Part 59
1. The division was relieved on January 15 by the 49th Reserve Division and rested near Tournai until the beginning of March. It was railed to Wambrechies and entered the line northwest of Lille about March 1. About the 4th of April it was moved south and on April 9 was engaged at Fleurbaix. It was withdrawn to rest on the 16th to Armentieres and returned to line on the 18th, relieving the 117th Division. It was in line until May 8, during which time it suffered heavy losses. A replacement of 450 men was received on April 17.
2. Relieved by the 35th Division, it rested in rear of the Lys front until May 26, when it took over the sector west of Merville and held it until the end of June.
WOEVRE.
3. It was relieved about July 1 and railed to Lorraine, detraining near Spincourt on July 4. About this time, the division received a draft of 1500 men. It was in line at Eix-Bezonveaux from July 15 to October 1, a very quiet sector. The troops were marched to the rear on that date and rested in the Eton-Loison area for two days. On the 3d the division marched to Penard-Tilly, where it rested until the 5th, and on that night marched to Breville. It came into line on October 9 on the right bank of the Meuse, and was engaged in the Bois de Moirey region until October 24. Losses were heavy, some companies being reduced to 15 men. On November 3 the division reappeared in its former sector of Bezonvaux, relieving the 106th A. H. D. It held this sector until the armistice.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. It did well on the Lys in April, but after that was not seriously engaged except for a few days in October, when it was brought up to resist an American attack east of the Meuse. In the fighting it did not distinguish itself. The morale of the division was low in the latter half of 1918.
33d Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │66. │98. │66. │98. │66. │98. │ │130. │ │130. │ │130. │67. │135. │67. │135. │67. │135. │ │144. │ │144. │ │144. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │12 Jag. z. Pf. │ │4 Sqn. 12 Jag. z. │ │ │ Pf. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │33 Brig.: │33 Brig.: │33 Brig.: │ 33 Rgt. │ 33 Rgt. │ 33 Rgt. │ 34 Rgt. │ 34 Rgt. │ 34 Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │1 Pion. Btn. No. │1 Pion. Btn. No. Liaisons. │ │ 16: │ 16: │ │ Field Co. 16 Pion.│ 1 Co. 16 Pion. │ │ │ │ │ 33 Tel. Detch. │ Field Co. 20 Pion. │ │ │ │ │ 33 Pont. Engs. │ 33 T. M. Co. │ │ │ │ │ │ 33 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ │ │ │ 33 Pont. Engs. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │66. │98. │66. │98. │ │135. │ │130. │ │130. │ │135. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │4 Sqn. 12 Jag. z. │4 Sqn. 12 Horse │ Pf. │ Jag. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │33 Art. Command: │33 Art. Command: │ 283 Rgt. │ 283 F. A. Rgt. │ │ 76 Ft. A. Btn. │ │ 883 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1372 Light Am. │ │ Col. │ │ 1373 Light Am. │ │ Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│132 Pion. Btn.: │16 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 1 and 5 Cos. 16 │ 5 Co. 16 Pions. │ Pion. │ │ 1 Res. Co. 16 │ 1 Res. Co. 16 │ Pion. │ Pion. │ 33 T. M. Co. │ 34 Searchlight │ │ Section. │ (16) Searchlight │33 Signal Command: │ Section. │ │ 33 Tel. Detch. │ 33 Tel. Detch. │ │ 74 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │42 Ambulance Co. │42 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │280, 282 Field │282 Field Hospital. │ Hospitals. │ │Vet. Hospital. │33 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │Light Mun. Col. │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(16th Corps District—Lorraine.)
1914.
At the beginning of the war the 33d Division, with the 34th Division, formed the 16th Army Corps (Metz). Reservists began arriving on July 29 (Soldbuecher).
1. At the outbreak of hostilities the 33d Division was a part of the 5th Army (German Crown Prince). It invaded France by way of Audun le Roman, went around by the north of Verdun, crossed the Meuse at Givry on September 1 and advanced as far as Rambluzin and Heippes (20 kilometers south of Verdun).
ARGONNE.
2. After the battle of the Marne it took up its position in the Argonne. Its advance had been costly. On September 24 the new commander of the 98th Infantry Regiment found it reduced 13 officers and 982 men (document).
