Part 91
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │185. │185. │185. │185. │ │186. │ │186. │ │190. │ │190. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │185 F. A. Abt. (3 Btries.). │185 F. A. Abt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│185 Pion. Co. │185 Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ │186 Pion. Co. (dissolved in │ │ Aug.). │ │190 T. M. Co. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │229. │65. │29. │65. │ │161. │ │161. │ │28. │ │28 Res. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │3 Sqn. 5 Mounted Jag. Rgt. │3 Sqn. 5 Mounted Jag. Rgt. │ (?) │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │(?) Art. Command: │185 F. A. Rgt. │ 185 F. A. Rgt. (9. Btries.).│2 Abt. 16 Res. Ft. A. Rgt. │ │838 Light Am. Col. │ │1281 Light Am. Col. │ │1348 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│(185) Pion. Btn. │185 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │10 Co. 28 Pions. │ 10 Co. 28 Pions. │ │ │185 Pion. Co. │ 185 Pion. Co. │402 T. M. Co. │ 89 Searchlight Section. │185 Searchlight Section. │185 Signal Command: │185 Tel. Detch. │ 185 Tel. Detch. │ │ 134 Res. Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │576 Ambulance Co. │576 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │7 Field Hospital. │65 Field Hospital. │65 Field Hospital. │267 Field Hospital. │267 Field Hospital. │385 Vet. Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │M. T. Col. │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(65th and 161st Regiments: 8th Corps District—Rhenish Province. 28th Reserve Regiment: 8th Corps District—Rhenish Province.)
1915.
The division was created in May, 1915. Merely a brigade (the 185th) at the outset, it was composed of the 185th Infantry (from various Baden regiments), of the 186th Regiment (Hessian elements), and of the 190th Regiment (Westphalian elements). Later the 185th Brigade underwent changes which entirely changed its original composition.
HÉBUTERNE.
1. In June, 1915, the 185th and 186th Infantry Regiments were engaged in the vicinity of Hébuterne.
2. The three regiments of the 185th Brigade entrained at Douai at the end of July and were transferred to Alsace.
ALSACE.
3. At first it was in reserve in the region of Mulhouse; later it was put in line between Altkirch and the Swiss frontier, where it stayed until the end of September.
CHAMPAGNE.
4. At the beginning of October it was in Champagne holding the sector west of the Souain-Somme Py road.
1916.
1. The 185th Brigade stayed on the Champagne front (Tahure) until the middle of June, 1916.
SOMME.
2. At the beginning of July it opposed the Franco-British offensive in the Somme at the northeast of Fricourt, near Thiepval, Contalmaison, and Bazentin (beginning of July to the 18th). It suffered serious losses.
3. At the end of July it rested at St. Quentin, Vermand and Cateau. At this time the 185th Brigade became the 185th Division by the transformation of its field artillery detachment into a regiment.
OISE-AISNE.
4. In August it held a sector to the west of Soissons (from the Oise to Chevillecourt). The 185th Division was reorganized by the transfer of its three infantry regiments which were replaced by the 65th and the 161st Infantry from the 15th Division and by the 28th Reserve Regiment from the 16th Reserve Division—both Rhenish divisions.
SOMME.
5. The 185th, thus reorganized, was brought back to the Somme about September 7. It was engaged near Ginchy and Combles until the middle of October.
6. After a short stay north of Soissons (end of October to the beginning of November) it came back for a third time in the Somme district (Saillisel, night of Nov. 10–11). Here it was again put to a test.
7. It left the Somme on December 9 and rested in Belgium (Alost).
1917.
1. At the beginning of January elements of the division were in line to the south of Grenier wood (region of Lille).
FLANDERS.
2. The division occupied a sector north of Ypres (Wieltje) from the beginning of February to April 15.
ARTOIS.
3. About April 20 it was engaged in front of Arras (to the north of the Scarpe until the beginning of May). Losses sustained obliged it to have recourse to a distant source for replacements: the Ersatz Truppe of Warsaw (class of 1918 and men put back of the 1917 class), which reenforcements arrived at top speed on May 5.
LA BASSÉE.
4. The division held the La Basée sector (Hulluch-Vermelles) from the end of May to September 21.
5. In October it was at rest for three weeks in the vicinity of Carvin.
FLANDERS-CAMBRAI.
6. Transferred to Belgium (Oct. 28) it took over a sector to the west of Houthulst Forest (Nov. 6–7). In December it was on the Cambrai front (until about Jan. 10, 1918).
