Part 93
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1916 │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │ │237 Res. │59 Ldw. │114. │59 Ldw. │114. │ │4 Bav. │ │357. │ │357. │ │ Res. │ │ │ │ │ │9 Jag. │ │237 Res. │ │237 Res. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │1 Sqn. 14 Uhlan │1 Sqn. 14 Uhlan │1 Sqn. 14 Uhlan │ Rgt. │ Rgt. │ Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │263 F. A. Rgt. │Art. Command: │263 F. A. Rgt. │ │ 263 F. A. Rgt. │3 Abt. 2 Bav. Ft. │ │ │ A. Rgt. │ │ │927 Light Am. Col. │ │ │1240 Light Am. Col. │ │ │1241 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │(199) Pion. Btn.: │199 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ │ │ 199 T. M. Co. │ 6 Co. 23 Pions. │ │ 330 Searchlight │ 286 Pion. Co. │ │ Section. │ │ │ 199 Tel. Detch. │ 199 T. M. Co. │ │ │ 38 Searchlight │ │ │ Section. │ │ │199 Signal Command: │ │ │ 199 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ 10 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │209 Ambulance Co. │209 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │Field Hospital. │68 Field Hospital. │ │Vet. Hospital. │339 Field Hospital. │ │ │244 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │M. T. Col. │609 M. T. Col. ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(114th Regiment: 14th Corps District—Southern part of the Grand Duchy of Baden. 357th Regiment: 2d Corps District—Pomerania. 237th Reserve Regiment: 8th Corps District—Rhine Province.)
1916.
The 199th Division was created in August, 1916, in the region of Stryj- Halicz (Galicia), with troops coming from the Western Front. Until the beginning of 1917 its infantry was made up as follows: The 237th Reserve Regiment (coming from the 52d Reserve Division), the 4th Bavarian Reserve Regiment (from the Bavarian Ersatz Division), and the 9th Jaegers (12th and 13th Battalions of Reserve Jaegers (Saxon) and the 8th Battalion of Jaegers).
GALICIA.
1. From the end of August to the beginning of November the 199th Division was engaged in Galicia (Brzezany, Halicz, Zlota-Lipa) and suffered heavy losses.
2. About November 1 the division was transferred to the Western Front. (Itinerary: Lemberg-Cracaw-Breslau-Dresden-Leipzig-Coblenz-Treves- Sedan.) It detrained at Dun and was billeted for three weeks in the vicinity of Spincourt.
SOMME.
3. Sent to the Champagne district at the end of November and then in the Bohain region, it went into line in the Rancourt-Saillizel sector (end of December).
1917.
1. At the beginning of 1917 the 114th and 357th replaced the 4th Reserve and the 9th Jaegers.
SOMME.
2. The 199th Division stayed on the Rancourt front until March, 1917.
HINDENBURG LINE.
3. On March 27 it was identified to the east of Longavesnes; then at Villers-Faucon, Lempire, in the new German positions (April).
ARTOIS.
4. Relieved about April 20, it was engaged to the southeast of Arras (Wancourt-Vis en Artois-Cherisy) and suffered heavy losses (April 27, May 3).
5. Coming back to the west of Catelet (Hargicourt-Bony) about the middle of May, it left this line on June 8 to go to rest in the vicinity of Ostend.
BELGIAN FLANDERS.
6. In the middle of July it took over the Nieuport-Lombartzyde sector, which it occupied until the beginning of August and was at rest near Ostend from August 10 to the middle of September.
7. It reappeared in the Lombartzyde sector until October 24. On November 10 after a short rest it was put in line to the north of Passchendaele, where it was found, with the exception of some brief withdrawals for rest, until February, 1918, when it went to rest near Courtrai.
RECRUITING.
Division with composite elements; a regiment from Baden (the 114th, active), a regiment from Pomerania (the 357th, growing out of brigade Ersatz Battalions), and a Rhenish regiment (the 237th).
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 114th was considered the best in the division. The 237th Reserve did not seem to have a very good combat value. It did not hold its ground when opposed by the British at Cherisy (April, 1917). It is said that a company of this regiment refused to come out of the trenches in the month of July, 1917.
1918.
BATTLE OF PICARDY.
