Part 79
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │80 Res. │264 Res. │80 Res. │34 Res. │ │266 Res. │ │264 Res. │ │34 Res. │ │266 Res. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │4 Sqn. 16 Hus. Rgt. │4 Sqn. 16 Hus. Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │74 Art. Command: │74 Art. Command: │ 66 Res. F. A. Rgt. (9 │ 66 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ Btries.) │ │ │ 3 Abt. 27 Ft. A. Rgt. (8 and │ │ 10 Btries.) │ │ 899 Light Am. Col. │ │ 900 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1370 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│(380) Pion. Btn.: │380 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 82 Res. Pion. Co. │ 82 Res. Pion. Co. │ 83 Res. Pion. Co. │ 83 Res. Pion. Co. │ 280 T. M. Co. │ 280 T. M. Co. │ 308 Searchlight Section. │ 96 Searchlight Section. │ 480 Tel. Detch. │ 240 Searchlight Section. │ │480 Signal Command: │ │ 480 Tel. Detch. │ │ 24 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │542 Ambulance Co. │542 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │59 Res. Field Hospital. │113 Res. Field Hospital. │114 Res. Field Hospital. │114 Res. Field Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │165 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │T. M. Col. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd Units. │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(264th Regiment; 4th Corps District—Prussian Saxony and part of Thuringia. 266th Regiment, 9th Corps District—Grand Duchies of Mecklenberg. 34th Regiment, 2d Corps District—Pomerania.)
1915.
EASTERN PRUSSIA.
1. Organized during the winter of 1914–15, this division and the 79th Reserve Division formed the 40th Reserve Corps. The 80th Reserve Division was formed out of three field battalions of the 4th Corps District (Nos. 22–24) and six field battalions (Nos. 43–48) of the 9th Corps District. After training at the Lockstedt cantonment it was sent to Eastern Prussia at the beginning of February, 1915. There it took part in the battle of the Lakes of Masura from the 7th to the 17th.
POLAND.
2. From the end of February to the beginning of March it was actively engaged in the region of the fortress of Ossoviec and took part in combats along the Polish frontier before the Russian retreat in Eastern Prussia. In March it was brought back to the frontier of Eastern Prussia and fought in the zone of the Suvalki government until July. It exchanged the 265th Regiment for the 34th Regiment.
SMORGONI.
3. At the time of the Summer offensive the division participated in the taking of Kovno (Aug. 18), fought on the Niémen (Aug. 19, Sept. 8th) and entered Vilna. It occupied the new front in the region of Smorgoni and held this sector until March, 1916.
1916.
NAROTCH LAKE.
1. In March, 1916, the division opposed the Russian offensive on the Narotch Lake front and occupied this sector until the month of December.
FRANCE.
2. On December 23 it entrained for the Western Front. (Itinerary: Lyntuny (northeast of Vilna)-Vilna-Kovno-Koenigsberg-Danzig-Stettin- Hamberg-Hanover-Cologne-Aix la Chapelle-Liège-Mons.) It detrained at Douai on the 29th and 30th of December and was put at rest at Waziers (northeast of Douai) until the middle of January, 1917.
1917.
ARTOIS.
1. January 18, 1917, it went into line before Neuve Chapelle (north of the canal of la Bassée).
2. Relieved at about the beginning of March, it took over a sector to the south of Lens (Mar. 14). Obliged to fall back to the Méricourt-Avion line after the capture of the heights of Vimy by the British troops (Apr. 9), it suffered serious losses in the course of that operation.
FLANDERS.
3. On May 16 it was relieved from the Lens front and sent to rest in the region of Trent until May 29.
4. From May 29 to June 22 it held the Boesinghe-Wieltje sector, where it took part in no engagements.
MEUSE.
5. After resting, in July, in the region of Sedan-Montmédy, the 80th Reserve Division was brought (July 20) as a reserve to the left bank of the Meuse, and at the beginning of August to the right bank (region of Juvigny-Jametz-Etraye).
VERDUN.
6. On August 14 it drew near the front and on August 20 reenforced, near Hill 344, the units strained by the French attack. On the 23d it sustained very heavy losses and gave up the counter attack.
CHAMPAGNE.
7. At the beginning of September the division entrained for Champagne. It occupied the Tahure sector the first half of September.
ARGONNE.
8. At the beginning of October it took over the Boureuilles-Vauquois sector, which it left on January 23, 1918, going to the Semide cantonment for training.
RECRUITING.
The 264th Regiment was recruited in the 4th Corps District and is sometimes called an Altenberg regiment. The 266th Regiment is a Mecklenberg unit. The 34th Regiment is Pomeranian in theory with a fairly heterogeneous make-up like the greater number of the units from Pomerania.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 80th Reserve Division, which seems to have had a high morale while opposite the English front, did not come up to expectations on August 20, 1917, while opposite Verdun. It proved incapable of counter attacking. It is reported that there were desertions and mutiny among the men which resulted in the relieving of the general commanding the brigade and of the commanding officer of the 264th Regiment.
