Part 81
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │168. │335. │163. │335. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │336. │ │336. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │423. │ │423. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │1 Sqn. 84 Cav. (Heavy) Rgt. │3 Sqn. 16 Drag. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │Art. Command: │54 Art. Command: │ 248 F. A. Rgt. │ 248 F. A. Rgt. │ 903 F. A. Btry. │ 3 Abt. 25 Ft. A. Rgt. (8 to │ │ 10th Btries.). │ │ 1007 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1008 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1009 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│(?) Pion. Btn.: │84 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 272 Pion. Co. │ 2 Res. Co. 1 Pions. │ │ │ 1 Ldw. Co. 12 Pions. │ 272 Pion. Co. │ │ │ 84 T. M. Co. │ 84 T. M. Co. │ 347 Searchlight Section. │ 52 Searchlight Section. │ 84 Tel. Detch. │84 Signal Command: │ │ 84 Tel. Detch. │ │ 166 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │84 (?) Ambulance Co. │84 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │21 Ldw. Field Hospital. │77 Field Hospital. │156 Field Hospital. │21 Ldw. Field Hospital. │ │156 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │1008 M. T. Col. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │1 Anklam, Landst. Inf. Btn. │ │ (2 C. Dist. Btn. No. 1). │ │7 Posen Landst. Btn. (5 C. │ │ Dist. Btn. No. 7). │ │1 Glogau Landst. Btn. (5 C. │ │ Dist. Btn. No. 15). │ │1 Cottbus Landst. Ers. Btn. │ │ (3 C. Dist. Btn. No. 23). │ │2 Dresden Landst. Inf. Btn. │ │ (12 C. Dist. Btn. No. 2). │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(335th and 336th Regiments: 5th Corps District—Posen. 423d Regiment: 5th Corps District—Lower Silesia.)
1915.
The 84th Division with the 83d Division formed the Posen Corps and was engaged on the Eastern Front from the beginning of the war. (See 83d Division.) It was organized in June, 1915.
RUSSIA.
1. After having fought in Poland to the north of Pilica (February to June, 1915) the elements of the 84th Division operated in the region of Bleudow.
2. The 84th Division took part in the offensive against the Russians. It advanced through the region of Bug (Aug. 17), through the southeast of Bielsk (end of August) north of Slonim (September, battle from the 13th to the 18th), up to the south of Novogrodek (Sept. 22). The front having become stationary, the division took a position in the vicinity of Deliatitchi (north of the Niemen). In December it gave up the 333d Regiment of Infantry to the 89th Division, then recently organized.
1916.
RUSSIA.
1. The 84th Division stayed in the sector in the vicinity of the Niemen (Liubtcha, Deliatitchi) during the entire year 1916.
2. From July to October the 334th and 335th Regiments were detached as reenforcements between Goroditche and Baranovitchi to meet the Russian offensive.
1917.
1. In 1917 the division still occupied the same sectors along the Niemen (Deliatitchi, Negnevitchi) until its departure for the Western Front (December).
2. About the month of June the 334th Infantry was transferred to the 94th Division and replaced by the 423d Infantry, to which the former transferred some of its men.
In December the division absorbed another lot of men from the 334th Infantry and some from the Landsturm Battalion V. 15. Its strength had since November included some young men of the class of 1919.
3. At the end of December the division was transported to France. The 3d Battalion of the 423d Regiment entrained at Novogrodek on December 31. (Itinerary: Varsovie-Leipzig-Frankfort on the Main-Thionville) and detrained at Arrancy (south of Longuyon) on January 7. The 2d Battalion of the 336th Regiment entrained on December 28 and detrained at Landres on January 3.
RECRUITING.
The division was for the most part recruited from the 5th and the 7th Corps Districts. This was but slightly changed by the incorporation of the men of the Landsturm Battalion V. 15 which consisted mostly of soldiers from Brandenburg and of the addition of those belonging to the class of 1919 which came from the 4th Corps District.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 84th Division had been on the Eastern front since 1914. Its offensive value was mediocre.
On the Russian front it began to fraternize at the end of December. The Germans were only allowed to do so in the presence of their officers. In November and about December 20 the men in the division who were over 40 years of age were transferred into Landsturm battalions or into regiments staying in Russia, and replaced by young men nearly all belonging to the class of 1919 (250 to the 84th Division in November).
1918.
MONTDIDIER-NOYON.
