Part 23
5. It held the sector until the end of May, 1915. During this period it limited itself to organizing defensively.
1915.
1. In March the division was reduced to three regiments by the transfer of the 66th Infantry to the 52d Division (new).
2. In May, 1915, at the time of the French offensive in Artois some units of the division were sent as reinforcements to the region of Neuville-St. Vaast. It left some prisoners and suffered heavy losses on May 12 to 13.
ARTOIS.
3. June 12 the division left the sector south of the Scarpe and went into line the 13th between Lorette and Angres (from the Souchez-Aix Noulette Road to the Blanc work). The French offensive struck it June 13 and the days following north of the road from Souchez to Aix Noulette. It was forced to give ground and lost many prisoners (250 men, among them 6 officers from the 26th Infantry north of Bois Carre; the 2d Battalion of the 26th Infantry lost 12 officers and 597 men out of action, according to the Prussian casualty lists).
4. At the beginning of July the division established itself south of the railroad from Grenay to Lens, north of Souchez. September 25 it fought in the third battle of Artois, north of Bois en Hache, before Angres and Lievin. It showed considerable energy, but again had many of its men captured.
5. The division remained in this sector southwest of Loos (south of the Lens-Béthune Road; Lene-Grenay Railroad) until July, 1916.
1916.
1. Until the beginning of July, 1916, the division had no serious battles.
2. About July 3 the division was relieved from the Loos front. On the 13th it was at Cambrai.
SOMME.
3. July 14 and 15 it began to be engaged in the battle of the Somme between Pozieres and Bazentin le Petit. It suffered terrible losses. Relieved May 28.
ARTOIS.
4. After a rest in the region of Valenciennes it went into line east of Arras August 9 and stayed there until September 17. At this time it transferred its 27th Infantry to the 211th Division and took in exchange the 393d Infantry, composed of levies from the regiments of the 7th, 8th, and 12th Divisions, 50th Reserve Division and 38th Landwehr Brigade.
SOMME.
5. About September 18 it again took part in the battle of the Somme in the sector of Courcelette. It fought bravely and again suffered heavily.
ARTOIS.
6. Withdrawn from the Somme about October 2 and went into the sector southeast of Loos October 5. Again withdrawn from this sector November 10 it went almost immediately into the line south of the La Bassee Canal and stayed there until May 28, 1917.
1917.
ARTOIS.
1. During the winter of 1916–17 the division had no big battles, but suffered from raids executed by the British troops.
FLANDERS.
2. May 28 it was withdrawn from the La Bassee front and sent to the region of Ypres (sector of Hollebeke-Wytschaete) June 8 to 19.
ALSACE.
3. At the beginning of July it was sent to Alsace to the vicinity of Mulhouse where it rested.
4. July 27 to 28 it entrained again for Artois via Mulhouse-Strassbourg- Sarreguemines-Metz-Thionville-Sedan-Hirson-Valenciennes-St. Amand.
ARTOIS.
5. After a few days’ rest in the region of St. Amand and Orchies July 28 to August 3, it went into the lines north of Lens (Loos sector) where it lost heavily from August 9 to the beginning of September.
BELGIUM.
6. Relieved then and sent to rest at Pont a Marcq, it went back into the line between the La Bassee Canal and Hulluch September 21. Withdrawn from this sector during October and sent to the region of Ypres where it held a front on October 29 between Becelaere and Gheluvelt. It was still identified there January 29, 1918.
RECRUITING.
Province of Magdeburg (Prussian Saxony) and part of Thuringia. The 393d Infantry gets replacements from the depot of the 153d Infantry (Altenburg). Its resources from these replacements are as a rule sufficient and the Fourth District has even furnished recruits to the regiments of the Fourteenth. In exchange when it has relatively few replacements it has been helped out by Polish drafts from Silesia (Sixth District).
1918.
1. The division was relieved on February 4 and rested in the Eecloo area, participating in a large-scale maneuver.
2. It returned to line in the Becelaere sector on March 3, relieving the 8th Bavarian Reserve Division. It was withdrawn March 26.
BATTLE OF THE LYS.
3. It fought near Hollebeke, Messines, Wytschaete, between April 9 and May 1. It took part in the attack on the Ypres-Comines Canal on April 25.
