of the campaign it was part of the 1st Army (Von Kluck). It detrained near Aix la Chapelle August 9 and 10, entered Belgium the 14th, and passed through Louvain the 19th. Took part in the battle of Charleroi and the battle of the Marne (at Sancy and Cerneux, Sept. 6), then in the battles between the Aisne and the Marne in September, and was finally stabilized between the Aisne and the Oise, in the region Vailly and Soissons.
1915.
1. Battle of Soissons (Jan. 13).
2. About June 10 the 5th Division was no longer a part of the 1st Army. July 1 it was sent to Douai, and about July 14 held the sector before Arras.
3. September 25, 1915, took part in the attacks in Champagne.
BELGIUM.
4. Went to Belgium in December. About December 25 was at rest in the region Hirson-Avesnes.
1916.
VERDUN.
1. At the beginning of February, 1916, it was in the region of Spincourt.
2. At the end of February at Verdun. It fought near Herbebois February 23. It attacked Douaumont February 26 and suffered severe losses. It was again engaged from March 8 to 15 and from April 22 to the end of the May.
SOMME.
3. July at the Somme (Longueval, Bois Delville). Suffered heavy losses.
4. Middle of August in Champagne (Auberive) until October 12.
VERDUN.
5. December, 1916, it went again to Verdun (region of Vaux, Dec. 7). Units of the 5th Division were engaged as reinforcements during the French attack of December 15. The division was withdrawn from the Verdun front about December 25 and sent to the region of Mulhouse.
1917.
ALSACE.
1. Stayed in Upper Alsace (region of Mulhouse and Ferrette) until April 20, 1917. It held temporarily a calm sector in the Vosges region, but during this period it is used particularly for entrenching works on the French front and the Swiss frontier.
CHAMPAGNE.
2. It was alarmed. It entrained in the region of Mulhouse and was sent through Montmedy and Sedan to Champagne, where it went into line on April 23 in the Mont-Haut sector, where it suffered very heavy losses.
3. Left Champagne front at the beginning of May.
4. Toward the end of June it was in the Woevre in the region between Conflans and Briey.
5. At the beginning of July it was again in the Champagne (Téton sector).
RUSSIA.
6. Sent to the Eastern Front in July and relieved at the beginning of September by the 6th Reserve Division in the region of Zbrucz.
ITALY.
7. About October sent from Galicia to Italy.
FRANCE.
8. Sent from Italy to France at the beginning of January, 1918, and at rest behind the front in Champagne. January 20, 1918, it went into line near Butte du Mesnil.
RECRUITING.
Essentially from Brandenburg (Regiments of the Mark, as the communiques sometimes call it), and its provincial character has been carefully maintained.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
Although not as good as at the beginning of the war, the morale of the 5th Division seemed good and its fighting value worthy of consideration (July 17).
1918.
1. After its return from Italy the division rested and trained at Chenois, near Charleville, from January 1 to March 1, when it moved to Anderlues-Resbaix (west of Charleroi) from March 1 to 14. On that date it moved to the front by night marches by Maubeuge, Landrecies, Wassigny, and Etaves.
BATTLE OF PICARDY.
2. It took its place in line between Lesdins and Remancourt (north of St. Quentin) on the night of March 20–21. The next day it was engaged in support of the 25th Division, advancing via Morcourt and Fayet. It took part in the attack on Holnon Wood and reached Attilly that night. It continued to advance on the 22d via Beauvois-Lanchy-Uguy-Quivieres- Croix-Moleguaux to a point east of Falvy. On the 24th it forced the crossing of the Somme at Falvy and Pargny and reached Morchain that night. It was at Omilcourt on the 25th and captured Chaulnes on the 26th; from there it advanced to Fouquescourt and Rouvroy on the 27th, crossed the Avre, and when the line stabilized near Aubvillers the division withdrew, March 28. Its losses in the fighting were extremely heavy. In crossing the Somme it especially distinguished itself.
3. The division rested until April 3, when it was reengaged between Sauvillers and Grivesnes from April 3–12. It again lost heavily, especially the 52d Regiment, during the attack of April 4 near the Bois de Arrachies.
4. It rested and trained from April 13 to May 23 at Iron et Vadencourt, near Guise. It is known to have received 1,000 men from Beverloo on April 14. From May 23 to 26 it marched toward the Aisne front by night, through Parpeville, Monceau le Neuf, Aisis sur Serre, Couvron, Laniscourt, Foucancourt.
BATTLE OF THE AISNE.
