Part 90
In March, 1918, the number of men in the ranks who had taken part in these attacks was about 35 or 40 per cent, and the replacements used after the battle of Flanders were generally of inferior military value.
1918.
1. The division was relieved on the Woevre about April 11. It entrained on April 24 at Conflans and traveled via Sedan-Charleville-Hirson- Valenciennes to Pont a Marcq, where it detrained on April 26, after a journey of about 20 hours. It came into line in the Dranoutre sector on May 2 in relief of the 10th Erzsatz Division.
LOCRE.
2. It held the Locre sector until May 21, when it was relieved by the 16th Bavarian Division. On June 19 it returned to its former sector at Dranoutre and held it until July 7.
3. The division rested in the Tourcoing area until July 31, when it entrained and traveled via Courtrai-Valenciennes-St. Quentin to Laon, where it detrained on the following day. Here it rested until 5 p. m. on August 8, when it was alarmed and marched to the La Fere area (19 miles), arriving on the next day about 11 a. m. On the same day at 8 p. m. the division was again alarmed and was moved in motor busses via Chauny-Noyon-Roye to the Damery area, where it arrived on the 10th of August about 10 a. m. and was immediately engaged.
BATTLE OF THE SOMME.
4. The division fell back by Parvillers-Damery-Fresnoy-Cremery-Sept Fours-Nesle to the east bank of the Somme Canal. It was relieved on the night of September 1–2 by the 25th Reserve Division. The division lost 800 prisoners in this fighting.
5. It rested in early September in the Maretz area (southeast of Cambrai). On September 18 it was hurried to the line and counterattacked at Bonyon that evening. Until October 1 it was engaged at Hargicourt, Villeret, and Le Catelet. After only four days of rest the division again came into line on October 5 in the Gouy area. It was withdrawn to be reorganized on October 9.
6. After resting near Maubeuge the division returned to line west of Catillon on the night of October 18–19. It fought for about seven days between that place and Ors. On November 6 it was engaged at Maroilles and was in line near Limont-Fontaine on the day of the armistice.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. It was an average division. In the final campaign it showed no particular power of resistance and lost abnormally in prisoners.
123d Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │245. │178. │245. │178. │ │182. │ │182. │ │106 Res. │ │106 Res. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │ │5 Sqn. 20 Hus. Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │245 F. A. Rgt. │245 F. A. Rgt. │246 F. A. Rgt. │246 F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│245 Pion. Co. │245 Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ │264 Pion. Co. │ │1 Co. 2 Bav. Pions. │ │123 T. M. Co. │ │123 Pont. Engs. │ │123 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │96 Antiaircraft Section. ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │245. │178. │245. │178. │ │106 Res. │ │106 Res. │ │351. │ │351. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │4 and 5 Sqn. 20 Hus. Rgt. │5 Sqn. 20 Hus. Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │123 Art. Command: │123 Art. Command: │ 245 F. A. Rgt. │ 245 Field Hospital. │ │ 137 Ft. A. Btn. │ │ 816 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1148 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1149 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│(123) Pion. Btn.: │123 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 245 Pion. Co. │ 245 (Saxon) Pion. Co. │ 264 Pion. Co. │ 264 (Saxon) Pion. Co. │ 123 T. M. Co. │ 123 T. M. Co. │ 245 Searchlight Section. │ 128 Searchlight Section. │ 124 Tel. Detch. │123 Signal Command: │ │ 123 Tel. Detch. │ │ 168 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │123 Ambulance Co. │123 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │387 Field Hospital. │386 Field Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │387 Field Hospital. │ │236 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │M. T. Col. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(178th and 351st Regiments: 12th Corps District—Saxony. 106th Reserve Regiment: 19th Corps District—Saxony.)
1915.
The division was formed in April, 1915, by taking three regiments (178th, 182d, and 106th Reserve) from established divisions of the 12th Corps the 12th Reserve Corps (Saxons). In October, 1916, the 182d Regiment was transferred to the 216th Division and was replaced by the 425th Infantry, which was also transferred from this division in March, 1917, and replaced by the 351st Regiment (Saxon).
CHAMPAGNE.
