Part 4
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │1 Gd. │1 Gd. │1 Gd. │1 Gd. │ Res. │ Res. │ Res. │ Res. │ │2 Gd. │ │2 Gd. │ │ Res. │ │ Res. │ │64 Res. │ │64 Res. │ │ │ │ │ │ │1 Sqn. │Drag. │ │ │ Gd. │ Rgt. │ │ │ Res. │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │Gd. Res. Drag. Rgt.│1 Sqn. Gd. Res. │ (1st Sqn.). │ Drag. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │7 Gd. Art. Command.│8 Gd. Art. Command: │ │ │1 Gd. Res. F. A. │ 1 Gd. Res. F. A. │ Rgt. (9 │ Rgt. │ Batteries). │ │ │ 2 Abt. 1 Ft. A. │ │ Rgt. (Staff, 7, │ │ 8, and 13 │ │ Btries.). │ │ 701 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1269 Light Am. │ │ Col. │ │ 1328 Light Am. │ │ Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│(z) Eng. Btn. │28 Pion. Btn.: Liaisions. │ │ │ │ │ 2d and 3d Cos. 28│ 2 Co. 28 Pions. │ Pion. │ │ 5 Gd. T. M. Co. │ 3 Co. 28 Pions. │ │ │ 401 (Gd.) Tel. │ 61 Searchlight │ Detch. │ Section. │ │401 Gd. Signals │ │ Command: │ │ 401 (Gd.) Tel. │ │ Detch. │ │ 17 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │266 Ambulance Co. │266 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │395 Field Hospital.│389 Field Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │395 Field Hospital. │ │401 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │M. T. Col. │701 M. T. Col. ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
1914.
BELGIUM.
1. At the beginning of the war the 1st Guard Reserve Division forming, together with the 3d Guard Division, the Guard Reserve Corps swept into Belgium—as part of the 2d Army under von Buelow—the 16th of August, crossed the Meuse at Ardenne (massacres) the 20th, and pushed on as far as Namur. On the 29th the two divisions (Guard Reserve Corps) were brought back to Aix-la-Chapelle, and left for east Prussia September 1.
POLAND.
2. The beginning of October the Guard Reserve Corps, attached to the Southern Army Group, took part in the invasion of the southern part of Poland, fought at Opatow (Oct. 4), and suffered severe losses at Lodz while retreating from the Russian armies.
3. During the winter of 1914–15 it fought on the Bzura.
1915.
POLAND.
1. In February, 1915, the Guard Reserve Corps was split up. The 1st Guard Reserve Division was sent to the north of the Vistula, in the Mlawa-Prasnysz region. By the 6th of March the 1st Guard Reserve Infantry Regiment had already had its thirty-ninth engagement there (letter).
2. In March the 93d Reserve Regiment was attached to the 4th Guard Division (new). During the summer of 1915 the 1st Guard Reserve Division was engaged in the operations to the north of the Vistula (von Gallwitz’s army).
SMORGONI.
3. The pursuit of the Russians brought the division as far as the neighborhood of Smogorni-Vishnev, where it took part in violent fighting and where it was relieved the middle of September.
FRANCE.
4. During the early days of October it entrained at Grodno for the western front. (Itinerary: Warsaw, Posen, Berlin, Hanover, Aix-la- Chapelle, Liège, Cambrai.)
CAMBRAI.
5. It went into rest cantonments on the banks of the Scheldt between Marcoing and Bouchain (November-December).
1916.
1. The 1st Guard Reserve Division and the 4th Guard Division then formed the reconstituted Guard Reserve Corps.
2. During January and February, 1916, the division was employed on defensive works in the Wytschaete-Messines sector; it also held a sector in that region. At the same time it underwent a course of training in the neighborhood of Cambrai.
ARTOIS.
3. The beginning of May the division took over the sector south of Neuville-St. Vaast.
SOMME.
4. At the end of July it was engaged on the Somme (Belloy-Barleux).
5. After August 19 it spent some days at rest near Cambrai, and came back into line until September 8 between the Mouquet Farm and Martinpuich. It suffered local attacks, in which it was constantly pushed back with heavy losses.
FLANDERS.
6. After a rest in the neighborhood of Cambrai it was sent to a calm sector to the north of Ypres, near the Ypres-Pilkem road.
SOMME.