1. The division left Flanders at the end of February and trained in the Le Quesnoy area until the middle of March; left on the 17th for the battle front. It marched to Escaromain, and on the 18th to Quievy. On the day before the offensive the division marched via Caudry to Villers Outreaux. It was not identified in the fight until the 25th at Hardecourt. The next day it was at Maricourt wood, after which it appears to have been withdrawn. On April 4 it relieved the 243d Division south of Thennes.
2. After its relief the division marched by stages via Beaucourt en Santerre-Vauvillers-Peronne to Templeux, la Fosse, where it rested for a fortnight. The heavy losses incurred by the division during its last time in line south of the Somme were made good chiefly by drafts of the 1919 class from the depots at Warsaw and Bruges. The division contained a large proportion of this class and its fighting quality suffered in consequence. On the 26th of April the division moved to Maurepas and proceeded to Maricourt on the 28th; from there it marched into line in the Morlancourt sector.
3. The division held the Morlancourt sector from about May 1 to 16. It was relieved by the 107th Division and rested in the Valenciennes area in June.
CHAMPAGNE.
4. It was engaged at Le Teton on July 15 and held a sector in that area until the end of the month.
RHEIMS.
5. On August 3 it reenforced the battle front at Sapicourt west of Rheims. It was engaged in that area except for a week’s rest until the end of September.
6. After October 1 the division was engaged in Champagne in the region of Orfeuil. It contested hotly the advance through Vaudy and Vouziers until its relief in late October. It rested but a few days out of line and after November 3 was engaged at St. Lambert, Roix-Terron, and Dom le Mesnil (Nov. 10).
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as second-class. It was used as an attack division in March and did well. Thereafter it saw almost constant service in resisting allied pushes. In October’s fighting it was frequently spoken of by the German official communique.
200th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1916 │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │2 Jag. │3 Jag. (4│2 Jag. │3 Jag. (4│2 Jag. │3 Jag. │ │ Btns.).│ │ Btns.).│ │ │ │4 Jag. │ │4 Jag. │ │4 Jag. │ │5 Jag. │ │5 Jag. │ │5 Jag. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │ │1 Sqn. 1 Uhlan Rgt.│2 Sqn. 1 Uhlan Rgt. │ │ (passed to 228 │ │ │ Div. in June, │ │ │ 1917). │ │ │2 Sqn. 2 Uhlan Rgt.│ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │257 F. A. Rgt. │(?) Art. Command: │22 F. A. Rgt. │2 Mountain Art. │ 257 F. A. Rgt. │1 Abt. 26 Ft. A. │ Abt. (Bavarian). │ │ Rgt. (1 and 3 │ │ │ Btries.). │ │ 7 Mountain Art. │843 Light Am. Col. │ │ Abt. │ │ │ │1157 Light Am. Col. │ │ │1161 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │(220) Pion. Btn.: │42 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ │ │ 105 Pion. Co. │ 105 Pion. Co. │ │ 282 Pion. Co. │ 282 Pion. Co. │ │ 173 Mountain T. M.│ 173 T. M. Co. │ │ Co. │ │ │ 200 Tel. Detch. │ 99 Searchlight │ │ │ Section. │ │ │200 Signal Command: │ │ │ 200 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ 50 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │214 Ambulance Co. │214 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │44 Field Hospital. │44 Field Hospital. │ │370 Field Hospital.│19 Bav. Field │ │ │ Hospital. │ │Vet. Hospital. │300 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │M. T. Col. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │35 Landst. Inf. │ │ │ Rgt. │ │ │37 Landst. Inf. │ │ │ Rgt. │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
1916.
CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS.
1. The 200th Division, composed of three regiments of Jaegers, was formed in July, 1916, in Galicia with the 3rd Jaeger Regiment (4 battalions equipped with skis) coming from the Alpine Corps, with the 4th Jaegers (11th Battalion of Jaegers), 5th and 6th Battalions of Reserve Jaegers, and with the 5th Jaegers (17th, 18th, and 23d Battalions of Reserve Jaegers).
BUKOVINA.
The 200th Division, together with the 1st Division, formed the Carpathian Corps. The division took part in the counteroffensive in the Carpathians against the Russians and beginning in September 1, 1916, occupied a sector to the north of Mont Tomnatik (Bukovina.)
1917.
BUKOVINA.
