Part 37
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1916 │ 1917 │ 1918[11] ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │8 Bav. │4 Bav. │8 Bav. │4 Bav. │8 Bav. │4 Bav. │ │8 Bav. │ │8 Bav. │ │8 Bav. │ │29 Bav. │ │25 Bav. │ │25 Bav. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │ │4 Sqn. 8 Bav. Light│4 Sqn. 8 Bav. Light │ │ Cav. Rgt. │ Cav. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │23 Bav. F. A. Rgt. │14 Bav. Art. │14 Bav. Art. │ │ Command: │ Command: │ │ 23 Bav. F. A. Rgt.│ 23 Bav. F. A. Rgt. │ │ (10 Btries.). │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │14 Bav. Pion. Btn.:│14 Bav. Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ │ │ 10 Bav. Res. Pion.│ 10 Bav. Res. Pion. │ │ Co. │ Co. │ │ 11 Bav. Res. Pion.│ 11 Bav. Res. Pion. │ │ Co. │ Co. │ │ 14 Bav. T. M. Co. │ 101 Searchlight │ │ │ Section. │ │ 101 Searchlight │ 14 Bav. T. M. Co. │ │ Section. │ │ │ 14 Bav. Tel. │ 14 Bav. Tel. │ │ Detch. │ Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │14 Bav. Ambulance │14 Bav. Ambulance Veterinary.│ │ Co. │ Co. │ │1 Bav. Field │1 Bav. Field │ │ Hospital. │ Hospital. │ │47 Bav. Field │47 Bav. Field │ │ Hospital. │ Hospital. │ │Vet. Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │ │694 M. T. Col. │694 Bav. M. T. Col. ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
Footnote 11:
Composition at time of dissolution, Sept. 1, 1918.
HISTORY.
(4th and 8th Bavarian Infantry Regiments: Second Bavarian District. 25th Bavarian Infantry Regiment: Bavarian District.)
1916.
The 14th Bavarian Division was formed, at the beginning of August, 1916, with the 8th Bavarian Brigade (4th and 8th Bavarian Infantry Regiments), withdrawn from the 33d Reserve Division, and with the 29th Bavarian Infantry Regiment, formed at this time.
VERDUN.
1. The 14th Bavarian Division, going into line at the end of August, 1916, in the Vaux Chapitre wood, launched a violent attack on September 3 to the southwest of the fort of Vaux and continued to hold this sector until October 10.
At the end of October, the 29th Bavarian Infantry Regiment, whose losses in the Vaux sector were considerable, was dissolved and replaced by the 25th Bavarian Infantry Regiment, taken from the 192d Division, and raised from two to three battalions.
2. Having thus received its present composition, the 14th Bavarian Division went back into line on the Haute de Meuse (Calonne trench) on October 22.
SOMME-ANCRE.
3. Relieved at the beginning of November and sent to rest, it was then sent to the Somme, where, about November 26, it took over the sector north of the Ancre.
1917.
1. The 14th Bavarian Division left the Ancre front at the end of January, 1917, passed the month of February at rest in the Denain area, and came back into line on the Somme, northeast of Gueudecourt, on February 26. It was withdrawn on March 20 at the time of the German retirement.
ARTOIS.
2. At the beginning of April it went into action against the British offensive in the Roclincourt (north of Arras) and suffered heavily (about 2,800 prisoners on Apr. 9).
RUSSIA-RIGA.
3. Sent to rest in Belgium, it remained for several days in the Ghent area, and then entrained for the Eastern Front (Apr. 26–28). About May 14 it went into line near Lipsk (south of Baranovitchi); in June it took over the sector of Tsirin, where it remained until the end of the August. It was then transferred to the Riga front (Sept. 1) and went into action on September 14 in the neighborhood of Uxkuell. It left there on September 18.
4. About September 20 it went into line west of Jakobstadt and took part in the action of the 21st.
5. At the end of October the 14th Bavarian Division was sent to Galicia. It was identified in the neighborhood of Tarnopol on November 1 and, for the last time, on December 14 (fraternizing).
FRANCE.
6. The division left the Tarnopol area on December 19 for the Western Front. Itinerary: Posen-Leipzig-Frankfort-Kreuznach-Thionville. It detrained at Wasigny and Saulces-Monclin (near Rethel) on December 23.
