Part 88
1. Having finished its training in the Sissonne region, the 113th Division relieved the 235th Division about the middle of January in the Juvincourt sector (east of Craonne), and was itself relieved by the 5th Reserve Division on the 21st of February. It trained for a week at Vervins, and then moved to Wassigny, where it underwent more training until the 16th of March, when it marched via Bohain and Fonsommes to Bellicourt.
ST. QUENTIN.
2. On the 21st it attacked in the first line near Maissemy (northwest of St. Quentin). Although suffering very heavy losses, the division had succeeded in pushing on as far as St. Christ-Briost and Pargny (on the Somme) on the 24th. It was withdrawn shortly after (probably on the 26th).
AISNE.
3. On the 27th of May the division reenforced the Aisne front near Craonne and attacked in the first line. It was withdrawn about the 14th of June and went to rest near Conde sur Aisne (east of Soissons).
4. The division reenforced the front near Troissy (east of Dormans) on the 15th of July. It was caught in the confusion caused by the Allied counteroffensive, and was forced to retire. It was not identified after the 22d, and so it seems as though it was not in line after that date until prisoners were again taken on the 29th near Villers-Agron (southeast of Fere en Tardenois), which is in a line almost due north of where it had previously been engaged. Here it took over the part of the line previously held by the 2d Guard Division. It was withdrawn early in August and went to rest in the region southeast of Maubeuge.
CAMBRAI.
5. On the 10th of September the division reenforced the front near Metz en Couture (southwest of Cambrai). It was withdrawn from line near Villers-Plouich (southwest of Cambrai) after having lost over 1,600 prisoners about the 2d of October, and went to rest east of Denain.
6. On the 22d it came back into line near Douchy (south of Denain). Two days later it side-slipped toward the south. It was identified in line to the north of Le Quesnoy in November, but was withdrawn a day or two later. It did not return to line.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The 113th was rated as a second-class division. Although the division commander received Pour le Merite and the commander of the 36th Regiment was also decorated after the battle of the Somme, the division does not appear to have particularly distinguished itself there. On the whole, however, its conduct though not brilliant was dependable.
115th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │229. │136. │229. │136. │ │171. │ │171. │ │40 Res. │ │40 Res. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │1 and 2 Sqn. 22 Dragoon Rgt. │1 and 2 Sqn. 22 Dragoon Rgt. │ (one-half picked troops). │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │229 F. A. Rgt. (7 Btries.). │229 F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│229 Pion. Co. │229 Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ │115 T. M. Co. │ │115 Pont. Engs. │ │115 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │229. │136. │229. │136. │ │171. │ │171. │ │40 Res. │ │173. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │2 Sqn. 22 Dragoon Rgt. │2 Sqn. 22 Dragoon Rgt. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │(?) Art. Command: │115 Art. Command: │ 229 F. A. Rgt. │ 229 Field Art. Rgt. │ │ 94 Foot Art. Btn. │ │1074, 1077, and 1078 Light │ │ Mun. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│(115) Pion. Btn. │43 Pion. Btn. Liaisons. │ │ │229 Pion. Co. │229 Pion. Co. │2 Co. 33 Res. Pion. │2 Co. Res. Pion. Btn. No. 33. │115 T. M. Co. │115 T. M. Co. │229 Searchlight Section. │74 Searchlight Section. │115 Tel. Detch. │115 Div. Signal Command. │ │115 Tel. Detch. │ │89 Div. Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │115 Ambulance Co. │115 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │350 Field Hospital. │376 and 377 Field Hospitals. │376 Field Hospital. │167 Vet. Hospital. │377 Field Hospital. │ │Vet. Hospital. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │M. T. Col. │598 M. T. Col. ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(136th and 171st Regiments: 15th Corps District—Alsace. 40th Reserve Regiment: 14th Corps District—Grand Duchy of Baden.)
1915.
Formed in April, 1915, near Tournai, the 115th Division received the 136th and 171st from the 30th and 39th Divisions (15th Corps), respectively, and the 40th Reserve Regiment from the 28th Reserve Division (14th Reserve Corps).
1. In April, 1915, the 115th Division was in reserve in the Tournai- Courtrai region.
ARTOIS.
2. In May it was sent as a reenforcement to the north of Arras and fought at Notre Dame de Lorette and Neuville St. Vaast and was sorely tried. The infantry losses amounted to 128 officers and 5,208 men out of action (Casualty List), of which 47 officers and 2,258 men belonged to the 171st Regiment.
AISNE.
3. Relieved about June 15, the 115th Division took over the Missy sur Aisne sector (east of Soissons), which it occupied until the last days of July.
RUSSIA.
