Part 5

───────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────── │ 1918 ───────────────────────┼───────────────────────┬─────────────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ───────────────────────┼───────────────────────┼─────────────────────── Infantry. │5 Ldw. Inf. │ ───────────────────────┼───────────────────────┼─────────────────────── Cavalry. │11 Cav. │1 Cuirassier. │ │8 Drag. │14 Cav. │5 Uhlan. │ │8 Hus. │ │11 Hus. │38 Cav. │2 Mounted Jag. │ │6 Mounted Jag. │ │4 Cuirassier. │ │Gd. Cuirassier (1 Sqn. │ │ of 4 Mounted Jag.). ───────────────────────┼───────────────────────┴─────────────────────── Artillery. │132 Art. Command: │ 3 Gd. F. A. Rgt. │ 226 F. A. Rgt. ───────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────────── Engineers and Liaisons.│412 Pion. Btn.: │ 307 Pion. Co. │ 2 Ers. Pion. Co. │ 183 Wireless Detch. │ 286 and 385 T. M. Cos. ───────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────────── Medical and Veterinary.│257 Ambulance Co. │302 Field Hospital. │315 Field Hospital. │286 Vet. Hospital. ───────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────────── Attached. │Balloon Sqn. No. 33. │290 Reconnaissance Flight. ───────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────────────

HISTORY.

1918.

1. The division left the eastern theater in the middle of March. It was reconstituted in the camp at Zossen (south of Berlin), and was then moved to the Maubeuge area, where it underwent six weeks’ training for open warfare. It now consisted of 9 dismounted regiments, grouped in 3 brigades, 2 companies of pioneers, and a trench mortar company.

CHAMPAGNE.

2. About May 28 the division relieved the 23d Division east of the Suippe. It was relieved about July 2, and on the 15th returned to strengthen the battle front near Souain. It was relieved about July 20.

SOISSONS.

3. The division was moved to the Soissons area, and on August 22 relieved the Jaeger Division east of Soissons. It retired from the front about September 5.

CHAMPAGNE.

4. On September 23–24 it relieved the 15th Bavarian Division north of Prosnes, and was thereafter constantly in line in Champagne. The direction of its final retreat lay through Herpy (Nov. 1), St. Ferguex (5th), Rethel (6th), and Rocquigny (7th).

VALUE.

The division was rated as second class. It was reported to be one of the General Headquarters attack divisions held under direct control of the Supreme Command. After the failure of the July offensive east of Reims the division was constantly on the defensive.

1st Division.

COMPOSITION.

─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │1. │1 Gren. │1. │1 Gren. │1. │1 Gren. │ │41. │ │41. │ │41. │2. │3 Gren. │2. │3 Gren. │2. │3 Gren. │ │43. │ │43. │ │43. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │8 Uhlan. Regt. │ (?) │ (?) │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │1 Brig.: │1 Brig.: │1 Brig.: │16 F. A. Rgt. │16 F. A. Rgt. │16 F. A. Rgt. │52 F. A. Rgt. │52 F. A. Rgt. │52 F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │1 Eng. Btn. (1 C. │1 Eng. Btn. (1 C. Liaisons. │ │ Dist.): │ Dist.): │ │ Field Co. 1 Pion. │ 271 Pion. Co. │ │ │ (Oct., 1917). │ │ 1 Pontoon Engs. │ 1 Pontoon Engs. │ │ 1 Tel. Detch. │ 1 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ 1 T. M. Co. │ │ │ │ │ │ 3d Co. 1 Pions. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │ │100 Labor Btn. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────

