Part 66
1. The 41st Division was relieved in the sector north of Ypres by the 38th Division toward the end of January, and went to rest near Bruges. While here the artillery received new guns, and it seems probable that the division was put through a course of training.
2. During the night of February 25–26 the division relieved the 2d Guard Reserve Division south of Westroosebeke (northeast of Ypres). About the 4th of March it was relieved by the 38th Division and went to rest in the Turcoing area.
ARRAS.
3. On the 26th of March the division was identified near Oppy (northeast of Arras). Here it was heavily engaged, and the attack which it attempted broke down through heavy casualties.
ALBERT.
4. The division was identified in the same area on the 28th, but not afterwards, and so it was very likely withdrawn during the next day or two. Early in April the division moved up in support of the 21st Reserve Division in the Beaumont-Hamel region (north of Albert), and during the night of the 7th–8th it relieved the 1st Guard Reserve Division a little farther to the north in the Puisieux sector (east of Hébuterne). On the 14th of April the division extended its front to the south so as to relieve the 24th Division. On the 11th of June it was relieved by the 26th Reserve Division and went to rest and refit in the Douai area.
5. On the 9th of July it relieved the 108th Division east of Villers- Bretonneux (east of Amiens). Here it was caught in the Allied drive of August 8, and after losing over 1,700 prisoners was withdrawn on the 10th.
6. After resting a fortnight immediately behind the front, it came back into line near Cappy (southeast of Bray) on the 25th. In the fighting that followed the division lost more than 800 prisoners, and even more killed and wounded. It was relieved early in September and went to rest and to be reconstituted near Château Salins (northeast of Nancy). On September 8 it received as a draft what was left of the dissolved 18th Reserve Regiment (225th Division disbanded).
ARGONNE.
7. Leaving Metz on October 6 and traveling via St. Juvin, the division reenforced the front near Sommerance (east of Grandpré) on the 9th to meet the American push of the 8th. It was withdrawn on the 31st after having suffered very heavy losses.
8. It rested a day or two immediately in rear of the front, and on the 3d it was thrown in near Nouart (southwest of Stenay), the Americans having attacked again on the 1st. It was again withdrawn on the 8th, and did not come back into line.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The 41st has been considered a second-class division. With the exception of its engagements in the spring near Albert and in the Argonne in October and November, it has not done a great deal of fighting during the year; during this fighting, however, it suffered very severely, so that when it was withdrawn on the 8th of November its companies did not have an average combatant strength of 25. On June 6 the commanding general issued an order indicating an increase in the number of instances in which subordinates emphatically refused to accompany their units into line and in which officers neglected to enforce obedience to orders, and insisting that the evil be remedied even though the men had to be shot.
42d Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │59. │97. │59. │97. │65. │17. │ │138. │ │138. │ │131. │65. │17. │65. │17. │ │138. │ │131. │ │131. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │7 Uhlan Rgt. │1 Sqn. 7 Uhlan Rgt.│1 Sqn. 7 Uhlan Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │42 Brig.: │42 Brig.: │42 Brig.: │8 F. A. Rgt. │8 F. A. Rgt. │ 8 F. A. Rgt. │15 F. A. Rgt. │15 F. A. Rgt. │ 15 F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│3 Field Co. (1 │3 and 5 Field Cos. │3 and 5 Field Cos. Liaisons. │ Pion. Btn. No. │ (1 Pion. Btn. No.│ (1 Pion. Btn. No. │ 27). │ 27). │ 27). │ │42 Pont. Engs. │42 T. M. Co. │ │ │ │ │42 Tel. Detch. │42 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ │ │ │42 Pont. Engs. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │65. │17. │65. │17. │ │131. │ │131. │ │138. │ │138. │ Gd. Res. Jag. Btn.│ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │1 Sqn. 7 Drag. Rgt.│1 Sqn. 7 Drag. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │42 Art. Command: │42 Art. Command: │ 15 F. A. Rgt. │ 15 F. A. Rgt. │ │ 2 Abt. 15 Ft. A. │ │ Rgt. (4, 11, and │ │ 12 Btries.). │ │ 804 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1044 Light Am. │ │ Col. │ │ 11045 Light Am. │ │ Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│(1/27 or 136 Pion. │27 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ Btn.): │ │ │ │ 3 Field Co. 27 │ 3 Co. 27 Pions. │ Pions. │ │ 5 Field Co. 27 │ 5 Co. 27 Pions. │ Pions. │ │ 42 T. M. Co. │ 42 T. M. Co. │ 229 Searchlight │ 14 Searchlight │ Section. │ Section. │ 345 Searchlight │42 Signal Command: │ Section. │ │ Tel. Detch. │ 42 Tel. Detch. │ │ 147 Wireless │ │ Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │263 Ambulance Co. │263 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │Field Hospital. │269 Field Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │368 Field Hospital. │ │162 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │M. T. Col. │575 M. T. Col. ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(21st Corps District—Lorraine.)