1915.
ARGONNE.
1. The 33d Division remained without interruption in the Argonne from September, 1914, to about the middle of August, 1916.
1916.
VERDUN.
1. About August 10, 1916, the division was relieved from the Argonne and, after a short rest behind the front, was sent into the line at Verdun, east of Fleury.
2. In this sector, the division lost rather heavily. It remained there until the middle of September, at which time it took its place in the sector Vauquois, giving the 144th Infantry Regiment to the 223d Division, a new formation.
ARGONNE.
3. During this latter period, which extended up to the middle of December, the division was reorganized and absorbed the 4th Battalion, suppressed, on October 31, in the 27th Landwehr Regiment. At the same time, the 4th Battalions which the regiments of the division possessed, were broken up.
SOMME.
4. Transferred to the Somme about December 15, it there occupied the sector east of Beaumont-Hamel and did not leave it until February 8, 1917. During these two months, its losses were rather serious.
1917.
ARGONNE.
1. Sent to rest in the Sedan area, the 33d Division went back into its old sector Vauquois at the end of February, 1917. No important event marks its stay in the Argonne after that time.
CHAMPAGNE.
2. On May 3, it was relieved and transferred to Champagne. It marched as far as Pont Faverger and went into line at Cornillet and Mont Blond. It took part in the battle on this front and suffered some losses (172 prisoners from the 130th Infantry Regiment on May 20).
ARGONNE.
3. Withdrawn from this region at the end of May, it was again sent to the Argonne (Boureuilles-Vauquois), about June 7.
CHAMPAGNE.
4. At the end of September it came out of the Argonne, and about October 4 went to the area of Tahure, where it remained in line until February, 1918.
RECRUITING.
Not being able to utilize the regional system of recruiting from annexed Lorraine, the 33d Division is composed almost entirely of Westphalians from the 7th Corps District.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 16th Army Corps, of which the 33d Division is a part, has always had the reputation of being one of the best corps of the German Army.
Although the 33d Division lost very heavily during the offensive of April and May, 1917, it still appeared strong (October, 1917).
1918.
1. The division was relieved on January 4 by the 28th Reserve Division and went to rest and train in the area northwest of Sedan. On March 14 it was railed to the vicinity of Rozoy sur Serre and rested a week north of Montcornet. From there the division proceeded by night marches via Montcornet-Crecy sur Serre-Monceau le Neuf-Ribemont-Mezieres-Moy-ly Fontaine-Gibercourt-Montescourt-Jussy-Flavy le Martel, where it arrived on March 23. On the following night the division was billeted in Villeselve and came into line astride the Ham-Noyon road on March 24.
BATTLE OF PICARDY.
2. On the 25th the division fought its way through Noyon and on the following days was engaged in heavy fighting about Suzoy and Mont Renaud, which it failed to capture in spite of heavy sacrifices. It was withdrawn on April 15.
3. The division rested from April 15 to May 24 in the vicinity of Dercy, Mortiers, Pierrepont, and Barenton sur Serre undergoing reconstitution. It marched to the Aisne front by Coucy les Eppes, Bruyeres, and Chamouille.
BATTLE OF THE AISNE.
4. The division was engaged on May 27 in the front line of the attack and advanced by Pancy, Courtecon, Verneuil, Pont-Arcy, Dhuizel, Courcelles, Jouaignes (20th), Oulchy la Ville, south of Neuilly St. Front, Dammard. In this last region losses were heavy on June 2. It was relieved by the 78th Reserve Division on June 3.
SECOND BATTLE OF THE MARNE.
5. The division rested south of Soissons from June 7 to July 11, when it marched to the Marne front by Braisne, Fere en Tardenois, Foret de Ris. It was in reserve on the 15th on the north of the Marne, west of Dormans. On the 17th–18th it fell back on Beuvardes and Grisolles and was engaged the next day southeast of Neuilly St. Front. In the heavy fighting of the following days the division was thrown back south of Oulchy le Chateau toward Fere en Tardenois (July 21–23). The division withdrew until the Vesle was reached when it was relieved about July 31.
VERDUN.
