Part 69
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918[20] ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │92 Res. │214 Res. │92 Res. │214 Res. │ │215 Res. │ │215 Res. │ │216 Res. │ │216 Res. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │46 Res. Cav. Detch.│46 Res. Cav. Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │(?) Art. Command: │(?) Art. Command: │ │ │ 46 Res. F. A. Rgt.│ 46 Res. F. A. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│(346) Pion. Btn.: │46 Res. Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ 46 Res. Pion. Co. │1 Ldw. Co. 3 Bav. │ │ C. Dist. Pions. │ 246 T. M. Co. (23 │23 Res. Searchlight │ Res. Searchlight │ Section. │ Section). │ │ 446 Tel. Detch. │246 T. M. Co. │ │446 Tel. Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │528 Ambulance Co. │528 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │335 Field Hospital.│335 Field Hospital. │78 Res. Field │Vet. Hospital. │ Hospital. │ │Vet. Hospital. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │733 M. T. Col. │733 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │214 Res. Rgt. T. M.│ │ Co. (Doc.). │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴─────────────────── Footnote 20:
Composition at the time of its dissolution, August, 1918.
HISTORY.
(9th Corps District—Hanseatic Cities and Grand Duchies of Mecklenburg.)
1914.
YSER.
1. The 46th Reserve Division (belonging to the 23d Reserve Corps with the 45th Division), formed between August and October, 1914, was trained at the Lockstedt Camp, and entrained for Belgium on October 12. It went into action in the battle of the Yser between Dixmude and Bixschoote on October 21, 1914.
FLANDERS.
2. After these battles, which lasted until about November 15, and in the course of which it suffered heavy losses, the division remained in Flanders and occupied the area of Bixschoote. On November 21 only 1 officer remained in the 3d Battalion of the 214th Reserve Infantry Regiment (letter); the 11th Company, which started with 253 men, had only 90 left.
1915.
FLANDERS.
1. Between April 22 and April 27, 1915, the 46th Reserve Division, which was still holding the front north of Ypres, took part in the battles launched around Lizerne, Het-Sas, Steenstraat.
2. During the rest of the year 1915 and until March, 1916, the 46th Reserve Division (as well as the 45th Reserve Division) held the lines between Dixmude and Ypres, without any important action, with periods of rest in the vicinity of Bruges and Thourout.
1916.
ST. ELOI-WYTSCHAETE.
1. Relieved north of Ypres at the end of February, 1916, the 46th Reserve Division was transferred to Werwicq, from which place on March 14 it went to the sector of St. Eloi, near Messines.
2. The division lost very heavily in this sector, at the beginning of April. After a short period of rest it took over the same line from May to September.
SOMME.
3. At the beginning of September it left the area south of Ypres to go to the Somme. It went into action on September 8 between Vermandovillers and the Chaulnes railroad and suffered rather heavy losses, especially during the French attack of September 17; the 2d Battalion of the 214th Reserve Infantry Regiment was almost completely destroyed (letter).
4. Sent behind the front for a short time, about October 8, in the vicinity of Ham, it came back into line on October 17–20 minus the 213th Reserve Infantry Regiment, which was transferred to the 207th Division, a new organization. It supported the attacks of the 21st, between Ablaincourt and Chaulnes wood, where certain of its units lost very heavily. After launching a counterattack on the 22d the division was relieved on October 24–25.
CHAMPAGNE.
5. In November and December the reorganized division took over the sector east of Rheims.
1917.
1. In January, 1917, the 46th Reserve Division was at rest in Lorraine. On January 28 it entrained at Lorquin and was transferred to the Oise, by way of Sarreburg, Thionville, Luxemburg, Namur, Maubeuge, St. Quentin, Tergnier, Chauny.
MOULIN SOUS TOUVENT.
2. On January 30 it went into the sector of Moulin sous Touvent- Autreches, which it left about March 18 to retire to Barisis, Folembray, and the lower Coucy wood.
FORÊT DE ST. GOBAIN.
3. Established in the St. Gobain sector in April and May, it was relieved on May 20 and sent to rest in the area of Marle and Vervins. It was reorganized there (the 216th Reserve Infantry Regiment received 500 men from the depot of the 76th Reserve Infantry Regiment at Hamburg).
CHEMIN DES DAMES.
