Part 87
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918[29] ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │174. │2 Gren. │174. │2 Gren. │ │26 Res. │ │26 Res. │ │376. │ │376. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │5 Sqn. 10 Drag. Rgt. │2 Sqn. 10 Drag. Rgt. │ │5 Sqn. 10 Drag. Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │(?) Art. Command: │ 109 Art. Command: │ 227 F. A. Rgt. (9 Btries.). │ 227 F. A. Rgt. │ │ 2 Abt. 290 F. A. Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│(109) Pion. Btn.: │218 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 1 Ldw. Co. Gd. Pions. │ 338 Pion. Co. │ 2 Ldw. Co. 15 Pions. │ 2 Ldw. Co. 15 C. Dist. │ │ Pions. │ 109 T. M. Co. │ 276 Searchlight Section. │ 276 Searchlight Section. │ 109 T. M. Co. │ Tel. Detch. │ 109 Tel. Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │228 Ambulance Co. │373 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │98 Field Hospital. │98 Field Hospital. │277 Field Hospital. │27 Field Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │109 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │434 M. T. Col. │595 M. T. Col. ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────── Footnote 29:
Composition at the time of dissolution, September, 1918.
HISTORY.
(2d Grenadiers: 2d Corps District—Pomerania. 26th Reserve Regiment: 4th Corps District—Prussian Saxony. 376th Regiment: 1st Corps District—Eastern Prussia.)
1915.
The 109th Division was formed in Courland in May, 1915. It obtained the 2d Grenadiers from the 3d Division, which has since then completely changed its organization. It obtained the 26th Reserve Infantry from the 6th Reserve Division (3d Reserve Corps), and the 2d Ersatz Infantry Regiment (Koenigsberg), which received the number 376.
PONIEVIEJ.
1. It was a part of the Niemen Army from the time that army was organized until its departure for the Roumanian front (November, 1916). In July it was in the vicinity of Ponieviej.
JAKOBSTADT.
2. At the end of October it took a position in front of Jakobstadt.
1916.
COURLAND.
1. In 1916 the 109th Division still occupied the same sector in the vicinity of Jakobstadt to the southwest of Lievenhof (Buschhof). It stayed there until November, 1916.
ROUMANIA.
2. Transferred to Roumania, it took part in the campaign, valley of Jiu (November), southeast of Rimnicu-Sarat (December). In the meanwhile it headed the troops which entered Bucharest on December 6 (2d Grenadiers).
1917.
ROUMANIA-NAMOLOASA.
With the stabilization of the Roumanian front, the division took a position near the junction of the Rimnicu in front of Namoloasa (southeast of Focsani). It held this sector during the entire year 1917.
RECRUITING.
A composite division. The 2d Grenadiers was Pomeranian; the 26th Reserve Regiment was originally from Prussian Saxony, and the 376th got its recruits from depots in Eastern Prussia. It first appeared on the Western Front at the end of March, 1918.
1918.
SOMME.
1. The division came into line on the night of April 27–28 and relieved the 19th Division west of Hangard. It continued to hold this sector until August 10. In the first two days of the British attack the division lost 1,544 prisoners. After its withdrawal the division was taken to the vicinity of Trelon and disbanded.
2. The 26th Reserve Regiment was drafted to the 36th Fusileer Regiment and the 66th Regiment to the 113th Division. The 2d Grenadier Regiment passed intact from the 109th Division to the 3d Reserve Division. The 376th Regiment was divided among the three regiments of the 1st Division.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. After about four months in line on the Somme the losses in casualties and prisoners led to the dissolution of the division in September.
