Part 62
7. On the 16th of September the division was again in line south of La Bassee. Beginning October 1 it retreated on Bauvin, Pont a Vendin, Provin (16th), Attiches (18th), and toward the south of Tournai. It was last identified at Bany on November 10.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as second class. It was heavily engaged in 1918 as a follow-up division in the attacks and to hold important defensive sectors.
36th Reserve Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │69 Res. │21 Res. │69 Res. │21 Res. │69 Res. │21 Res. │ │61 Res. │ │61 Res. │ │61 Res. │70 Res. │5 Res. │70 Res. │5 Res. │70 Res. │5 Res. │ │54. │ │54. │ │54. │ │2 Res. │ │2 Res. │ │ │ Jag. Btn. │ Jag Btn. │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │1 Res. Hus. Rgt. (3│1 Res. Hus. Rgt. │ │ Sqns.). │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │36 Res. Rgt. (6 │36 Res. Rgt. (7 │36 Res. Rgt. (7 │ Btries.). │ Btries.). │ Btries.). │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│1 Res. Co. 2, Pion.│1 Res. Co. 2, Pion.│1 Res. Co. 2, Pion. Liaisons. │ No. 2. │ No. 2. │ No. 2. │ │ 2 Co. 32 Res. │ 236 T. M. Co. │ │ Pion. │ │ │ 36 Res. Pont. │ 36 Res. Pont. │ │ Engs. │ Engs. │ │ 36 Res. Tel. │ 36 Res. Tel. │ │ Detch. │ Detch. │ │ │ 80 Art. Survey │ │ │ Section. │ │ │ 24 Sound Ranging │ │ │ Section. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │ │217 Anti-Aircraft │ │ │ Detch. ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │69 Res. │5 Res. │69 Res. │54. │ │61 Res. │ │5 Res. │ │54. │ │61 Res. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │5 Sq. 2 Guard │5 Sqn. 2 Gd. Drag. │ Dragoon. │ Rgt. │1 and 2 Sqns. 1st │ │ Res. Uhlan Rgt. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │72 Art. Command: │72 Art. Command: │ │ │ 36 Res. Rgt. (9 │ 36 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ Btries.). │ │ │ 3 Abt. 4 Res. Ft. │ │ A. Rgt. │ │ 833 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1252 Light Am. │ │ Col. │ │ 1306 Light Am. │ │ Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│336 Pion. Btn. │2 Pion. Btn. Liaisons. │ │ │ 1 Res. Co., 2 │1 Co. 2 Pions. │ Pion. │ │ 236 T. M. Co. │1 Res. Co. 2 Pions. │ │ │ 436 Tel. Detch. │236 T. M. Co. │ │ │ │45 Searchlight │ │ Section. │ │436 Signal Command: │ │ │ │ 436 Tel. Detch. │ │ 119 Wireless │ │ Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │515 Ambulance Co. │515 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │398 Field Hospital.│10 Res. Field │ │ Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │12 Res. Field │ │ Hospital. │ │138 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │Light Mun. Col. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(17th Corps District—Western Prussia and the eastern part of Pomerania.)
1914.
EAST PRUSSIA.
1. At the outbreak of the war the 36th Reserve Division constituting, with the 1st Reserve Division, the 1st Reserve Corps, was engaged in East Prussia in the vicinity of Gumbinnen-Angerburg.
BZURA.
2. Assigned to the 9th German Army (Mackensen), it fought on November 6 on the left bank of the Vistula and on the Bzura at the beginning of December.
1915.
1. At the beginning of 1915 the 36th Reserve Division took part in the engagements on the line Bzura-Rawka-Bolimov (Jan. 4 and Feb. 5).
PRASNYSZ.
2. On February 13 the division entrained, with the entire 1st Reserve Corps, to reenforce the right wing of the Germany Army, which was pushing back the Russians from East Prussia. Detraining at Ostrolenka, it attacked in the vicinity of Mlawa, then near Prasnysz (April), where the Russian counterattacks caused it to suffer heavy losses.