4. On June 13 the division went into line on the Chemin des Dames, took part in the German attack of June 22 at the Épine de Chevregny-Royère Farm, and in the attack of July 8 on the front Panthéon-Froidmont. In these two actions it had heavy losses. It made up for these in part by men taken from the 94th Division in Russia.
5. Withdrawn from the Laon front on July 24, the division was sent to rest and to be reorganized in the area of Montmédy.
6. On August 12 it was transferred to Spincourt and placed in reserve on the right bank of the Meuse during the French attack of August 20.
VERDUN.
7. Engaged on August 22 at the Fosse wood-Chaume wood, it lost heavily by the attack of August 26 and by its counterattack upon Beaumont.
8. Relieved at once, it was reorganized and sent to rest in the vicinity of Sedan-Longuyon from August 26 to the end of September.
MEUSE.
9. The 46th Reserve Division reappeared from October 3 to November 10 in the sector of Fosse wood-Chaume wood, where some elements launched an attack on November 9 and suffered heavy losses.
10. The division was at rest in the vicinity of Longwy from November 10 to December 15.
LORRAINE.
11. About December 17 it took over the sector west of Nomeny (Cheminot- Eply) in Lorraine. It was still there at the beginning of April, 1918.
RECRUITING.
Composed at the beginning of equal contingents from the 9th and 10th Corps Districts (Schleswig-Holstein, Hanseatic cities, and Mecklenburg; Hanover, Brunswick, Oldenburg), the division, since its reduction to three regiments, is filled up from the Hanseatic cities and the Grand Duchies of Mecklenburg. It has ceased, therefore, to be Prussian, a thing which has a certain practical interest in its designation in communiques, etc., and has not been able to develop any regional sentiment or cohesion. It is to be noted that the reinforcements of 1917 have been rather mixed (Poles, men from the 2d, 3d, and 5th Corps Districts), partly because of their being taken from the Russian front, and, during its recent stay in Lorraine, from the neighboring depot of the 99th Infantry Regiment.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 46th Reserve Division may be considered a good division.
The attack of July 8, 1917, was carried out energetically. The assault troops attacked with “extraordinary fury.”
The division fought bravely at Verdun in August, 1917.
Weakened by battles and by an epidemic of dysentery (October-November), it was sent to Lorraine for rest and reorganization.
The division received intensive training and it would seem that in spite of new, untrained recruits it will quickly regain its value.
1918.
NOYON.
1. The division was relieved about April 25 in Lorraine and transferred to the Montdidier area, where it was at rest until June 10. On that day it reenforced the Montdidier-Noyon battle front northeast of Gournay. In the course of the attacks the division suffered considerable losses. About July 2 it was relieved. It rested in rear of the Noyon front.
SOISSONS.
2. On July 20 the division reenforced the battle front near Buzancy, south of Soissons. It lasted but one week and was then withdrawn.
3. The effectives of the division was very low, due to the failure to receive drafts. Early in August the division was disbanded. The 214th Reserve Regiment was transferred to the 4th Division, the 216th Reserve Regiment to the 18th Reserve Division, and the 215th Reserve Regiment was turned into the 4th Ersatz Division. The divisional commander, Maj. Gen. Wasielewski, was retired.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as second class. Although it was not heavily engaged in 1918, its effective strength was allowed to dwindle to a very low level and dissolution followed.
46th Landwehr Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918[21] ─────────────┼─────────────┬─────────────┼─────────────┬───────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼───────────── Infantry. │46 Ldw. │101 Ldw. │ │101 Ldw. │ │103 Ldw. │ │(?) │ │105 Ldw. │ │105 Ldw. ─────────────┼─────────────┴─────────────┼─────────────┴───────────── Cavalry. │4 Sqn. 17 Uhlan Rgt. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Artillery. │Art. Command: │246 F. A. Rgt. (Rgt. │ │ Staff). │ 246 F. A. Rgt. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Engineers and│(446) Pion. Btn.: │546 Signal Command: Liaisons. │ │ │ 346 T. M. Co. │ 346 Tel. Detch. (Except │ │ 1st Zug.) │ 546 Tel. Detch. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Medical and │638 Ambulance Co. │638 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │315 Field Hospital. │46 Vet. Hospital. │46 Vet. Hospital. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────── Transports. │M. T. Col. │ ─────────────┴───────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────
Footnote 21:
The elements below are those grouped under the Division Postal Sector (728). Other units of the 46th Landwehr Division, operating in other divisional sectors, are carried as attached to such divisions.
