Part 40
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │31 Res. │29 Res. │31 Res. │29 Res. │ │30 Res. │ │30 Res. │ │68 Res. │ │68 Res. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │2 (?) Heavy Res. │4 Sqn. 8 Cuirassier │ Cav. Rgt. │ Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │106 Art. Command: │106 Art. Command: │ │ │ 16 Res. F. A. │ 16 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ Regt. (9 │ │ Btries.). │ │ │ 127 Ft. Art. Btn. │ │ 724 Light Am. Col. │ │ 810 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1352 Light Am. │ │ Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│(316) Pion. Btn.: │316 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 1 Res. Co. 8 │ 1 Res. Co. 8 │ Pions. │ Pions. │ 2 Res. Co. 8 │ 2 Res. Co. 8 │ Pions. │ Pions. │ 216 T. M. Co. │ 8 Searchlight │ │ Section. │ 416 Tel. Detch. │ 216 T. M. Co. │ │416 Signal Command: │ │ 416 Tel. Detch. │ │ 130 Wireless │ │ Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │512 Ambulance Co. │512 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │Field Hospital. │39 Res. Field │ │ Hospital. │416 Vet. Hospital. │40 Res. Field │ │ Hospital. │ │416 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │M. T. Col. │715 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │16 and 134 Art. │ │ Observation │ │ Section. │ │16 Balloon Sqn. │ │213 Reconnaissance │ │ Flight. │ │2.208 Pigeon Loft. │ │(Elements attached │ │ Sept. 30, 1918; │ │ from German │ │ documents.) ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(8th Corps District—Rhine Province.)
1914.
1. At the outbreak of the war the 16th Reserve Division with the 15th Reserve Division was a part of the 8th Reserve Corps and belonged to the 4th Army (Duke of Wurttemberg).
CHAMPAGNE.
2. On August 14, 1914, it entered Luxemburg; on the 21st, Belgium. It went into action at St. Hubert on the 22d; at Matton on the 24th; crossed the Meuse at Sedan with heavy losses August 26–28. Entering Champagne by way of Vouziers, it took part in the battle of the Marne, along the canal from the Marne to the Rhine (Heiltz le Maurupt- Bignicourt-Le Buisson).
3. On September 9 it began its retreat, and retired by way of Suippes (Sept. 14) to Cernay en Dormois. About September 20 it stopped in the area of Minaucourt-Massiges and took up its position there.
4. The 16th Reserve Division occupied this sector of Champagne (north of Massiges) until the month of October, 1915. (On the 30th of January, 1915, the 29th Reserve Infantry Regiment had had a total of 79 officers and 3,090 men casualties.)
1915.
1. At the time of the French offensive in Champagne the 16th Reserve Division went into battle east of the road from Tahure to Perthes les Hurlus (Sept. 25). It was then a part of a new group under the orders of Gen. Ditfurth.
2. Having suffered heavily from these attacks, the 16th Reserve Division was relieved about October 15 and sent to the rest in the Chesne area. Between October 8 and 14 no less than 223 men came to the 5th Company of the 68th Reserve Infantry Regiment as replacements (in this number, recruits of the 1915 class who had had four months’ instruction).
AISNE.
3. At the end of October the 16th Reserve Division was sent north of the Aisne, where it took over the sector between Soissons and Vailly.
1916.
1. The 16th Reserve Division remained in line east of Soissons until February 16, 1916.
AISNE.
2. In the middle of February it went to the west of Soissons, in the sector of Moulin sous Touvent-Autreches, which it occupied until the month of October.
3. In February the 16th Reserve Division lost two of its regiments, the 65th and 29th Reserve Infantry Regiments, which were replaced by a single regiment, the 35th Reserve Infantry Regiment. It was then composed of the 25th, 28th, and 68th Reserve Infantry Regiments.
4. At the beginning of the battle of the Somme, July 2, the 25th Reserve Infantry Regiment (2 battalions) was sent by itself as a reinforcement in the Barelaux area. The 28th Reserve Infantry Regiment left the 16th Reserve Division at the end of July to be attached to the 185th Division, likewise on the Somme.
