Part 38

─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │ │25 Res. │29 Res. │25 Res. │29 Res. │25 Res. │ │69 Res. │ │69 Res. │ │69 Res. │ │17 Res. │80 Res. │17 Res. │80 Res. │17 Res. │ │30 Res. │ │30 Res. │ │30 Res. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │5 Res. Uhlan Rgt. │5 Res. Uhlan Rgt. │5 Res. Uhlan Rgt. │ (3 Sqns.). │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │15 Res. F. A. Rgt. │15 Res. F. A. Rgt. │15 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ (6 Btries.). │ (after Mar., │ (8 Btries.). │ │1915, 8 Btries.). │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│4 Field Co., 2 │4 Field Co., 2 │4 Field Co., 2 Liaisons. │ Pion. Btn. No. 8.│ Pion. Btn. No. 8.│ Pion. Btn. No. 8. │ │15 Res. Pont. Engs.│2 Co. 31 Pion. Rgt. │ │15 Res. Tel. Detch.│5 Co. 31 Pion. Rgt. │ │ │215 T. M. Co. │ │ │ │ │ │15 Res. Pont. Engs. │ │ │ │ │ │15 Res. Tel. Detch. │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Odd units. │ │ │78 Anti-Aircraft │ │ │ section. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────

─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │30 Res. │17 Res. │30 Res. │17 Res. │ │25 Res. │ │25 Res. │ │69 Res. │ │69 Res. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │5 Res. Uhlan Rgt. │2 Sqn. 8 Cuirassier │ (? 3d Sqn.) │ Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │104 Art. Command: │104 Art. Command: │ │ │ 15 Res. F. A. Rgt.│ 15 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ (9 Btries.). │ │ │ 125 Ft. A. Btn. │ │ (Staff, 1, 2, and │ │ 3d Btries.). │ │ 1064 Light Am. │ │ Col. │ │ 1066 Light Am. │ │ Col. │ │ 1067 Light Am. │ │ Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│315 Pion Btn.: │315 Pion Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 4 Co. 8 Pion. │ 4 Co. 8 Pion. │ 6 Co. 8 Pion. │ 6 Co. 8 Pion. │ 215 T. M. Co. │ 53 Searchlight │ │ Section. │ 257 Searchlight │ 215 T. M. Co. │ Section. │ │ 415 Tel. Detch. │415 Signal Command: │ │ 415 Tel. Detch. │ │ 37 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │508 Ambulance Co. │508 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │37 Res. Field │37 Res. Field │ Hospital. │ Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │38 Res. Field │ │ Hospital. │ │415 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │M. T. Col. │714 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Odd units. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │504 F. A. Rgt. │ │ (Staff, 2 and 3 │ │ Abt.). │ │3 Abt. 4 Ft. A. │ │ Rgt. │ │708 Transport Park. │ │30 Ammunition Col. │ │133 and 18 Bav. │ │ Supply Trains. │ │238 Reconnaissance │ │ Flight. │ │119 Balloon Sqn. │ │136 Labor Btn. │ │92 Art. Observation │ │ Section. ─────────────┴───────────────────┴─────────────────── (Elements attached Oct. 12, 1918, from German document.)

HISTORY.

(25th Reserve Infantry Regiment, 69th Reserve Infantry Regiment: 8th Corps District—Rhine Province. 17th Reserve Infantry Regiment: 21st Corps District—Lorraine.)

1914.

1. In August, 1914, the 15th Reserve Division which was a part of the 8th Reserve Corps (with the 16th Reserve Division) and of the 4th Army, was concentrated on the Luxemburg frontier, which it crossed on the 19th. Entering Belgium on the 21st, it fought on the 22d at Maissin and Paliseul, and between the 25th and 27th it crossed the Meuse near Sedan, losing heavily. On August 28, the 2d Battalion of the 69th Reserve Infantry Regiment was reduced to 140 men (soldier’s notebook).

CHAMPAGNE.

2. From this place, by way of le Chesne, Vouziers, Tahure, the division advanced as far as Marne Canal to the Rhine, at Vitry le Francois (Brusson Dompremy, Sept. 6), where it took part in the battle of the Marne.

3. The division retired between September 9 and September 16 by way of Suippes to Servon, Binarville, Massiges (Sept. 18 to 27), and established itself north of Massiges.

1915.

CHAMPAGNE.

1. The 15th Reserve Division occupied the front north of Massiges and of Mesnil les Hurlus in the Souain area. In the course of various small actions, especially in May, it suffered heavily, so much so that by June 30, the losses suffered since the beginning of the campaign amounted to 2,316 men for the 2d Battalion of the 17th Reserve Infantry Regiment (official list of casualties).

2. In September, 1915, the elements of the 15th Reserve Division divided between the Liebert Division (17th and 69th Reserve Infantry Regiments) and the Ditfurth Division (25th and 30th Reserve Infantry Regiments) took part in the battle of Champagne near Tahure, east of Somme Py (from Sept. 25 to the beginning of October). They suffered considerable losses.

AISNE.