111th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │221. │73 Fus. │221. │73 Fus. │ │76. │ │76. │ │164. │ │164. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │3 and 4 Sqn. 22 Dragoon Rgt. │3 and 4 Sqn. 22 Dragoon Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│221 Pion. Co. │221 Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ │262 Pion. Co. │ │111 T. M. Co. │ │111 Pont. Engs. │ │111 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │221 F. A. Rgt. (7 Btries.). │221 F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │221. │73 Fus. │221. │73. │ │76. │ │76. │ │164. │ │164. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │4 Sqn. 22 Dragoon Rgt. │4 Sqn. 22 Drag. Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│(111) Pion. Btn.: │111 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 221 Pion. Co. │ 221 Pion. Co. │ 262 Pion. Co. │ 262 Pion. Co. │ 111 T. M. Co. │ 111 T. M. Co. │ 221 Searchlight Section. │ 199 Searchlight Section. │ 111 Tel. Detch. │111 Signal Command: │ │ 111 Tel. Detch. │ │ 19 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │111 Art. Command: │111 Art. Command: │ 221 F. A. Rgt. (9 Btries.). │ 94 F. A. Rgt. │ │ 2 Abt. 25 Ft. A. Rgt. (5 and │ │ 7 Btries.). │ │ 702 Light Am. Col. │ │ 758 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1341 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │111 Ambulance Co. │111 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │370 Field Hospital. │370 Field Hospital. │371 Field Hospital. │371 Field Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │111 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │M. T. Col. │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(73d Fusileers, 164th Regiment: 10th Corps District—Hanover. 76th Regiment: 9th Corps District—Hanseatic cities.)
1915.
The 111th Division was formed near Brussels on March 26, 1915, by obtaining the 73d Fusileers from the 19th Division, the 164th Infantry from the 20th Division, and the 76th Regiment from the 17th Division.
COTES DE MEUSE.
1. About the middle of April, 1915, the 111th Division was in line along the Cotes de Meuse (Calonne, Hattonchatel trench) after having detrained on April 11 at Mars la Tour.
ARTOIS.
2. In August it was transferred to Artois (Monchy au Bois sector).
1916.
1. The 111th Division stayed on the Artois front until August, 1916.
SOMME.
2. About August 21 it was relieved and sent to the north of the Somme. Engaged near Guillemont and Guinchy, it suffered serious losses (Aug. 25-Sept. 6).
COTES DE MEUSE.
3. After a few days’ rest in the Cambrai region it was put into line near Cotes de Meuse (Bois de Chevaliers, Sept. 15) and stayed there until October 26. It was brought up to strength by the addition of 2,000 replacements.
SOMME.
4. At the end of October it was brought back to the Somme. At first it was at rest in the region of Bohain and then took over a sector between Bouchavesnes and the St. Pierre-Vaast wood.
1917.
1. In January, 1917, it was south of the Somme near Barleux, from which position it was relieved a short time before it fell back on the Hindenberg Line.
HINDENBURG LINE.
2. It occupied the Bellicourt sector (north of St. Quentin) from May 10 to about June 24. On May 7 and 15 it received 600 replacements (classes of 1917 and 1918) to make up the losses sustained on April 27 at Arleux en Gohelle.
3. The division was then put at rest for a month in the vicinity of Cambrai.
YPRES.
4. It entrained on July 25 and 26 and was transported to Flanders, where it was engaged on the 27th and 28th to the north of Ypres(Boesinghe- Steenstraat). It met the artillery preparation and the attack of July 31, which caused it considerable losses. It was relieved the very night of the attack and was temporarily reorganized at Bohain.
LORRAINE.
5. Sent to Lorraine, it took the Regnieville sector (west of Pont à Mousson) about August 20; rested and reorganized.
FLANDERS.
6. It left this sector on October 14 to return to Flanders (Poelcappelle). It detrained on the 16th at Alost and was engaged from the 22d to the 26th and relieved November 4.
ARTOIS.
7. From the end of November to January 8, 1918, it held the Monchy le Preuxen-Vis en Artois sector (southeast of Arras). The division received the remaining necessary replacements; the 73d Fusileers received, on December 24, 400 men between the ages of 20 and 35, taken from the Russian front (especially from the 15th Landwehr Division).