5. The 16th Reserve Division, composed of the 68th Reserve Infantry Regiment and of two other regiments, the 190th Infantry Regiment and the Provisional Hippe Regiment, continued to occupy the sector of Moulin sous Touvent (August).
6. The 68th Reserve Infantry Regiment in its turn was sent to the Somme. It went into action near Deniécourt (September-October). One may calculate its losses by the fact that the 5th Company received at least 55 men as replacements between October 2 and 6.
7. The 16th Reserve Division then comprised the 29th Reserve Infantry Regiment, once more attached to the division, the 190th Infantry Regiment, and the 390th Infantry Regiment, which replaced the Hippe Regiment above mentioned. Thus constituted, it was retained in the area Moulin sous Touvent-Autreches until the month of October.
SOMME.
8. Relieved on October 15, it entrained at Tergnier and was transferred to the Somme. It took part in the St. Pierre-Vaast wood in local operations, in the course of which it suffered heavily (Nov. 4 to 28).
9. About December 12 the 16th Reserve Division was sent north of the Aisne. It went into line in the Cerny en Laonnois area.
At this time the division was once more reorganized. It again received the 68th Reserve Infantry Regiment, which came back from the Somme. The 190th Infantry Regiment was transferred to the 47th Division, and the 390th Infantry Regiment, which was assigned to the 211th Division, was replaced by the 30th Reserve Infantry Regiment.
1917.
1. With this composition (29th, 68th, and 30th Reserve Infantry Regiments) the 16th Reserve Division occupied the sector of Cerny en Laonnois from January to April, 1917.
CHEMIN DES DAMES.
2. It underwent the French offensive of April 16 between Chivy and the Cerny sugar refinery, where it suffered very heavily (1,100 prisoners).
3. Relieved on the Aisne front about April 20, the division was sent to the Sissonne Camp, where it was reorganized (beginning of May).
LORRAINE.
4. About May 10 it went into line between the Sanon and Gondrexon, in Lorraine.
ALSACE.
5. The division was sent to Alsace about June 20 and remained in the Ferette area, where its training was vigorously carried out.
GALICIA.
6. On July 7, 1917, the 16th Reserve Division entrained for the Eastern Front.
7. Detraining on the 12th in the area of Rohatyn-Bourchtyn (Galicia), it went into action on the 15th near Halucz, along the Dneister, and reached Khotin, where the Russian retreat halted.
8. At the end of August it occupied a new sector north of Bojan, east of Czernowitz (taking of Bojan, Aug. 27).
FRANCE.
9. The 16th Reserve Division was withdrawn from the front about November 15 and entrained for France near Czernowitz (Nov. 20). Itinerary: Kolomea-Stanislau-Lemberg-Przeymsl-Cracow-Oppeln-Breslau-Dresden- Chemnitz-Nuremberg-Karlsruhe-Haguenau-Saareguemines-Thionville-Sedan- Bucy les Pierrepont, where it detrained on November 29.
CAMBRAI.
10. Going into action southwest of Cambrai (Marcoing) on December 6, it was still in this sector at the beginning of March, 1918.
RECRUITING.
The 16th Reserve Division is recruited from the Rhine Province and all the Rhine districts. Thus, in October, 1916, it received men from the mining district of Westphalia, and also in March, 1917.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 16th Reserve Division was a good division. It was very much exhausted on April 16 and 17, 1917, in the Cerny sector. During this action the 30th Reserve Infantry Regiment was remarkable for its desperate resistance and had only 50 prisoners taken.
During its stay in Lorraine (May and June, 1917) the 16th Reserve Division maintained a purely defensive attitude. The losses suffered on the Aisne and the nature of the replacements received appear to have sensibly diminished the combat value of the 30th Reserve Infantry Regiment.
In October, 1917, on the Galician front, the 16th Reserve Division was considered incapable of participating in active operations because of the large proportion of older men and the weakness of its effectives (according to prisoners’ statements).
1918.
PICARDY.
1. The division attacked on March 21 south of Marcoing. It was taken out on the 3d day of the offensive and sent to rest in the Ancre area. About April 10 the division relieved the 107th Division on the Ancre and held a sector until the 107th Division returned and relieved on April 27.