RECRUITING.
The 14th Bavarian Division is recruited from the 2d and 3d Bavarian Corps Districts.
VALUE.
The 8th Bavarian Brigade (4th and 8th Bavarian Infantry Regiments), which helped form the 14th Bavarian Division, is a strong body belonging, in peace times, to the garrison at Metz.
It distinguished itself at the battle of Eparges (March-April, 1915), at the attack of September 3, 1916 (Vaux-Chapitre wood).
The morale of the 14th Bavarian Division appears to be high. No deserter has been found since the arrival of the division on the Western Front (December, 1917). The 14th Bavarian Division has always been a good division (January, 1918).
1918.
CHAMPAGNE.
1. The 14th Bavarian Division embarked at Tarnopol on December 19 and traveled via Kalicz-Posen-Leipsic-Frankfort-Kreusnach-Thionville- Wassigny (north of Rethel), where it detrained on the 23d. On January 12 it relieved the 7th Reserve Division in the Mont Haut sector. It was relieved by the 80th Reserve Division on April 22.
PICARDY.
2. On the 26th the division entrained at Neuflize, detraining on the following day near Mericourt (northeast of St. Quentin). From there it marched via Bellenglise-Vermand-Mons en Chaussee-Brie-Foucaucourt to Framerville. On May 3 it relieved the 208th Division in the Hangard sector (southeast of Amiens). It was relieved on the 21st by the 225th Division.
3. The division remained in close support, and relieved the 15th Division one sector to the south on the 23d. It was withdrawn during the night of June 20–21, and rested in rear of the front for over a month.
4. About July 23, it relieved the 21st Division in the Castel sector (north of Hangard). In the fighting that followed the division suffered heavy losses, especially in the British attack of August 8. It was withdrawn about the 13th in a badly shattered condition, it having lost some 2,500 prisoners.
5. It was in line again on the 29th northwest of Villers-Carbonnel (southwest of Peronne), and was withdrawn about the 2d of September. Soon thereafter, the 14th Bavarian Division was disbanded—the 4th Bavarian went to the 4th Bavarian Division to replace the 5th Bavarian Reserves (dissolved); the 8th Bavarian went to the 16th Bavarian Division to replace the 21st Bavarian Reserves (dissolved); the 25th Bavarian went to the 6th Bavarian Reserves Division to replace the 17th Bavarian Reserves (dissolved). The commanding general and his staff were identified at Malineson October 24, but there is nothing to show what they were doing there, or where they went.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
Previous to 1918 the 14th Bavarian was always considered a first-class division. Since then, however, it seems to have fallen off somewhat; it was not used in any of the German offensives, and it is significant that a battalion of the 2d Bavarian Division was used in its sector (south of Hailles) when it was desired to make a raid, and also that two of the divisions receiving regiments when the 14th Bavarian was disbanded were second class. The division lost over 2,000 prisoners, including all three regiment staffs and the staffs of several of the battalions.
15th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┴───────── Infantry. │29. │25. │29. │25. │Jan. to Aug., 1916. │ │161. │ │161. │29. │25. │80. │65. │80. │65. │ │161. │ │160. │ │160. │80. │65. │ │ │ │ │ │160. │ │ │ │ │Aug. to Nov., 1916. │ │ │ │ │ │186. │ │ │ │ │ │160. │ │ │ │ │ │389. │ │ │ │ │ After Nov. │ │ │ │ │ │69. │ │ │ │ │ │160. │ │ │ │ │ │389. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │ │ │7 Hus. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │15 Brig.: │15 Brig.: │15 Brig.: │ 59 F. A. Rgt. │ 59 F. A. Rgt. │ 59 F. A. Rgt. │ 83 F. A. Rgt. │ 83 F. A. Rgt. │ 83 F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │1 Pion. Btn. No. 8:│1 Pion. Btn. No. 8: Liaisons. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ Field Co. 8 Pions.│ 1 Co. 8 Pions. │ │ 15 Tel. Detch. │ 5 Co. 8 Pions. │ │ 15 Pont. Engs. │ 15 T. M. Co. │ │ │ 15 Pont. Engs. │ │ │ 15 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │ │69 Anti-Aircraft │ │ │ Section. ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │80. │69. │80. │69. │ │160. │ │137. │ │389. │ │160. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │2 Sqn. 7 Hus. Rgt. │2 Sqn. 7 Hus. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │15 Art. Command: │15 Art. Command: │ 59 F. A. Rgt. │ 59 F. A. Rgt. │ │ 135 Ft. A. Btn. │ │ 707 Light Am. Col. │ │ 744 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1295 Light Am. │ │ Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│125 Pion. Btn. (1 │125 Pion. Btn. Liaisons. │ Pion. Btn. No. │ │ 8): │ │ 1 Co. 8 Pions. │ 1 Co. 8 Pions. │ 5 Co. 8 Pions. │ 5 Co. 8 Pions. │ 15 T. M. Co. │ 15 T. M. Co. │ 15 Tel. Detch. │ 108 T. M. Co. │ │ 41 Searchlight │ │ Section. │ │15 Signal Command: │ │ 15 Tel. Detch. │ │ 113 Wireless │ │ Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │19 Ambulance Co. │19 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │Field Hospital. │82 Field Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │83 Field Hospital. │ │15 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │M. T. Col. No. 800.│548 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(8th Corps District—Rhine Province.)
