Part 61
2. It was sent to rest near Bielostok, and at the end of September, 1915, the decision was made to send it to the Western Front.
3. It entrained at Grodno about October 6, and arrived about the 10th in the vicinity of Péronne where it was filled up. The 9th Company of the 176th Infantry Regiment received no less than 60 men between October 3 and 13.
FRANCE.
4. In the middle of October it went into the Roye sector and remained there during the entire winter of 1915–16.
1916.
SOMME.
1. About May 25, 1916, it went slightly to the north and occupied the sector between the Chaulnes-Amiens railroad and the south of Soyécourt.
2. At the beginning of July, when the Somme battle began, the 35th Division was holding the front from west of Vermandovillers to the south of Chilly. The 176th Infantry Regiment was sent into line in the sector of Herbécourt-Estrées on July 2 and lost 170 prisoners to the French. This regiment lost heavily in the French attack of July 20 between Belloy and the Ètoilé wood.
3. On September 4 and the days following the 35th Division was effecting a relief at the time of the French offensive and suffered considerably because of this (almost 2,000 prisoners, 39 of whom were officers).
4. It had to be retired from the front on September 8 and sent to rest at Ham. Between October 15 and 20 it again went into line from the southwest of Chaulnes to the southwest of Chilly.
5. According to official calculations, the 35th Division had casualties of 6,102 men, 68 per cent of the effectives engaged, in the course of the battle of the Somme.
1917.
ST. QUENTIN.
1. The 35th Division remained in the vicinity of Chaulnes until the German retirement. It took part in the retreat and established itself in the Hindenburg Line south of St. Quentin at the end of March.
ARTOIS.
2. After a few days of rest in the vicinity of Guise at the beginning of April, the division took part in the battle of Arras in the second half of April. At this time it lost about 50 per cent of its fighting men. The 141st Infantry Regiment received in May 135 to 140 men per company to make up for its losses (1918 class and men liberated by the dissolution of the 618th Infantry Regiment).
FLANDERS.
3. Sent to rest for the entire month of May in the vicinity of Lille and filled up by replacements of 3,000 men coming from the recruit depot at Warsaw on May 9, the 35th Division was sent into Belgium and occupied, on May 31, the banks of the Ypres-Comines Canal. On June 7 it lost heavily there (5,000 to 6,000 men, of whom 1,272 were prisoners).
4. Reorganized on June 11 in the vicinity of Cambrai, by replacements mostly made up of returned convalescents and wounded, the division was then sent into line in a calm sector north of St. Quentin, where it remained from June 21 to October 20.
FLANDERS.
5. On October 22 and 23 it reappeared on the Flanders front in the sector of the Houthulst wood. It had rather serious losses between October 22 and 25.
It was relieved on January 22, 1918, and sent to rest east of Bruges.
RECRUITING.
The 35th Division is recruited from western Prussia with some help from the 6th Corps District, especially in June, 1916 (important replacements made up of miners from Silesia). There is a rather large proportion of Poles, not only from the 17th Corps District, but also from the 5th and 6th Corps Districts.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 35th Division has taken part in numerous battles. Its quality has been greatly weakened by the incorporation of recruits of the 1918 class, and by the increase of the Polish elements.
The 35th Division appears to be a mediocre division (July, 1917).
The morale of the 141st Infantry Regiment, 50 per cent of which are Poles, appears poor. (November, 1917.)
1918.
YPRES.
1. The division was at rest east of Bruges (Maldeghem) until about February 17, when it was engaged in the vicinity of Merckem until March 20.
BATTLE OF THE LYS.
2. It entrained at Pitthem on the 22d and moved to Carvin. It was in reserve at Evin-Malmaison until March 27, and later in reserve south of Lens (near Rouvroy) until April 1. It was moved to Lille and engaged from April 8–9 to the 14th at Neuve-Chapelle, Lestrem, Locon, Neuf Berquin. In the fighting on April 12 the division lost heavily. It was withdrawn on April 14.
FLANDERS.
3. The division rested near Armentiers until May 5, during which period it was reviewed by the Kaiser. It was in the sector north of Bailleul from May 8 to July 3. At this time the company effectives of the division seems to have been about 50 men. The division rested at Bruges from the 5th to the 17th, when it returned to the Merckem sector and occupied it until August 18. Considerable replacements were received in mid-August by the division.