BATTLE OF THE SCARPE-SOMME.
2. The division rested near Puisieux until May 15, when it entered the line northwest of Beaumont Hamel and remained until about June 15. It rested in the neighborhood of Haplincourt until about July 4, when it returned to the Beaumont-Hamel sector. The British attack in August forced the division to retire through Muraumont (23d), Grandcourt (24th), Le Barque (25th), and Flers (27th). It was withdrawn on August 28, after suffering heavy losses.
3. The division again came into line on September 5 north of Equancourt. In five days’ fighting it lost 600 prisoners. On September 10 it went to rest in the Bruges area, where it was until October 1.
BELGIUM.
4. On October 1 the division relieved the 16th Bavarian Division on the Ypres battle front, southeast of Staden. Throughout October it was engaged at Hooglede, Staden, and near Wynghene. It was withdrawn on October 28 and remained out of line in the Ghent area until the armistice.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as second class. It was engaged as a sector- holding unit in active fronts during 1918.
16th Landwehr Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │2 Ldw. │3 Ldw. │2 Ldw. │3 Ldw. │ │374 (Jacobi │ │374. │ │ Rgt.). │ │ │ │379 Ldw. │ │379 Ldw. │ │ (Tietz │ │ │ │ Rgt.). │ │ │ │378 (3 C. │ │ │ │ Dist.). │ │ ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │ │94 Cav. Rgt. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │ │101 F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│ │2 Ers. Co. 18 Pions. Liaisons. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd units. │ │157 Cyclist Co. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │2 Ldw. │3 Ldw. │2 Ldw. │3 Ldw. │ │374. │ │374. │ │ │ │ │ │379 Ldw. │ │379 Ldw. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │2 Sqn. 8 Cuirassier Rgt. │1 Sqn. 6 Cuirassier Rgt. │5 Sqn. 94 Cav. Rgt. (?) │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │Art. Command: │101 F. A. Rgt. │ 101 F. A. Rgt. │791 Light Am. Col. │ │794 Light Am. Col. │ │1046 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│(416) Pion Btn.: │3 Ers. Co. 18 Pions. Liaisons. │ │ │ 2 Co. 34 Res. Pions. │1 Landst. Co. 8 C. Dist. │ │ Pions. │ 3 Ers. Co. 18 Pions. │83 Searchlight Section. │ 316 T. M. Co. │516 Signal Command: │ 2 Light Fort Searchlight │ 516 Tel. Detch. │ Section. │ │ Tel. Detch. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │71 Ambulance Co. │71 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │21 Field Hospital. │21 Field Hospital. │142 Field Hospital. │216 Vet. Hospital. │151 Field Hospital. │ │Vet. Hospital. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │996 M. T. Col. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd units. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │1 C. Dist. Landst. Inf. Btn. │ │ No. 22. │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(374th Infantry Regiment and 3d Landwehr Regiment: 1st Corps District—East Prussia. 379th Landwehr Regiment: 3d Corps District—Brandenburg.)
1915.
POLAND.
1. The 16th Landwehr Division (Landwehr Division of Koenigsberg, Sommer Division), providing the war garrison of Koenigsberg, took part in the battles on the East Prussian frontier in October, 1914, with a few of its future elements (1st Ersatz Battalion of the 12th Landwehr Regiment).
It was in the region of Mariampol from April until the end of August, 1915. It was identified in the Lipsk sector on August 30.
RUSSIA.
2. After the summer offensive it was sent to the sector between Krevo and Smorgoni (September).
1916.
1. The division was in the Krevo-Smorgoni sector during 1916.
1917.
1. Krevo-Smorgoni sector.
On July 22 and 23, 1917, the 16th Landwehr Division suffered very heavy losses withstanding Russian attacks in this area.
During the months which followed it gave its best elements to troops on the Western Front or to those assigned to the Western Front. At the end of November 70 per cent of the men of the 379th Landwehr Regiment were between the ages of 40 and 47 years (Russian interrogatory).
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 16th Landwehr Division has always been on the Russian front. Its combat value appears mediocre.
1918.
