Part 70
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │47 Ldw. │104 Ldw. │47 Ldw. │104 Ldw. │47 Mixed │104 Ldw. │ │ │ │ │ Ldw. │ │ │106 Ldw. │ │106 Ldw. │ │106 Ldw. │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │ │ │Ldw. Sqn. 18 Uhlan │ │ │ Rgt. │ │ │Sqn. 21 Uhlan Rgt. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │19 C. Dist. Landst.│19 C. Dist. Landst.│19 Ldw. F. A. Rgt. │ F. A. Btry. │ F. A. Btry. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │ │ Liaisons. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │47 Ldw. │100 Ldw. │47 Ldw. │100 Ldw. │ │ Gren. │ │ │ │104 Ldw. │ │104 Ldw. │ │106 Ldw. │ │106 Ldw. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │2 Sqn. 20 Hus. Rgt.│Staff, 20 Hus. Rgt. │ │ │2 Ldw. Sqn. 19 C. │2 Sqn. 20 Hus. Rgt. │ Dist. Cav. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │Art. Command: │19 Ldw. F. A. Rgt. │ │ (except 3d Abt). │ 19 Ldw. F. A. Rgt.│ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│447 Pion. Btn.: │6 Co. 22 Pions. Liaisons. │ │ │ 6 Co. 22 Pions. │547 Signal Command: │ 1 Res. Co. 22 │ 547 Tel. Detch. │ Pions. │ │ 347 T. M. Co. │ │ Tel. Detch. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │562 Ambulance Co. │562 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │24 Ldw. Field │24 Ldw. Field │ Hospital. │ Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │547 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │104 M. T. Col. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │136 Labor Btn. │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(12th and 19th Corps District—Saxony.)
1914.
The 47th Landwehr Division came from the 47th Landwehr Brigade (104th and 106th Landwehr Regiments) which was independent at first under the command of Lieut. Gen. Mueller, and was made a division in the autumn of 1915.
CHAMPAGNE.
1. Detraining at Bourcy (northeast of Bastogne) on August 18, 1914, the 47th Landwehr Brigade arrived on the Champagne front immediately after the battle of the Marne.
2. On September 14, 1914, the brigade was in line in the vicinity of Moronvilliers. It remained in Champagne until the beginning of 1917.
1915.
CHAMPAGNE.
1. About the month of May, 1915, it left the sector Prosne Moronvilliers for the north of Rheims, from Loivre to the Rheims-Witry road.
2. Reenforced by the 113th Infantry Regiment, later by the 29th Reserve Infantry Regiment, it formed the Mueller Division in October.
3. At the end of September one battalion of the 104th Landwehr Regiment was sent as a reenforcement into action south of Ste. Marie à Py to help out the 133d Reserve Infantry Regiment during the French offensive.
1916.
CHAMPAGNE.
1. The 47th Landwehr Brigade continued to occupy the Rheims sector (Courcy-Betheny) during 1916.
2. In the month of July it was made a division (47th Landwehr Division) and received a 3d Regiment, the 391st Infantry Regiment (Saxon).
1917.
OISE LA FÈRE.
1. Withdrawn from the Rheims front about February 23, 1917, the 47th Landwehr Division was sent into line west of La Fère during the retirement of the German Army to the Hindenburg Line (Quessy-Travecy, Mar. 23). It remained in the sector at La Fère until May 16.
RUSSIA.
2. In the middle of May the division was transferred to the Eastern Front, where it occupied the sector Goroditche-Tsirin. It exchanged with the 219th Division, the 391st Infantry Regiment for the 100th Landwehr Grenadier Regiment.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 47th Landwehr Division is a mediocre division. Its retention on the Russian front is a sufficient indication of its value.
1918.
UKRAINE.
1. In February the 47th Landwehr Division left the Tsirin region and took part in the advance into the Ukraine. On the 27th of April it was between Gomel and Briansk; on the 5th of June, in the Kiev region. It was identified in the same region several times subsequently, the last date of identification being September 30.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as fourth class.