4. At the end of July it was transferred to the Eastern Front, and for a time in August operated on the Narew.
5. It took part in the summer offensive. It was before Kovno on August 19, in the region of Vileiki at the end of September, and near Narotch Lake at the beginning of October.
1916.
POSTAVY-NAROTCH LAKE.
1. The 115th Division occupied the Postavy-Narotch Lake sector until the beginning of August, 1916.
GALICIA.
2. About August 2 the division was transferred to Galicia. It was engaged to the west of Zalosce (south of Brody), August to September.
VOLHYNIA.
3. In October it was in line in Volhynia to the west of Loutsk (Sviniouki). The 171st was kept to the southwest of Brody with the Melior detachment.
ROUMANIA.
4. In the middle of December the 115th Division was transferred from Volhynia to Roumania, where, together with the 109th Division, it made up the 54th Corps, which operated between Buzeu and the Danube.
1917.
ROUMANIA.
1. In January, 1917, the 115th Division took a position on the Roumanian front to the south of Namoloasa and stayed in this sector until the middle of August.
2. It was then in line to the north of Focsani, in the Panciu-Marasesti region (August-December).
RECRUITING.
The Grand Duchy of Baden and the Rhenish countries supplied the greater part of the recruits.
1918.
1. The division was relieved on the Roumanian front on February 1 by an Austrian division and rested in the Braila area during February and March. On April 8 it entrained and traveled via Budapest-Vienna-Prague- Dresden-Coblenz-Cologne-Aachen-Liege-Brussels to Lille, when it detrained about April 18. About the 21st the division reentrained and was railed to Antwerp, where it went through a course of intensive training.
BATTLE OF THE MARNE.
The division left Antwerp on May 21 and traveled via Brussels-Mons- Maubeuge-Le Cateau-Bohain, detraining north of St. Quentin on May 22. Four days later it continued its journey by rail to Versigny, southeast of La Fere, and was billeted in the Crepy area until May 29. On the following day it left and marched via Chaillevoois-Vailly (May 31)- Ambrief (June 1)-Villers-Helon (2d) and relieved the 37th Division near Longpont on the Aisne battle front on the night of June 2–3. It withstood the Allied counterthrust at Corcy in July, suffering heavy losses. It was relieved on the night of July 19–20.
VERDUN.
2. The division was moved to Brieulles and in the first days of August relieved the 22d Reserve Division in the sector Malancourt-Forges. In this vicinity it remained until September 19, when it was relieved by the 7th Reserve Division.
MEUSE-ARGONNE.
3. On the second day of the American attack the division returned to bolster up the line in the Gesnes area. The division now included the 173d Regiment, which came from the 223d Division (dissolved) to supplant the 40th Reserve Regiment (disbanded). The division took part in the several captures and recaptures of Gesnes. It fought hard and suffered heavy losses before its relief on October 12 by the 3d Guard Division. Two days later it came back to support the 3d Guard Division and was engaged in the fighting around Romagne until October 18. On November 1 the division again came into line near Remonville and fought until the armistice.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. It was badly hit on July 18 by the French attack and later in the Argonne. It showed good qualities in the Meuse fighting and was mentioned in the official German communiqué.
117th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │233. │157. │233. │157. │ │11 Res. │ │11 Res. │ │22 Res. │ │22 Res. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │ (?) │1 and 2 Sqn. 8 Cuirassier │ │ Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │233 F. A. Rgt. (7 Btries.). │233 F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│233 Pion. Co. │233 Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ │117 T. M. Co. │ │117 Pont. Engs. │ │117 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │233. │157. │233. │11. │ │11 Res. │ │157. │ │22 Res. │ │450. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │1 Sqn. 8 Cuirassier Rgt. │1 Sqn. 8 Cuirassier Rgt. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │(?) Art. Command: │233 F. A. Rgt. │ 233 F. A. Rgt. │88 Foot Art. Btn. │ │1068, 1069, and 1070 Light │ │ Mun. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│(117) Pion. Btn.: │117 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 233 Pion. Co. │ 233 Pion. Co. │ 263 Pion. Co. │ 263 Pion. Co. │ 117 T. M. Co. │ 117 T. M. Co. │ 233 Searchlight Section. │ 147 Searchlight Section. │ 117 Tel. Detch. │117 Div. Signal Command: │ │ 117 Tel. Detch. │ │ 187 Div. Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │117 Ambulance Co. │117 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │379 Field Hospital. │378 and 379 Field Hospitals. │380 Field Hospital. │117 Vet. Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │M. T. Col. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │6 Mountain Art. Btry. │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(6th Corps District—Silesia.)
1915.
The 117th Division was created by the 7th Army near Liart about April 7, 1915. Its three regiments were obtained from the 6th Corps and the 6th Reserve Corps—the 157th Infantry from the 12th Division, the 11th Reserve Regiment from the 11th Reserve Division, and the 22d Reserve Regiment from the 12th Reserve Division.