RECRUITING.
The 76th Infantry was a Hanseatic unit while the 73d Fusileers was a Hanoverian organization. As men from the 9th Corps District quite frequently served in regiments from the 10th Corps District and reciprocally, in case of necessity, the regiments of a division drew without distinction from either source, it was to be expected that the 111th Division was termed as “regiments of Lower Saxony.”
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 111th Division, which was considered a good unit, was sorely tried in Flanders by the Franco-British attack of July 31, 1917. Many men left their formations either when going into line or under bombardment. The division stayed but four days in line and had to be relieved without having been able to counterattack. The 111th Division was composed of young men, part of whom had experience in very active sectors.
1918.
BATTLE OF PICARDY.
1. The division was relieved by the 234th Division at Arleux about the 1st of March. It remained in rear of the front until March 21 when it returned to its former sector to attack east of St. Leger. It had been resting at Auberchicourt, which place it left on the 17th and marched via Palluel to Villers lez Cagnicourt, arriving there on March 20.
The division was in the first wave of the attack and advanced via Ecoust, then south to Vaulx-Vraucourt on the 22d, Mory (24th). It passed into second line about this time and reentered line north of Hamelincourt on April 1 to relieve the 26th Division. After a week it side-slipped south and relieved the 239th Division northeast of Ayette, which sector it held until April 20. It was relieved by the 234th Division.
2. On May 6 the division relieved the 5th Bavarian Division north of Bucquoy. It continued to hold this sector until August 17, when it was relieved by the 4th Bavarian Division.
THIRD BATTLE OF THE SOMME.
3. The division taken from the comparatively quiet Bucquoy sector was used to reenforce the battle front at Favreuil on August 25. It was only engaged four days in this sector. Withdrawn on the 29th, it moved northward and on September 2 reenforced the front east of Hendecourt. It fought then for three days before it was withdrawn. In these two brief periods in line the division suffered very heavy casualties besides losing 500 prisoners.
LENS.
4. The division rested in the Tourcoing area until it reentered line south of Acheville on the night of September 24–25 in relief of the 207th Division. It was engaged here until October 11, when the 49th Reserve Division relieved it east of Lens.
5. The division rested in the Douchy-Haspres area in support until October 18, when it moved to Artres and came into line on the night of October 20–21 at Monchaux sur Ecaillon. Until November 7 the division was constantly in line. It was near Vendegies until October 24, and later at Arties (28th), Farmars (29th), Jenlain (Nov. 2), Sebourg (4th), west of Risin (5th), and near St. Amand (5th). It was out of line at the armistice.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as second class. It was used as an assault division on the Somme in March, but thereafter served as an intervention division in the Somme area. The division showed considerable power of resistance.
113th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │225. │36 Fus. │225. │36 Fus. │ │48. │ │48. │ │32 Res. │ │32 Res. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │ (?) │3 Sqn. 8 Cuirassier Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │225 F. A. Rgt. (7 Btries.) │225 F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│225 Pion. Co. │225 Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ │251 Pion. Co. │ │252 Pion. Co. │ │113 T. M. Co. │ │113 Pont. Engrs. │ │113 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │114 Anti-Aircraft Section. ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │225. │36 Fus. │225. │36 Fus. │ │66. │ │66. │ │32 Res. │ │27. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │3 Sqn. 8 Cuirassier Rgt. │3 Sqn. 8 Cuirassier Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │(?) Art Command: │225 F. A. Rgt. │ 225 F. A. Rgt. │407 Ft. A. Btn. │ │1089 Light Am. Col. │ │1172 Light Am. Col. │ │1200 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│113 Pion. Btn.: │113 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 225 Pion. Co. │ 225 Pion. Co. │ 251 Pion. Co. │ 251 Pion. Co. │ 112 T. M. Co. │ 113 T. M. Co. │ 113 T. M. Co. │ 67 Searchlight Section. │ (226) Searchlight Section. │113 Signal Command: │ 113 Pont. Engs. │ 113 Tel. Detch. │ 113 Tel. Detch. │ 51 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │212 Ambulance Co. │212 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │372 Field Hospital. │372 Field Hospital. │373 Field Hospital. │373 Field Hospital. │113 Vet. Hospital. │113 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │597 M. T. Col. │597 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(4th Corps District—Prussian Saxony and part of Thuringe.)