1914.
1. Upon mobilization, the 15th Division (Aix la Chapelle, Cologne, Bonn, etc.) formed with the 16th Division an organic part of the 8th Army Corps and was in the 4th Army (Duke of Wuerttemberg).
2. Temporarily detaching the 25th Infantry Regiment (Aix la Chapelle) from the corps at the siege at Liege, the 15th Division entered, on August 6, into Luxemburg, where it had been preceded by the 16th Division (Treves). It entered into Belgian Luxemburg on the 19th and 20th of August. Went into action on the 22d and 23d—Porcheresse, Graid, Bièvre—and entered France on the 26th. While the 29th Brigade was crossing the Meuse at Sedan the 80th entered at Mezieres. Again uniting on the 30th, the 15th Division went through Champagne by way of Somme Py and Suippes and took part in the battle of the Marne at Vitry le Francois. It then withdrew to Souain and Perthes, where it remained as a whole until November.
CHAMPAGNE.
3. At this time the 29th Brigade was taken to the Ypres front until the end of December, at which date it went to the south of Alsace, making a part of the combined division of Fuchs. The separation of the two brigades lasted until May, 1915. The 29th Brigade lost heavily in Alsace, where the 25th Infantry Regiment was reduced to 600 men on March 26, 1915 (soldier’s notebook).
1915.
1. The 15th Division, in which the 29th Brigade was temporarily replaced by the 1st Bavarian Landwehr Brigade, remained in Champagne until the beginning of April, 1915. At that date it went to reenforce the 3d Bavarian Corps near St. Mihiel in the Ailly wood.
ARTOIS.
2. At the end of May the 15th Division again had both its brigades (29th and 80th) and went into action at Artois until the middle of June. It suffered heavy losses. The 161st Infantry Regiment lost 31 officers and 1,653 men (official list of casualties).
AISNE.
3. From June, 1915, until June, 1916, the 15th Division occupied various sectors of the Aisne: Vailly-Pommiers (end of July), Nouvron (September), Ste. Marguerite-Bucy le Long (October).
1916.
SOMME.
1. July, 1916, the 15th Division was transferred to the Somme. It took part in the battle and participated in the attack at Biaches, where it suffered heavy losses.
2. At the end of August it again took over its sector, St. Marguerite- Bucy le Long. Its composition was modified by the temporary loss of the 160th Infantry Regiment, sent to the combined division of Dumrath (August), by the definite transfer of the 65th Infantry Regiment and the 161st Infantry Regiment to the 185th Division, and of the 25th Infantry Regiment to the 208th Division.
3. At the beginning of October it had received in exchange for the regiments transferred the 186th Infantry Regiment (temporarily) and the 389th Infantry Regiment, a new formation (men taken from various Rhine regiments), and received the 160th Infantry Regiment again (the Dumrath Division having been dissolved). It reappeared on the Somme front (Sailly-Saillisel), where it again suffered heavy losses.
AISNE.
4. At the end of October it returned to the Aisne and occupied the sectors of Nuvron-Moulin sous Touvent. It was reorganized finally in November and received its definitive composition.
RUSSIA.