1. In May, 1915, the 123d Division occupied the region northwest of Rheims.
2. At the end of May it was transported to Lille, where it seems to have been transferred as a reserve; in the middle of June it was in the vicinity of Arras.
ARTOIS.
3. It next occupied different sectors in Artois.
4. In September it held the Souchez front. On October 8 it took part in the attack on Loos and left Artois in the middle of that month.
FLANDERS.
5. After a rest at Lille the division went to Flanders (November), where it held a sector south of the canal from Ypres to Comines.
1916.
FLANDERS.
1. In the middle of March, 1916, the 123d Division was put at rest near Bruges.
2. It was temporarily in line about April 9 at St. Éloi; then remained as a reserve to the armies in the vicinity of Menin and Courtrai until July 5.
SOMME.
3. At this date it was transferred to the Somme and fought near Hardecourt and Maurepas until July 22, losing more than 6,000 men.
RUSSIA.
4. At the beginning of August, 1916, the 123d Division left the Western Front for the Russian front.
NAROTCH LAKE.
5. It went into line in the region of Narotch Lake about September.
1917.
NAROTCH LAKE-MITAU.
1. At the end of January, 1917, the 106th Reserve Regiment was detached as a reenforcement in the Mitau sector, which was menaced by a Russian attack.
In March the 425th Infantry (Prussian) was exchanged for the 351st Infantry, which had been grouped under this number since 1915, and was originally three battalions of the Saxon replacement depot of the old war garrison of Breslau.
SMORGONI.
2. In the middle of August the division, which up to that time had held the Narotch Lake sector, was engaged between Smorgoni and Krevo.
3. It again returned to the Narotch Lake vicinity in November.
FRANCE.
4. About November 8 it was transferred to France. (Itinerary: Chavli- Varsovie-Lodz-Kalich-Cottbus-Cassel-Frankfort on the Main-Sarrebrueck- Metz). It detrained at Piennes, Baroncourt, and was billeted in that district for eight days.
MEUSE.
5. About November 22 it took over a sector on the Verdun front (south of Bezonvaux). It stayed there all winter. It was identified to the southeast of Damloup in February, 1918.
RECRUITING.
Since March, 1917, there have been but Saxons in the 123d Division.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 123d Division had but a mediocre combat value by reason of its long stay in calm sectors on the Russian front.
In Russia it fraternized on two occasions, the second one at the time of its last stay on the Russian front.
The losses of the division on the Russian front were almost nothing and it suffered no losses on the Verdun front until February, 1918.
1918.
VERDUN.
1. The division continued to hold the uneventful Bezonvaux sector until June 3, when it was relieved by the 7th Reserve Division.
RHEIMS.
2. On the night of June 18–19 it relieved the 232d Division north of the Bligny (southwest of Rheims). It participated in the attack of July 15 and made a slight advance. On the 20th it was relieved.
3. The division marched by Savigny-Trigny-Bourgogne-Houdicourt. It was railed to Asfeld and rested at Sery. On the 27th it marched to Novion- Porcien and was railed to Montmedy. From there it marched to Grand Failly, where it camped until the 31st.
VERDUN.
4. On August 8 the division relieved the 6th Bavarian Division near Samogneux and rested in that sector until September 3.
ST. MIHIEL.
5. After it rested in the St. Mihiel sector until September 12, it was put into line at Thiaucourt to check the American offensive. It remained there until the night of October 7–8, when it was withdrawn.
6. The division was moved by autotrucks to Dun via Spincourt-Billy- Damvillers-Haraumont-Fontaines, arriving there on the night of October 9–10. It marched into line near Cunel on October 11.
MEUSE-ARGONNE.
7. The division was engaged in almost continuous fighting without any major attack, until it was withdrawn on October 25. While it did not win special merit for its defense, it fought persistently and was quick to take every advantage of the terrain. The division lost 238 prisoners and 2,200 other casualties (estimated). The division was considered in reserve of the 5th Army at the time of the armistice.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. Its conduct in the July offensive was mediocre and in the Argonne it did nothing to distinguish itself.