HISTORY.
(12th Corps District—Saxony.)
1917.
The 46th Landwehr Division, composed of the 101st and 103d Landwehr Regiments (taken from the 14th Landwehr Division) and of the 33d Landsturm Battalion (taken from the 3d Reserve Division), was formed on the Eastern Front about May, 1917.
SMORGONI.
1. It occupied the sector of Smorgoni-Lake Narotch until the beginning of 1918.
2. About the month of September, 1917, it received a new regiment, the 105th Landwehr, formed in 1917, at the time of the withdrawal of the Saxon battalions from the Prussian regiments of which they had been a part (345th and 374th Infantry Regiments). In December a great number of the young men were taken from the division to reenforce the 40th Division (Saxon) before its departure for France.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The use made of the 46th Landwehr Division allows us to form an appreciation of its value; it held a calm sector on the Russian front in 1917; occupied the Ukraine in 1918.
1918.
VOLHYNIA.
1. In January the division was on the Volhynian front, next to the 10th Landwehr Division.
UKRAINE.
2. In February it moved into the Ukraine, leaving behind elements whose duty it was to gather the matériel which had been abandoned in the Russian positions.
3. About the middle of March the division held the sector north of Mohilev. The 103d Landwehr Regiment was along the Berezina in April. The 101st Landwehr Regiment was reported in the vicinity of Minsk early in May. The whole division was identified in the Minsk region the end of the month, and also toward the end of September.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as fourth class.
47th Reserve Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │93 Res. │217 Res. │93 Res. │217 Res. │93 Res. │217 Res. │ │218 Res. │ │218 Res. │ │218 Res. │94 Res. │219 Res. │94 Res. │219 Res. │94 Res. │219 Res. │ │220 Res. │ │220 Res. │ │220 Res. │ │ │ │ │ │13 │ │ │ │ │ │ Landst. │ │ │ │ │ │ (Wurtt.). │ 19 Res. Jag. Btn. │ 19 Res. Jag. Btn. │ 19 Res. Jag. Btn. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Cavalry. │47 Res. Cav. Detch.│47 Res. Cav. Detch.│47 Res. Cav. Detch. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │47 Res. F. A. Rgt. │47 Res. F. A. Rgt. │47 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ (9 Btries.). │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│47 Res. Pion. Co. │47 Res. Pion. Co. │47 Res. Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ │ │47 Res. Pont. Engs.│91 Res. Pion. Co. │ │ │247 T. M. Co. │ │ │ │ │ │47 Res. Pont. Engs. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │47 Res. Ambulance │ Veterinary.│ │ Co. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │ │839 F. A. Btry. │ │ │84 Anti-Aircraft │ │ │ Section. │ │ │80 Labor Btn. ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918[22] ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │94 Res. │217 Res. │94 Res. │218 Res. │ │219 Res. │ │219 Res. │ │220 Res. │ │220 Res. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │ │4 Sqn. 4 Horse Jag. │ │ Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │47 Art. Command: │47 Art. Command: │ │ │ 47 Res. F. A. Rgt.│ 47 Res. F. A. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│(347) Pion. Btn.: │47 Res. Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ 47 Res. Pion. Co. │91 Res. Pion. Co. │ 91 Res. Pion. Co. │42 Res. Searchlight │ │ Section. │ 247 T. M. Co. │247 T. M. Co. │ 335 Searchlight │447 Tel. Detch. │ Section. │ │ 42 Res. │147 Wireless Detch. │ Searchlight │ │ Section. │ │ 447 Tel. Detch. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │529 Ambulance Co. │529 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │Field Hospital. │78 Res. Field │ │ Hospital. │199 Vet. Hospital. │81 Res. Field │ │ Hospital. │ │82 Res. Field │ │ Hospital. │ │199 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │M. T. Col. │M. T. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴─────────────────── Footnote 22:
Composition at the time of dissolution, July, 1918.
HISTORY.
(7th Corps District—Westphalia.)
1914.
WOEVRE.
1. The 47th Reserve Division, formed between August and October, 1914, and composing the 24th Reserve Corps with the 48th Reserve Division, was concentrated in the vicinity of Metz about October 20, sent to the Woevre, south of Etain, on the 26th, went into action at Magnaville on the 31st, and at Maucourt on November 6 to 11.
RUSSIA.
2. On November 23 the 47th Reserve Division entrained for the Eastern Front.
DUNAJEC.