1. The 16th Landwehr Division was still in line near Krevno in January. Moving then toward the east, it was near Orcha in April, and near Kharkov early in May. The 346th Infantry Regiment, which had remained in Russia after the departure for France of the two other regiments of the 14th Landwehr Division seems to have been attached to the 16th Landwehr Division.
SEA OF AZOV.
2. Early in September the division was identified in the Taganrog region.
ROUMANIA.
3. The division left the Don region and went to Constantinople. It did not remain here however, but left immediately for Roumania, being identified at Constanza on October 28.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as fourth class.
16th Bavarian Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────────┬─────────────┼─────────────┬───────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼───────────── Infantry. │9 Bav. │11 Bav. │9 Bav. │8 Bav. │ │14 Bav. │ │11 Bav. │ │21 Bav. │ │14 Bav. ─────────────┼─────────────┴─────────────┼─────────────┴───────────── Cavalry. │4 Sqn. 7 Bav. Light Cav. │4 Sqn. 7 Bav. Light Cav. │ Rgt. │ Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Artillery. │Art. Command: │8 Bav. F. A. Rgt. │ 3 Bav. F. A. Rgt. │1 Abt. 5 Bav. Ft. A. Rgt. │ │709 Light Am. Col. │ │130 Bav. Light Am. Col. │ │144 Bav. Light Am. Col. │ │161 Bav. Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Engineers and│(16 Bav.) Pion. Btn.: │16 Bav. Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 14 Bav. Res. Pion. Co. │ 14 Bav. Res. Pion. Co. │ 15 Bav. Res. Pion. Co. │ 15 Bav. Res. Pion. Co. │ 16 Bav. T. M. Co. │16 Bav. Signal Command: │ 16 Bav. Tel. Detch. │ 16 Bav. Tel. Detch. │ │ 104 Bav. Wireless Detch. │ │ 16 Bav. T. M. Co. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Medical and │8 Bav. Ambulance Co. │8 Bav. Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │29 Bav. Field Hospital. │29 Bav. Field Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │52 Bav. Field Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Transports. │Mt. Col. │697 M. T. Col. ─────────────┴───────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(3d Bavarian Corps District.)
1917.
The 16th Bavarian Division was formed at the end of January, 1917, by taking three infantry regiments from existing Bavarian divisions—the 6th Bavarian Division furnished the 11th Bavarian Infantry Regiment; the 5th Bavarian Division the 14th Bavarian Infantry Regiment; the 6th Bavarian Reserve Division the 21st Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment. The 3d Field Artillery Regiment came from the 6th Bavarian Division.
ARTOIS.
1. On February 12, 1917, the 16th Bavarian Division replaced the 6th Bavarian Reserve Division south of Lens, opposite Souchez. It suffered serious losses there in February and March (raids by Canadian troops). After a period of rest, in March, in the Douai area, the division returned opposite Souchez and suffered in the British attack of April 9, which forced it back beyond Vimy Ridge. It was relieved on April 11, very much exhausted.
FLANDERS-MESSINES.
2. Toward the end of April the 16th Bavarian Division took over the calm sector of Armentieres (East), south of the Lys (Deulemont-Frelinghien). At the beginning of June, on account of the menace of the British attack on the Messines front, the division was transferred north of the Lys. During the battle which started on June 9 it was not engaged as a whole; it sent some of its elements southeast of Messines to reenforce the 4th Bavarian Division.
3. The 16th Bavarian Division left the Lys sector, beginning of September, to go into reserve near Dadizeele, east of Ypres.
4. On September 20 it came up to replace the Bavarian Ersatz Division, which was very much exhausted by the British attack. It counterattacked north of the Lys. Its losses were such that it was relieved the next day.
5. After a period of rest at Bruges, the 16th Bavarian Division occupied the coast sector (Lombartzyde) from October 25 to November 22.
CAMBRESIS.
6. Transferred to the Cambrai front, it went into line on December 3 (Bullecourt-Queant) and launched a local attack on the 12th.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 16th Bavarian Division appears to be of good combat value. It may be compared with the best Bavarian Divisions. It was very much exhausted at Ypres in 1917, but in general its morale remained high.
1918.
BATTLE OF PICARDY.