1. The 200th Division stayed in the same part of the Carpathians (south of Mt. Pnevié-Mt. Tomnatik) until July, 1917. At this time it took part in the offensive waged in Bukovina and took a position north of the Sereth. It was kept here until September.
2. At the end of September the 200th Division was entrained for Italy. Its itinerary to Vienna was Kolomea-Lemberg-Cracaw.
ITALY.
3. Detraining in the vicinity of Laibach, it went toward the Italian frontier, where it took about 15 days’ rest. On October 22 it drew near the Italian frontier and on the 24th was engaged in the offensive on the Isonzo and advanced by way of Cividale and Udine, where it fought the Italian rear guards (Oct. 28–30). It reached Codroipo about November 3 and Quero on the Piave the 23d.
MONT TOMBA.
4. After a short period of rest it was again sent to the Mont Tomba region in December.
RECRUITING.
The 200th Division had recruits from the various mountainous districts of the empire—Upper Silesia, Harz, Black Forest, etc.—which gave it a certain character in spite of the different sources of its recruiting.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
Composed of young and vigorous men with high morale, the 200th was one of the best divisions in the German Army (1918).
1918.
FRANCE.
1. After having suffered heavy losses, the 200th Division was withdrawn about the 1st of January, and went to rest for about a month southeast of Bellune. Early in February, it entrained at Santa Lucia and traveled via Rosenheim-Munich-Ulm-Freiburg-Colmar. It detrained at Bening and went to rest and to be trained for about three weeks in the vicinity of St. Avold.
MONTDIDIER.
2. The division entrained near Marsal (southwest of Dieuze) on the 26th of March and, traveling via Thionville-Luxemburg-Namur, detrained at Cambrai two days later. It rested in the caserne here until the 31st, when it marched to Peronne, where it remained in the English barracks the 2d and 3d of April, when it marched via Guillaucourt to Moreuil (northwest of Montdidier). During the night of the 7th–8th it relieved the 14th Division west of Moreuil. It was relieved on May 14 by the 192d Division. It was reported near Quesnoy the end of May and in the Le Cateau region early in June. Men of one of its regiments were reported as having been seen near Fere en Tardenois on the 3d of June. Again, parts of the division were reported near Caudry and Chateau Thierry during June.
MARNE.
3. On the 15th of July the division attacked west of Dormans. It crossed the Marne at Sailly, and was identified at Chapelle Monthod on the following day. In this fighting, the division suffered very heavy losses. The colonel and all the battalion commanders of the 3rd Jaeger Regiment were lost. It was withdrawn from line on the 21st.
4. During the night of the 26th–27th it came back into line near Roncheres (north of Dormans), its mission being to cover the retreat between Sergy and the Meuniere wood. It was withdrawn about the 3d of August and went to the Sedan area, where it rested for a fortnight.
5. During the night of the 22d–23d the division relieved the 22d Reserve Division northwest of Souain. In the heavy fighting that followed the division lost heavily. It was driven back to St. Etienne à Arnes, where it was relieved by the 195th Division on the 6th of October.
WASSIGNY.
6. The division then moved by easy stages, with frequent halts, via Rozoy-Montcornet-Origny-Escautpont-Le Nouvion-Beaurepaire-Barzy. During the night of October 22–23 it relieved the 5th Reserve Division near Oisy (east of Wassigny). It had not been withdrawn on the 11th of November.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The 200th was rated as a second-class division. Composed of Jaeger units, which are good fighters, it distinguished itself in the East and in Italy, and did well in the heavy fighting it was called upon to do on the Western Front, though not brilliantly. It was one of the best of the second-class divisions.