1914.
LORRAINE.
1. Upon mobilization, the 42d Division and the 31st Division formed the 21st Army Corps.
It was a part of the 6th Army (Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria), and fought, at the beginning of August, 1914, across the Lorraine frontier, in the vicinity of Château Salins, Dieuze, Rechicourt (Aug. 5–12). Engaged on the 20th northeast of Dieuze, the 42d Division reached Lunéville on the 22d and attacked Rehainviller and Gerbeviller on the 24th. These days had been very costly. On August 26 the 121st Infantry Regiment was reduced to 31 officers and 1,562 men. (Official Document.)
2. At the beginning of September it was sent to reenforce the 2d Bavarian Corps. On September 3 it was in the vicinity of Moyen-Domptail. It retired to Dieuze (Sept. 11–13) and entrained at Boulay on the 18th, for Cambrai.
SOMME.
3. On September 24 it was on the Somme. It fought at Gruny, Maucourt, in the vicinity of Chaulnes-Pressoire (end of September to beginning of October). It took up its position on the Chaulnes front, along the road from Amiens to St. Quentin (November-December).
1915.
1. The 42d Division occupied the lines north of Chaulnes until the end of January, 1915. On December 26, the losses of the 131st Infantry Regiment since the beginning of the campaign amounted to 87 officers and 3,233 men. (Official List of Casualties.)
2. About January 25 the 42d Division was relieved and entrained for the Eastern Front with the 31st Division (21st Army Corps).
3. Concentrated in East Prussia at the beginning of February, it formed a part of the Hindenburg Army which was to force the Russians across the frontier.
4. From the vicinity of Augustowo (Feb. 14) it advanced rapidly to the east; it reached Sopockin on the 20th, and took up its position with the 21st Army Corps on the line Sopockin-Chtabine (north of Grodno). On March 9 the violent Russian counterattacks caused it heavy losses.
MARIAMPOL.
5. At the beginning of March the 42d Division bore to the north; it was at Kalwarjia on March 26; occupied the vicinity of Mariampol on April 2. It fought in this sector from March 29 to April 24 and remained there until August. (On Apr. 13 the losses of the first two battalions of the 131st Infantry Regiment since the 6th of February had been 1,672 men, according to the Official Casualty List. The 7th Company had only 65 men left on Apr. 7.)
VILNA.
6. Renewing its forward march, the division reached Vilna on August 30; continuing toward the east, it reached Herviaty-Vorniany on September 20, then went toward Lake Narotch, vicinity of Postavy, where the front became stable.
In the autumn the 97th Infantry Regiment was transferred to the 108th Division, a new formation.
1916.
LAKE NAROTCH.
1. The 42d Division held its positions at Lake Narotch until April, 1917.
2. At the end of March, 1916, it sustained the Russian attacks and suffered great losses.
1917.
GALICIA.
1. On April 24, 1917, the 42d Division was relieved from the sector of Lake Narotch and entrained at Vilna for the Western Front. The activity along the Galician front caused its itinerary to be modified, and from Warsaw it was sent to Lemberg. In reserve first, it went into action on July 20 in the German counteroffensive of Brzezany, which took it to the region south of Tarnopol (Grjimalov, July 31).
RIGA.
2. Withdrawn from the Galician front at the beginning of August, it entrained at Lemberg on the 24th, and was transferred to Neugut (between Mitau and Jakobstadt) on August 27. It took part in the advance to Riga; one of its regiments crossed the Dvina, in the vicinity of Uxkull, on September 1.