7. November 5 the division returned to the Somme (Warlencourt) where it spent the winter of 1916–17.
1917.
SOMME.
1. In March, 1917, the 1st Guard Reserve Division commenced the withdrawal movement on the Hindenburg Line, leaving prisoners in rear- guard actions (PysGrevillers region). It was withdrawn from the front about March 20 to go to rest near Tournai.
2. The 1st Guard Reserve Division and the 4th Guard Division then became independent divisions.
ARTOIS.
3. April 25 the division took over the Oppy-Gavrelle sector and fought off the British attacks.
4. Relieved the beginning of May, it was sent to rest at Templeuve, and was later employed in the construction of defensive works near Cambrai (May).
FLANDERS.
5. The 1st of June it was carried to Tourcoing, and from there to Warneton, June 8 it went into line to the east of Messines, where it relieved the 3d Bavarian Division, very much worn out the day before. It was itself withdrawn as early as the 12th.
ARTOIS.
6. The division then went back to Artois and held the Moeuvres-Pronville front (June 21–22 to Aug. 16) taking part in no important action.
LENS.
7. After some days rest at Douai, it became reengaged August 21, on the Lens front, in a series of very heavy conflicts following the attack of August 15. The 64th Reserve Infantry Regiment was particularly exhausted. Gas attacks caused it to suffer equally heavy losses in September and December.
8. The division remained in this sector until the end of 1917. In November it sent some elements to reinforce the Cambrai front against the British attack.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The division was recruited in all provinces of Prussia, like the rest of the Guard. Despite their numbers, the 64th and 93d Reserve Infantry Regiments do not come (to any considerable extent) from the 3d and 4th Corps Districts. The 93d Reserve Infantry Regiments came from what was, before its dissolution, a “guard landwehr battalion (Magdeburg)” (seal of pay book).
The 1st Guard Reserve Division is not above the average German division in value. The Alsatians in its ranks were withdrawn and sent to Russia in 1916, but there are still numerous Poles, who do not constitute an element of strength. It seems much less to be feared than most of the Prussian organizations that do not have the “Litze” (braiding), less, too, than the Wurttemburgers of the 13th Corps District and the better Bavarian troops. (British document, February, 1918.)
1918.
LENS.
1. The 1st Guard Reserve Division was relieved in the Lens sector by the 220th Division the first of the year and was withdrawn, remaining at rest in this region until it relieved the 220th Division, February 4.
CARVIN.
2. The division was relieved by the 220th Division February 20 and went to the Carvin area, where it went through a course of training in open warfare so as to become the assault division of the Souchez Group.
SOMME.
3. The opening day of the March 21 offensive the division was identified at Lagnicourt (northeast of Bapaume). It was very probably “leap- frogged” by some other division the next day, but it reappeared the 27th near Bucquoy, in a straight line with the advance taken as a whole. It suffered exceedingly heavy losses, finally having to utilize its pioneers as Infantry.
LA BASSÉE.
4. April 20 the division was withdrawn from the Somme front and marched to Givenchy (just north of the La Bassée Canal) the next day, where it relieved the 4th Ersatz Division. It fought there until about May 21, giving a good account of itself, considering its weakened condition, and as a result its brigade commander was promoted a lieutenant general, and the division commander received Pour le Mérite.
GRAMMONT.
5. The division moved to the Grammont area, where it underwent a course of training with artillery and aeroplanes in preparation for a coming offensive.
LA BASSÉE.
6. It relieved the 38th Division at Festubert, north of the La Bassée Canal July 5; it was relieved July 14 by the 18th Reserve Division.
7. The division rested in the Fauquissart area, and then relieved the 12th Reserve Division north of Hinges the night of August 2–3. It was relieved about August 26 by extension of front of the neighboring divisions.
CAMBRAI.
8. The 2d of September the division reinforced the front north of the Arras-Cambrai Road. About the 10th it side-slipped south, for it was identified southwest of Moeuvres. It remained here, suffering heavy casualties (450 prisoners), and was relieved by the 7th Cavalry Division during the night of September 22–23.
9. It remained in this region, however, and was thrown back into line in attempt to stem the British advance, being identified at Bourlon September 28; withdrawn about October 5.
