Part 2
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │1 Bav. Jag. │1 Bav. Jag. │1 Bav. Jag. │Body Inf. │ │Body Inf. │ │1 Bav. Jag. │2 Jag. │2 Jag. │2 Jag. │2 Jag. │ │3 Jag. │ │3 Jag. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │203 F. A. Rgt. │2 Mountain F. A. Abt. Detch. │ │ of the 187, 203, and 204 F. │ │ A. Rgts. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│ │102 Pion. Co. │ │105 Pion. Co. │ │106 Pion. Co. │ │175 Mountain T. M. Co. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── 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). ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │1 Bav. Jag. │Body Inf. │1 Bav. Jag. │Body Inf. │ │1 Bav. Jag. │ │1 Bav. Jag. │ │2 Jag. │ │2 Jag. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │ │3 Sqn. 4 Bav. Light Cav. Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │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│Pion. Btn.: │9 Bav. Pion. Btn.: │ 102 Pion. Co. │ 102 Pion. Co. │ 283 Pion. Co. │ 283 Pion. Co. │ 175 T. M. Co. │ 175 Mountain T. M. Co. │ 204 Bav. T. M. Co. │ 102 Searchlight Section. │ 102 Bav. Searchlight │622 Signal Command: │ Section. │ │ 622 Tel. Detch. │ 622 Tel. Detch. │ 88 Div. Wireless Detch. │ 133 Bav. Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │201 Ambulance Co. │201 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │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. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
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.
Bavarian Cavalry Division.
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.
Bavarian Ersatz Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │3 Bav. │4 Bav. │3 Bav. │4 Bav. │3 Bav. │4 Bav. │ Res. │ Res. │ Res. │ Res. │ Res. │ Res. │ │15 Bav. │ │15 Bav. │ │15 Bav. │ │ Res. │ │ Res. │ │ Res. │59 Ldw. │28 Ers. │59 Ldw. │28 Ers. │59 Ldw. │28 Ers. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │120 Ldw. │ │120 Ldw. │ │81 Ldw. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │ │ │Ers. Cav. Detch. (1 │ │ │ Bav. C. Dist.). │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │ │1 Ers. Abt. F. A. │ │ │ (1 Bav. C. D.). │ │ │2 Ers. Btry. 8 Bav.│ │ │ F. A. Rgt. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │ │2 Ldw. Pion. Co. (2 Liaisons. │ │ │ Bav. C. D.). │ │ │3 Ldw. Pion. Co. (3 │ │ │ Bav. C. D.). │ │ │1 Bav. Mining Co. │ │ │ │ │ │1 Bav. Heavy T. M. │ │ │ Detch. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918[1] ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │3 Bav. │4 Bav. │3 Bav. │18 Bav. │ Res. │ Res. │ Res. │ Res. │ │15 Bav. │ │4 Bav. │ │ Res. │ │ Res. │ │28 Ers. │ │15 Bav. │ │ │ │ Res. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │1 Sqn. 6 Bav. Res. │1 Sqn. 6 Bav. Res. │ Schutz. Cav. Rgt.│ Cav. Schutzen │ │ Rgt. │1 Bav. C. Dist. │ │ Ers. Cav. Abt. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │Art. Command: │19 Bav. Art. │ │ Command: │ Bav. Ers. F. A. │ Bav. Ers. F. A. │ Rgt. │ Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│Pion. Btn.: │13 Bav. Pion. Btn. Liaisons. │ │ │ 4 Bav. Ldw. Pion. │4 Bav. Ldw. Pion. │ Co. │ Co. │ 6 Bav. Ldw. Pion. │6 Bav. Ldw. Pion. │ Co. │ Co. │ 1 Bav. Mining Co. │5 Bav. Res. │ │ Searchlight │ │ Section. │ 100 Bav. T. M. Co.│100 Bav. T. M. Co. │ 5 Bav. Res. │551 Bav. Tel. │ Searchlight │ Detch. │ Section. │ │ 551 Tel. Detch. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │9 Bav. Ambulance │9 Bav. Ambulance Veterinary.│ Co. │ Co. │40 Bav. Field │40 Bav. Field │ Hospital. │ Hospital. │41 Bav. Field │41 Bav. Field │ Hospital. │ Hospital. │33 Bav. Vet. │33 Bav. Vet. │ Hospital. │ Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport │767 M. T. Col. │767 M. T. Col. ─────────────┴───────────────────┴─────────────────── Footnote 1:
Composition at the time of dissolution.