183d Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │183. │183. │183. │183. │ │184. │ │184. │ │122 Res. │ │122 Res. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │183 F. A. Abt. (3 Btries.). │183 F. A. Abt. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│183 (Saxon) Pion. Co. │183 (Saxon) Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ │401 T. M. Co. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918[30] ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │33 Res. │184. │33 Res. │184. │ │418. │ │418. (Saxon). │ │440 Res. │ │440 Res. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │4 Sqn. 10 Hus. Rgt. │4 Sqn. 10 Hus. Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │183 Art. Command: │183 Art. Command: │ 183 F. A. Rgt. (9 Btries.). │ 183 (Saxon) F. A. Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│183 Pion. Btn.: │183 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 2 Res. Co. 16 Pions. │ 2 Res. Co. 2 Pion. Btn. No. │ │ 16. │ 1 Res. Co. 20 Pions. │ 1 Res. Co. 20 Pions. │ 183 (Saxon) Pion. Co. │ 183 (Saxon) Pion. Co. │ 401 T. M. Co. │ 401 T. M. Co. │ 183 Searchlight Section. │ 183 (Saxon) Tel. Detch. │ 183 (Saxon) Tel. Detch. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │575 Ambulance Co. │575 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │42 Field Hospital. │42 Field Hospital. │344 Field Hospital. │344 Field Hospital. │228 Vet. Hospital. │228 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │603 M. T. Col. │603 M. T. Col. ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────── Footnote 30:
Composition at the time of dissolution October, 1918.
HISTORY.
(184th Regiment: 4th Corps District—Prussian Saxony. 418th Regiment: 18th Corps District—Grand Duchy of Hesse. 440th Reserve Regiment: 10th Corps District—Hanover and Grand Duchy of Oldenberg.)
1915.
The 183d Division (known as the 183d Brigade until June, 1916) was created at Cambrai in May, 1915. It comprised at that time the 183d Infantry (Saxon) and the 184th Infantry (Prussian), to which there was added in July, 1915, the 122d Reserve Regiment (Wurttemberg), three newly formed regiments, the 184th being organized out of companies taken from various regiments of the 7th and 8th Divisions. In November, 1916, the 183d Division was modified. Two of its original regiments (the 183d and the 122d Reserve) were respectively replaced by the newly formed 418th and 440th Reserve—the 418th Regiment being formed from companies of the 111th Division, the Ersatz Division of the Guard, the 8th, Ersatz Division, and the 10th Ersatz Division, and the 440th Reserve Regiment being organized out of various elements, including the 3d Battalion of the 79th Reserve Regiment and the 4th Battalion of the 75th Landwehr.
AISNE.
1. In June, 1915, the 183d Brigade occupied the Missy sur Aisne sector (east of Soissons).
2. At the end of June it was engaged at Quennevieres.
LORRAINE.
3. Transferred to Lorraine (end of July), it stayed there until the end of September (region of Benestroff).
CHAMPAGNE.
4. It was brought to the Champagne front (between Prunay and Souain) about September 23 and opposed the French offensive (September-October). The 184th Infantry was nearly wiped out on September 25, the 183d losing a very large number of prisoners.
5. Relieved from the front in November, the brigade was put at rest in the vicinity of Charleroi.
1916.
1. In January, 1916, the division was in reserve in the vicinity of Machault.
CHAMPAGNE.
2. From February to May it was on the Champagne front near the Souain- Somme Py road.
3. June; at rest (region of Tournai). At the end of June the 183d Brigade became the 183d Division by changing the 183d Field Artillery Detatchment into a regiment.
SOMME.
4. On July 2 it was brought to the north of the Somme and engaged in the vicinity of Pozières-Contalmaison until July 24. It suffered very heavy losses here—from the 10th to the 15th the 184th Infantry lost about 2,000 men.
5. About July 25 it was withdrawn from the front and reorganized. (It received 2,000 replacements, mostly men from the 1916 and 1917 classes.)
ARTOIS.
6. From the end of July to September 21: Neuville-St. Vaast sector (north of Arras).
SOMME.
7. From the beginning of October to the 21st it went into its second engagement on the Somme (Belloy-Deniécourt sector) and was again sorely tried.
CÔTES DE MEUSE.
8. November 15 to February, 1917, Côtes de Meuse (Lamorville-Spada sector.) In November the 183d Division was reorganized and became entirely Prussian (present composition)
1917.