5. On the night of June 26 it entered line southeast of Lizy. In the offensive the division advanced by Chavignon, Malmaison, Uregny, region of Pommiers, Mercin, Pernant, east of Ambleny. It was partially relieved on June 7 and the last elements withdrawn by June 13.
6. The division rested between Guise and Le Nouvion (Mannappes Lechelle) from the middle of June to July 18. During this period the Spanish sickness ravished the troops. Reinforcements reconstituted the division during this period. On July 19 the division was transported to Anezy le Chateau by way of Wassigny, Guise, Mesbricourt. By marches it moved by steps to south of Soissons.
BATTLE OF THE MARNE.
7. On July 21 the division was engaged near Buzancy. It fell back to the Vesle by Acy on August 1–2. It remained in the sector south of Vailly (Ciry-Salsogne, Sermoise) until September 5, when it retired to the line Vailly-Celle sur Aisne. After losing more than 1,000 prisoners it was relieved on September 18.
ARDENNES.
8. The division was reengaged in the region of Jonchery on September 28. It retired north of the Aisne (Sept. 30) toward Berry au Bac. Again retreated October 10 by Prouvais, La Malmaison, to Nizy le Comte. It was in line there until October 17, when it retired to the second line for a week. It was reengaged in the same region from October 25 to November 5, when it retreated by Rozoy and Brunehamel with extremely heavy losses.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
Before the summer of 1918 the 5th Division was an excellent assault division, frequently mentioned in German communiques. But after August, 1918, it became a sector-holding division. It was almost constantly in line after July 21 with consequent lowering of morale and discipline. In November it had but two battalions per regiment and three companies per battalion.
5th Reserve Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │9 Res. │8 Res. │9 Res. │8 Res. │10 Res. │8 Res. │ │48 Res. │ │48 Res. │ │12 Res. │10 Res. │12 Res. │10 Res. │12 Res. │ │48 Res. │ │52 Res. │ │52 Res. │ │ │ 3 Res. Jag. Btn. │ 3 Res. Jag. Btn. │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │2 Res. Dragoon Rgt.│ │2 Res. Drag. Rgt. │ (3 Sqns.). │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │5 Res. F. A. Rgt. │5 Res. F. A. Rgt. │5 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ (6 Btries.). │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│4 Field Co. and 2 │4 Field Co. and 2 │4 Field Co. and 2 Liaisons. │ Res. Co. of the 2│ Res. Co. of the 2│ Res. Co. of the 2 │ Pion. Btn. No. 3.│ Pion. Btn. No. 3.│ Pion. Btn. No. 3. │ │5 Res. Pont. Engs. │205 T. M. Co. │ │5 Res. Tel. Detch. │5 Res. Pont. Engs. │ │ │ │ │ │5 Res. Tel. Detch. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │10 Res. │8 Res. │9 Res. │8 Res. │ │12 Res. │ │12 Res. │ │48 Res. │ │48 Res. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │2 Res. Drag. Rgt. │5 Sqn. 4 Drag. Rgt. │ (?) (1 Sqn.). │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │90 Art. Command: │90 Art. Command: │ │ │ 5 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ 5 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ │ 4 Abt. 17 Res. Ft. │ │ A. Rgt. │ │ 1086 Light Am. │ │ Col. │ │ 1176 Light Am. │ │ Col. │ │ 1202 Light Am. │ │ Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│(305) Pion. Btn.: │505 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ │ │ 4 Co. 3 Pions. │ 4 Co. 3 Pions. │ 2 Res. Co. 3 │ 2 Res. Co. 3 │ Pions. │ Pions. │ 205 T. M. Co. │ 205 T. M. Co. │ Tel. Detch. │ 69 Searchlight │ │ Section. │ │405 Signal Command: │ │ 405 Tel. Detch. │ │ 44 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │503 Ambulance Co. │503 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │64 Res. Field │64 Res. Field │ Hospital. │ Hospital. │65 Res. Field │65 Res. Field │ Hospital. │ Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │135 Res. Vet. │ │ Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │M. T. Col. │705 M. T. Col. ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(Third District—Brandenburg.)
1914.
The 5th Reserve Division is organically a part of the 3d Reserve Corps, with the 6th Reserve Division.
BELGIUM.