OESEL ISLAND.
3. At the end of September it was sent to Libau, where important forces were being concentrated for the occupation of the islands in the Baltic. On October 12 the 131st Infantry Regiment landed on the Oesel Island, which it occupied until November 1. The 138th Infantry Regiment remained at Moon until October 25. At the beginning of November the 42d Division was transferred to the vicinity of Kovel. At the end of November it took over a calm sector in the vicinity of Kachovka.
FRANCE.
4. Entraining at Kovel on December 23, it arrived in France on December 28. (Itinerary: Warsaw-Thorn-Posen-Leipzig-Dortmund-Cologne-Herbestal- Brussels. It detrained at Ascq on the 28th.)
5. After a stay in the vicinity of Lille, it relieved the 4th Division east of Armentières on January 23, 1918.
RECRUITING.
As the regional system of recruiting could not furnish dependable elements, the 42d Division is principally recruited from Westphalia and the Rhine Province. The Alsace-Lorrainers were fairly numerous, however, during the stay of the division on the Russian front.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 42d Division occupied the Eastern Front from February, 1915, until the end of December, 1917.
In the offensive operations in which the 42d Division took part in 1917 the successes appear to have been fairly easy. The greater part of the time it has not had to sustain any serious action and its losses have been comparatively slight.
1918.
BATTLE OF THE LYS.
1. The division held the Armentieres sector until it was relieved about March 22 by the 32d Division. On April 9 it reenforced the battle front near Merris. It was engaged in heavy fighting, and between April 9 and 16 the losses of the division amounted to 50 per cent of the strength. On April 17 it was relieved by the 12th Division.
2. The division came in on the quiet Lens sector on April 25–26, relieving the 220th Division. It held the sector until June 25, when it was relieved by the 36th Reserve Division and moved to the region southwest of Soissons, where on June 30 it relieved the 14th Division. It suffered from the French attack of July 18, losing 1,400 prisoners. It was withdrawn about July 22.
3. The division rested nearly a month undergoing reconstitution by elements from the dissolved 211th Division. The 390th Regiment was completely merged with the 42d Division. From Laon the division moved to Rethel.
CHAMPAGNE.
4. From its entry into the Champagne line on August 22 in relief of the 28th Division until October 1 it was engaged in resisting the French offensive operations in Champagne, during which period it lost about 2,000 prisoners. The division was withdrawn on October 1. After two weeks in the second line the division returned to line about October 14 near Olizy. It continued in line until the armistice. After November 3 the division was opposite the left flank of the American front.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. It was used as an attack division in the Lys offensive, but thereafter was employed solely on the defensive. The division had a good composition with a large percentage of men of the younger classes.
43d Reserve Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │85 Res. │201 Res. │85 Res. │201 Res. │85 Res. │201 Res. │ │202 Res. │ │202 Res. │ │202 Res. │86 Res. │203 Res. │86 Res. │203 Res. │86 Res. │203 Res. │ │204 Res. │ │204 Res. │ │204 Res. │ 15 Res. Jag. Btn. │ 15 Res. Jag. Btn. │ 15 Res. Jag. Btn. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Cavalry. │43 Res. Cav. Detch.│43 Res. Cav. Detch.│43 Res. Cav. Detch. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │43 Res. F. A. Rgt. │43 Res. F. A. Rgt. │43 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ (9 Btries.). │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│43 Res. Pion. Co. │43 Res. Pion. Co. │43 Res. Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ │ │43 Res. Pont. Engs.│243 T. M. Co. │ │ │ │ │ │43 Res. Pont. Engs. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │43 Res. Ambulance │ Veterinary.│ │ Co. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918[19] ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │85 Res. │201 Res. │85 Res. │201 Res. │ │202 Res. │ │202 Res. │ │203 Res. │ │203 Res. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │43 Res. Cav. Detch.│43 Res. Cav. Detch. │2 Sqn. 17 Hus. Rgt.│ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │Art. Command: │(?) Art. Command: │ │ │ 43 Res. F. A. Rgt.│ 43 Res. F. A. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│343 Pion. Btn.: │343 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 43 Res. Pion. Co. │ 4 Co. 2 Pion. Btn. │ │ No. 17. │ 4 Field Co. 17 │ 1 Res. Co. 23 │ Pion. Btn. │ Pions. │ 243 T. M. Co. │ 43 Res. Pion. Co. │ 443 Tel. Detch. │ 243 T. M. Co. │ │ 443 Tel. Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │525 Ambulance Co. │525 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │72 Res. Field │72 Res. Field │ Hospital. │ Hospital. │73 Res. Field │237 Vet. Hospital. │ Hospital. │ │Vet. Hospital. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │730 T. M. Col. │730 M. T. Col. ─────────────┴───────────────────┴─────────────────── Footnote 19:
Composition at the time of dissolution, September, 1918.
