Histories of two hundred and fifty-one divisions of the German army which participated in the war (1914-1918)

Part 85

Chapter 852,262 wordsPublic domain

─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │205. │32. │205. │32. │ │71. │ │71. │ │116 Res. │ │116 Res. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │ │2 and 4 Sqn. Horse Gren. Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │205 F. A. Rgt. │205 F. A. Rgt. │4 Mountain A. Abt. │4 Mountain A. Abt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│205 Pion. Co. │205 Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ │9 Co. 28 Pions. │ │103 T. M. Co. │ │103 Pont. Engs. │ │103 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd units. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────

─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │205. │32. │205. │32. │ │71. │ │71. │ │116 Res. │ │144. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │3 Sqn. 6 Drag. Rgt. │3 Sqn. 6 Drag. Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │103 Art. Command: │103 Art. Command: │ 205 F. A. Rgt. (9 Btries.). │ 205 F. A. Rgt. │ │ 3 Abt. 11 Res. Ft. A. Rgt. │ │ 721 Light Am. Col. │ │ 919 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1228 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│103 Pion. Btn.: │103 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 87 Res. Pion. Co. │ 87 Res. Pion. Co. │ 9 Co. 28 Pions. │ 9 Co. 28 Pions. │ 103 T. M. Co. │ 103 M. Co. │ (205) Searchlight Section. │ 208 Searchlight Section. │ 103 Tel. Detch. │103 Signal Command: │ │ 103 Tel. Detch. │ │ 15 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │103 Ambulance Co. │103 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │361 Field Hospital. │361 Field Hospital. │362 Field Hospital. │362 Field Hospital. │202 Vet. Hospital. │202 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │ │591 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd units. │Divisional M. T. Col. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │M. G. Co. of the 4 Gd. Gren. │ │ Rgt. │ │12 T. M. Co. │ │24 Bomb Thrower. │ │14 M. G. Co. │ │75 M. G. S. S. Detch. │ │2 Bav. M. G. S. S. Detch. │ │1 Co. 629 Ambulance Co. │ │102 Gd. Pions. │ │2 Gd. Pion.Co. │ │1 Co. 29 Pions. │ │2 Co. 8 C. Dist. T. M. Btn. │ │1 Co. 8 C. Dist. T. M. Btn. │ │35 Flame-thrower Detch. │ │1 Btry. 107 F. A. Rgt. │ │22 Btries. 43 Res. F. Rgt. │ │1 Btry. 43 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ │2 Btries. 2 Gd. F. A. Rgt. │ │7 Ft. Art. Rgt. │ │4 Btries. 19 Ft. Art. Rgt. │ │2 Btries. 1 Res. Ft. Art. │ │ Rgt. │ │1 Btry. 16 Ft. Art. Rgt. │ │42 Art. Survey Section. │ │127 Giant Periscope Section. │ │306 Supply Train. │ │497 Ammunition Train. │ │117 Bav. Art. Ammunition │ │ Train. │ │42 Res. Art. Ammunition │ │ Train. │ │295 Ammunition Train. │ │28 Ammunition Train. │ │216 Ammunition Train. │ │31 Supply Depot. │ │13 Supply Depot. │ │81 Field Bakery. │ │10 Reconnaissance Flight. │ │265 Reconnaissance Flight. │ │111 Balloon Sqn. │ │107 Balloon Sqn. │ │37 Wireless Detch. │ │1135 Signal Detch. │ │289 Pigeon Loft. │ │92 Pigeon Loft. │ │2 Co. 87 Labor Btn. │ │3 Co. 87 Labor Btn. │ │100 Pris. of War Labor Btn. │ │Chemnitz Landst. Labor Btn. │ │2 Co. 11 Bav. Labor Btn. │ │1 and 4 Cos. 72 Road Building│ │ Btn. │ │(According to a captured │ │ document of Sept. 26, │ │ 1917.) │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────

HISTORY.

(32d Regiment: 11th. Corps District—Hesse—Electoral. 71st Regiment; 11th Corps District—Thuringen. 116th Reserve Regiment: 18th Corps District—Grand Duchy of Hesse.)

1915.

The 103d Division was formed at the Warthe cantonment in May, 1915, by taking the 32d Regiment from the 22d Division, the 71st Regiment from the 38th Division, and the 116th Reserve Regiment from the 25th Reserve Division.