1915.
The 113th division was organized near Sedan on March 26, 1915. Its three infantry regiments were taken from old divisions: the 48th from the 5th Division (3d Corps District-Brandenburg), the 36th from the 8th Division (4th Corps District-Prussian Saxony), and the 32d Reserve from the 22d Reserve Division (11th Corps District-Thuringe).
In March, 1917, the 48th was replaced by the 66th Regiment (old 7th Division from Prussian Saxony) taken from the 52d Division.
1. Detraining at Conflans on April 8, the division spent a few days in the Woevre.
CÔTES DE MEUSE.
2. It appeared along the Côtes de Meuse (Calonne trench) on April 26, 1915.
3. From that date until January 14, 1916, it stayed around the Côtes de Meuse and in Woevre-Calonne trench, Ailly wood, St. Mihiel, Eparges, and Bois Bouchot.
1916.
1. January and February, 1916, rested at Brainville and Conflans.
VERDUN.
2. On February 24 the 113d Division was transferred to the Verdun front. It participated in the attacks of the 8th and 9th of March against the village of Douaumont and suffered considerable losses. In six weeks spent around Douaumont the losses are said to have been 30 officers and 2,000 men put out of action (letter).
OISE.
3. Relieved at the beginning of April it was put into line in a calm sector—region of Soissons, then in the region of the Oise (Tracy le Val, Puisaleine).
SOMME.
4. In July, at the beginning of the Franco-British offensive, it detached some of its elements in the Somme (Peronne, July 1, then at Frise, Assevillers, and Belloy). The three rest battalions of the division formed in an emergency an assembled regiment (notebook).
5. After a new stay in the Soissons region (August and September) the whole division was again engaged in the Somme between Rancourt and the St. Pierre-Vaast wood. It suffered very heavy losses near Bouchavesnes (Oct. 1–10).
6. At rest from October 14 to 21 in Woevre.
CÔTES DE MEUSE.
7. At the end of October, the 113th Division took over the Bonzee- Ronvaux sector (Côtes de Meuse).
1917.
1. The 113th Division stayed around the Côtes de Meuse until the end of January, 1917.
ALSACE.
2. At the beginning of February it went into Alsace and occupied a sector between the Thur and the Rhone-Rhine canal (March).
CHEMIN DES DAMES.
3. On April 21 it was hastily entrained at Mulhouse and transferred to the Aisne. It went into line on the 26th at Chemin des Dames and met the second French offensive in the Courtecon-Malval farm region (May 5).
ST. GOBAIN FOREST.
4. Relieved in the middle of May, it stayed at rest for six days in the vicinity of Assis sur Serre and thereafter in a sector in the St. Gobain forest (Deuillet-Fresnes).
5. On August 10 it was put at rest behind Laon.
CRAONNE.
6. It went back into line at the end of September in the Craonne sector. As a result of the French offensive it fell back to the east of Hurtebise where it was relieved about November 10.
7. It rested in the Laon region from the middle of November to January 20.
RECRUITING.
In 1917 the division took on a distinctly provincial aspect, its regiments receiving replacements from Prussian Saxony (the 36th Fusileers and the 66th Infantry) and in Thuringe (the 32d Reserve Regiment).
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 113th Division was a good unit. It put up an energetic resistance on the Chemin des Dames on May 5, 1917. From that time up to the offensive of March, 1918, it had not been seriously engaged.
1918.