ARTOIS.
4. It rested near Lille (Aug. 19–24), and on August 25 was railed to Douai. On the 26th the division occupied the Drocourt-Queant line and fought in the area until about September 30, when it was relieved after losing 800 prisoners.
BATTLE OF CAMBRESIS.
5. The division was reengaged on October 1 northwest of Cambrai. It withdrew to Abancourt (9th), Hem-Lenglet (11th), Denain north of Maing, Famars (28th), northwest of Maresches (Nov. 1). It passed to second line about the 1st of the month, returning on November 9 near Harchies. The division was not in line on November 11.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as second class. It was considered as a good sector-holding division in 1918.
35th Reserve Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │5 Ldw. │2 Ldw. │5 Ldw. │2 Ldw. │5 Ldw. │2 Ldw. │ │ │ │ │ (Mixed)│ │ │9 Ldw. │ │9 Ldw. │ │9 Ldw. │(z) │107 Ldw. │(z) │107 Ldw. │ │107 Ldw. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │3d Res. Heavy │3d Res. Heavy │3d Res. Heavy │ Cavalry. │ Cavalry. │ Cavalry. │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │Ers. Abt. 35, 81 F.│35 Res. F. A. Rgt. │35 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ A. Rgt. │ │ 833d Battery. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│2 Pion. Btn. No. │2 Pion. Btn. No. │235 T. M. Co. Liaisons. │ 17. │ 17. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │ │5 Ldst. Pion. Co. │ │ │ 9th Corps. │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │167. │420. │167. │420. │ │ │ │ │ │421. │ │438. │ │438. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │2 Sq. 4 Jag. z. Pf.│Staff, 4 Horse Jag. │ │ Rgt. │ │2 Sqn. 4 Horse Jag. │ │ Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │Art. Command: │ (z) │ │ │ 35 Res. F. A. Rgt.│ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│335 Pion. Btn. │335 Pion. Btn. Liaisons. │ │ │1 Res. Co. 17 Pion.│1 Res. Co. 17 │ │ Pions. │235 T. M. Co. │149 Searchlight │ │ Section. │35 Res. Searchlight│435 Signal Command: │ Section. │ │Tel. Detch. │ 435 Tel. Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │238 Ambulance Co. │238 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │Field Hospital. │291 Field Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │435 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │Light Mun. Col. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │93 Brig. reenforced│ │ by 20 and 24 │ │ Ldst. Btns. │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(420th Infantry Regiment: 1st Corps District—East Prussia. 421st Infantry Regiment: 2d Corps District—Pomerania. 438th Infantry Regiment: 14th Corps District—Grand Duchy of Baden.)
1914.
The 35th Reserve Division is a Landwehr division. It has always occupied the Eastern Front.
POLAND.
1. At the outbreak of the war the 35th Reserve Division fought (Aug. 25–28) on the southern frontier of East Prussia, which it crossed. It took part in the Polish campaign—southwest of Warsaw in October and November, 1914, in the vicinity of Czenstochow in December.
1915.
GALICIA.
1. From January to March, 1915, the division was in line south of the Pilica. From April to June it took part in the operations in the Carpathians, then in the vicinity of Lemberg.
RUSSIA.
2. In the middle of July it was replaced near Sokal (Galicia) by the 39th Austrian Division and went south of Grabowiec. The pursuit of the Russians led it north of Cholm in the beginning of August, east of Brest-Litovsk, near Kobrin in September, then to the Chtchara at the mouth of the Oginski Canal in October.
3. It took up its position along the canal north of Logischin.
1916.
OGINSKI CANAL.
1. The 35th Reserve Division remained in line along the Oginski Canal for more than two years (Oct., 1915 to Feb., 1918).
2. About October, 1916, the 5th Landwehr Brigade (2d and 9th Landwehr Regiments) was assigned to the 226th Division (being formed in the Smorgoni sector). The 35th Reserve Division received two new regiments—the 420th and 421st Infantry Regiments.
1917.
OGINSKI CANAL.