201st Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1916 │ 1917 │ 1918[32] ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │401. │401. │402. │401. │402. │401. │ │402. │ │402. │ │402. │402. │403. │ │403. │ │403. │ │404. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │ │4 Sqn. 4 Mounted │4 Sqn. 7 Drag. Rgt. │ │ Jag. Rgt. (?). │ │ │4 Sqn. 7 Drag. Rgt.│ │ │ (?). │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │401 F. A. Abt. │Art. Command: │156 Art. Command: │402 F. A. Rgt. │ 401 F. A. Rgt. │ 402 F. A. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│401 Pion. Co. │(201) Pion. Btn.: │201 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ │ │ 385 Pion. Co. │ 385 Pion. Co. │ │ 401 Pion. Co. │ 401 Pion. Co. │ │ 181 T. M. Co. │ 358 Pion. Co. │ │ 50 Searchlight │ 2 Res. Co. 7 │ │ Section. │ Pions. │ │ 201 Tel. Detch. │ 50 Searchlight │ │ │ Section. │ │ │ 181 T. M. Co. │ │ │ 201 Tel. Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │401 Ambulance Co. │401 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │401 Field Hospital.│401 Field Hospital. │ │402 Field Hospital.│402 Field Hospital. │ │66 Res. Field │66 Res. Field │ │ Hospital. │ Hospital. │ │Vet. Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │863 M. T. Col. │611 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Odd Units. │ │201 Cyclist Co. │201 Cyclist Co. ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
Footnote 32:
Composition at the time of dissolution, November, 1918.
HISTORY.
(401st Regiment; 20th Corps District. 402d Regiment; 17th Corps District. 403d Regiment, 5th Corps District.)
1916.
The 201st is one of a series of divisions (numbered 201–204) created at the beginning of July, 1916, at the time of the Russian offensive conducted by Broussilov.
The 201st Division was formed out of recruits obtained from depots in the 5th, 17th and 20th Corps Districts. The Allenstein (401st) Regiment and the Danzig (402d) Regiment came from the Arys cantonment. The Glogau (403d) Regiment and the Posen (404th) came from the Warthe cantonment. Men taken from the front, convalescents from depots and a majority of young men from the class of 1917 made up the initial strength, which was 230 to 240 men per company.
RUSSIA.
1. As soon as formed the division occupied a sector on the Russian front (north of Baranovitchi) and stayed there from the beginning of July, 1916, to the beginning of December, 1917. During this period it only took part in two local actions (November, 1916, and November, 1917).
1917.
1. The 404th Infantry was taken away from this division in the beginning of 1917 and was joined to the divisions in the neighborhood (the 18th Landwehr Division and later the 4th Landwehr Division).
RUSSIA-FRANCE.
2. At the end of November, 1917, the 201st Division was relieved, reassembled at Baranovitchi, and entrained for the Western Front. (Itinerary: Baranovitchi-Brest-Litowsk-Warsaw-Chemnitz-Nuerenberg- Heilbronn-Rastatt-Sarreguemines.)
LORRAINE.
3. Beginning on December 15, elements of the 201st Division were put in line on the right bank of the Moselle opposite the Xon (northeast of Pont a Mousson).
RECRUITING.
The eastern Provinces of the Empire.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 201st Division was composed to the extent of at least one-half of young and vigorous men. It had not been exhausted physically and had in no way lost its morale. Fraternization did not lessen its morale, but rather raised it on account of their belief that war could be terminated on the Western Front by an easy victory after peace was concluded with Russia.
Since its return from Russia its regiments had undergone an intensive training in trench and open warfare (February, 1918).
1918.
WOEVRE.
1. The division held the Apremont sector (southeast of St. Mihiel) until the end of May, when it was withdrawn. It rested and trained in the Woevre (Sponville) until June 9. It entrained at Mars la Tour and moved to Laon via Sedan and Liart. From there it marched to the Marne front through Vailly-Lannoy-Brecy.
BATTLE OF THE MARNE.
2. It was in line on the Chateau Thierry-Vaux sector from June 15 to the end of July. In the attacks of late July the division was hit hard. It was thrown back on Bezu-St. Germain, Beuvardes, Pere en Tardenois and relieved about July 30.
3. The division was moved to the Argonne in early August and about the 10th entered the Vacquois sector, which it held until the end of the month.
BATTLE OF THE SOMME.
4. It returned to the Somme area and on the night of September 6–7 relieved the 6th Cavalry Division northeast of Fins. Until the 28th it was engaged at Fins, Hendicourt, Gouzeaucourt, Villers, and Guislan. Losses were very heavy, including 2,200 prisoners.
CAMBRESIS.
5. After a week’s rest, the division reentered line south of Cambrai on October 5 and fought in this region until the 15th. Here it lost another 650 prisoners.
6. As a result of these extraordinary losses the division was dissolved at Maubeuge on October 22.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. Its losses were unusually heavy in prisoners whenever it was engaged in an active front. When it was dissolved its effectives numbered less than 1,000 rifles.
202d Division.
COMPOSITION.