1. At the beginning of the war the division belonged to the 1st Army (Von Kluck). Detrained at Crefeld from August 10 to 12; entered Belgium the 18th. The 3d Reserve Corps was sent to France. The division was at Malines on August 22, at Vilvorde the 26th, and fought against the Belgians on that day. The 3d Reserve Corps then turned toward Antwerp, which it besieged. After the city was taken the corps advanced toward the sea through Ghent, Bruges, October 13 to 16. The 19th the 5th Reserve Division attacked in the direction of Nieuport. At the beginning of November it fought in the vicinity of Bixschoote, in the forest of Houthulst; then until the end of November it held the Dixmude-Langmarck front.
RUSSIA.
2. About December 2 the division entrained for the eastern front. On arriving in Russia it became part of Mackensen’s army (9th Army). It was sent to the Bzura.
1915.
1. In February, 1915, the division was attached to the 10th Army and took part in the battle of Prasnysz.
2. In May one of its brigades remained before Kovno with the 10th Army (Gen. von Eichhorn). The other brigade joined the 3d Reserve Corps of the 9th Army (Gen. von Fabeck) and fought on the Bzura. The 52d Reserve Infantry was transferred to the 107th Division.
3. In July the division was reorganized. It was attached to the 9th Army before Warsaw and fought between the Bzura and the Pilica.
4. In November, after crossing the Vistula and the Bug it arrived before Baranovitchi. It remained in this region until March, 1917.
1916.
1. On January 1, 1916, it held the eastern sector of Novo-Grudok, north of Baranovitchi.
2. At the beginning of April the division was placed in reserve behind this sector.
3. During the first two weeks of July it was engaged between Gorodivche and Baranovitchi to oppose the Russian offensive started on this part of the front. On July 8 it suffered heavy losses. (The 8th Reserve had 1,200 men out of action.)
1917.
FRANCE.
1. It was relieved in this area about the middle of April and sent to the Western Front.
2. Entrained between the 17th and 18th of April at Molczacz (Baranovitchi sector) and went to France, via Brest-Litovsk-Warsaw- Oppeln-Breslau-Goerlitz-Dresden-Leipzig-Sondershausen-Frankfort on Main- Sarrebrucken-Metz. It detrained at Mars la Tour.
WOEVRE.
3. It was then sent to St. Maurice sous les Cotes, where it rested for a few days and then went to the Cotes de Meuse, east of the Combres Heights. It went into the sector before Combres (Calonne trench) on May 15 or 16, and there became accustomed to the Western Front.
CALIFORNIE PLATEAU.
4. Relieved May 27, it was sent behind the Aisne front; spent about three weeks in the Sissonne region, and about June 19 went into line on Californie Plateau near Chaevreux. On June 24, July 3 and 22, the division executed some violent attacks on Californie Plateau, and some of its units lost half their men.
5. Partially relieved about July 23, the units of the division were sent to rest successively at St. Erme, Ramecourt, and La Selve. Before August 10 it was back on Californie Plateau (region of Craonne south of Corbeny).
6. The division took part on the same position in the general retreat of November 1 which brought the German lines back to the north of the Ailette following the French attack of La Malmaison. The division remained on these new lines (south and west of Corbeny) until January 22, 1918.
7. Relieved on this date and put through a course of training in the region of Chimay. On February 18 it marched to the sector of Juvincourt.
RECRUITING.
Brandenburg.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The division is considered by the Germans as a very good division. Its original elements came from the best corps, the Brandenburg corps, but it contains a large proportion of Poles. The division needs rest and replacements. When reconstituted it will probably again be a good unit. (Dec. 29, 1917.)
1918.
LAON.
1. On February 21 the division relieved the 113th Division at Juvincourt, which sector it held until March 26.
PICARDY.
2. It was withdrawn to reinforce the battle front at Chauny, where it appeared on April 2. About April 11, it retired to second line, from which it returned to the battle front on April 25, relieving the 242d Division at Couchy le Pots. The division continued to hold this sector until early June.
NOYON.
3. Between June 1 and 10 it was moved from the Couchy le Pots sector to reinforce the Montdidier-Noyon battle front, where it was identified on June 12 near Courcelles. It was withdrawn on June 17.
4. During July the division rested in rear of the Amiens front.
SOMME.
5. It came into line on August 8 at Trace le Mont. In the opening week of the offensive it lost many prisoners and retired from the line about August 20 to rest near St. Gobain. On the 29th it returned to line near Arblencourt-Champs. It withdrew early in September but returned to support the 80th Reserve Division in a counterattack executed in the region Sancy-Vauxillon September 16–18.
6. Following this the division was rested near Laon. On October 7 it was entrained and moved to the region of Tupigny-Mennevret.