COURLAND.
3. In May, it took part in the Hindenburg offensive in Courland. First occupying the sector of Jurburg, north of Niemen, it reached Ponieviej in July and from there pushed on to the vicinity of Dvinsk. The division suffered heavily during this period. On October 15, the 61st Reserve Infantry Regiment had an average of only 80 men per company (letter).
FRIEDRICHSTADT.
4. In December, the 36th Reserve Division occupied the sector of Friedrichstadt, southeast of Riga.
1916.
1. The division remained in its Courland sector (Friedrichstadt) until September 24, 1916.
GALICIA.
2. At the end of September and the beginning of October, it entrained at Libau and was transferred to Galicia. The 54th Infantry Regiment was engaged on October 3 east of Brzezany to oppose the advance of the Russians. The rest of the division rejoined the rest of the 54th Infantry Regiment on October 19, and remained in this area.
1917.
1. About the end of May, 1917, the 36th Reserve Division was relieved from the sector south of Brzezany and entrained near Rohatyn (Galicia) for the Western Front. Itinerary: Lemberg-Cracow-Oppeln-Munich- Karlsruhe.
LORRAINE.
2. Detraining in Lorraine on the 1st of June, the division received training until June 24. At this date, it took over a calm sector in Haye for a fortnight.
ARTOIS.
3. Sent to the vicinity of Lens in July, the 36th Reserve Division occupied the sector of Mericourt until the beginning of October.
FLANDERS.
4. About October 20, it went into line east of Ypres (north of Becelaere).
RECRUITING.
The 36th Reserve Division is recruited from West Prussia and the eastern part of Pomerania. It contained a large number of Alsace-Lorrainers during its stay on the Western Front.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
In Russia the 36th Reserve Division took part in several major operations.
It did not come to the Western Front until June, 1917.
1918.
BATTLE OF THE LYS.
1. The division was relieved in the Foret de Holthust on April 4 by the 1st Landwehr Division, and marched via Amersveld to Cortemarch, where it entrained and arrived at Courtrai on April 5. It left Courtrai on the 8th and marched toward Armentieres. On the 10th the division followed up the German advance in support of an assault division, and on the 11th came into action north of Armentieres. Losses were severe and the division retired about April 13 to rest. It returned in the Ploegsteert area on April 17 and went to rest in the Roulers area. On May 11, the division came back to line for the third time north of Hinges.
2. It was withdrawn about May 25, rested behind the front until June 11, when it relieved the 235th Division northwest of Bethune, which sector it held until about June 22.
LENS.
3. On June 26 the division entered line in Artois area, southeast of Loos. It held this quiet sector until October 2.
BELGIUM.
4. On the night of October 4–5 the division relieved the 16th Bavarian Division southwest of Roulers. From then until about November 4, the division fought first in the Roulers area, and after October 15, at Thielt (17th), Deynze (26th), Ecke (Nov. 2). It was withdrawn from line about November 4 and did not reenter.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. It was heavily engaged on the Lys in the spring without achieving much success. Thereafter the division was employed on the defensive.