48th Reserve Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │95 Res. │221 Res. │95 Res. │221 Res. │95 Res. │221 Res. │ │222 Res. │ │222 Res. │ │222 Res. │96 Res. │223 Res. │96 Res. │223 Res. │96 Res. │223 Res. │ │224 Res. │ │224 Res. │ │224 Res. │ 20 Res. Jag. Btn. │ 20 Res. Jag. Btn. │ 20 Res. Jag. Btn. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Cavalry. │48 Res. Cav. Detch.│48 Res. Cav. Detch.│48 Res. Cav. Detch. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │48 Res. F. A. Rgt. │48 Res. F. A. Rgt. │48 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ (9 btries.). │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│48 Res. Pion. Co. │48 Res. Pion. Co. │48 Res. Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ │ │48 Res. Pont. Engs.│274 Pion. Co. │ │ │ │ │ │(?) 2 Ldw. Pion. │ │ │ Co. 6 C. Dist. │ │ │248 T. M. Co. │ │ │48 Res. Pont. Engs. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │48 Res. Ambulance │ Veterinary.│ │ Co. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │96 Res. │221 Res. │96 Res. │221 Res. │ │222 Res. │ │222 Res. │ │223 Res. │ │223 Res. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │5 Sqn. 1 Drag. Rgt.│5 Sqn. 1 Gd. Drag. │ │ Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │(?) Art. Command: │48 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ 48 Res. F. A. Rgt.│1 Abt. 23 Ft. A. │ │ Rgt. (1 and 3 │ │ Btries.). │ │752 Light Am. Col. │ │954 Light Am. Col. │ │1382 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│(348) Pion. Btn.: │348 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 48 Res. Pion. Co. │ 1 Res. Co. 26 │ │ Pions. │ 1 Res. Co. 26 │ 48 Res. Pion. Co. │ Pion. Btn. │ │ 248 T. M. Co. │ 248 T. M. Co. │ 448 Tel. Detch. │ 214 Searchlight │ │ Section. │ │448 Signal Command: │ │ 448 Tel. Detch. │ │ 69 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │530 Ambulance Co. │530 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │79 Res. Field │102 Field Hospital. │ Hospital. │ │Vet. Hospital. │79 Res. Field │ │ Hospital. │ │448 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │587 M. T. Col. │735 M. T. Col. ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(18th Corps District—Hesse—Nassau and the Grand Duchy of Hesse.)
1914.
The 48th Reserve Division (belonging to the 24th Reserve Corps with the 47th Reserve Division) was formed between August and October, 1914, and trained at the Oberhofen Camp.
ARTOIS.
1. Concentrated near Metz in the middle of October, the 48th Reserve Division was transferred on the 25th to the area between Armentières and La Bassée (Fromelles), while the 47th Reserve Division was sent to the Woevre.
2. On November 1 the division held the line at Neuve Chapelle. Some elements were sent farther north, west of Wytschaete, in the middle of November.
RUSSIA.
3. At the end of November the 48th Reserve Division left the Western Front for Russia.
POLAND.
4. On December 3 it was identified in Poland in the vicinity of Kalisch. It then made a part of the X Army and fought west of the Rawka, near Warsaw, at the end of December.
1915.
1. The 48th Reserve Division was engaged in Poland (Rawka) until January 28, 1915.
CARPATHIANS.
2. On February 2 elements of the division fought in the Carpathians, southeast of Beskides. It was then assigned to the German Army of the South (Von Linsingen) and was opposed to the Russians in the vicinity of the Uzsok Ridge (February-May).
GALICIA.
3. Taking part in the spring and summer offensive of 1915, it marched to Halicz in May; crossed the Dniester in the middle of June; advanced to Brzezany-Tarnopol and was on the Zlota-Lipa at the end of July. One of its regiments, the 224th Reserve Infantry Regiment, was renewed several times; the list of losses from August to October show casualties of 70 officers and 4,712 men, 3,100 of whom were reported as missing. The greater part of these were Alsace-Lorrainers who had succeeded in deserting.
4. When the offensive was resumed in October and November the 48th Reserve Division formed a part of the Bothmer Army and progressed from the Zlota-Lipa as far as the Stripa.
1916.
1. The 48th Reserve Division was retained at the Stripa, west of Tarnapol, during the winter and spring of 1916; it was still in this sector at the time of the Russian attack (Broussilow offensive, June to September).
ROUMANIA.
2. In the beginning of October the division went into action with the Falkenheim Army against Roumania, and fought in the vicinity of Hermannstadt, then at Préoéal in November.
GALICIA.
3. It then left the Transylvanian front and went to eastern Galicia, where it was a part of the Bothmer Army. It took up its position between Brzezan, and the Dniester.
1917.
1. At the beginning of 1917 the 224th Reserve Infantry Regiment left the division and was transferred to the 215th Division, in process of reorganization.
FRANCE.
2. The 48th Reserve Division was relieved from its sector in May, 1917, and transferred to the Western Front (Itinerary: Lemberg-Jaroslav- Cracow-Oppeln-Breslau-Leipzig-Erfurt-Gotha-Eisenach-Frankfort-Worms- Sarrebruecken-Thionville-Montmedy-Dun sur Meuse). It rested in the vicinity of Stenay from May 27 to June 28.
VERDUN.
3. It was first behind the Verdun front, on the left bank of the Meuse. Toward the end of June it sustained the artillery preparation for the French offensive of July 17, and sent some of its elements in as reenforcements (Hill 304-Morthomme) on the day of the attack.
4. Sent to rest and reorganized in the Stenay area at the end of July. By an important draft of men of the 1918 class, it went back into the same sector (Hill 304-Corbeaux wood) on August 20, at the time of the new French attack, and lost heavily reenforcing and relieving units of the 6th Reserve Division.
5. Withdrawn from the front on August 24, it was employed on various works until September 3 and then sent into the area of Damvillers.