3. Toward the end of October the 15th Reserve Division was relieved from the Tahure sector and reorganized. At the beginning of November it went into line between Vailly and the Oise-Aisne Canal.

1916.

1. The division occupied the sector Chavonne-Soupir south of Braye en Laonnois until the end of June, 1916.

SOMME.

2. At the beginning of July, as soon as the Franco-British offensive began, the 15th Reserve Division detached some of its elements to reenforce divisions engaged along the Somme, especially at Flaucourt (July 2 and 3), Hem wood, and the Vermandovillers area (August).

AISNE.

3. Some of these elements returned to the Aisne and were reassigned to the Liebert (new 15th Reserve Division) and the Dumrath Division.

SOMME.

4. The 17th and 30th Reserve Infantry Regiments remained in the Somme area. Separated at first, at the end of August they formed the 32d Brigade reattached to the 35th Division which held the front in the area of Estrees-Ablaincourt (September).

5. At the beginning of October the 15th Reserve Division once more reorganized its original elements, and occupied the lines between Fouquescourt and the north of Andechy.

6. The division was relieved from the Somme front about December 15.

1917.

SOMME.

1. Once more in line in the Fouquescourt sector, the division took part in the German withdrawal by way of Ercheu, Moyencourt (Mar. 17), Ham (Mar. 19).

2. It was sent to rest in the Maubeuge area (?) (end of March and April).

ARTOIS.

3. About May 2 it went into line in the Fresnoy sector (north of Arras), where it went into action about May 3.

4. It was withdrawn from the Artois front on May 10 and transferred to the Eastern Front (May 21 to May 28).

GALICIA.

5. Sent to Galicia, it occupied the sector south of Brzezany, where it underwent the Russian attack of July 1. Then it took part in the offensive against the Russians at the end of July, and suffered heavy losses near Husiatin, where it remained until August 24. Sent to the rear of Zbrucz it held this sector from September 15 to December 7.

FRANCE.

6. Relieved at this date, it remained in the Jablona area until December 19, and entrained on the 30th for the Western Front. Itinerary: Brest Litowsk-Warsaw-Karlish-Halle-Frankfort on the Main-Mayence- Sarrebruecken-Thionville-Sedan. It detrained on January 7, in the Dun area, where it went to rest.

The 15th Reserve Division suffered very heavy losses in Galicia (July and Aug., 1917).

At the end of February, 1918, these losses, according to the statements of deserters, had not yet been made good by sufficient replacements.

In Russia there was no exchange of the older men of the division for men of the 1919 class.

RECRUITING.

The 15th Reserve Division is recruited from the Rhine districts in general. The elements from the 9th Corps District, introduced by the assignment of one battalion of the 76th Landwehr Regiment to the 69th Reserve Infantry Regiment, have almost disappeared with the arrival of successive replacements.

1918.

1. During its occupancy of the Verdun sector the division underwent intensive training which was to fit it for operations on the Western Front. It was relieved about April 15. The division commenced entraining at Stenay about April 23 and traveled via Givet-Dinant-Namur-Charleroi- Braine le Comte-Ath-Tournai, and detrained between Tournai and Lille. One regiment marched to Haubourdin (12 miles), where it rested several days.

HINGE.

2. On the night of May 1–2 the division came into line east of St. Venant. It held this sector for 10 months. Toward the end of June it was relieved by the 23d Reserve Division.

ARRAS.

3. On July 11 the division entered the line southwest of Oppy. It was engaged at Gavrelle, Oppy, and Arleux until October 9 when the 187th Division relieved it.

4. The division returned to line on the 12th to reinforce the front east of Bohain and fought until the end of October in the region east of Wassigny. There was some talk in the division of the dissolution, as no drafts of importance were received during September or October.

5. On November 6 the division was again in line. In the closing days of the war it was engaged north of Beaurepaire, southeast of Limont- Fontaine, southwest of Aites and Obrechies (10th).

VALUE.

The division was rated as third class. During 1918 the division was almost constantly in line holding defensive sectors, which it did with fair success.

15th Landwehr Division.

COMPOSITION.

─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │10 Ldw. │12 Ldw. │10 Ldw. │12 Ldw. │ │52 Ldw. │ │52 Ldw. │27 Ldw. │53 Ldw. │27 Ldw. │53 Ldw. │ │55 Ldw. │ │55 Ldw. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │1 Ldw. Sqn. 3 C. Dist. │ │2 Ldw. Sqn. 7 C. Dist. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │1 and 2 Landst. 3 C. Dist. F.│15 Ldw. F. A. Rgt. │ A. Btries. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │Landst. F. A. Btry. 7 C. │ │ Dist. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│ │246 Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ │247 Pion. Co. │ │315 T. M. Co. │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │42 Art. Survey Section. ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────