4. During May it was at rest in Belgium near Deyuze (Cruyhautern). It entrained for Nesle about June 8, moving through Audenarde, Coutrai, Lille, Douai, Cambrai, and Ham. It marched to the front, southeast of Montdidier by Roye and Tilloloy June 9–11.
5. It was in line near Ressons-Marqueglise from June 14 to 24.
6. The division rested south of St. Quentin June 26 to 29, then at Origny June 30 to July 4. It entrained at Origny on July 4 and moved to Sedan by Guise, Hirson, Liart, and Charleville. It was north of Grandpre from July 5 to 10. On the 10th it was sent toward the Champagne front by Grandpre, Monthois, and Maure.
BATTLE OF RHEIMS.
7. The division was engaged at Repon, east of Tahure, on July 15. Heavy losses were incurred during the attack of July 15. It was taken out on August 15.
AILETTE.
8. It was moved by railroad to Chauny (by Laon) and detrained about August 20. About this time a dozen men per company were received.
9. On August 26–27 it entered line south of Juvigny (north of Soissons). In the fighting that followed the division was withdrawn to Leuilly on the night of August 31-Sept 1. It was relieved on the 3d after losing 605 prisoners. The German communique of August 30 credited the 165th Regiment with the destruction of 20 tanks in one attack.
BATTLE OF THE ARGONNE.
10. The division rested near Attigny until September 24, when it reinforced the Somme-Py front. It was engaged until October 22 with very heavy losses. It returned from the second line two days later to assist in covering the retreat between La Neuville en Tourne a Fuy and Juniville. From there it fell back on the Aisne (Ambly) and was retired on October 14.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as first class.
7th Reserve Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │13 Res. │27 Res. │13 Res. │27 Res. │14 Res. │36 Res. │ │36 Res. │ │36 Res. │ │66 Res. │14 Res. │66 Res. │14 Res. │66 Res. │ │72 Res. │ │72 Res. │ │72 Res. │ │ │ 4 Res. Jag. Btn. │ 4 Res. Jag. Btn. │ 4 Res. Jag. Btn. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Cavalry. │1 Res. Heavy Cav. │ │1 Res. Heavy Cav. │ Rgt. (3 Sqns.). │ │ Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │7 Res. F. A. Rgt. │7 Res. F. A. Rgt. │7 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ (6 Btries.). │ │ (9 Btries.). │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│4 Field Co. 2 Pion.│4 Field Co. 2 Pion.│4 Field Co. 2 Pion. Liaisons. │ Btn No. 4. │ Btn. No. 4: │ Btn. No. 4: │ │ 7 Res. Pont.-Engs.│ 248 Pion. Co. │ │ 7 Res. Tel.-Detch.│ 207 T. M. Co. │ │ │ 7 Res. Pont.-Engs. │ │ │ 7 Res. Tel.-Detch. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │14 Res. │36 Res. │14 Res. │36 Res. │ │66 Res. │ │66 Res. │ │72 Res. │ │72 Res. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │1 Res. Heavy Cav. │3 Sqn. 9 Drag. Rgt. │ Rgt. (1 Sqn.). │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │95 Art. Command: │95 Art. Command: │ │ │ 7 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ 7 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ (9 Btries.) │ │ │ 52 Ft. A. Btn. │ │ 889 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1106 Light Am. │ │ Col. │ │ 1126 Light Am. │ │ Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│307 Pion. Btn.: │307 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 4 Co. 4 Pions. │ 4 Co. 4 Pions. │ 248 Pion. Co. │ 248 Pion. Co. │ 207 T. M. Co. │ 207 T. M. Co. │ 407 Tel.-Detch. │ 180 Searchlight │ │ Section. │ │407 Signal Command: │ │ 407 Tel. Detch. │ │ 42 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │504 Ambulance Co. │504 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │22 Res. Field │22 Res. Field │ Hospital. │ Hospital. │49 Res. Field │24 Res. Field │ Hospital. │ Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │407 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │M. T. Col. │707 M. T. Col. ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(Fourth District—Prussian Saxony.)
1914.
1. At the beginning of the war the 7th Reserve Division was part of the 4th Reserve Corps.
BELGIUM.
