Part 95
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1918 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │ │405. │403. │405. │ │407. │ │407. │ │439. │ │329. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │ │2 Sqn. 13 Uhlan. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │405 F. A. Rgt. │405 Field Art. Rgt. (Rgt. │ │ Staff, 1 and 2 Abt.). │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│ │(?) Pions. Liaisons. │ │ │ │350 Searchlight Section. │ │71 Searchlight Section. │ │205 Div. Signal Command. │ │205 Tel. Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │255 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │ │215 and 216 Field Hospitals. │ │305 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │ │615 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │612 Landst. Inf. Rgt. │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(405th, (?) 407th: 4th District-Prussian Saxony.) (439th: 15th District- Alsace.)
1916.
The 205th Division was organized at the end of 1916, partly from new regiments formed in the interior, partly from regiments taken from the zone of the armies on the Eastern Front.
RUSSIA.
1. The end of November, 1916, the division was reported behind the front (region northeast of Vilna). At that time it comprised the 406th and 407th Infantry, taken from the 202d Division, and the 439th Infantry formed in the region of Vilna. With the 226th Division next to it, it belonged to the reenforced 3d Reserve Corps (10th Army).
1917.
COURLAND.
1. In January, 1917, the division was in line on the left bank of the Aa (Courland). The 407th Infantry lost heavily in January and February.
2. The division then occupied the front east of Kalzeen (region of Mitau) from April to September.
3. In October it was identified north of Lake Lobé. During the last three months of 1917 many men were taken from this division for the Western Front. In this manner it sent men to the 47th Reserve Division in April, to the 14th Division at the end of October, and to the 75th Reserve Division (before it left) in November.
RECRUITING.
The division from its origin was of a very mixed composition. This diversity increased following the many drafts taken from it in 1917 and the diversity of origin of the men sent in exchange.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
On the Russian front since its organization.
Fighting value mediocre.
1918.
COURLAND.
1. In February the 205th Division was to the southeast of Riga.
2. In April it was in Livonia near Walk. About this time the commanding general was decorated. Toward the beginning of June the division was identified in the Narva region, where it remained until the end of the war, with the exception of the 439th Regiment, which was transferred to the 94th Division about the middle of September.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated third class.
206th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1916 │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │2 Res. │359. │2 Res. │359. │2 Res. │359. │ Ers. │ │ Ers. │ │ Ers. │ │ │394. │ │394. │ │394. │ │4 Res. │ │4 Res. │ │4 Res. │ │ Ers. │ │ Ers. │ │ Ers. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │ │2 Sqn. 2 Uhlan Rgt.│5 Sqn. 10 Drag. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │265 F. A. Rgt. │206 Art. Command: │206 Art. Command: │ │ 265 F. A. Rgt. │ 265 Field Art. │ │ │ Rgt. │ │ │ 1 Abt. 27 Foot │ │ │ Art. Rgt. │ │ │ (Btries. 2 to 4). │ │ │781, 1215, and 1230 │ │ │ Light Mun. Cols. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │(206) Pion. Btn.: │206 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ │ │ 6 Co. 30 Pions. │ 2 Res. Co. Pion, │ │ │ Btn. No. 27. │ │ 2 Ldw. Co. 18 │ 6 Co. 30 Pion. │ │ Pions. │ Btn. │ │ 167 T. M. Co. │204 Searchlight │ │ │ Section. │ │ 206 Tel. Detch. │206 Div. Signal │ │ │ Command. │ │ │206 Tel. Detch. │ │ │142 Div. Wireless │ │ │ Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │210 Ambulance Co. │210 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │157 Field Hospital.│156 and 157 Field │ │ │ Hospitals. │ │158 Field Hospital.│306 Vet. Hospital. │ │306 Vet. Hospital. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │781 M. T. Col. │616 M. T. Col. ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(359th Infantry: 3d District—Brandenberg. 394th Infantry: 9th District—Schleswig—Holstein. 4th Reserve Ersatz: 10th District—Hanover.)
1916.
The 206th Division was organized in Belgium at the beginning of 1916. It was composed of three infantry regiments—the 359th (9th, 10th, and 120th Brigade Ersatz Battalions), the 394th, composed of men taken from the 17th Reserve Division, and the 4th Reserve Ersatz (36th, 37th, and 38th Reserve Brigade Ersatz Battalions).