─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │1. │1 Gren. │1. │1 Gren. │ │3 Gren. │ │3 Gren. │ │43. │ │43. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │3d Sqn. 8 Uhlan. │3 Sqn. 8 Uhlan. │ Regt. │ Regt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │(z) Art. Commandt: │1 Art. Command: │16 F. A. Rgt. │ 16 F. A. Rgt. │52 F. A. Rgt. │ 1 Abt. 10 Ft. A. │ │ Rgt. (Staff. 1, │ │ 3, and 4 Btries.) │ │ 1083 Light Am. │ │ Col. │ │ 1095 Light Am. │ │ Col. │ │ 1096 Light Am. │ │ Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│112 Eng. Btn.: │110 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 3d Co. 1 Pions. │ 3 Co. 1 Pions. │ (z). │ │ 271 Pion. Co. │ 271 Pion. Co. │ 1 T. M. Co. │ 1 T. M. Co. │ 1 Tel. Detch. │ 108 Searchlight │ │ Section. │ 305, 311, 312, and│1 Signal Command: │ 392 Searchlight │ │ Sections. │ │ │ 1 Tel. Detch. │ │ 43 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │4 Ambulance Co. │4 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │Field Hospital. │13 Field Hospital. │1 Vet. Hospital. │16 Field Hospital. │ │1 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │M. T. Col. │534 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │66 M. G. S. S. │ │ Detch. │ │54, 55, 56, and 57 │ │ Light M. G. │ │ Sections. │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────

HISTORY.

1914–15.

Along with the 2d Division, the 1st Division forms the 1st Army Corps (Koenigsberg).

RUSSIA.

1. The 1st Army Corps was engaged on the Russian front at the very beginning of the war.

2. Up until November the 1st Division participated in the operations of East Prussia, and notably in the battle of Tannenberg (Aug. 27–29).

3. In December the two divisions of the 1st Corps separated. The 2d Division remained in the north; the 1st Division went to the 9th Army, from December, 1914, to January, 1915 (Bzura-Rawka), then to the Army of the South, operating in the Carpathians and on the Dniester, from February, 1915, to February, 1916.

1916.

FRANCE.

1. The division went to France in March, 1916. The 41st Infantry Regiment detrained March 13 near Metz; the 48th Infantry Regiment at Hagondange March 5.

VERDUN.

2. The division was put in line near Vaux April 20, fought in the bois de la Caillette in May, in the bois de Vaux Chapitre, and the bois Fumin in June and July. It suffered enormous losses there. In the 1st Company of the 41st Infantry Regiment, the numbers on the pay books passed from 1,359 (Apr. 10) to 1,674 (July 19), indicating the arrival of at least 316 reinforcements. From the beginning of the war until July, 1916, the regiment had received an average of 1,360 men per company.

RUSSIA.

3. At the end of July, 1916, the 1st Division, leaving behind the 41st Infantry Regiment, which fought before Verdun in August, was once more taken to the eastern front, where it formed part of the Carpathian Corps.

1917.

BUKOVINA.

1. In July, 1917, the division was in the Kirlibaba-Dorna-Vatra region. Beginning July 27, it followed up the retreating Russians, halting, early in August, in the Sereth region.

FRANCE.

2. The division entrained, the beginning of December, near Czernowitz, and was carried to the French front. (Itinerary: Kolomea, Stanislau, Lemberg, Tarnow, Oppeln, Breslau, Dresden, Leipsic, Halle, Cassel, Coblentz, Treves.) Ordered to Lorraine, it was sent to the region east of Etain, relieving the 13th Reserve Division and occupying the sector in front of Moulainville (Dec. 27; still there Jan. 23, 1918).

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

Theoretically, the regiments of the 1st Division are recruited in East Prussia, but since the 1st Corps District, sparsely populated and of restricted size, could not keep it up alone, the elements coming from outside this district are numerous. During the stay on the eastern front Alsace-Lorrainers were used in considerable number. While in France the division’s ranks were filled up with the aid of the abundant resources of Brandenburg and Silesia (3rd and 4th Corps Districts); consequently, the division does not display to any degree the local character like the majority of the German divisions.

The 1st Division was on the Russian front from August, 1914, until December, 1917, with the exception of the period April-July, 1916, during which it was engaged before Verdun.

The troops of the division fraternized with the Russians for about three weeks in April, but this came to an end early in May with the arrival opposite them of new Russian troops, who received their advances with bullets. (Inter. pris., Jan. 24, 1918.)

1918.

WOEVRE.