10. The division returned October 16–17, relieving the 30th Division east of Neuvilly, and was withdrawn about the 20th.
11. November 4 it was identified north of Landrecies. It took part in the general retirement, being identified south of Berlaimont November 5, and east of Maubeuge on the 9th.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The 1st Guard Reserve Division was rated as in the first of four classes. During 1918 it did not fight brilliantly, but it was always to be depended upon. It was called upon to fight much in heavy engagements, and suffered very severe losses.
Guard Ersatz Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1914–15 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │1 Gd. Mixed │1 Gd. Ers.(1, │1 Gd. Mixed │6 Gd. (former │ Ers. │ 2, and 6 Gd.│ Ers. │ 1 Gd. Ers.). │ │ Bde. Ers. │ │ │ │ Btns.). │ │ │ │2 Gd. Ers. │ │7 Gd. (former │ │ (3,4 and 5 │ │ 2 Gd. Ers.). │ │ Gd. Bde. │ │ │ │ Ers. Btns.).│ │ │5 Gd. Mixed │357 (5 Ers. │5 Gd. Mixed │357. │ Ers. │ Btn. 2d C. │ Ers. │358. │ │ Dist. and 5 │ │ │ │ Ers. Btn. 1 │ │ │ │ C. Dist.). │ │ │ │358 (6, 7, and│ │ │ │ 8 Ers. Btns.│ │ │ │ 2d C. │ │ │ │ Dist.). │ │ ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │Gd. Ers. Cav. Detach. │1st Sqn. Gd. Cav. Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │1st Ers. Abt. (1st and 2d Gd.│7th Gd. F. A. Rgt. │ F. A. Rgt.). │ │38th F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│1 Co. Gd. Ers. Pion. Btn. │301 (Gd.) Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │1 Ers. Co. 2 Pion. Btn. │302 Pion. Co. │ │7 Gd. T. M. Co. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │32 Ldw. Btn. 2d C. Dist. │81 Labor Btn. │ (1915). │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │Gd. Ers. │6 Gd. │Gd. Ers. │6 Gd. │ │7 Gd. │ │7 Gd. │ │399. │ │399. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │5th Sqn. 2d Gd. Uhlan Regt. │5 Sqn. 2 Gd. Uhlan Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │6th Gd. Art. Command: │6 Gd. Art. Command: │ │ │ 7 Gd. F. A. Rgt. │ 7 Gd. F. A. Rgt. │ │ 89 Ft. A. Btn. │ │ 759 Light Am. Col. │ │ 814 Light Am. Col. │ │ 886 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│Eng. Btn.: │501 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 301 (Gd.) Pion. Co. │ 301 Gd. Pion. Co. │ 302 Pion. Co. │ 302 Pion. Co. │ 7 Gd. T. M. Co. │ 49 Searchlight Section. │ 292 Searchlight Section. │551 Signals Command: │ 551 Gd. Tel. Detch. │ 551 Gd. Tel. Detch. │ │ 36 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │62 Ambulance Co. │63 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │133 Field Hospital. │133 Field Hospital. │134 Field Hospital. │134 Field Hospital. │209 Vet. Hospital. │209 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │M. T. Col. │761 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
1914–15.
Formed in August, 1914, by grouping the Guard Ersatz Battalions and the Ersatz Battalions of the 2d Corps District, the division detrained at Saverne August 19. In reserve during the battle on the 20th, it crossed the frontier on the 23d with the 6th Army, fought southeast of Lunéville the first days of September, and toward the end of the same month it went to Haye (Woevre).
HAYE.
1. There it formed part of the Ersatz Corps and held various sectors of the region until March, 1916 (St. Baussant, Flirey, Bois de Mort-Mare, etc.).
1916.
1. In March, 1916, the 1st Guard Ersatz Mixed Bde. (6th and 7th Guard Regiments) left the Apremont region to go to the north of Combres and to the south of Fresnes-en-Woevre.
VERDUN.
2. After a rest of 10 days at St. Marie aux Chênes (Apr. 24-May 3) it went to the front north of Verdun. May 11–12 it entered line in the Bois-Nawé (west of Douaumont), where it took part in several attacks (notably that of May 25). It rested in June, and fought again, beginning July 1, to the southeast of the Thiaumont works.
3. The 5th Guard Ersatz Mixed Bde. which had remained in the Montsec region, entrained at Vigneulles-St. Benoît (July 23–26), detrained at Spincourt, and during the night of August 3–4 entered line to the east of Fleury. Together with the 1st Bde., it took part in the attack of August 5, and both suffered heavy losses.