1. The division was relieved by the 53d Reserve Division about May 1. It moved west and on May 25 relieved the 3d Bavarian Division in the Lassigny sector. It was taken out in early June and rested until the 9th, when it returned to attack at Courcelles. It again retired on June 20 and rested until July 2.
LASSIGNY.
2. On that date it was in line southeast of Belloy, where it was engaged until mid-July. It rested near Antheuil until August 12, when it reenforced the battle front south of Thiescourt. Then it was engaged until about August 22.
OISE.
3. One regiment—the 423d—entered line on the Oise on August 22 and by September 4 all the division was in line near Quierzy. It was withdrawn on September 15.
4. On September 30 the division entered line at Trouquoy and south of Sequehart. In the fighting in the first week of October the elements of the division were badly mixed with other divisions. They were taken out about October 9 and re-formed.
5. It was reengaged on October 27 in the vicinity of Sissonne and fought until the armistice. The last identification was east of Bucy les Pierrepont on November 6.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as fourth class. It was a very mediocre unit, composed largely of Landsturm elements and of young recruits. It was decimated by the fighting in the fall and its morale became very bad. A contributing factor was a draft of 300 prisoners returned from Russia.
85th Landwehr Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │69 Ldw. │17 Ldw. │169 Ldw. │61 Ldw. │ │21 Ldw. │ │99 Ldw. │ │61 Ldw. │170 Ldw. │17 Ldw. │ │99 Ldw. │ │21 Ldw. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │85 Cav. Rgt. (4 Sqns.). │85 Cav. Rgt. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │Ers. Ants. of the 36, 71, and│85 F. A. Rgt. │ 73 F. A. Rgts. │ │ │93 F. A. Rgt. │ │844 F. A. Btry. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│ │ Liaisons. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd units. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │Zittau Landst. Inf. Btn. (12 │ │ C. Dist. No. 7). │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │170 Ldw. │17 Ldw. │169 Ldw. │17 Ldw. │ │21 Ldw. │ │21 Ldw. │ │99 Ldw. │ │99 Ldw. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │5 Sqn. 6 Cuirassier Rgt. │5 Sqn. 6 Cuir. Rgt. │(?) Sqn. 85 Cav. Rgt. │ │Ers. Sqn. 12 Dragoon Rgt. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │(?) │275 Field Artillery Rgt. │ │ │844 F. A. Btry. │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│(485) Pion. Btn.: │1 Ldst. Pion. 4 Army Corps. Liaisons. │ │ │ 2 Ers. Co. 26 Pions. │585 Tel. Detch. │ 385 T. M. Co. │ │ 22 Heavy Field Searchlight │ │ Section. │ │ Tel. Detch. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │85 Ambulance Co. │320 Field Hospital. Veterinary.│ │ │Field Hospital. │181 Vet. Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │M. T. Col. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd units. │85 Cyclist Co. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │Zittau Landst. Inf. Btn. (12 │ │ C. Dist. Btn. No. 7). │ │Osterode Landst. Inf. Btn. │ │ (20 C. Dist. Inf. Btn. No. │ │ 8). │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(17th Landwehr: 21st Corps District—Lorraine. 21st Landwehr: 17th Corps District—Western Prussia. 99th Landwehr: 15th Corps District—Alsace.)
1915.
The 85th Landwehr Division is the old Breugel Division, which at the beginning of the war, together with the Woernitz Division (86th Division), formed the Graudenz Corps (also known as the Zastrow Corps and in 1915 the 17th Reserve Corps), and operated on the Eastern Front.
RUSSIA.
1. Two of the regiments, the 17th Landwehr and the 99th Landwehr, went to the Eastern Front, the former at the beginning of the war and the latter in the spring of 1915.
POLAND.
1. Until July, 1915, the Breugel Division was engaged in Poland (Prasnysz, region of Mlawa).
2. In July it took part in the offensive against the Russians, advancing to the west of Pultusk (middle of July); besieged Novo-Georgievsk; was on the Bug (beginning of August) and near Bielsk (end of August). The 61st Landwehr entered Warsaw on August 22 and remained there during the month of September.
3. With the stabilization of the front the former Breugel, now the 85th Landwehr Division occupied the Vichnev sector (to the south of Krevo) on the Little Berezina.
1916.
VICHNEV.
1. The 85th Landwehr Division remained on the Vichnev-Deliatitchi front for more than two years (September, 1915—October, 1917). In September, 1917, it gave up the 61st Landwehr Regiment to the 217th Division, then newly organized.
1917.
VICHNEV.
