Part 80
4. In May, 1915, the 82d Reserve Division as well as the 81st Reserve Division took part in the German offensive along the San, which resulted in the breaking up of the Russian front in Galicia. It was identified in region of Jaslo (May 9) to the south of Radymno (May 12–21) and at Medyka (June 4). Its pursuit of the Russians brought it together with the 41st Reserve Corps to the Bug, in the vicinity of Grubeszow (July) and to the northeast of Pinsk (September-October). During that offensive the division suffered heavy losses.
PINSK.
5. The Russian retreat being halted, the 82d Reserve Division took its position in the Pinsk region (Nobel Lake, October-December).
1916.
PINSK-NOBEL LAKE.
1. The division remained the entire year in the Nobel Lake sector and up to November, 1917. A soldier of the 270th Regiment wrote on November 8, 1917: “I have not loaded my gun since the middle of March.”
1917.
RUSSIA-FRANCE.
1. In November, 1917, the 82d Reserve Division was relieved by some Landsturm units and re-formed (elimination of soldiers from Alsace and Lorraine, etc.).
2. At the beginning of December the division was transported to the Western Front.
3. The division entrained at Ivanovo on December 4 (Itinerary: Brest- Litowsk-Varsovie-Kalisz-Glogau-Cottbus-Halle-Frankfort-Mainz-Kreuznach- Sarrebrueck-Metz-Conflans) and detrained at Mars la Tour about December 10.
RECRUITING.
In theory Brandenburg and Silesia. Very mixed personnel, seemingly including men from Pomerania and the eastern Provinces of the Empire.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
In January, 1918, the 82d Reserve Division took part in maneuvers in the vicinity of Thuméréville (northwest of Conflans). After these maneuvers Lieut. Gen. Fuchs is said to have said that the division could be put in class 3 of the combat units (Kampf Truppen, 3) a classification which is just above that of labor troops. (Interrogation of prisoner, Mar. 4, 1918. See Bull. Rens. Second Army (French), No. 744.)
The make-up of the division is heterogeneous and of mediocre quality and includes returned wounded men, Landsturm, former railway guards, dismounted troopers, and few recruits of the 1918 class. (Interrogation, Jan. 22, 1918.)
After a two-year stay in the Pinsk sector the 82d Reserve Division lacked training when it returned on the Western Front (December, 1917).
1918.
CANTIGNY.
1. The division was relieved on April 20 in the Woevre and marched by Conflans-Briey-Mairy to Landres, where it entrained. It moved via Longuyon-Mezieres-Hirson and arrived at Wassigny, where it detrained on May 5. On May 16 the division relieved the 30th Division west of Cantigny. It was thrown out of the city by the American attack at the end of the month. The division was withdrawn about July 22.
THIRD BATTLE OF THE SOMME.
2. To reenforce the Somme battle front the division came into line on August 9 between Hangest and Arvillers. It was withdrawn on the 18th northwest of Roye, but a week later returned to its former sector. The division fell back on the Canal du Nord on August 27, and on September 2 took up a position between the Chaulnes-Ham railroad and a point north of Moyencourt. It again retreated on the night of September 4–5 and occupied a position at Etreillers-Roupy before the Siegfried-Stellung.
The division was constantly engaged, resisting strongly, but being gradually forced back. On the 28th it retired to the line of the St. Quentin Canal. On October 8, a surprise attack threw it back to Fontaine Notre Dame. Here it resisted fiercely. It was relieved about October 10 and went to the Guise area.
In this fighting the division lost 2,000 men. Its combatant strength was estimated to be about 1,200 men on October 7.
3. On October 14 the division reenforced the line east of Bernot and fought for three days. It returned to the Guise area, but intervened again west of Pleine-Selve on October 25. Until the armistice it was engaged south of Guise, east of La Capelle, and at Liessies.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. After August it was almost constantly in line in the St. Quentin area until its effectives were almost completely consumed.
83d Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │Doussin (1 │1 Garrison │165. │329. │ Garrison │ Rgt. (329). │ │ │ Brig., now │ │ │ │ 165). │ │ │ │Rudiger (2 │2 Garrison │ │330. │ Garrison │ Rgt. (330). │ │ │ Brig., now │ │ │ │ 166). │ │ │ │ │ │166. │331. │ │3 Garrison │ │332. │ │ Rgt. (331). │ │ │ │4 Garrison │ │ │ │ Rgt. (332). │ │ ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │ │2 Sqn. 92 Ldw. Cav. Rgt. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │Von Conta F. A. Rgt. (Ers. │249 F. A. Rgt. │ Abt. 61 F. A. Rgt.). │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│ │83 T. M. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ │83 Pont. Engs. │ │83 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │165. │329. │165. │255 Res. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │330. │ │4 Ldw. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │331. │ │346. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │83 Heavy Cav. Rgt. │3 Sqn. 11 Drag. Rgt. │2 Sqn. 92 Ldw. Cav. Rgt. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │Art. Command: │80 Art. Command: │ │ │ 249 F. A. Rgt. │ 249 F. A. Rgt. │ │ 3 Abt. 28 Ft. A. Rgt. (7th │ │ to 9th Btries.). │ │ 796 Light Am. Col. │ │ 798 Light Am. Col. │ │ 951 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│83 Pion. Btn.: │83 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 1 Ldw. Co. 1 Pions. │ 1 Ldw. Co. 1 C. Dist. Pions. │ 246 Pion. Co. │ 1 Ldw. Co. 5 C. Dist. Pions. │ 83 T. M. Co. │ 123 Searchlight Section. │ 316 Searchlight Section. │83 Signal Command: │ 83 Tel. Detch. │ 83 Tel. Detch. │ │ 185 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │83 Ambulance Co. │83 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │49 Field Hospital. │49 Field Hospital. │165 Field Hospital. │165 Field Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │83 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │M. T. Col. │581 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │26 Bav. Ft. A. Btn. (1, 2, │ │ and 4 Btries.). │ │3 Abt. 5 Ft. A. Rgt. (6, 10, │ │ and 11 Btries.). │ │1 Art. Observation Section. │ │121 Sound Ranging Section. │ │8 Bav. Pion. Co. │ │4 Co. 10 Labor Btn. │ │2 Co. 35 Labor Btn. │ │77 Balloon Sqn. │ │(Elements attached, Aug. 14, │ │ 1918. German document.) ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(329th and 331st Regiment: 5th Corps District—Posen and Lower Silesia. 330th Regiment: 7th Corps District—Westphalia.)