1. From the middle of February to the beginning of April, 1917, it was at rest in the region of Conflans, then in the vicinity of Anizy le Château.
CHEMIN DES DAMES.
2. At the beginning of April the 183d Division came to strengthen the Chavonne-Soupir-Braye en Laonnois sector. While opposing the French attack of April 16 it suffered very heavy losses (2,100 prisoners), and while fighting fell back to the Chemin des Dames (April 18–21). As a result of the losses on the 16th the companies of the 184th Regiment were reduced to 25 to 30 men.
3. The division was relieved on April 21. In May the 184th Regiment received 1,500 replacements from the 4th Corps District, half of which belong to the class of 1918.
ALSACE.
4. From May 11 to June 24 it held the Aspach-Rhone to Rhine Canal sector.
5. From the end of June to July 31 it was at rest, successively to the south of Colmar (15 days), near Friberg, and to the south of Longuyon (Pierrepont).
6. It entrained at Longuyon for Belgium (July 31) and detrained at Roulers the 1st and 2d of August.
FLANDERS.
7. On August 15 the division was engaged near St. Julien (southwest of Poelcappelle) until August 20.
CAMBRAI.
8. After a short rest in the region of Cambrai it took over the Vendhuile-Hargicourt sector, to the west of Catelet, on September 9. On November 20 part of the 440th Reserve Regiment was sent as a reenforcement to the south of Cambrai (Masnières); later the entire 183d Division was transferred to the northeast of Vendhuile to cover the flank of the German attack executed on November 30.
RECRUITING.
The 183d was more homogeneous than it seemed at first glance. The recruits of the 9th and 10th Corps District were often mixed and the 418th and 440th Regiments have many men from the same Provinces. Also the 184th received in the main men from that portion of the 4th Corps District which adjoined the 10th Corps District (Harz section).
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
During the French attack of April 16, 1917, the division as a whole showed up well. The 418th and the 440th Reserve gave proof of vigor and courage and only gave way under continual pressure of the opposing troops.
It seemed that the German Command wished to reward the division for this resistance by giving Gen. von Schuessler, commanding the 183d Division, the Ordre pour le Mérite.
The 183d Division was sorely tried in the course of these attacks and had to be entirely reorganized.
1918.
BATTLE OF PICARDY.
1. The division held the Vendhulle sector until February 2, when it was relieved by the 79th Reserve Division. It returned to this part of the line on February 25, relieving the 79th Reserve Division. It took part in the attack of March 21, advancing by Epehy (21st), Manancourt (23d), to Bazentin (25th). It retired to rest at Contalmaison.
ALBERT.
2. The division received drafts in early April. On the 16th it came into line north of Albert and held there for four weeks. On the 13th of May it was relieved by the 243d Division.
3. On the 19th the division was engaged at Ville sur Ancre, but after four days in line it was relieved and sent to a quiet sector.
WOEVRE.
4. On June 22 the division took over the Regnieville sector, which it held until July 14 without event. It was relieved by the 77th Reserve Division on that date.
5. It entrained at Thiaucourt on July 16 and traveled via Montmedy- Sedan-Charleville-Charleroi-Mons-Valenciennes and detrained near Cambrai on the night of July 17–18. From there it marched to Ypres, rested there for six days, and on the 25th relieved the 26th Reserve Division in the Hebuterne sector.
BATTLE OF THE SOMME.
6. The division was struck by the British offensive in August, and before it was withdrawn near Irles on August 24 it had suffered heavy casualties, including the loss of 1,400 prisoners.
7. It marched to Cambrai, where it remained three days. On the 28th it was marched to Douai and entrained for Lille, from where it marched to Templemars. On the night of September 3–4 it relieved the 18th Reserve Division north of the La Bassee Canal.
8. The division was engaged in the La Bassee sector until September 10. Immediately after it was withdrawn from line the division was dissolved. The 440th Reserve Regiment was sent as a draft to the 11th Division. The other two regiments of the division were also disbanded and used as drafts.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as second class. It was used as an assault division in the March offensive but thereafter deteriorated. It was next seriously employed on the Somme in August, where its tremendous losses robbed it of further utility.
185th Division.
COMPOSITION.