1. About the 15th of October, 1917, the 85th Landwehr Division moved to the north. It left the Niemen region to go to the south of Dvinsk, near the lake of Drisviaty. In December it extended its sector toward the south (Vidzy).
RECRUITING.
The 21st Landwehr was recruited in the 17th Corps District, or more generally in western Prussia. There were numerous soldiers from Alsace and Lorraine in the division. Frequent desertions on the part of the men from Lorraine and men from the mining region of the Sarre in 1914 on the French front led to the decision which sent the 17th Landwehr to Russia.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
Remained a long while in quiet sectors on the Russian front. The 85th Landwehr Division had but a very mediocre combat value.
1918.
COURLAND.
1. Toward the end of January the men of the 85th Landwehr Division were still fraternizing in the Vidzy region. The 17th Landwehr Regiment was in the vicinity of Jakobstadt in April and the 99th Landwehr Regiment participated at this time in the operations in Finland.
UKRAINE.
2. Early in May the whole division, with the exception of some elements (14th Jaeger Battalion, 1st Guard Uhlan Regiment, 229th Mounted Machine Gun Co.), moved to the Polotsk region. Regiments of the division were identified in this area early in September. There was a rumor that the division had been transferred to the Western Front early in October, but this seems unlikely.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as fourth class.
86th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │Grossman │Reinhard │171. │341. │ (171). │ (341). │ │ │ │Krause (342). │ │342. │Windhetm │Hoebel (343). │172. │343. │ (172). │ │ │ │ │Gropp (344). │ │344. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │86 Cav. Regt. (Ers. Sqns. 11 │ │ Drag., 4 Horse Jag. Rgts., │ │ 1 Ldw. Sqn. 17 C. Dist. │ │ Cav., and Res. Ers. Sqn. 17│ │ C. Dist. Cav.) │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │86 F. A. Rgt. │86 F. A. Rgt. │ │220 F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│ │86 T. M. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ │86 Pont. Engs. │ │86 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd units. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │110 Labor Btn. Briesen │ │ Landst. Inf. Btn. (17 C. │ │ Dist. No. 1). │ │Neufahrwasser Landst. Inf. │ │ Btn. (17 C. Dist. No. 8). ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │172. │341. │172. │341. │ │ │ │ │ │343. │ │343. │ │344. │ │344. │ │ │ │ │ 4 Jag. Btn. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │3 Sqn. 7 Uhlan Rgt. │3 Sqn., 7 Uhlan Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │Art. Command: │86 F. A. Rgt. │ 86 (?) F. A. Rgt. │404 F. Art. Btn. │ │971 Light Mun. Col. │ │973 Light Mun. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│Pion. Btn.: │86 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 3 Ers. Co. 26 Pions. │ 3 Ers. 26th Pion. │ 2 Co. 34 Res. Pions. │ 3 Pion. Btn. No. 34. │ 86 T. M. Co. │ 19th Searchlight Section. │ 328 Searchlight Section. │86 Div. Signal Command: │ Tel. Detch. │ 86 Tel. Detch. │ │ 157 Div. Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │86 Ambulance Co. │86 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │81 Field Hospital. │81 and 129 Field Hospitals. │129 Field Hospital. │182 Vet. Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │797 M. T. Col. │583 M. T. Col. │971 M. T. Col. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd units. │86 Cyclist Co. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │2 Cologne Landst. Inf. Btn. │ │ (8 C. Dist. Btn. No. 15). │ │ │ │7 Munst. Landst. Inf. Btn. (7│ │ C. Dist. Btn. No. 69). │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(341st Regiment: 20th Corps District—Eastern part of Western Prussia. 343d and 344th Regiments: 17th Corps District—Western Prussia.)
1914.
The 86th Division was organized during the summer of 1915 with the elements of the Woernitz Division. The latter with the 85th Landwehr Division, constituted the Suren Corps coming from the garrisons of Graudenz, Kulm, and Marienburg, which was used on the Eastern Front from the beginning of the war. There were 11 battalions of mobile depots (active, reserve, and Landwehr) and two companies of depots of chasseurs (jaeger).
POLAND.
1. After having participated in the operations on the Polish front from September to December, 1914, the troops which were to be formed into the 86th Division were then used in the region of Mlawa (trench warfare) from the end of December, 1914, to the middle of May, 1915. Some of the units were sorely tried. At Koslau (Nov. 12 to Dec. 25), then at Prasnysz, the 4th Company of the mobile Ersatz battalion of the 18th Infantry lost 2 officers and 266 men. (Casualty Report.)
1915.
RUSSIA.