1915.
The 83d Division was formed out of the garrison of defense of Posen which went under the name of Posen Corps. It was engaged on the Eastern Front from the beginning of the war.
The Posen Corps composed of depot battalions of active regiments, of reserve, of Landwehr, and even battalions of Landsturm, was divided into four brigades. Its strength was distributed into two divisions, the 83d and 84th, in June, 1915, and the battalions, which were at first formed into regiments bearing the names of the respective commanders of these regiments, were numbered 329 to 336, inclusive.
RUSSIA-POLAND.
1. From March to June, with the Posen Corps, the regiments which were to form the 83d Reserve Division took part in the Poland campaign to the north of Pilica and on the Bzura.
VICHNEV.
2. The 83d Division took part in the summer offensive against the Russians. Leaving the Ostrolenka region (July) it advanced by way of Grodno, Lipnichki (northeast of Lida, September) up to Vichnev (October), where it established its position.
1916.
VICHNEV.
1. The division stayed in the Vichnev sector during the entire year 1916 and until the month of April, 1917.
1917.
1. About the middle of April, 1917, the 83d Division was transferred from Vichnev to Baranovitchi, where it was held some time as a reserve and then to the northeast of Halicz, from which place it was transported by automobiles to the Stanislau region (June 5).
GALICIA.
2. At the beginning of July it was attacked by the Russians to the west of Stanislau (serious losses on July 9, particularly 690 prisoners). It afterwards took part in the German counteroffensive and advanced through the Dniester valley up to the west of Chotin (beginning of August.)
3. Relieved about the middle of September, the 83d Reserve Division was sent to rest in the Czernovitz region and then put back in line to the northeast of Bojan (October-November).
4. At the end of November the division left the Bojan sector and became a reserve for the Bothmer Army in back of the Czernovitz front. Before leaving for the Western Front the 4th Division had sent it men from Alsace and Lorraine (middle of December when the 36th Division had left the former some months before.)
RECRUITING.
Recruiting was mostly from Posen and Silesia with some support from Westphalia and the Rhine Province. Coming from Galicia as late as March, 1918, the 83d Division could not come without the soldiers coming from Alsace and Lorraine which other divisions which had left before had transferred to it.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
Mediocre division, formed to the extent of one third by older men. Appears for the first time on the Western Front in April, 1918.
1918.
YPRES.
1. The division held the sector north of Ypres until July 18. After its relief it rested a few days in Roulers and then entrained at Lichterfelde for the Douai area. On August 16 it traveled via Cambrai and detrained near Ruyanlcourt. Here it spent the night, moving up to Flers the next morning. The division came into line on the 19th, when it relieved the 3d Naval Division north of Albert.
SCARPE-SOMME.
2. It was engaged at Thiepval, Bazentin le Grand, Courcelette, and Martinpuich until about April 26, when it was withdrawn.
3. On September 10, the division came into line in Lorraine with an entirely new composition. It then included the 255th Reserve Regiment, the 346th Regiment, and the 4th Landwehr Regiment grouped under the brigade and divisional staff of the 83d Division. The 329th Regiment, one of the former regiments of the division, was sent to Esthonia on September 5. It had lost 700 casualties in the August fighting. The reconstructed division held the Embermenil sector until the armistice.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as fourth class. After its transfer to the Western Front, the division held a quiet sector except for a short time on the Scarpe in August.
84th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │Hoffmann, │5 Garrison │168. │334. │ afterward │ Rgt. (333). │ │ │ Schutze (3 │ │ │ │ Garrison │ │ │ │ Brig.) │ │ │ │ (167). │ │ │ │Reisswitz (4 │ │ │335. │ Garrison │ │ │ │ Brig.) │ │ │ │ (168). │ │ │ │ │6 Garrison │ │336. │ │ Rgt. (334). │ │ │ │7 Garrison │ │ │ │ Rgt. (335). │ │ │ │Schutze, │ │ │ │ afterwards │ │ │ │ Kroebel, │ │ │ │ Rgt. (8 │ │ │ │ Garrison │ │ │ │ Rgt. “336”).│ │ ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │84 Cav. Rgt. (Ers. Sqns. 8 │84 Cav. Rgt. │ Drag., 3 Uhlan Rgts., and 2│ │ and 4 Landst. Sqn. 5 C. │ │ Dist.). │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │ │248 F. A. Rgt. │ │847 F. A. Btry. │ │854 F. A. Btry. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│ │272 Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ │1 Ldw. Pion. Co. (12 C. │ │ Dist.). │ │3 Landst. Pion. Co. (13 C. │ │ Dist.). │ │84 T. M. Co. │ │84 Pont. Engs. │ │84 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │1 Haguenau Landst. Inf. Btn. │ │ (21 C. Dist. Btn. No. 12). │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────