─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918[12] ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │10 Ldw. │12 Ldw. │ │53 Ldw. │ │52 Ldw. │ │ │ │53 Ldw. │ │ │ │55 Ldw. │ │ ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │1 Sqn. 5 Hus. Rgt. │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │Art. Command: │15 Ldw. F. A. Rgt. (Regt. │ │ Staff, 2 Abt. Staff, and 4 │ │ and 6 Btries., 3 Abt. │ │ Staff, 7 and 9 Btries. not │ │ included). │ 15 Ldw. F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│415 Pion. Btn. │109 Wireless Detch. Liaisons. │ │ │ 246 Pion Co. │ │ 247 Pion. Co. │ │ 315 T. M. Co. │ │ 247 Searchlight Section. │ │ Tel. Detch. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │552 Ambulance Co. │7 Ldw. Field Hospital. Veterinary.│ │ │3 Ldw. Field Hospital. │515 Vet. Hospital. │7 Ldw. Field Hospital. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │M. T. Col. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────── Footnote 12:

The elements below are those grouped under the 797 Postal sector. Other elements belonging to the 15th Landwehr Division, but operating under other division staffs, are listed as attached to such division.

HISTORY.

(12th Landwehr Regiment: 3d Corps District—Brandenburg. 53d and 55th Landwehr Regiments: 7th Corps District—Westphalia.)

1915.

OISE.

1. The 15th Landwehr Division (Sack Division) was formed about the month of March, 1915, from two independent Landwehr brigades (the 10th and 27th) which had been holding, since September, 1914, the sectors of the Oise south of Noyon.

2. The 10th Brigade, entering Belgium on August 19, was at Tirlemont on September 1 and had been sent rapidly to the Oise at the beginning of the retreat from the Marne. It had gone into action at Blerancourt, Bellefontaine, Cuts, on September 15 and 16. The 27th Brigade, coming from Aix la Chapelle August 17, had advanced by way of Louvain, Douai, Cambrai, Bepaume, and Amiens and had likewise been in action on September 15 and 16 at Rivecourt and Nampcel.

3. After its formation the 15th Landwehr Division continued to occupy the Oise sector of Thiescourt (Ribecourt) until 1917.

1916.

1. The division held the Oise sector of Thiescourt (southwest of Noyon).

1917.

1. The Oise sector of Thiescourt was held by the division until 1917.

In the middle of March, 1917, the 15th Landwehr Division took part in the withdrawal of the German troops and retired southeast of St. Quentin by way of Salency, Chauny, and La Fere.

GALICIA.

2. Relieved at the end of March, it was transferred to the Eastern Front. Itinerary: Charleroi-Luxemburg-Treves * * * Breslau-Cracow- Lemberg. (Some elements of the division had already left before the withdrawal to the Hindenburg line and had entrained at Noyon.)

3. In Galicia the 15th Landwehr Division occupied the sector west of Brody until the beginning of 1918.

Almost immediately after its arrival the 52d Landwehr Regiment was withdrawn from the division (April, 1917).

Like the other Landwehr divisions on the Eastern Front, the 15th Landwehr Division at the end of 1917 had given its best elements to divisions operating in France (especially to the 111th Division).

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The division is purely a sector division.

1918.

UKRAINE.

1. Early in March the 15th Landwehr Division marched toward Rovno; from there it was transported to Kiev.

2. On May 11 the division was south of Ekaterinoslav; the 12th Landwehr Regiment at Sebastopol and the 53d Landwehr Regiment likewise being in the Crimea.

CAUCASUS.

3. Toward the end of May elements of the division were identified in the Kertch region, the 12th Landwehr Regiment, however, being on the Vardar front. The division was still here the latter part of September. During this time all of the younger men were sent to the Western Front.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as fourth class.

15th Bavarian Division.

COMPOSITION.

─────────────┬───────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────────┬─────────────┼─────────────┬───────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼───────────── Infantry. │23 Bav. │30 Bav. │23 Bav. │30 Bav. │ │31 Bav. │ │31 Bav. │ │32 Bav. │ │32 Bav. ─────────────┼─────────────┴─────────────┼─────────────┴───────────── Cavalry. │3 Sqn. 7 Bav. Light Cav. │3 Sqn. 7 Bav. Light Cav. │ Rgt. │ Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Artillery. │Art. Command: │7 Bav. F. A. Rgt. │ 7 Bav. F. A. Rgt. │23 Bav. Ft. A. Btn. │ │148 Bav. Light Am. Col. │ │152 Bav. Light Am. Col. │ │155 Bav. Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Engineers and│15 Bav. Pion. Btn.: │15 Bav. Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 24 Bav. Pion. Co. │ 24 Bav. Pion. Co. │ 25 Bav. Pion. Co. │ 25 Bav. Pion. Co. │ 15 Bav. T. M. Co. │ 15 Bav. T. M. Co. │ 15 Bav. Tel. Detch. │ 15 Bav. Searchlight │ │ Section. │ │15 Bav. Signal Command: │ │ 15 Bav. Tel. Detch. │ │ 170 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Medical and │25 Bav. Ambulance Co. │25 Bav. Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │64 Bav. Field Hospital. │64 Bav. Field Hospital. │65 Bav. Field Hospital. │65 Bav. Field Hospital. │15 Bav. Vet. Hospital. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Transport. │696 M. T. Col. │696 M. T. Col. ─────────────┴───────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────

HISTORY.