4. The Guard Ersatz Division was withdrawn from line the end of August, after having lost 50 per cent of its infantry before Verdun.
FLIREY-EN-HAYE.
5. After a rest in the region west of Spincourt it went back into line to the north of Flirey-en-Haye; it remained there until about the 5th of November.
In September the 357th and the 358th Infantry Regiments were attached to the Bavarian Ersatz Division and the 214th Division, respectively. The Guard Ersatz Division received in exchange a regiment newly formed from companies taken from the 6th and 7th Guard and the 357th Infantry Regiments.
COTE DU POIVRE.
6. The division rested in November, leaving December 18 to go to the region north of Côte du Poivre, following the French attack of December 15.
1917.
1. About January 15, 1917, the Guard Ersatz Division was withdrawn from the Verdun front and sent to Champagne (St. Hilaire sector).
2. Relieved toward the end of March, the division was sent to reserve in the Chateau-Porcien region, which it quitted April 12.
AISNE.
3. April 16 and the days following elements of the division counterattacked toward Bermericourt; then relieving (Apr. 18) the remnants of the 21st Division, the Guard Ersatz Division went through the French attack of May 4. It left this front soon after.
4. May; rest in rear of the Champagne front.
RUSSIA.
5. After a stay in a sector in Haye to the north of Flirey (from the beginning of June to the middle of July), the division was carried to the eastern front (July 23–27). (Itinerary: Sarrebrucken, Kreuznach, Frankfort, Leipsic, Cottbus, Glogau, Warsaw, Grodno, Vilna.)
6. The Kaiser reviewed the division July 29. From the 1st to the 17th of August it was trained in open warfare near Vilna.
RIGA.
7. Taken to Chavli (Aug. 28), then to the Gross-Ekkau region, the division entered line in the Uxkuell region and participated in the Riga offensive, entering Riga September 3–4.
FRANCE.
8. September 8 the division entrained for the western front. (Itinerary: Chavli, Kovno, Eydtkuhnen, Insterberg, Posen, Cottbus, Leipsic, Frankfort, Thionville, Briey.) It encamped near Spincourt, and then, about October 10, entered line to the north of Bezonvaux.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The Guard Ersatz Division was recruited all over Prussia just as all the other Guard divisions.
Good division. The 6th and 7th Guard Regiments are not to be considered as tried troops. The 399th Infantry Regiment seems to have but a slight combative value.
The men are said to have shown dissatisfaction when they left Russia for the western front. Desertions are said to have taken place en route. (Inter. pris. Dec. 15–17.)
1918.
VERDUN.
1. The division remained north of Verdun until February 20, when it was relieved and went to Damvillers, entrained, and went to the Arlon area and was trained until March 15.
SOMME.
2. It entrained at Arlon on that date and traveled via Charleroi to Mons, where it arrived the following day. By night marches the division passed through Maubeuge-Bavai-Englefontaine-Fontaine au Bois-Bazuel-Le Cateau-Busigny-Bohain-Fresnoy-Péronne, without taking part in any fighting. It came into line March 25–26, and was heavily engaged at Proyart the 27th.
HANGARD.
3. The division was withdrawn about April 6, after having large casualties, and reinforced the front near Hangard the night of April 9–10, not being relieved until about May 4. Flanking divisions extended their fronts.
MONS.
4. It rested northwest of Mons until the end of June.
CHAMPAGNE.
5. It then went to reserve in Champagne, and entered line west of Auberive July 15. It was withdrawn on the 21st.
OULCHY LE CHATEAU.
6. The division was identified in line north of Oulchy le Chateau July 29, where it fought until withdrawn, about August 9.
ALSACE.
7. It went into rest cantonments at Helfrantzkirch (northeast of Basle), and remained there until September 25.
YPRES.
8. Prisoners of the division were captured southwest of Roulers, and they stated that it entered line October 5–6. The division remained in line fighting stubbornly, but to no purpose, until withdrawn, November 7.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
Reliable information is to the effect that the Guard Ersatz, the Guard Cavalry, and the Jaeger Divisions bore the title “Oberste Heeresleitungs Angriffsdivisionen,” and that they were held under the direct control of the Supreme Command. Nevertheless, the Guard Ersatz has always been considered as being in the second of four classes.
Guard Cavalry Division.
COMPOSITION.