37th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │73. │147. │73. │147. │73. │147. │ │151. │ │151. │ │151. │75. │146. │75. │146. │ │150. │ │150. │ │150. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │11 Drag. Rgt. │ │11 Drag. Rgt. (3 │ │ │ Squadrons). ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │37 Brig.: │37 Brig.: │37 Brig.: │ 73 Rgt. │ 73 Rgt. │ 73 Rgt. │ 82 Rgt. │ 82 Rgt. │ 82 Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │1 Pion. Btn. No. │1 Pion. Btn. No. Liaisons. │ │ 26: │ 26: │ │ Field Co. 26 Pion.│ 1 Co. 26 Pion. │ │ 37 Tel. Detch. │ 37 T. M. Co. │ │ 37 Pont. Engs. │ 37 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ 37 Pont. Engs. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │73. │147. │73. │147. │ │151. │ │150. │ │150. │ │151. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │3 Sq. 10 Jag. z. │3 Sqn. 10 Mounted │ Pf. │ Jag. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │37 Art. Command: │37 Art. Command: │ 73 Rgt. │ 73 F. A. Rgt. │ │ 2 Abt. 16 Ft. A. │ │ Rgt. (2, 9 and 10 │ │ Btries.). │ │ 846 Light Am. Col. │ │ 924 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1184 Light Am. │ │ Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│134 Pion. Btn.: │134 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 3 Co. 26 Pion. │ 3 Co. 26 Pions. │ 250 Pion Co. │ 250 Pion. Co. │ 37 T. M. Co. │ 37 T. M. Co. │ 250 Searchlight │ 63 Searchlight │ Section. │ Section. │ 37 Tel. Detch. │37 Signal Command: │ │ 37 Tel. Detch. │ │ 82 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │40 Ambulance Co. │49 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │317, 318 Field │317 Field Hospital. │ Hospital. │ │Vet. Hospital. │318 Field Hospital. │ │194 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │Light Mun. Col. │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(20th Corps District—East Prussia.)
1914.
Upon mobilization, the 37th Division, with the 41st Division, formed the 20th Army Corps (Allenstein).
RUSSIA.
1. At the beginning of the war the 37th Division was engaged on the Eastern Front. It took part in the battle of Tannenberg at the end of August, in the attempt against Warsaw in October, and in the battles on the Rawka during the winter of 1914 and 1915.
1915.
RUSSIA.
1. In April, 1915, the 37th Division was on the Narew. In May it ceded the 146th Infantry Regiment to the 101st Division, a new formation. The battles lasted until the end of July on the Narew, which was crossed on the 31st. The division was at Bielostok at the end of August, and entered Grodno on September 2.
2. In the course of September, it advanced from Niemen to the Berezina, and in October it occupied a sector in the vicinity of Dvinsk (Lake Sventen) on the stabilized front. It remained there until its departure for the Western Front in December, 1916.
1916.
1. One of its regiments, the 150th Infantry Regiment, was temporarily detached at the time of the Russian offensive of 1916 on the Stokhod and then made a part of the 91st Division.
FRANCE.
2. After taking part in the terrible battles on the Stokhod, in the course of which it suffered enormous losses, the 150th Infantry Regiment was transferred to Galicia at the end of September, 1916, and then returned to the 37th Division. The division was sent to the Western Front on December 10, 1916. Itinerary: Cracow-Breslau-Dresden-Leipzig- Nuremburg-Karlsruhe-Rastatt-Strassburg-Colmar-Neu Breisach.
1917.
UPPER ALSACE.
1. Regrouped with its three regiments in Upper Alsace (vicinity of Ferrette) at the end of 1916, the 37th Division spent some time at rest and, in the middle of January, 1917, went into line in the sector which extends from Niederlarg to the Swiss frontier.
The division occupied this sector until the month of May.
2. About May 1 it was relieved, entrained south of Mulhouse and sent to Charleville by way of Strassburg, Sarrebruecken, and Sedan, from which place it went to the vicinity of Gizy (6 kilometers from Sissonne).
AISNE.
3. After a week’s rest, it went into line on the Aisne at the Chemins des Dames, in the sector of Courtecon, which it occupied until the end of July.
4. During these two months (May 25 to the end of July), the 37th Division did not play an important rôle. However, units of the division carried out several local operations in the course of this period. On July 14, units from the three regiments aided by the assault troops of the 5th Assault Battalion, succeeded, at the expense of very heavy losses, in reducing a salient near the Cerny sugar refinery.
ST. GOBAIN.