1. The division was in the same sector.
In July, 1917, the 438th Infantry Regiment became a part of the 35th Reserve Division to replace the 107th Saxon Landwehr Regiment, which had been transferred to the 45th Landwehr Division (Saxon).
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
Composed of Landwehr and Landsturm elements, retained for more than two years in a calm sector of the Russian front, later in the Ukraine, the 35th Reserve Division has only a mediocre military value.
1918.
UKRAINE.
1. In March the division advanced into Ukraine, after having furnished men to the 10th Landwehr Division, which was about to leave for the Western Front. In this advance the division saw some fighting and consequently suffered some losses. In April the division was identified in the Gomel region. The division was identified in Ukraine early in October, and so its reported presence in Flanders on September 20 appears incorrect.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as fourth class.
36th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │69. │129. │69. │129. │71. │5 Gren. │ │175. │ │175. │ │175. │71. │5 Gren. │71. │5 Gren. │ │128. │ │128. │ │128. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │5 Hus. Rgt. │ │4 Sq. 5 Hus. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │36 Brig.: │36 Brig.: │36 Brig.: │ 36 Rgt. │ 36 Rgt. │ 36 Rgt. │ 72 Rgt. │ 72 Rgt. │ 72 Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │1 Pion. Btn. No. │1 Pion. Btn. No. Liaisons. │ │ 17: │ 17: │ │ Field Co. 17 Pion.│ 2 Co. 17 Pion. │ │ │ │ │ 36 Tel. Detch. │ 3 and 4 Cos. 35 │ │ │ Pion. │ │ 36 Pont. Engs. │ 3 Co. 36 Pion. │ │ │ 36 T. M. Co. │ │ │ │ │ │ 36 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ 36 Pont. Engs. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │71. │5 Gren. │71. │5. │ │175. │ │128. │ │128. │ │175. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │4 Sq. 5 Hus. Rgt. │4 Sq. 5 Hus. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │36 Art. Command: │36 Art. Command: │ 36 Rgt. │ 36 F. A. Rgt. │ │ 1 Abt. 4 Res. Ft. │ │ A. Rgt. │ │ 824 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1209 Light Am. │ │ Col. │ │ 1229 Light Am. │ │ Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│1 Pion. Btn. No. │17 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ 17: │ │ 3 and 5 Cos. 17 │ 3 Co. 17 Pions. │ Pion. │ │ 36 T. M. Co. │ 5 Co. 17 Pions. │ │ │ 36 Tel. Detch. │ 36 T. M. Co. │ │ 209 Searchlight │ │ Section. │ │36 Signal Command: │ │ 36 Tel. Detch. │ │ 62 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │43 Ambulance Co. │43 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │288, 290 Field │288 Field Hospital. │ Hospts. │ │36 Vet. Hospital. │290 Field Hospital. │ │36 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │569 M. T. Col. ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(17th Corps District—West Prussia.)
1914.
The 36th Division (with the 35th Division) was a part of the 17th Army Corps (Danzig).
EAST PRUSSIA-RUSSIA.
1. The 17th Army Corps, which comprises the 35th and 36th Divisions, was sent to East Prussia in August, 1914, where it belonged to the 8th Army, soon placed under the command of Von Hindenburg. With this army it took part in the battle of Tannenberg on August 30, and in the battle of Loetzen on September 9, then with the 9th German Army (Mackensen), in the battle of Radom, on October 6.
2. In the battles which mark the advance upon Warsaw and then the retreat, the regiments of the 36th Division, and especially the 5th Grenadier Regiment, suffered considerable losses (principally at Lodz between Nov. 23 and Dec. 6).
1915.
1. During the winter of 1914–15 the 36th Division, with the 17th Army Corps, took part in the actions along the Bzura until June. In July it was on the Narew, later on the right bank of the Bug, and at the beginning of September on the Chtchara River.
2. At the end of September, 1915, at the time of the pressure exerted by the Franco-British offensive, the 17th Army Corps entrained for the Western Front.
FRANCE.
3. Detraining at Peronne on October 10, it was sent to rest in the vicinity of Ham until October 16. At this date it went into line in the Roye sector. Until the battle of the Somme it was not seriously engaged.
1916.
SOMME.