SOMME.
1. After holding for some time in September the sector of Dixmude (359th), the division was sent to the Somme in October, where it was engaged at four different times (region of Péronne, La Maisonnette, and vicinity of Marchelepot) and suffered heavy losses.
ALSACE.
2. Relieved November 25 and entrained near St. Quentin for Alsace. Took over the sector of Ban de Sapt until the beginning of January, 1917.
1917.
LORRAINE.
1. Sent to rest in the region of Chateau Salins and went into line about the middle of February, 1917, between the forest of Bezange and Leintrey. Remained there until April 20.
CHEMIN DES DAMES.
2. Sent to the Laonnois, where it was stationed near Mont Cornet from April 22 to 30, then at Laon from April 30 to May 4. Then went to the Chemin des Dames (Laffaux, west of the Oise-Aisne Canal). Relieved June 10, after suffering very heavy losses.
LORRAINE.
3. After a month’s rest in Lorraine at Blamont-Sarrebourg, the division was in reserve about the middle of July in the region of Romagne- Montfaucon.
HILL 304.
4. At the end of July it took over the sector of Hill 304-Pommerieux, where its losses were very heavy during the French attack of August 20 (1,074 prisoners). Relieved in haste two days after this attack and sent to rest behind the Reims front until the middle of September, and received about 1,000 replacements taken from the Russian front.
REIMS.
5. The division then held the Berru-Cernay sector, where it did not take part in any important operations (middle of September to Nov. 24).
ST. QUENTIN.
6. About November 28 sent to the St. Quentin front (Pontruet sector).
RECRUITING.
“Regiments from Hanover, Schleswig-Holstein, and Brandenburg,” according to a German communique which designated in this fashion the 4th Reserve Ersatz, the 394th Infantry, and the 359th Infantry.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The division attacked energetically May 24, 1917, at the Panthéon, and June 6 at La Royere. Composed of men from the active army, the reserve and the Ersatz. It is a good division. Its three regiments gave proof of good fighting qualities during the many local attacks at the Chemin des Dames.
It should, however, be noted that in front of Verdun the division did not offer any resistance to the French attack of August 20, 1917. As early as August 14 two regiments of this division had already had 100 deserters.
The sanitary conditions of this division were bad at this period (many cases of dysentery).
1918.
1. The 206th Division was withdrawn from line in the sector northwest of St. Quentin early in February, and went to rest in the region of Fresnoy le Grand. After a short stay here it moved to the Fourmies area, where it received intensive training in open warfare.
PICARDY.
2. On March 16 the division began marching toward the front via Wassigny-Fresnoy le Grand-Fonsommes-Fontaine Uterte. On the 20th it rested in the Hindenburg Third Line. On the 22d it started out again via Lesdins-Fayet, crossed the old front lines northwest of St. Quentin, and spent the night in the former British lines in the Holnon wood. The following day it marched to Martigny, where it spent the night in tents. On the 24th it crossed the canal; the 4th Reserve Regiment encamped at Voyennes; the 394th Regiment marched to Bethencourt and attacked along the canal without suffering heavy losses. On the 26th, the 394th proceeded by Damery and Andechy without being engaged; the 359th was engaged at Guérbigny, and the 4th Ersatz reached the former German trenches near Roye. During the night of the 27th–28th the division entered Montdidier. The 28th, the 4th Ersatz was engaged at Mesnil-St. Georges, leaving many prisoners in the hands of the French. On the 30th the division attacked at Fontaine sous Montdidier. It was relieved during the night of the 12th–13th of April by the 6th Bavarian Reserve Division and went to rest in the region of Gruny, Sept-Fours and Languevoisin. Here it was reconstituted.
3. During the night of the 14th–15th it relieved the 45th Reserve Division near Assainvillers (southeast of Montdidier). It was relieved by the 222d Division on May 9, and was sent to the Nesles, where it was identified on the 26th. Three days later it received 700 replacements from its depot. It was also trained during the period spent here. Toward the end of May it came to the vicinity of Baboeuf (east of Noyon); eight days later it was near Bussy; then on June 8 in the Boulogne area.