6. On September 12 it went into line north of Hill 344, which it left at the end of the month to go to rest in the vicinity of Morhange.
LORRAINE-ALSACE.
7. After holding the lines in Lorraine (middle of October to the middle of November) northeast of Arracourt, the 48th Reserve Division was sent to Alsace and went to rest for two months in the vicinity of Enisheim.
RECRUITING.
Mixed upon formation (1 Thuringian Regiment), the division became, in theory, a Hessian Division. The Alsace-Lorrainers were very numerous during its stay on the Russian front, whence the desertions en masse from the 224th Infantry Regiment in the summer of 1915.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
At the end of June, 1917, the 48th Reserve Division, coming from the Russian front, went into line at Hill 304, after a month’s rest near Stenay. But as the men were not accustomed to the activity of the western front and were unable to sustain artillery fire for a long time, they could only be kept in this sector for a few days.
During the French attack of August 20 the 48th Reserve Division played only a passive rôle.
The 48th Reserve Division must be classed among the mediocre divisions (December, 1917).
1918.
1. About March 1 the division was relieved by the 22d Reserve Division and went into reserve in Alsace. It left that sector about April 1 and came into line on the 14th southwest of Vieux Berquin. It was engaged in that locality until its relief on the night of May 26–27 by the 32d Division.
VIEUX BERQUIN.
2. The division rested in the Lille area until June 28, when it returned to its former sector at Vieux Berquin. Its stay here was short. On July 3 it was relieved by the 39th Division and entrained at Laventie the next day for Douai.
SCARPE.
3. On the night of July 6–7 the division relieved the 187th Division southwest of Gavrelle. Throughout August and September the division held this sector. It was relieved north of the Scarpe on the night of October 5–6 and moved south.
4. The division was used to reenforce the Cambrai-St. Quentin front near Cambrai on October 7. Thereafter almost until the day of the armistice the division was engaged in opposing the British advance. The direction of its retreat was through Awoingt (10th), Saulzoir (13th), Montrecourt (14th), north of Haussy (17th), Vendegies (24th), Maresches (Nov. 1), Jenlain (4th). The division received drafts from the dissolved 118th Reserve Regiment (25th Reserve Division) in late October. It was withdrawn from line about November 5.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as second class. In 1918 it was engaged entirely in defensive sectors and performed with credit.
48th Landwehr Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │ │38 │1 Landst.│38 │1 Landst.│38 │ │ Landst.│ │ Landst.│ │ Landst. │ │39 │ │40 │ │40 │ │ Landst.│ │ Landst.│ │ Landst. │ │47 │ │47 │ │47 │ │ Landst.│ │ Landst.│ │ Landst. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │ │ │3 Sqn. 14 Uhlan │ │ │ Rgt. │ │ │1 Sqn. Gd. Res. │ │ │ Uhlan Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │ (?) │Art. Command: │264 F. A. Rgt. │ │ 264 F. A. Rgt. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │1/28 Pion. Btn.: │224 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ │ │ 1 Landst. Co. 3 C.│ 1 Ldw. Co. Gd. C. │ │ Dist. Pions. │ Dist. Pions. │ │ 455 T. M. Co. │ 1 Landst. Co. 3 C. │ │ │ Dist. Pions. │ │ 590 Tel. Detch. │ 210 Searchlight │ │ │ Section. │ │ │548 Signal Command: │ │ │ 548 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ 67 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │Ambulance Co. │602 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │80 Res. Field │51 Field Hospital. │ │ Hospital. │ │ │Vet. Hospital. │80 Res. Field │ │ │ Hospital. │ │ │570 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │800 M. T. Col. │800 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │2 Ratisbonne │ │ │ Landst. Inf. Btn.│ │ │ (3 Bav. C. Dist. │ │ │ Btn. No. 14). │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(38th Landsturm: Brandenburg and Alsace. 40th Landsturm: Prussian Saxony, Westphalia and the Rhine Province. 47th Landsturm: Hesse and Thuringia.)
1917.
LORRAINE.
1. The 48th Landwehr Division appears to have been formed on the Lorraine front in September, 1917, by the grouping of three new regiments—the 38th Landsturm, the 39th Landsturm (Wurttemberg), and the 47th Landsturm—the elements of which had previously been employed behind the front or in calm sectors.
2. In September, 1917, the 48th Landwehr Division occupied the sector of Avricourt (Leintrey-Gondrexon, Embermenil).
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 48th Landwehr Division is composed of troops of mediocre value.
The average age of the men is 40 years. A certain number of young soldiers of the 1918 class are to be found in most of the units. Sent into these Landsturm divisions because of their reduced physical fitness, they left them for active or reserve units as soon as they became hardened.
There is a divisional assault company which has never shown any offensive activity (July, 1918).
1918.
1. The division continued to hold the Delme sector until the armistice. Nothing occurred to disturb the tranquility of that part of the front.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as fourth class. The average age of its effectives was near 40 years. At no time did the division take part in any fighting.
49th Reserve Division.
COMPOSITION.