2. It detrained August 10 to 12, 1914, near Dusseldorf, and was part of the 1st Army (Von Kluck). Reached Brussels via Tongres (Aug. 19) and Louvain, and advanced toward Paris through Enghien, Ath, Conde, Amiens (Aug. 30–31), Clermont, Creil, and Senlis (Sept. 4).
MARNE.
3. At the battle of the Marne it was engaged northwest of Crouy sur Ourcq (Puisieux, Neufmoutiers, Monthyon) and suffered heavy losses, September 6 and 7.
4. From September 8 to 11 it withdrew through Villers Cotterets, Coeuvres, Port Fontenoy. It fought for a long time in the region of Nouvron.
AISNE.
5. After the front was stabilized it held the lines between the Soissons-Laon Road to southwest of Nouvron.
6. November 12 it had considerable losses at the attack of the Plateau of Nouvron.
1915.
1. The division held the Nouvron sector until September, 1915.
2. In January, 1915, some of the units of the division were engaged in the fights around Soissons, January 12 and 13.
3. In June several battalions were sent toward Quennevieres as reinforcements at the beginning of the French attack.
CHAMPAGNE.
4. Relieved about September 22 to 25, the division was sent to Champagne at the beginning of October. Suffered heavy losses in the region of Tahure October 30.
1916.
1. Withdrawn at the end of January, 1916, from the sector of Tahure. It was sent to rest north of Rethel. It went back into line only for a short time toward the end of February north of Prosnes (the 36th Reserve Regiment alone appeared in this sector).
2. About May 10 the division was sent to the camp of Sissonne.
VERDUN.
3. It was sent to the Verdun front and took part in the attack of June 1 on Thiaumont-Damploup in the sector of Bois de la Caillette. Suffered very heavy losses June 2 and 3 and at the attack of Bois de Vaux Chapitre on June 21. Total of losses before Verdun, 8,200 men. On June 16 the companies of the 36th Reserve were reduced to an average of 30 men (prisoners’ statements). From June 1 to 5 the 10th Company of the 72d Reserves received no less than 138 replacements.
ARGONNE.
4. The division was withdrawn from the Verdun front about July 1. Sent to the Argonne and occupied the sector north of Ville sur Tourbe (between Main de Massiges and the Aisne) until the end of August. It was reorganized in this region.
SOMME.
5. After a rest in the vicinity of Longwy it was sent to the Somme and fought in the region of Gueudecourt September 23 to October 11.
ARGONNE.
6. About October 14 the division took over its old sector north of Ville sur Tourbe, south of Cernay en Dormois.
1917.
MEUSE.
1. Withdrawn from the Argonne front about January 8, 1917, and sent, February 5, before Verdun (region of Louvemont, north of Chambrettes), where it was kept until the beginning of April.
2. The division next held the sector of Cernay les Reims at the end of April to May 25.
CHAMPAGNE.
3. About May 30 and 31 it was sent into line before Teton (region of Moronvilliers) until the middle of August.
4. After a rest in the vicinity of Aussonce the division went into line at the beginning of September in the region of Nauroy, sector of Mont Haut-Cornillet. Relieved January, 1918, and sent to rest north of Rethel.
RECRUITING.
Prussian Saxony and part of Thuringia.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
At Tahure in October, 1915, and at Verdun the division obtained only mediocre results in spite of heavy losses. “This division seems to be rather a sector division than a shock unit.”
1918.
RETHEL.
1. On January 14 the division was relieved by the 14th Bavarian Division and sent to Wassigny (north of Rethel) to rest and train. On March 14 it started by night marches toward St. Quentin, bivouacking in the woods by day and avoiding all villages. The itinerary followed was Dezy le Gros- Bucy les Pierrepont-Marle-Origny et Mesnil-St. Laurent, where it arrived March 21.
BATTLE OF PICARDY.
2. From the 22d to the 28th the division was in army reserve. It followed the general advance through Itancourt, Essigny, Grand Serancourt, St. Simon, Golancourt, Muirancourt, and Candor. On March 29 it relieved the 1st Bavarian Division west of Lassigny, where it attacked on the day following. It suffered such heavy losses that it was hastily relieved on the night of March 31-April 1.
AISNE.
3. It came into line near Reims on April 26 relieving the 25th Reserve Division between the Miettl and the Aisne. It took part in the offensive of May 27. About June 1 the division was relieved in the sector east of Ville en Tardenois.