5. About the middle of November the 15th Division was withdrawn from the front, entrained after a few days’ rest, and transferred to the Eastern Front. It went into line north of Kisselin.
1917.
1. In February, 1917, the division was in Transylvania (upper valley of the Olta).
2. In April it was in reserve at Vladimir-Volynski.
FRANCE.
3. Transferred to the French front (entrained at Kovel, detrained at Vigneulles, at the end of April), the division occupied the sector of Vaux les Palameix (Meuse).
CALIFORNIE PLATEAU.
4. At the end of May it was relieved and sent (night of May 29–30) to the Vauclerc Plateau and the Californie Plateau. On June 2 and 3 it took part in the violent attack upon these plateaus. It renewed these attacks upon July 3 and again suffered heavy losses.
LORRAINE.
5. The division was relieved on the night of July 8–9 and then sent to the Lys area, from which it was transferred into the zone Richecourt- Avricourt. It was put in line (July 15) near Blamont.
FLANDERS.
6. It was relieved about September 4, sent to rest in the Verdun area, and transferred to Belgium on October 7, where it was in action and suffered heavily on the Ypres front (north of the Ypres-Menin road) until November 13.
7. The division was then sent to the rear (area of Bruges-Knocke).
8. It again went into line east of Ypres about December 18 (east of Passchendaele). In the middle of January, 1918, it was withdrawn from this sector and sent to the Bruges area.
RECRUITING.
The 15th Division is easily recruited from the populous districts of the Rhine Provinces. In case of heavy losses and urgent necessity for reenforcements, the need has been felt for having recourse to the rest of the Rhine country in the widest sense of the word, that is to say, Rhenish Hessia and the Grand Duchy of Baden, in return for reenforcements sent elsewhere. The frequence of the relation and the community of interests which unites these regions assures the 15th Division, under all circumstances, the advantages of regional homogeneity.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 15th Division, in spite of the lack of success of its efforts, has given the impression of being a good division.
On June 2 and 3, 1917, the 69th Infantry Regiment and the 389th Infantry Regiment, attacked vigorously upon the casemates and Californie Plateaus. The 389th Infantry Regiment, especially, showed a great deal of dash in the course of these actions (July, 1917).
The division is composed, for the most part, of young and well trained elements; it has the experience gained from a very active sector (September, 1917).
1918.
BELGIUM.
1. The division relieved the 25th Division east of Passchendaele on February 10 and occupied the sector until February 20–25 when it moved south and took over the Zonnebeke sector from the 31st Division. About March 21, it was relieved by the 39th Division. It entrained at Muelebeke on the 23d and detrained at Mons en Pevele (north of Douai). From there it went by marches to Cambrai (31st), Sailly Saillisel, Bray sur Somme and Suzanne, and Caix (Apr. 7–12).
PICARDY.
2. On April 12 it was engaged in the Bois Senecat, northwest of Moreuil. During the French attack of the 18th the division lost 700 prisoners. It was relieved about April 22.
3. It rested until mid-May near Busigny. The 389th Regiment is known to have received 600 men as a draft at this time. On May 18, the division returned to line near Castel, and was engaged until May 22.
4. It rested in the Somme area (at Rosieres en Santerse June 1, and Peronne on the 9th), until June 17 when it came into line before Moreuil. It suffered heavy losses during the French attack of the 17th but continued in line until the 26th. It rested east of Roye in June and from the 3d to the 5th of July was in reserve south of Blerancourt.
BATTLE OF THE OISE-AISNE.
5. The division was engaged in the Nampcel-Autreches sector from July 5 until August 22. It was pushed back to Caisnes (Aug. 18) and as a result of the French attack lost 1,880 prisoners.
6. The division was moved to rest at Damvillers north of Verdun in early September. On the 26th it left that place and marched to Flabas, east of the Meuse.
MEUSE-ARGONNE.
7. On September 26 the division was in line in the Bois des Caures. It continued to hold a sector in the region until the armistice. The last identification was northwest of Ornes on November 10.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as second class. Its heavy losses at Moreuil in June and the ravages of the grippe in the summer lowered the morale. On the other hand, a document of October 4 indicated that the division had been congratulated by the Kaiser for its “heroic conduct.”
15th Reserve Division.
COMPOSITION.