The 34th Regiment was completely exhausted during the attacks of August 20.
In Argonne the losses of this division were very slight. At the Semide cantonment (Jan. 23 to Feb. 20, 1918) the division went through various maneuvers connected with open warfare.
1918.
1. The division was relieved in the Vauquois sector by the 237th Division from Russia about March 18. It rested and trained until March 27, when it traveled by St. Quentin-Ham-Roye to the vicinity of Moreuil.
PICARDY.
2. It reenforced the battle front north of Sauvillers on April 3, but was withdrawn on the 7th and rested at Ribemont. Losses were heavy during the brief engagement of the division.
CHAMPAGNE.
3. The division relieved the 14th Bavarian Division on April 21–22 in the sector Cornillet-Mont Blond. It remained there until the July 15 offensive, but did not take part in that action. On July 27 it returned to line near Moronvilliers and held that sector until August 22.
AILETTE-AISNE.
4. It marched to Paris and went into line there. Two days later it was hastily relieved and marched to Chavignon. It entered line on the night of September 2–3 northwest of Crouy. It was withdrawn on September 21.
CHAMPAGNE.
5. The division returned to Champagne and relieved the 213th Division on September 27 at Loivre. It was engaged near Orainville, Aumenancourt, Pont Givart until October 11. It was again in line on October 17 at Nanteuil sur Aisne. It continued in line until the end of hostilities. The last identification was near Wasigny on November 7.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. In general, it was used to hold less important defensive sectors.
81st Reserve Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │81 Res. │267 Res. │81 Res. │267 Res. │ │268 Res. │ │268 Res. │ │269 Res. │ │269 Res. │ │ │ │39 Ldw. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │81 Res. Cav. Detch. │81 Res. Cav. Detch. │4 Sqn. 7 Drag. Rgt. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │81 Res. Brig.: │81 Res. Brig.: │ 67 Res. F. A. Rgt. (6 │ 67 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ Btries.). │ │ 68 Res. F. A. Rgt. (6 │ 68 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ Btries.). │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│81 Res. Pion. Co. │81 Res. Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │81 Res. Pont. Engs. │84 Res. Pion. Co. │ │281 T. M. Co. │ │81 Res. Pont. Engs. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │1 Ambulance Co. │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │81 Res. Train Detch. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd Units. │81 Res. Cyclist Co. │81 Res. Cyclist Co. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │47 Labor Btn. ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │81 Res. │267 Res. │81 Res. │267 Res. │ │268 Res. │ │268 Res. │ │269 Res. │ │269 Res. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │81 Res. (?) Cav. Detch. │2 Sqn. 1 Drag. Rgt. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │(?) Art. Command: │(?) F. A. Rgt. │ 67 Res. F. A. Rgt. (9 │2 Abt. 26 Ft. A. Rgt. (4 and │ Btries.). │ 6 Btries.). │ │980 Light Am. Col. │ │ │ │1019 Light Am. Col. │ │1034 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│(381) Pion. Btn.: │41 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 84 Res. Pion. Co. │ 84 Res. Pion. Co. │ 85 Res. Pion. Co. │ 85 Res. Pion. Co. │ 95 T. M. Co. │ 281 T. M. Co. │ 281 T. M. Co. │ 56 Searchlight Section. │ 14 Res. Searchlight Section.│481 Signal Command: │ 360 Searchlight Section. │ 481 Tel. Detch. │ 481 Tel. Detch. │ 137 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │543 Ambulance Co. │543 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │Field Hospital. │120 Res. Field Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │302 Field Hospital. │ │220 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │M. T. Col. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd Units. │81 Res. Cyclist Co. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(267th Regiment: 2d Corps District—Pomerania. 268th Regiment: 6th Corps District—Silesia. 269th Regiment: 3d Corps District—Brandenburg.)
1915.
The 81st Reserve Division was formed out of six field battalions of the 2d Corps District (Nos. 7–12) and three field battalions (Nos. 13–15) of the 3d Corps District. The first six were used to form the 267th and the 268th and the last named three were used to form the 269th Regiment. The division was instructed at the Warthe cantonment (5th Corps District) before being sent to the Western Front.
1. The 81st Reserve Division (with the 82d Reserve Division it constituted the 41st Reserve Corps), was transported to Belgium and detrained at Courtrai January 21, 1915.
SOMME.
2. Sent to the Somme district, it was engaged to the north of Chaulnes (Jan. 27-Mar. 28).
3. At the end of March the division was sent toward the Eastern Front.
GALICIA-RUSSIA.
The division was found on the Galician front in May (Jaslo, May 9); took part in operations on the San, near Jaroslav (between San and the Jaroslav-Przeworsk railway on May 15) then on the Bug (region of Krylov in July). Going down the Bug by Vladova (August) it advanced up to the west of Logitchin and the Oginsky Canal (north of Pinsk) in September. The front becoming fixed, the division established itself in that region.
1916.
PINSK.
1. The 81st Reserve Division stayed for more than two years in the Oginski-Iasälda Canal sector (Sept., 1915-Dec., 1917).