CHAMPAGNE.
4. The division moved to Champagne and relieved the Guard Cavalry Division on July 6. It passed into the second line on July 14 to permit a fresh division to pass through for the attack. It returned to line on the 20th, relieving the 1st Division near St. Hilaire. During July the 66th Reserve Regiment is known to have received drafts, raising the company strength to 100.
SOISSONS.
5. Between August 4 and 20 the exact date is not known, the division was moved from line in Champagne to the front west of Chavigny, where it was engaged on August 24. It took part in heavy fighting in that region until its relief about August 31.
6. The division arrived at Fourmies from Laon on September 8, where it rested and trained until September 17. It entrained at Trelon and moved to Grandpre, from where it marched to the front by way of St. Juvin and Brieulles.
MEUSE-ARGONNE.
7. The division was in line on the day of the American attack September 26, holding the sector immediately west of the Meuse. It was swamped on the opening attack without offering any considerable resistance. It was withdrawn on the 28th, but on October 9 elements were returned to fill a gap in the former sector of the 1st A. H. division. The last elements were finally withdrawn about October 25. The losses of the division in the Argonne are estimated at 3,500, including 2,260 prisoners.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as a second-class division. Its efforts in 1918 were generally unsuccessful in spite of heavy losses. By the time of the armistice it had been almost annihilated.
7th Landwehr Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │Mathy │119 Ldw. │52 Ldw. │119 Ldw. │51 Ldw. │119 Ldw. │ (55). │ │ │ │ │ │ │40 Ldw. │ │121 Ldw. │ │123 Ldw. │52. │123 Ldw. │ │123 Ldw. │52 Ldw. │121 Ldw. │ │121 Ldw. │ │ │ │126 Ldw. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │ │2 Ldw. Sqn. (13 C. │2 Ldw. Sqn. (13 C. │ │ Dist.). │ Dist.). │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │ │1 Ldw. F. A. Rgt. │1 Ldw. F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │ │2 Ldw. Co. 13 C. Liaisons. │ │ │ Dist. Pions. │ │ │4 Ldw. Co. 13 C. │ │ │ Dist. Pions. │ │ │6 Ldw. Co. 13 C. │ │ │ Dist. Pions. │ │ │307 T. M. Co. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Odd units. │ │ │1 Cyclist Co. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │ │13 Balloon Sqn. │ │ │59 Labor Btn. ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │52 Ldw. │122 Res. │52 Ldw. │122 Res. │ │ │ │ │ │121 Ldw. │ │121 Ldw. │ │126 Ldw. │ │126 Ldw. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │2 Ldw. Sqn. (13 C. │ │ Dist.). │ │1 Sqn. 20 Uhlan │ │ Rgt. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │Art. Command: │1 Ldw. F. A. Rgt. │ │ (except the 3d │ │ Abt. Staff and 7 │ │ and 9 Btries.). │ 1 Ldw. F. A. Rgt. │1025 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│(407) Pion. Btn.: │407 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 2 Ldw. Co. 13 │ 2 Ldw. Co. 13 C. │ Pions. │ Dist. Pions. │ 3 Ldw. Co. 13 │ 141 Searchlight │ Pions. │ Section. │ 307 T. M. Co. │507 Signal Command: │ 334 Searchlight │ 507 Tel. Detch. │ Section. │ │ 507 Tel. Detch. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │571 Ambulance Co. │571 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │258 Field Hospital.│258 Field Hospital. │33 Ldw. Field │33 Ldw. Field │ Hospital. │ Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │47 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │M. T. Col. │776 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Odd units. │1 Cyclist Co. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(Thirteenth District—Wurtemberg.)
1914.
ALSACE.
1. The 7th Landwehr Division did not leave Alsace from its organization in 1915 until February, 1917. Its first units appeared there beginning August 9, 1914, the date of the detraining of the 121st Landwehr at Neuf Brisach. The 119th Landwehr fought south of Mulhouse beginning August 19, and the 40th Landwehr at Dornach near Mulhouse on the same day.
2. In October, 1917, the 52d and 55th Brigades, which were to compose in 1915 the 7th Landwehr Division, were part of the Gaede Army Group and occupied the region of Munster, Guebwiller, Cernay.
3. In December the 123d Landwehr took part in the attacks on Hartmannswillerkopf.