1. The division remained in line in the Verdun sector until relieved by the 11th Bavarian division about February 15.

2. It moved to the Conflans area, where it went through a course of training in open warfare in order to fit itself to become an assault division. At this time, too, it exchanged its Alsatians for Prussians of the 78th Reserve Division.

SOMME.

3. March 27 the division reinforced the front at Bray, north of the Somme. It fought until the 30th, and lost to such an extent that its companies, which had been filled up while in the Conflans area, were reduced to an average strength of 40 men.

4. It was withdrawn March 30, and rested immediately in rear of the position it had held in line until about April 19.

5. The following day the division went back into line just south of the Somme, and immediately suffered heavily. It was relieved May 2 by the 24th Reserve Division.

6. The division went to rest in the Peruwelz area, and then had some more training in the same region.

CHAMPAGNE.

7. Early in July the division was identified in reserve near Hirson.

8. July 16 it entered line near St. Hilaire, and was withdrawn the 20th.

RHEIMS.

9. It was immediately thrown into line in the Bois de Vrigny, where it fought in an attempt to prevent the Allies from annihilating the German troops in the Soissons-Chateau Thierry-Rheims pocket.

LAON.

10. About August 10 the division was withdrawn and went to rest in the region of Laon.

LAFFAUX.

11. September 3 it relieved the 27th Division near Laffaux, and, being surprised by a French attack, lost heavily (2,300 prisoners).

12. September 16 it was relieved by the 29th Division.

RHEIMS.

13. The division came back into line near Betheny (northeast of Rheims) on October 2 and was withdrawn about the 8th.

ST. FERGEUX.

14. It reentered line in the St. Fergeux region October 14, and was again withdrawn the 29th.

LIART.

15. November 7 the division was identified near Liart (south of Rocroi), and remained in line until the armistice.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as third class.

1st Reserve Division.

COMPOSITION.

─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │1 Res. │1 Res. │1 Res. │1 Res. │1 Res. │1 Res. │ │3 Res. │ │3 Res. │ │3 Res. │72 Res. │18 Res. │72 Res. │18 Res. │72 Res. │18 Res. │ │59 Res. │ │59 Res. │ │59 Res. │1 Res. │Jag. Btn.│1 Res. │Jag. Btn.│1 Res. │Jag. Btn. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │1 Res. Uhl. Rgt. (3│1 Res. Uhl. Rgt. │1 Res. Uhl. Rgt. │ Sqns.). │ │ │1 Res. Ers. Cav. │1 Res. Ers. Cav. │ │ Rgt. (3 Sqns.). │ Regt. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │1 Res. F. A. Rgt. │1 Res. F. A. Rgt. │1 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ (6 Btries.). │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │2 Eng. Btn. No. 1: │4 Field Co. 2d Liaisons. │ │ │ Pion. Btn. │ │ Res. Co. 1 Pion. │201 T. M. Co. │ │ Btn. │ │ │ 1 Res. Pontoon │1 Res. Pontoon │ │ Engs. │ Engs. │ │ 1 Res. Tel. Detch.│1 Res. Tel. Detch. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────

─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │1 Res. │1 Res. │1 Res. │1 Res. │ │3 Res. │ │3 Res. │ │59 Res. │ │ │1 Res. │Jag. Btn.│ │59 Res. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │1 Res. Uhl. Rgt. (.│4 Sqn. 2 Gd. Ulan │ Sqns.). │ Rgt. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │1 Res. F. A. Rgt. │1 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ (9 Btries.). │ │ │2 Abt. 1 Res. Ft. │ │ A. Rgt. │ │1363 Light Am. Col. │ │1390 Light Am. Col. │ │1393 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│301 Eng. Btn. (.): │301 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 4 Co. Pion. Btn. │ 4 Co. 2 Pions. │ │ │ 1 Co. Pion. Btn. │ 1 Co. 34 Res. │ │ Pions. │ 201 T. M. Co. │ 201 T. M. Co. │ 348 Searchlight │ 31 Searchlight │ Section. │ Section. │ Tel. Detch. │401 Signals │ │ Command: │ │ 401 Tel. Detch. │ │ 158 Wireless │ │ Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │501 Ambulance Co. │501 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │399 Field Hospital.│399 Field Hospital. │9 Res. Field │9 Res. Field │ Hospital. │ Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │137 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │M. T. Col. │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────

HISTORY.