2. At the beginning of July, 1916, the 269th Regiment was identified between the Styr and the Stokhod, doubtlessly as a reserve for the units engaged against the Russian offensive.
1917.
RUSSIA-FRANCE.
1. In December, 1917, the division was relieved from its sector to the north of Pinsk and transported to the Western Front. It entrained on December 20 at Ivanovo (Itinerary: Soldau-Bromberg-Schneide-Muehl- Berlin-Sarrebruck-Sedan-Cambrai), and detrained at Lille on December 26. After resting in the vicinity of Lille it went into line to the south of Fleurbaix (Jan. 24–25, 1918). It again occupied the same sector at the beginning of April.
RECRUITING.
The 267th and the 268th Regiments were originally Pomeranian and became quite heterogeneous like all regiments from this province. The 268th Regiment was in theory recruited in Silesia which contributes to a maintenance of the mixed character of its personnel. The 269th is a Brandenburg unit.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
On the Eastern Front from May, 1915, to the end of December, 1917.
1918.
BATTLE OF THE LYS.
1. The division was relieved on the night of April 8–9 by the 35th Division at Neuve Chapelle. It moved northward and on the 12th reenforced the battle front south of Meteren. In the attacks in this area the 268th and 269th Reserve Regiments suffered heavy losses. It was relieved by the 11th Reserve Division on April 28.
METEREN.
2. On May 18 the division returned to its former sector at Meteren. It held this sector until May 28, and again from June 6 to 12 and from June 18 to July 19.
LORRAINE.
3. It entrained on the 22d at Roubaix and detrained at Haboudange on the 24th. The itinerary was Courtrai-Ghent-Louvain-Liege-Herbestal- Gerolstein-Treves-Sarreguemines. After several days of rest near Chateau Salins it relieved the 19th Division on the night of July 28–29. It held this quiet sector until October 5, when it was relieved by the 87th Division.
4. It entrained on the 6th and detrained at Guise about October 8. On the night of the 10th–11th it came into line near Seboncourt and was heavily engaged until October 20, when it was withdrawn east of Bohain. The division suffered heavy losses in this engagement.
5. On October 26 the division reenforced the line south of Guise and fought until the armistice. The last identification was south of Guise on November 3.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. Its services in Flanders was of a mediocre character. In the St. Quentin area in October it put up a good resistance.
82d Reserve Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │82 Res. │60. │82 Res. │270 Res. │ │270 Res. │ │271 Res. │ │271 Res. │ │272 Res. │ │272 Res. │ │ ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │82 Res. Cav. Detch. │82 Res. Cav. Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │82 Res. Brig.: │82 Res. Brig.: │ 69 Res. F. A. Rgt. (6 │ 69 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ Btries.). │ │ 70 Res. F. A. Rgt. (6 │ 70 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ Btries.). │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│84 Res. Pion. Co. │86 Res. Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │82 Res. Pont. Engs. │82 Res. Pont. Engs. │ │282 T. M. Co. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │1 Ambulance Co. │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │82 Res. Train Detch. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd units. │82 Res. Cyclist Co. │82 Res. Cyclist Co. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │40 Labor Btn. ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │82 Res. │270 Res. │82 Res. │270 Res. │ │271 Res. │ │271 Res. │ │272 Res. │ │272 Res. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │82 Res. Cav. Detch. │3 Sqn. 1 Drag. Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │(?) Art. Command: │70 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ 69 Res. F. A. Rgt. (9 │1 Abt. 18 Ft. A. Rgt. (2, 3, │ Btries.). │ and 13 Btries.). │ │755 Light Am. Col. │ │ │ │1224 Light Am. Col. │ │1225 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│(382) Pion. Btn.: │382 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 86 Res. Pion. Co. │ 348 Pion. Co. │ 246 Pion. Co. │ 86 Res. Pion. Co. │ 282 T. M. Co. │ 106 Searchlight Section. │ 287 Searchlight Section. │482 Signal Command: │ Tel. Detch. │ 482 Tel. Detch. │ │ 174 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │544 Ambulance Co. │544 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │118 Res. Field Hospital. │115 Res. Field Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │119 Res. Field Hospital. │ │221 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │M. T. Col. │749 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd units. │82 Res. Cyclist Co. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │46 Labor Btn. │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(270th Regiment: 3d Corps District—Brandenburg. 271st and 272d Regiments: 6th Corps District—Silesia.)
1915.
1. Formed during November, 1914-January, 1915, with three field battalions of the 3d Corps District and six of the 6th Corps District (Nos. 25–30) it was trained at the Jueterbog cantonment. The 82d Reserve Division (which with the 81st Reserve Division formed the 41st Reserve Corps) entrained on January 21 for the Somme. It included an additional regiment—the 60th Infantry—which the 21st Corps had left in France before leaving for Russia.
SOMME.
2. It was engaged in February and March, 1915, to the north of Chaulnes.
3. About March 28 it was transferred to the Eastern Front minus the 60th Infantry, which joined the 121st Division.
GALICIA-RUSSIA.