OISE.
4. On the 11th of June it came into line reenforcing the 19th Division near Belloy (southeast of Montdidier). It was still in line at the time of the attack of August 8, during the course of which it was forced back with heavy losses as far as Boulogne le Grasse. It was withdrawn near here on the 15th.
5. After a brief rest it came back into line on the 22d near Pontoise (southeast of Noyon). It was withdrawn on the 30th.
6. On the 6th of September it came back into line near Fresnes (south of Peronne). It was relieved by the 105th Division on the 20th.
CAMBRAI.
7. On the 3d of October it relieved the 3d Naval Division, north of Rumilly (south of Cambrai). From the 8th until the division was withdrawn (about the 11th) it was heavily engaged and severely punished, losing some 1,200 prisoners; it was forced back to Carnières (east of Cambrai).
8. The division rested and refitted for a fortnight and then reenforced the front on November 1 near Villers-Pol (southeast of Valenciennes). It continued in line but was made to fall back; prisoners were captured on the 11th at Hyon (south of Mons).
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The 206th was rated a second-class division. The division commander was decorated after the battle of the Somme. On the other hand, the brigade commander issued an order (Oct. 6) to remedy straggling in the division. On the whole, however, the division did well, though not brilliantly.
207th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1916 │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │89 Res. │413. │89 Res. │98 Res. │89 Res. │98 Res. │ │209 Res. │ │209 Res. │ │209 Res. │ │213 Res. │ │213 Res. │ │213 Res. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │ │(?) Sqn. 7 Uhlan │4 Sqn., 7th Uhlan │ │ Rgt. │ Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │268 F. A. Rgt. │(?) Art. Command: │207 Art. Command: │ │ 268 F. A. Rgt. │ 75 Field Art. Rgt. │ │ │ 38 Ft. Art. Btn. │ │ │834, 1217, and 1330 │ │ │ Light Mun. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│236 Pion. Co. │(207) Pion. Btn.: │207 Pion. Btn. Liaisons. │ │ │ │ │ 4 Co. 14 Pions. │3 Ers. Co. Pion. │ │ │ Btn. No. 24. │ │ 336 Pion. Co. │168 T. M. Co. │ │ 169 T. M. Co. │190 Searchlight │ │ │ Section. │ │ 207 Tel. Detch. │207 Div. Signal │ │ │ Command. │ │ │207 Tel. Detch. │ │ │98 Div. Wireless │ │ │ Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │211 Ambulance Co. │211 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │240 (?) Ambulance │159 and 160 Field │ │ Co. │ Hospitals. │ │159 Field │307 Vet. Hospital. │ │ Hospital. │ │ │160 Field │ │ │ Hospital. │ │ │307 Vet. Hospital. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │M. T. Col. │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(98th Reserve: 16th District—Lorraine. 209th Reserve: 2d District—Pomerania. 213th Reserve: 9th District—Schleswig—Holstein.)
1916.
1. The 207th Division was organized in Belgium toward the end of September, 1916. The 45th Reserve Division furnished the 209th Reserve and the 46th Reserve Division the 213th Reserve. Its third regiment, the 413th, which came from the 204th Division, was replaced by the 98th Reserve (from the 212th Division) at the beginning of 1917.
FLANDERS.
2. Assembled in October on the Belgium coast (Zeebrugge-Blankenberg) and went into line before Ypres toward the end of November (Zonnebeke-Ypres road to the Ypres-Comines Canal).
1917.
1. Held the Ypres front until the end of April, 1917.
ARTOIS.
2. At the beginning of May it fought in Artois (Bullecourt, south of Pronville).
MESSINES.
3. Relieved about June 3 and went back into line in the region of Ypres, east of Messines, June 12 to July 6. Did not have heavy losses in spite of serious fighting.
4. In July sent to rest in the vicinity of Roubaix.
YPRES.
5. Beginning on the night of August 1–2, it was again engaged east of Ypres in the vicinity of Hollebeke and Zandvoorde, and counterattacked to recapture Hollebeke. Remained in this sector until October 8.
LENS.
6. On October 20 took over the sector north of Lens, where it alternated with the 220th Division.
RECRUITING.