HISTORY.
(From all of the Prussian territory, by selection, in the same manner as the guard.)
1914.
1. The 43d Reserve Division (first series of reserve divisions engaged in October, 1914) formed at this time, with the 44th Reserve Division, the 22d Reserve Corps. It was formed from the regimental recruit depots of the guard, and has preserved from that time a selective system of recruiting from the whole of the Prussian territory.
2. Going into training at the camp of Doeberitz at the beginning of September, the 43d Reserve Division entrained on October 13 for Belgium, and on the 19th it began fighting in the vicinity of Dixmude, Merckem, Bixschoote, etc. It was in action there until the end of November.
YSER.
3. After the battle of the Yser the elements of the division occupied different parts of the front between Ypres and Nieuport.
1915.
FLANDERS.
1. At the beginning of January, 1915, the 86th Reserve Brigade was in line at Westende.
2. About the end of February the 43d Reserve Division was reconcentrated and then sent to rest in the vicinity of Menin-Roulers until April 25.
ARTOIS.
3. In May elements of the division were holding the sector Bixschoote- Boesinghe (North of the Ypres salient). Another part of the division was sent as a reenforcement north of Arras (Souchez) to oppose the French offensive. The 202d Reserve Infantry Regiment lost 76 officers and 1,320 men at Notre Dame de Lorette (Official List of Casualties).
RUSSIA.
4. About the beginning of July the 86th Reserve Brigade was transferred to Russia and took part in the offensive of Mackensen in Poland. Between May 15 and September 29 the 204th Reserve Infantry Regiment listed as casualties 63 officers and 3,511 men. (Official List of Casualties.)
CHAMPAGNE-SERBIA.
5. The 85th Reserve Brigade, sent to Lorraine (Xivray), then to Woevre (July to September), took part in the battle of Champagne (end of September), and then rejoined the rest of the division in Serbia, where the 43d Reserve Division took part in the campaign in October.
1916.
FRANCE.
1. The division left Serbia to return to France at the end of January and beginning of February, 1916.
VERDUN.
2. After a rest in the vicinity of Valenciennes (February-March) it was sent to the Verdun front at the end of March, and went into action west of the Meuse on April 10 (attacks of Bethincourt and the Mort Homme), where it suffered heavy losses between April 10 and May 25. The 12th Company of the 201st Reserve Infantry Regiment received not less than 185 men as replacements during the month of May. (Document.)
3. Toward the end of May the 43d Reserve Division was withdrawn from the front and sent to rest in the Thionville area. At Verdun it had lost 50 per cent of its infantry.
RUSSIA.
4. At the middle of June it entrained at Novion Porcien and was again sent to Russia. Itinerary: Charleville-Trèves-Cassel-Leipzig-Dresden- Breslau-Cracow-Lemberg-Stojanow (southwest of Sokal.) The 204th Reserve Infantry Regiment detrained on June 19.
5. On the Russian front the division was engaged west of Loutsk in the German counteroffensive in June. (Its losses may be estimated from the fact that the 12th Company of the 201st Reserve Infantry Regiment received replacements of 152 men in July and August, the 3d Company at least 145 men from July 9 to 29.)
FRANCE.
6. On November 15 the division was brought back to the Western Front. (Itinerary Oderberg-Leipzig-Frankfort-Mayence-Thionville-Sedan- Thourout.) Reduced to three regiments by the assignment of the 204th Reserve Infantry Regiment to the 218th Division, a new formation, it was at rest for almost a month in the vicinity of Rethel.
VERDUN.