1914–15.

RUSSIA.

1. The 1st Reserve Division was on the Russian front from August, 1914, until November 1, 1917, at which time it entrained for France.

EAST PRUSSIA-POLAND.

2. In 1914 it and the 36th Reserve Division formed the 1st Reserve Corps (Gen. Otto von Buelow). It took part in the operations of East Prussia (Hindenburg’s Army), in the Lodz maneuver (Von Mackensen’s Army), and in the combats on the Bzura.

3. In February, 1915, the division was in the Prasnysz region, northeast of the Bohr-Narew line.

COURLAND.

4. In May, as part of Eichhorn’s Army, it took part in the raid on Courland.

1916.

GALICIA.

1. It was on the Dvina in the Friedrichstadt region until July.

2. In August it was identified in Galicia, in Bothmer’s Army, opposed to the Broussiloff offensive. Here it had heavy losses. (The 11th Company of the 3d Infantry Regiment, in particular, was reduced to 30 men.) During September the division was reinforced. The depot at Friedrichstadt, near Warsaw, was completely emptied to make good its losses.

COURLAND.

3. Toward the end of September elements of the division were in line near Friedrichstadt, along the Dvina, in a calm sector. The 18th Reserve Infantry Regiment was attached to the newly formed 225th Division.

1917.

1. January 5, 1917, the division was taken to the Mitau region, where it helped stop the Russian attack. Losses in this sector were light, but there was considerable discontent due to the cold.

2. The division was relieved about the 15th of March and sent to the neighborhood of Gross-Eckau, near Mitau, where it rested two months.

RIGA.

3. The middle of May it was put back into line before Riga. It took part in the offensive against that city in September, stayed there from the 3d to the 7th of September, and then took up again its march toward the east. It organized its positions about 70 kilometers from Riga, near Hintzenberg (or Hildersberg?) (near Wenden) and established itself there.

FRANCE.

4. Relieved the end of October, it entrained near Wenden for the western front (Itinerary: Riga, Mitau, Kovno, Eidtkuhnen, Insterburg, Thorn, Posen, Lissa, Breslau, Cottbus, Leipsic, Erfuhrt, Frankfort-on-the-Main, Sarrebruecken, Thionville, Sedan, Vouziers.) It detrained November 6 at Semide (southeast of Vouziers).

CHAMPAGNE.

5. After a rest of two days, the division went into line in the St. Hilaire sector (east of Vaudesincourt-Auberive).

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The division was recruited in East Prussia and, as a result of insufficient local resources, from divers other localities—a great many Alsace-Lorrainers during the sojourn on the Russian front.

The 1st Reserve Division has taken part in all the important attacks which have taken place on the eastern front since the beginning of the war. It seems, however, from interrogation of deserters (in Champagne, November, 1917), that the cadres and men were little prepared for war as it was waged on the western front.

1918.

CHAMPAGNE.

1. The division remained in line east of Auberive until relieved by the 23d Division April 30.

MONTDIDIER.

2. May 13–14 it relieved the 76th Reserve Division in the Givesnes sector.

3. It was relieved August 4, but came back into line on the 10th a little farther to the north, in the region of Hangest-en-Santerre. It was withdrawn a few days later and rested several days in the neighborhood.

4. August 19 it relieved the 75th Reserve Division near Beuvraignes. It fought until relieved September 2.

ST. QUENTIN.

5. After 10 days’ rest it relieved the 21st Division near Le Verguier, northwest of St. Quentin. It was withdrawn on the 20th.

RIBEMONT.

6. October 1 the division relieved the 208th Division near Ribemont. Withdrawn October 31.

DOMPIERRE.

7. It came back into line November 7 and remained until the armistice.