HISTORY.
(Bavaria.)
1914.
The Bavarian Ersatz Division consisted, at the outbreak of the war, of the three mixed Bavarian Ersatz brigades, Nos. 1, 5, 9 (12 battalions), which detrained on August 17 and 18 in the region of Schelestadt. But afterwards this designation indicated a composite division (Benzino Division) formed from the 3d Bavarian Reserve Brigade and the 59th Landwehr Brigade (28th Ersatz, Baden) and the 120th Landwehr Regiment (Wurttemberg).
VOSGES.
1. The Benzino Division was first engaged in the Vosges (St. Marie Ridge, St. Die, Laveline) until September.
HAYE.
2. After a rest in the Valley of the Bruche, it entrained at the end of September for Mars-la-Tour and reinforced the 3d Bavarian Corps in the St. Mihiel area.
1915.
WOEVRE.
1. The Benzino Division occupied the area east of St. Mihiel (Spada to Apremont) during the entire year 1915. In November it took the name of Bavarian Ersatz Division.
2. The division rested in Lorraine from December, 1915, to the end of February, 1916.
1916.
At the beginning of February, 1916, the 120th Landwehr Regiment was replaced by a Prussian Regiment, the 81st Landwehr.
WOEVRE.
1. On February 28, 1916, the Bavarian Ersatz Division took over the sector of Fresnes-en-Woëvre-Ronvaux. It remained there until the end of October, 1916. On October 17, the 4th Bavarian Reserve Regiment left the division temporarily to go to Galicia, to the 199th Division, and came back in November.
SOMME.
2. From October 25 to November 15 the Bavarian Ersatz Division took part in the battle of the Somme east of Gueudecourt, with the exception of the 81st Landwehr, which was definitely detached from the division.
3. Transferred to the Aisne, it went into line in the vicinity of Craonne at the end of November.
1917.
AISNE.
1. On the Aisne front, east of Craonne, the Bavarian Ersatz Division received the French offensive of April, and its conduct gained the order “Pour le Mérite” for its general.
2. Relieved at the end of April, it occupied a sector in the Apremont Wood from the middle of May to the end of August.
YPRES.
3. On September 1 it was in Belgium, where it was engaged on both sides of the Ypres-Menin road until September 25. The 3d Battalion of the 4th Bavarian Reserve Regiment was almost destroyed on September 20.
GALICIA.
4. At the beginning of October the division was transferred to the eastern front and sent into line southeast of Tarnopol in December.
5. At the end of autumn 1917, the 28th Ersatz Regiment (Baden) was withdrawn from the division and replaced by the 18th Bavarian Reserve. The division was then entirely Bavarian.
RECRUITING.
The Bavarian Ersatz Division is recruited from the 1st and 2d Bavarian Corps districts.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The Bavarian Ersatz Division is a very mediocre division.
1918.
VERDUN.
1. The division held the quiet Verdun sector until July 12, when it was relieved by the 231st Division.
VESLE.
2. It was moved to the Vesle front and on July 25 relieved the 40th Division near Oulchy-le-Chateau. It remained in this sector until August 12, when it was withdrawn and sent to rest in the vicinity of Maubeuge.
CHAMPAGNE.
3. On September 1 it proceeded to Mauchault and during the first days of September relieved the 88th Division in line near Perthes. It was in the fighting between September 23 and October 3 in Champagne, losing about 2,000 men in that engagement.
4. The division was so reduced in strength that it was dissolved shortly after its retirement from line in October. The 18th Bavarian Reserve Regiment was dissolved and the men drafted to the 15th Bavarian Division. The 15th Bavarian Reserve Regiment was also dissolved.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. It was used only in defensive sectors during 1918.
Jaeger Division.
COMPOSITION.