SERBIA.

1. On May 10, 1915, the 103d Division was sent to a region near the Serbian frontier and stayed there, together with the 101st Division, until the end of June, between the Drave and the Save.

RUSSIA.

2. During the summer it appeared on the Russian front and participated in the offensive of the Linsingen Army—near Lemberg, July 29; near Sokal, August 16.

3. It was put at rest at the end of August.

SERBIA.

4. Transferred to southern Hungary (September), it took part in the Serbian campaign with the Gallwitz Army. It was at Kragujevac in November and at Nish at the beginning of December.

5. This expedition having been completed, it stayed at rest at Uskub, the 71st Infantry going to Veles.

1916.

MACEDONIA.

1. In January, 1916, the 116th Reserve Regiment advanced up to Macedonia and soon, at the end of February, the 103d Division was on the Greek frontier (Lake Dorian sector), to the left of the 101st Division, with which it formed the 4th Reserve Corps.

FRANCE.

2. Entrained for France about April 27.

CHAMPAGNE.

3. Detrained at Châtelet sur Retourne about May 6 and was reviewed at Avançon by the Emperor on the 9th and went into line on the 23d in the Prosnes-Prunay sector to the east of the 58th Division (these two divisions forming the 4th Reserve Corps).

VERDUN.

4. The 103d Division left Champagne on June 16 for the Verdun front. It was engaged on June 22 in the Vaux-Chapitre wood and took part in the big attack of June 23 on the Souville Fort and the attack of July 11. During this period (June-July) it suffered very heavy losses.

5. Relieved at the end of July, it went into line in a sector near Apremont Forest for a few days (until Aug. 2).

CÔTES DE MEUSE.

6. From the beginning of August to September 15 it occupied the front along the Côtes de Meuse (Bois des Chevaliers, Vaux les Palameix).

CHAMPAGNE.

7. Transferred to Champagne (Sept. 20), the division took over the Somme-Py sector, Tahure (until the beginning of October).

SOMME.

8. The 103d Division was next sent to the Somme (detrained at Bohain, Oct. 8). It was engaged between Bouchavesnes and the St. Pierre-Vaast wood (Oct. 15 to Nov. 10). The 116th Reserve Regiment was particularly put to the test.

CHAMPAGNE.

9. After a few days’ rest the division came back to Champagne (Nov. 13). It occupied the Souain sector (Nov. 15 to Jan. 15, 1917). While there was engaged only in a few local raids. In December and January it received important reenforcements.

1917.

VERDUN.

1. The 103d Division in January, 1917, went to the Verdun front (Samogneux-Louvemont). It stayed there four months and was always on the defensive.

CHEMIN DES DAMES.

2. Relieved on May 23, the division was transferred to the Aisne. It held the Chemin des Dames sector (Malmaison, Les Bovettes, Panthéon, La Royère) from May 26 to October 11–12. It only participated in the attacks of June 6 and July 8 as supporting troops and as a result suffered but slight losses during that period.

3. Relieved from the Aisne front on October 11 the 103d Division was sent to rest in the region of Sissonne. It seems to have been transferred on October 24 toward the north of the Ailette as an attacking division.

ST. QUENTIN.

4. After a rest at the end of November and the first two weeks of December in the vicinity of Origny-Ste. Benoite, the division took over the sector of Itancourt (Dec. 27–28) near St. Quentin.

RECRUITING.

The 32d Regiment and the 71st Regiment, recruited in Thuringen and Hesse-Electoral, and the 116th Reserve Regiment in the Grand Duchy of Hesse. Although the 3d Batallion of the 85th Landwehr was transferred to the 116th as 3d Batallion of this unit, its recruiting was a great deal less from the 9th Corps District than from the 18th Corps District.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The showing made by the 103d Division in the conflicts in which it was engaged warrants its being classed among the good units. Its losses in 1917 were comparatively small. Its strength was gradually made up of younger men by the transfer from it of the older soldiers. It was classed as an attack division by the German Command. A secret order of the 103d Division of September 20, 1917, contains the following: “Our division, which was specially trained for offensive work, and which is designated as an attack division (Angriffs division), is, in an offensive, very superior to the adversary * * *.”

1918.

BATTLE OF PICARDY.