RECRUITING.
Since August, 1916, the division had been entirely composed of regiments coming from the Rhine Province (8th Corps District) and as such is entirely homogeneous.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 185th Division gave good account of itself in all the battles in which it took part.
1918.
1. The 185th Division was withdrawn from the Cambrai front near Gonnelieu, being relieved by the 9th Reserve Division during the night of January 11–12. It went to the Solesmes area, where it was trained with a view of being used in offensive operations.
ARRAS.
2. About the middle of February it relieved the 24th Division near Monchy le Preux (southeast of Arras). On the 28th of March it attacked with all three regiments, and suffered heavy losses from enfilade machine-gun fire; officer casualties for the division amounted to 90. It was withdrawn about the 27th of April.
3. It relieved the 26th Reserve Division near Mercatel (southeast of Arras) between the 13th and 16th of May. It was relieved by the 39th Division during the night of August 2–3.
SOMME.
4. On the 18th it reenforced the front near Herleville (south of Bray). It was withdrawn on September 5.
5. On the 18th it reenforced the front near Villeret (northwest of St. Quentin), and was withdrawn on the 1st of October. During these last two engagements the division lost heavily, more than 2,050 in prisoners alone.
6. A week later it reenforced the front near Ligny en Cambresis (west of Le Cateau). It was withdrawn on the 25th.
7. After a fortnight’s rest it relieved the 6th Division southwest of Mons on the 8th of November.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The 185th was rated as a second-class division. Although trained in open warfare, it was used in only one of the great German offensives, and there did nothing to indicate that it merited a better rating.
187th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │187. │187. │187. │187. │ │188. │ │188. │ │189. │ │189. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │ │5 and 6 Sqns. 16 Dragoon Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │231 F. A. Abt. │231 F. A. Abt. │ │3 Mountain Art. Abt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│187 Pion. Co. │187 Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ │192 T. M. Co. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │417 Anti-Aircraft Section. ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │187. │187. │187. │187. │ │188. │ │188. │ │189. │ │189. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │3 Sqn. 16 Dragoon Rgt. │5 Sqn. 16 Dragoon Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │Art. Command: │6 Art. Command: │ 231 Rgt. (9 Btries.). │ 231 F. A. Rgt. │ │ 66 Ft. A. Btn. │ │ 720 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1267 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1320 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│(187) Pion. Btn.: │187 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 187 Pion. Co. │ 1 Res. Co. 15 Pions. │ 1 Res. Co. 15 Pions. │ 187 Pion. Co. │ 187 T. M. Co. │ 187 T. M. Co. │ Tel. Detch. │ 60 Searchlight Section. │ │187 Signal Command: │ │ 187 Tel. Detch. │ │ 122 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │219 Ambulance Co. │219 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │28 Field Hospital. │28 Field Hospital. │33 Field Hospital. │33 Field Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │255 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │M. T. Col. │605 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(187th Regiment: 9th Corps District—Schleswig—Holstein. 188th Regiment: 4th Corps District—Prussian Saxony. 189th Regiment: 3d Corps District—Brandenburg.)
1915.
The 187th Division (the 187th Brigade until June, 1916) was created May 20, 1915. Its regiments were made up as follows: The 187th, from the 9th Corps District; the 188th, from the 4th Corps District; and the 189th, a Brandenburger unit.
ALSACE.
1. In June, 1915, the 187th Brigade was sent to Alsace and stayed in line in the Fecht valley and the vicinity (Metzeral-Sondernach- Hilsenfirst-Reichackerkopf) until the end of December.
2. It next went to rest in the vicinity of Colmar.
1916.
ALSACE.
1. At the end of January, 1916, it went back in line in the Fecht valley and the region of Guebwiller. It was kept there until the summer, participating in battles for the possession of the heights (Hartmannswillerkopf, Reichackerkopf).
2. At the beginning of July the 187th Brigade became the 187th Division by the transformation of its field artillery detachment into a regiment.
TRANSYLVANIA.
3. Relieved at the end of August from the Muenster, it rested eight days at Rouffach then entrained at Colmar for the Roumanian front. (Itinerary: Karlsruhe-Stuttgart-Ulm-Munich-Vienna-Budapest-Sieben- Buergen.)
ROUMANIA.