1. In April, 1915, the 117th Division was in Champagne (region of Châtelet).
ARTOIS-NOTRE DAME DE LORETTE.
2. Transferred to Artois, it was engaged to the north of Souchez and at Notre Dame de Lorette (May and June). In this fighting it was hard hit, 107 officers and 5,255 men out of action, of whom 44 officers and 2,161 men belong to the 11th Infantry. (Casualty List.)
3. The division was re-formed at the end of June in the region of Lille.
LENS.
4. Toward the middle of July it went back into line to the northwest of Lens (from Vermelles to the Grenay-Lens railway). It suffered very heavy losses in the attacks occurring at the end of September and the beginning of October (Loos)—109 officers and 6,463 men out of action. (Casualty List.)
5. Taken away from the Artois front in the middle of October, it was put at rest in the vicinity of Roubaix-Tourcoing.
FLANDERS.
6. At the end of October it took over the Messines sector.
1916.
1. The 117th Division occupied the Messines front until the beginning of March, 1916.
2. Rest at Courtrai; instruction and training at the Beverloo Camp (March-April and May).
YPRES.
3. At the beginning of June the division went into line to the east of Ypres (near the road from Ypres to Menin, and until July 20).
SOMME.
4. On July 23 it went to the Somme (Pozieres); it was engaged from the end of July to the middle of August.
5. On August 17 the division entrained for the Eastern Front.
BUKOVINA.
6. It was identified in the Carpathian Mountains as part of the 3d Austro-Hungarian Army (region of Jablonica, October).
1917.
CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS.
1. The 117th Division remained here (Jablonica, Worochta, Koeroesmezoe, Jacobeni sectors) until the middle of May, 1917.
ROUMANIA.
2. At the end of May it was transferred via Maramaros-Sziget to the Roumanian front (Putna valley, region of Ocna, June-September). At rest in Transylvania in September and was there reequipped for mountain warfare.
ITALY.
3. Sent to Italy at the beginning of October, it was on the 24th behind Tolmino as an army reserve. In December it was on the left bank of the Piave.
RECRUITING.
Silesian division, with recruits coming especially from Upper Silesia (mining district and mountainous districts), it was used on several occasions as mountain troops (Carpathians, Italy).
On the Carpathian, Roumanian, and Italian fronts (August, 1916-March, 1918).
1918.
LORRAINE.
1. The division rested in the vicinity of Vahl-Ebersing until April 6, when it entrained at St. Avold and moved to Lille. It went into billets near there on the 7th and came into line near Neuve Eglise on April 13.
BATTLE OF THE LYS.
2. It was engaged in the Bailleul, Kemmel, and La Clyette area until the 1st of May. After a few days in support, the division reentered west of Dranoutre on May 4 and held that sector until mid-May.
3. The division rested near La Madeleine. Its units were very much weakened. The 11th Reserve Regiment was disbanded about May 16 and transferred its effectives to the other two regiments of the division. It was replaced by the 11th Grenadier Regiment, which was brought from the Macedonian front about May 21. The division remained at rest until about June 3, when it was again reported in line near Voormezeele.
BATTLE OF THE SOMME.
4. The division held that sector without event until June 25, when it was withdrawn and sent to rest near Ghent. On August 4 it was moved by rail to Peronne, where it went into the Vrely-Hangest wood sector until August 18. In the British attack south of the Somme on August 8 the division lost about 2,700 prisoners.
On August 27 it reenforced the battle front at Maricourt for a couple of days. It was withdrawn about September 1.
ARGONNE.
5. The division rested and was reconstituted in rear of the Argonne front in early September. The 22d Reserve Regiment suffered so heavily on the Somme that it was dissolved and its men divided between the other two regiments. The 450th Regiment from the dissolved 233d Division replaced the 22d Reserve Regiment in the division.
6. About September 12, the division relieved the 37th Division in line near Avocourt. It was swamped in the first drive of the American Army on September 26. Elements kept up the fight until September 29, when they were withdrawn after having been pressed back to about Cierges. Its defense was not particularly vigorous, but was better than that of the divisions on either side. Its total losses were estimated at 3,200, including 1,861 prisoners.
MEUSE.
7. On November 2 the division returned to line just west of the Meuse. While resting at Juvigny the division received replacements. In the retreat it crossed to the east bank of the Meuse and was in line on the day of the armistice.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as second-class. Up to the middle of June the division seems to have been a holding rather than an attacking one. After the Somme battle in August its effectives were feeble and morale low. It had many older men, returned wounded, and convalescents, and a large number of Poles and Alsatians.
119th Division.
COMPOSITION.