6. The division entrained southeast of Montcornet on August 6 and was moved to Avocourt via Sedan-Charleville-Montmedy. It rested southeast of Stenay until August 15. Replacements were received from the dissolved 33d Reserve Division in August. On August 21, the division entered line near Ornes (north of Verdun) where it remained until the armistice.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as first class. It was used as an assault division in the Somme and Aisne offensives of 1918. It was disorganized by its losses in the Marne retreat and never recovered its offensive value.
33d Reserve Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │66 Res. │67 Res. │66 Res. │67 Res. │66 Res. │67 Res. │ │130 Res. │ │130 Res. │ │130 Res. │8 Bav. │4 Bav. │8 Bav. │4 Bav. │8 Bav. │4 Bav. │ │8 Bav. │ │8 Bav. │ │8 Bav. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │2 Res. Hus. Rgt. (3│2 Res. Hus. Rgt. │2 Res. Hus. Rgt. │ Sqns.). │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │4 Ers. Abts. of 33,│Ers. Abts. of 33, │33 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ 34, 69, 70 F. A. │ 34, 69, 70 F. A. │ │ Rgts. │ Rgts. combined │ │ │ into 33 Res. F. │ │ │ A. Rgt. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │3 Pion. Btn. No. │4 Field Co. 16 Liaisons. │ │ 16: │ Pion. Btn.: │ │ 1 Ers. Co. 20 │ 1 Ldw. Pion. Co 4, │ │ Pion. │ corps. │ │ 1 Ldw. Pion. Co. │ 233 T. M. Co. │ │ 4, Corps. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ 33 Res. Pont. │ 33 Pont. Engs. │ │ Engs. │ │ │ 33 Res. Tel. │ 33 Res. Tel. │ │ Detch. │ Detch. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Odd units. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │Battery of 8 Ft. A.│4 Anti-Aircraft │ │ R. │ Detch. │ │3 Abt. 18 Ft. A. R.│ │ │ (elements). │ │ │2 Btry. 8 Res. Ft. │ │ │ A. R. │ │ │1 and 2 Btries. 2 │ │ │ Abt. 16 Ft. A. R.│ │ │2 Abt. 2 Bav. Res. │ │ │ Ft. A. R. │ │ │ (elements). │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918[18] ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │66 Res. │67 Res. │66 Res. │364. │ │130 Res. │ │67 Res. │ │364. │ │130 Res. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │4 Sqn. 19 Hus. Rgt.│ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │33 Res. F. A. Rgt. │33 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│233 Pion. Btn.: │333 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 1 Ers. Co. 20 │ 333 Pion. Co. │ Pion. │ │ 1 Ldw. Co. 4 Pion.│ 1 Ldw. Co. 4 C. │ │ Dist. Pions. (in │ │ 3 Pion. Btn. No. │ │ 16). │ 233 T. M. Co. │ 14 Searchlight │ │ Section. │ 14 Searchlight │ 233 T. M. Co. │ Section. │ │ 433 Tel. Detch. │ 433 Tel. Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │274 Ambulance Co. │273 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │47 and 51 Field │51 Field Hospital. │ Hospitals. │ │Vet. Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │873 Light Mun. Col.│M. T. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Odd units. │ │646 Supply Depot. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │47 F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴─────────────────── Footnote 18:
Composition at the time of dissolution September, 1918.
HISTORY.
(16th Corps District—Lorraine.)
1914.
LORRAINE.
1. Formed at Metz with the 8th Bavarian Brigade and the 66th Reserve Brigade, the 33d Reserve Division was a part of the 5th Army (German Crown Prince) at the outbreak of the war. In August, 1914, it took part in the battles of Nomeny and went to Verdun by way of Gondrecourt, Rouvres, Étain. On August 24 and 25 it was in action at Étain and suffered heavily. On August 26 the 10th Company of the 8th Bavarian Regiment had only 75 men left (notebook).
At the beginning of September, it occupied both banks of the Moselle south of Pont à Mousson, and about September 15 the vicinity of Thiaucourt.
WOEVRE-LES ÉPARGES.