4. On September 13 it was engaged in Transylvania (region of Hermannstadt, Tour Rouge passes), then took part in the battle of Brasso (Kronstadt) at the beginning of October and in the operations in the vicinity of Slanic (December). It suffered heavy losses.
1917.
ROUMANIA-FRANCE.
1. On February 11, 1917, the 187th Division left Roumania for the Western Front. (Itinerary: Arad-Budapest-Oppeln-Breslau-Dresden- Wuerzberg-Strassberg.) It was at rest near Dieuze (about six weeks).
LORRAINE.
2. About April 20 it took over the Moncel-Arracourt sector.
AISNE.
3. Hastily relieved on April 28, it entrained at Morhange on May 2 and detrained in the vicinity of Amagne and was put into line on May 10 on the Rheims front (north of Bermericourt; southeast of Berry au Bac) until June 15.
4. At rest in the Aussonce-La Neuville area (end of June to July) the 187th Division was held in reserve as a “Stossdivision” or “Eingriffsdivision.”
CHAMPAGNE.
5. About July 14 it was engaged in the Cornillet, Mont Blond, Mont Haut sector, which it held until August 26. The 187th Infantry was particularly tried during the attack of July 26.
6. From August 26 to September 29 it was at rest in camps at La Neuville en Tourne à Fuii later in the region of Vervins.
FLANDERS.
7. Transferred to Belgium (Sept. 30), the division opposed the British attack near Poelcappelle. It was partially relieved after the attack and went into line and counter attacked on the 10th to the north of Langemarck. Its losses in this sector were heavy.
8. After a rest to the north of Bruges from the 12th of October to November, it went back to the front near Blankaart (south of Dixmude).
RECRUITING.
The three regiments of this division came from different Provinces—the 187th from Schleswig-Holstein, the 188th from Prussian-Saxony, and the 189th from Brandenburg. This was confirmed by a German communiqué which mentioned “the attack troops from Schleswig-Holstein and Brandenberg” at Mont Haut (July, 1917).
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 187th Division was made up of young men who were well trained and who came from active divisions.
The 187th Division was a division equipped for mountain warfare.
1918.
ARMENTIERES.
1. The 187th Division was withdrawn from line south of Lake Blankaart about the 10th of January, and on the 16th relieved the 38th Landwehr Division near Bois Grenier (south of Armentieres). It was relieved by the 6th Bavarian Division about February 20 and went to the Lille area, where it most probably received training in open warfare, though the fact has not been definitely established.
ARRAS.
2. It left there and arrived at Douai on the 25th of March. It spent the night of the 27th–28th in Vitry. On the 28th it reenforced the front near Fampoux (east of Arras) on the 28th, when it attacked. A man of the 188th Regiment subsequently wrote: “We tried to break through on the 28/3/18, but only pushed Tommy back to his reserve line, and don’t forget that it was with enormous losses to ourselves.” It was relieved by the 2d Guard Reserve Division during the night of May 18–19, and went to rest in the region east of Douai.
3. During the night of June 18–19 it came back and relieved the 2d Guard Reserve Division. It was relieved by the 48th Reserve Division on the 7th of July.
ARMENTIERES.
4. After less than a week’s rest, the division came to the Armentieres front and relieved the 39th Division between Neuf-Berquin and Vieux- Berquin (north of Merville). It was relieved early in September by the extension of fronts of the neighboring divisions.
CAMBRAI.
5. On the 7th it reenforced the front in the Inchy en Artois sector (west of Cambrai). After suffering exceedingly heavy losses, it was withdrawn about the 28th and went to rest in the Boushain region.
DOUAI.
6. October 3 it relieved the 15th Reserve Division in the Oppy sector (west of Douai), and was withdrawn about the 20th.
7. On the 27th it reenforced the front in the Chateau l’Abbaye sector (northeast of St. Amand), but was withdrawn a few days later.
VALENCIENNES.
9. It was identified in line near Quievrechain (northeast of Valenciennes) on November 5.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The 187th was rated as a second-class division. The only offensive in which it participated was that of the Somme, where it did not distinguish itself. Subsequently it was used only to hold the front. Toward the end of the year it was very much reduced in strength.
192d Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │192. │192. │192. │192. │ │193. │ │193. │ │25 Bav. │ │25 Bav. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │ │1 Ldw. Sqn. (12 C. Dist.). │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │192 F. A. Abt. (3 Btries.). │192 F. A. Abt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│192 Pion. Co. │192 Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ │404 T. M. Co. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────