5. On July 31 the 37th Division was relieved, and about August 3 went into line in the St. Gobain sector (in front of Coucy le Chateau) which it occupied until the end of November. On October 23 it suffered losses (Mont des Singes) from our bombardments. On the 24th the division withdrew its units across the canal and occupied the sector included between the Brancourt-Quincy road and Anizy.
RECRUITING.
The 37th Division is recruited from East and West Prussia. During its stay on the Eastern Front it contained a large number of Alsace- Lorrainers. Because of its circumscribed territorial extent, the 37th Division contains an admixture of elements coming from other districts (5th and 6th Corps Districts among others). Nevertheless, and in spite of their official designations (from Moravia, from Ermeland), its regiments are called “East Prussian” in the German communique of July 15, 1917.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
On July 14 and 15, 1917, the 37th Division attacked with great energy. At that time, it seemed to be of good quality and of high morale. However, according to statements of prisoners of the 151st Infantry Regiment made in September, October, and November, the morale appears to have weakened (Jan. 18, 1918).
1918.
LAON.
1. During January and early February the 37th Division and the 14th Reserve Division relieved each other in the St. Gobain sector (north of Soissons). It seems probable (though the fact has never been proved) that during one of its periods out of line, the 37th Division was given a course of training in open warfare. On February 20, the 37th relieved the 14th Reserve in the same sector, and it was in turn relieved by the 14th Reserve about the 9th of March.
PICARDY.
2. On March 21 the division reinforced the front near Benay (south of St. Quentin) attacking with such dash that it received special mention by Prof. Wegener in the Koelnische Zeitung. It was withdrawn on the 30th.
3. The division rested for a few days between Champs and Folembray (north of Soissons), and then entered line north of Thiescourt (west of Noyon) on the 9th of April. It was withdrawn about the 20th, and went to rest and refit in the area southeast of Avesnes.
AISNE.
4. On May 27, the first day of the battle of the Aisne, the division attacked near Presles (south of Laon), and advanced via Braine (the 28th) as far as the Troesnes-Longpont sector (east of Villers Cotterets). It was relieved by the 115th Division on the 4th of June, and went to the area northeast of Braine to rest and to be thoroughly trained.
MARNE.
5. It set out the evening of the 12th of July, and in two night marches, reached its point of assembly in the woods north of Verneuil (northeast of Dormans). It was planned that the 37th with three other divisions, forming the v. Conta Group, should “leap-frog” the divisions in line, and to sweep up the valley of the Marne, beginning with the line Vincelles-Antheney and ending at a line passing north of Avenay and north of Moslins. It was thought that this movement, combined with the push of the units to the east of Rheims, would result in the fall of that city and also of the Montagne de Rheims to the south. The division attacked on the 15th, crossed the Marne, reached the Bois du Chataignier (south of Mareuil-east of Dormans); and was stopped there. It delivered its last counterattack on the 19th, and the order having been given, crossed the Marne, and continued its retreat toward the north. It was identified by prisoners for the last time on the 28th in the vicinity of Champvoisy (north of Dormans). It then went to the Charleville area to rest and refit; the 10th Landwehr Division having been disbanded, the 372d Regiment was drafted to the regiments of the 37th Division.
VERDUN.
6. During the night of the 12th–13th of August, it relieved the 231st Division to the north of Avocourt (north of Verdun). It was relieved by the 117th Division about the 20th of September, and moved to the vicinity of Billy (south of Longuyon,) where it rested for about a week.
ARGONNE.
7. On September 26, it reinforced the 117th Division near Montfaucon, where they counterattacked the same day. It was heavily engaged until withdrawn October 1.
8. It moved some kilometres to the west, in the vicinity of Exermont, in anticipation of the American attack of October 4, and came into line in that region on the 5th. It was engaged in a number of minor actions, that proved quite costly; its losses in prisoners alone was 962. It was withdrawn on the 18th, and went to rest near Verpel (northeast of Grandpre).
9. On November 9, the division came back into line near Abaucourt (northeast of Verdun); it had not been withdrawn on the 11th.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.