2. At the end of September and the beginning of October it went back into the sector South of Étain (Riaville, Bracquis). On October 8 the 8th Bavarian Brigade attacked Champlon and Fresnes; the 67th Reserve Regiment attacked the Ville en Woëvre on October 9. After these battles, the 33d Reserve Division took up its position on the Côtes de Meuse (Combres, Les Éparges).
3. In November the 66th Reserve Brigade was in Flanders—on the Yser Canal from November 16 to 24, and left for Lorraine on November 25.
1915.
CÔTES DE MEUSE.
1. The 33d Reserve Division remained in line on the Côtes de Meuse until the end of July, 1916.
2. About January 17, 1915, elements of the 66th Reserve Brigade were sent to the Bois le Pretre and suffered heavy losses. They rejoined the division on the Côtes at the end of January.
LES EPARGES.
3. From February to the end of April, 1915, the 33d Reserve Division took part in the battles of Combres and of Les Éparges; it lost very heavily there, especially in the actions of February 17 to 20. From April 15 to May 1 no less than 140 men were sent as replacements to the 12th Company of the 67th Reserve Regiment.
4. After reorganization the 33d Reserve Division went to the calmer sector of Vaux les Palameix, Lamorville.
CALONNE.
5. The division once more suffered heavy losses in the Calonne trench in May, 1915.
6. On July 17, 1915, the 130th Reserve Infantry Regiment was sent in support of an attack on Les Éparges. After this period the 33d Reserve Division occupied the sector south of Vaux les Palameix (Chevaliers wood, Bouchot wood) without taking part in any important engagement.
1916.
1. On July 25, 1916, the division was relieved from the Côtes de Meuse and sent to rest until August 25 in the area north of Briey. At this time the 8th Bavarian Brigade was detached from the 33d Reserve Division to serve in forming the 14th Bavarian Division and the 33d Reserve Division was reorganized with three regiments, with the 66th Reserve Brigade and the 364th Infantry Regiment (coming from the 8th Ersatz Division).
VERDUN.
2. On August 26 the division went into line on the front north of Verdun, southwest of the fort of Vaux. It took part in the battles from September 2 to 9 in the Vaux Chapitre wood and suffered very heavy losses. The 12th Company of the 67th Reserve Infantry Regiment received at least 142 men as replacements from September 13 to 21.
3. After being reorganized the division underwent the French attack of October 24, which again caused it considerable losses. Upon its relief the 2d Battalion of the 130th Reserve Infantry Regiment was reduced to 45 combatants. (Notebook of an aspirant officer.)
4. Withdrawn from the front on November 1, the 33d Reserve Division was sent to rest and to be reorganized. It had suffered so heavily that among the reenforcements at the beginning of 1917 we find untrained men of the Landsturm II Ban.
LORRAINE.
5. The division was then sent to Lorraine to the Blamont sector.
1917.
1. The division held the Lorraine front until March 10, 1917.
CHEMIN DES DAMES.
2. After a month’s rest in the vicinity of Sarreburg, the 33d Reserve Division was transferred to Marle (Apr. 16–19). On April 21 and 22 elements of the division were distributed upon different points of the Aisne front to replace the units exhausted by the French attack of April 16, and soon afterwards were regrouped north of Laffaux Mill. The 33d Reserve Division suffered very heavy losses withstanding the French attack of May 5 and counterattacking on the days following (May 5–7) (1,000 prisoners); almost the entire 2d Battalion of the 67th Reserve Infantry Regiment was captured.
3. Withdrawn in part from the Aisne front on May 12, the 33d Division again had some of its units in action between the Aisne Canal and Laffaux Mill until May 23 (German attack of May 16, where the 130th Reserve Infantry Regiment suffered heavy losses).
4. At the end of May the 33d Reserve Division returned to the vicinity of Sarreburg to rest and be reorganized. It received recruits not only from the recruit depot of Beverloo, but also from the depot at Warsaw.
LORRAINE.
5. About June 10 it again took over its former sector in Lorraine (Blamont-Leintry).
VERDUN.
6. On August 23 the division went into action on the Verdun front (sector of Baumont-Chaume wood). It underwent the French attack of the 26th where it suffered heavily. It again had recourse to the Warsaw recruit depot which sent it, among other reenforcements, untrained men of the Landsturm second Ban.