A composite division. The 98th Reserve got replacements principally from Westphalia; the 209th Reserve from Pomerania; the 213th Reserve from Schleswig-Holstein.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
This division has only a moderate fighting value.
1918.
LENS.
1. The division continued to hold the quiet Loos sector until April 13, when it was relieved by the 220th Division.
LA BASSEE CANAL.
2. It was engaged north of the La Basse Canal on the night of April 13–14. The 98th Reserve Regiment attacked on the 18th on the canal. After the attack the three regiments held the line to the south of the canal until the end of April.
3. The division rested in early May. On the 18th it was engaged south of the La Basse Canal, near Hulluch and Anchy les La Basse. It held this sector without event until it was relieved on the night of July 1–2 by the 10th Erzsatz Division. The regiment marched to Wahagnies, entrained at Libercourt on the 3d and detrained near Bac St. Maur on the same day.
VIEUX BERQUIN-CAMBRAI.
4. It relieved the 44th Reserve Division during the nights of July 3–4 and 4–5 near Vieux Berquin. After a month it exchanged sectors (between Aug. 6 and 8) with the 52d Division which had been holding a sector south of Lens. The sector continued quiet in August and September. The division was relieved on the night of the 24th–25th by the 111th Division and reenforced the front northwest of Cambrai on September 28. After three days of severe fighting and heavy losses it was obliged to withdraw.
BELGIUM.
5. The division was taken to Deynze about October 8 and came into line on the 14th near Thielt between Pittem and Iseghem. It was pushed back toward Denterghem (18th–19th) and later toward the line Courtrai-Ghent (Deynze, Tulte, Waereghem, Oct. 21 to Nov. 1). The division withdrew to reserve on November 1 and thereafter was out of line.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as second class. Its morale was reported to be indifferent at the end of October.
208th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1916 │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │185. │25. │185. │25. │185. │25. │ │185. │ │185. │ │185. │ │65 Res. │ │65 Res. │ │65 Res. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │ │1 Sqn. 6 Res. │1 Sqn. 6 Res. │ │ Dragoon Rgt. │ Dragoon Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │267 F. A. Rgt. │Art. Command: │267 Field Art. Rgt. │ │ 267 F. A. Rgt. │157 Foot Art. Btn. │ │ │819, 1284, and 1357 │ │ │ Light Mun. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │(208) Pion. Btn.: │208 Pion. Btn. Liaisons. │ │ │ │ │ 252 Pion. Co. │252 Pion. Co. │ │ 338 Pion. Co. │338 Pion. Co. │ │ 16 T. M. Co. │16 T. M. Co. │ │ 291 Searchlight │28 Searchlight │ │ Section. │ Section. │ │ 208 Tel. Detch. │208 Div. Signal │ │ │ Command. │ │ │208 Tel. Detch. │ │ │80 Div. Wireless │ │ │ Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │113 Ambulance Co. │113 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │78 Field Hospital. │78 and 300 Field │ │ │ Hospitals. │ │300 Field Hospital.│308 Vet. Hospital. │ │308 Vet. Hospital. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │618 M. T. Col. │618 M. T. Col. ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(25th: 8th District—Rhine Province. 185th: 14th District—Grand Duchy of Baden. 65th Reserve: 8th District—Rhine Province.)
1916.
The 208th Division was organized in the region of Sissonne at the beginning of September, 1916. Its three infantry regiments came from older divisions—the 25th from the 15th Division, the 185th from the 185th Division, the 65th Reserve from the 16th Reserve Division.
Before being transferred to the 208th Division these regiments were engaged in the battle of the Somme, where the 18th Infantry especially was particularly tried (July 5–18).
GALICIA.
1. On September 3 the division was sent to the Eastern Front, via Luxemburg-Aix la Chapelle-Berlin-Leipzig-Cracow-Lemberg.
2. Fought at Brzezany and Halicz from the middle of September to the end of October.
FRANCE.
3. About the beginning of November it returned to the Western Front, via Lemberg-Budapest-Vienna-Salzburg-Rosenheim-Munich-Frankfurt-Cologne-Aix la Chapelle-Liege. Detrained November 13 at Caudry.
SOMME-ANCRE.