3. Detraining in the vicinity of Cracow at the beginning of December, it went into action on the Dunajec (Neu-Sandec) west of Tarnow on the 8th, where it suffered serious check on December 20.
1915.
1. On January 10, 1915, the 47th Reserve Division was identified on the Dunajec-Gorlice front.
GALICIA.
2. From the end of January to the month of April it occupied the front west of Tarnow, near the Tarnow-Cracow railroad.
POLAND.
3. It took part in the spring and summer offensive of 1915. On July 2 it was on the right bank of the Vistula, in the vicinity of Janow. From July 20 to August 9 it took part in the advance from the Wysnica to the Wieprz, reached the Bug on October 19, the Jaselda on September 8, and fought along this last river until the 12th. On the 13th it was at Slonim.
4. At the end of September it went to the vicinity of Baranovitchi. On October 19 it held the lines near Lipsk.
1916.
RUSSIA.
1. The 47th Reserve Division remained in the sector of Lipsk- Baranovitchi during the entire year of 1916 and until May, 1917, when it entrained for France. On July 23 the 217th Reserve Infantry Regiment was withdrawn from the division to aid in the formation of the 225th Division.
1917.
FRANCE.
1. At the beginning of May, 1917, the 47th Reserve Division was transferred to the Western Front. (Itinerary of the 219th Reserve Infantry Regiment: Entrained on May 3 at Baranovitchi, Warsaw, Lodz, Lissa, Glogau, Leipzig, Erfurt, Frankfort, Metz; detrained at Bouillonville, near Thiaucourt, on May 7.)
AISNE.
2. After a stay in the Woevre, at Bois le Prêtre, until the beginning of June, and a short rest near Marle, the 47th Reserve Division went into line north of Braye en Laonnois (west of the Épine de Chevregny) on June 20. It took part in the attacks launched in this sector and suffered heavy losses from June 22 to July 8. Some of its elements were engaged in the French attack of October 23, after which they retired to the village of Chevregny.
3. The 47th Reserve Division was relieved at the end of October.
FORÊT DE ST. GOBAIN.
4. After a rest in the villages of the Serre valley, it took over the sector of Septvaux in the Forêt de St. Gobain about November 20.
RECRUITING.
Mixed at the time of its formation, the division has become entirely Westphalian since its reduction to three regiments. The levies from the Russian front in the course of 1917, however, introduced outside elements (men from the 1st, 2d, and 3d Corps District in May, coming from the 406th, 420th, and 421st Infantry Regiments). Thirteen prisoners (220th Reserve Infantry Regiment) captured on October 1, 1917, north of Braye en Laonnois, came from the following Provinces in Germany: 4 from Westphalia, 2 from Hanover, 3 from East Prussia, 1 from the Rhine Province, 1 from Oldenburg, 1 from Silesia, and 1 from Pomerania.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 47th Reserve Division is a mediocre division more fitted for defense than attack, but still capable of effort after rest and reorganization. It had won some reputation in the offensive at Poland and Courland.
Its effectives include a large proportion of Poles.
In the sector of Chevregny, Froidmont (June-July), it gave a good account of itself, although sanitary conditions were very defective (Dec. 1, 1917).
1918.
1. About the beginning of February the division was relieved by the 3d Bavarian Division and went to train near Vervins.
BATTLE OF PICARDY.
2. It was engaged in the Somme offensive on March 21 near Tergnier and participated in the attack until the 25th. It was reengaged on April 1 southwest of Lassigny and held that sector until May 2, when it was relieved by the extension of the 206th Division.
3. The division entrained at Ham on May 6 and moved to St. Quentin area. From May 27 onward it followed up the advance behind the 113th Division, and finally relieved that division on June 1 near Vierzy. It was relieved on June 20.
MARNE.
4. This division, although greatly weakened, was returned to line without having been reconstructed, in the vicinity of Longpont. At this time the division had not more than 40 to 50 rifles to a company. It again suffered heavy losses, and about July 27 was retired to rest.
5. The division was dissolved at Mainbresson on June 30. The 218th Reserve Regiment was formed into one battalion, which became the 3d Battalion of the 53d Reserve Infantry Regiment. The 219th Reserve Regiment was drafted to the 159th Regiment.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as second class. Its dissolution was occasioned by its low effective strength following its losses and failure to receive drafts.
47th Landwehr Division.
COMPOSITION.