1. The division was in line south of St. Quentin on March 21 as the left division of Von Conta group. It advanced toward Vendeuil without meeting great resistance and reached there at midnight. The 22d it reached the Crozat Canal and crossed at Liezon the next day. Placed in reserve on the 23d, it followed the general advance by Villequier-Aumont (24th), Quesmy (25th), Lagny (27th). On the 28th the division captured the Dives-Lassigny road and relieved the 36th Division in that vicinity. It attacked Plemont on March 30, but was unable to maintain its position and fell back on April 1, after heavy losses. It was relieved about April 15.

AISNE.

2. About April 27 the division relieved the 108th Division at Corbeny. It was still in line when the attack of May 27 started and advanced to the Marne northwest of Chatillon via Romigny, Vandieres, Bois de Mareuil. It was relieved by the 22d Division between June 24 and 26.

BATTLE OF THE MARNE.

3. It rested near Fismes until it reentered line about July 14 in the sector Anthenay-Bois de Trottes. It was engaged until about August 1, when it was withdrawn from the battle front southwest of Rheims.

CHEMIN DES DAMES.

4. The division rested at Malmaison until August 22, when it was engaged north of St. Aubin. In that locality it remained in line until about September 5.

CHAMPAGNE.

5. On September 26 the division entered line in Champagne, relieving the 202d Division in the area south of Fontaine en Dornmeois. It received the full weight of the French attack and in four days in line lost more than 2,000 prisoners, including 6 battalion commanders.

6. After three weeks of rest, elements of the division were reengaged southwest of Longwe on October 24. Other elements were identified in the sector of the 76th Reserve Division and the 2d Landwehr Division, near the junction of the American and French Armies. Elements continued to be identified in this general locality until the armistice. Most of the division appeared to have been opposed to the French Army. The last identification was at Sedan.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as third class. At the end its effectives were greatly reduced. Discontent over their prolonged service in line had lowered the morale of the division.

105th Division.

COMPOSITION.

─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │209. │21. │209. │21. │ │122 Fus. │ │122 Fus. │ │129. │ │129. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │4 Mounted Jag. Rgt. (2 │4 Mounted Jag. Rgt. (Sqns.). │ Sqns.). │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │209 F. A. Rgt. (7 Btries.). │209 F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│209 Pion. Co. │209 Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ │105 T. M. Co. │ │105 Pont. Engs. │ │105 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────

HISTORY.

(21st and 129th Regiments: 17th Corps District—Western Prussia. 400th Regiment: 8th Corps District—Rhine Province.)

1915.

The 105th Division was formed at Thorn in May, 1915. At the outset it comprised the 122d Regiment of Fusileers obtained from the 26th Division (13th Corps District), the 21st Infantry from the 35th Division, and the 129th Infantry from the 36th Division (17th Corps District).

In 1917 the 400th replaced the 122d Regiment (Wurttemberg).

SERBIA.

1. In June, 1915, the 105th Division appeared on the Serbian front at the same time as the 101st and 103d Divisions.

GALICIA.

2. At the end of June it was transferred to Galicia via Budapest and Stry. It participated in the offensive against the Russians on the Gnila Lipa from June 24 to July 1, on the Zlota Lipa July 20. From Galicia it went to Poland; fought at Krasnostaw at the end of July and between Wieprz and the Jaselda until August 20. At the end of August it was on the Chtchertchev-Brest-Kobryn railway front.

SERBIA AND BULGARIA.

3. Chosen for the Serbian campaign, it again found itself in company with the 101st and 103d Divisions and went into line on the Serbian front in October but did not stay there long. While the 122d fusileers pushed on in the south of this country, the 21st and the 129th entrained in December for Eastern Bulgaria.

1916.

BULGARIA.

1. Assigned to watch the Roumanian frontier and the coast of the Black Sea, the 21st went to Varna and the 129th from Choumla to the coast. This mission did not end until May, 1916.

MACEDONIA.

2. At this time the division was being re-formed in Macedonia, where the three regiments were again together at the beginning of June.

GALICIA.

3. The June Russian offensive was responsible for its return to Galicia and at the end of the month it was in Bukovina. The 105th Division operated in the region of Kolomea (end of June, beginning of July) and suffered heavy losses. The 122d fusileers reported 26 officers and 1,165 men out of action. The division next fought in Galicia to the east of Stanislau in July and August (east of Tlumacz-Tysmienica), to the east of Halicz in September.