1. Upon the outbreak of the Franco-British offensive on the Somme in July, 1916, the 36th Division occupied the sector included between the south of Chilly and the north of Andechy. It was not engaged as a whole until October, the time when the battle front extended as far as the Chaulnes-Chilly sector. Until then it had only sent detached units to reenforce certain points south of the river.
2. About the end of September it occupied the front from north of Fouquescourt to the Chaulnes railroad. Relieved between October 15 and 20, and sent to rest between Nesle and Ham, it had to go back into line on October 24–25 to replace, in the sector south of Ablaincourt-Chaulnes wood, the divisions which our attacks north of Chaulnes had exhausted. Its regiments lost heavily during this period. The 128th Infantry Regiment lost more than the others, especially on November 7, 10, and 11.
3. On December 8 the 36th Division left the front north of Chaulnes and was sent north of Roye to the Fouquescourt sector.
1917.
ST. QUENTIN.
1. On March 17, 1917, it was included in the retirement and withdrew to the Hindenburg Line, where it established itself, on March 23, south of St. Quentin.
ARTOIS.
2. After a month’s rest (Apr. 9-May 9) behind the front, the 36th Division went into line southeast of Arras in the Guemappe sector. It had only a few local engagements there and did not suffer any great losses.
3. It then spent a part of June at rest in the Douai area and took up its position on July 4 in the sector of Oppy-Gavrelle (Artois). It did not take part in any serious engagements there.
YPRES.
4. Relieved at the end of August, it entrained at Douai on the 28th for Courtrai and Isegsem. Sent on September 10–11 into the sector of Poelcapelle, it had to be replaced there on the 23d because of the heavy losses which it received from the British attack.
5. The division left Flanders on September 27 to occupy a calm sector west of St. Quentin, where it still was at the beginning of February, 1918.
RECRUITING.
The 36th Division is recruited from the same region as the 35th Division.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 36th Division was an excellent combat division.
In the battles of the Somme and of Arras the 36th Division gave a good account of itself.
On the Ypres front the combat spirit of the division was less energetic than in the preceding battles. The British Artillery, however, had reduced its effectives by one-half.
1918.
BATTLE OF PICARDY.
1. The division was relieved in the sector north of St. Quentin about February 1 and entered the sector south of St. Quentin within a few days. It was in line when the Somme offensive came off and advanced in the front line by Essigny le Grand, Clastres, Brouchy, Guiscard, Campagne, Candor. From the 23d to the 25th it was in second line. On the 25th it was reengaged in the Lassigny area. The division was relieved on April 8.
2. The division rested in close support southeast of Roye until April 20. A draft of 300 men was received about this time.
3. On April 20 the division was engaged southeast of Montdidier (Rollet) until April 28. It was in reserve from the 28th to the beginning of May in the vicinity of Roye. A draft of 1,000 men was received on April 29. On May 9 the division was moved to Wasigny, where it rested until the 22d. It marched toward the Aisne front by night from May 22 to 27 via Rozoy sur Serre, Montcornet, Liesse, Montaigu.
BATTLE OF THE AISNE.
4. The division had in line on the 27th only one battalion of the 128th Regiment (near Winterberg). The rest of the division followed the advance in reserve, passing through Villers en Prayeres, Fismes, Villers sur Fere. It was engaged from May 29 to the middle of June at Courmont, Fresnes (29th), Jaulgonne (31st), east of Chateau Thierry. The division withdrew from the sector east of Chateau Thierry about June 30.
SECOND BATTLE OF THE MARNE.
5. It rested in the salient (near Fere en Tardenois) until July 14, undergoing reconstitution. On that date it marched to the front and was engaged the next day. It crossed the Marne and penetrated south of Charteves, but was stopped and thrown back on Mezy and Fossoy. From July 20 to 22 it was in second line. Reengaged south of the Ourcq on 22d, the division fought at Rocourt and Villeneuve sur Fere until July 27.
BATTLE OF THE SOMME.
6. The division rested near Laon in early August. It was brought up to resist the British attack north of Bapaume on August 24. It was still under strength and was unable to check the advance. It was forced to fall back on Vaulx Vraucourt, Ecoust St. Mein (27th–30th), Pronville, and Inchy (Sept. 2–3). The losses in prisoners amounted to 800 in this fighting.