Part 97
1. The division continued to hold the quiet Brimont Courcy sector until May 10, when it was relieved by the 242d Division. It rested near Asfeld until the 24th, when it returned to the Brimont sector on the night of the 24th–25th, and attacked on the 27th. It advanced through Loivre, Merfy, and Guex until the line stabilized west of Reims (Vrigny-Ormes- Champigny). It held that sector until September 27.
2. It was moved in motor trucks on the 27th to south of Arnes, and the next day was engaged near Ste. Marie a Py. The division was engaged without pause until the armistice. In the first week of October it was pushed back to Ste. Etienne a Arnes, losing 560 prisoners. From then it retreated to east of Machault, between Vouziers and Attigny and later to the region northeast of Attigny (Le Chesne-Louvergny). It was last identified at Louvergny on November 6.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. Its morale remained fairly high, and the division did well in the Ardennes in September-October.
214th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1916 │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │ │50. │214. │50. │214. │50. │ │358. │ │358. │ │358. │ │363. │ │363. │ │363. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │ │ (z) │1 Sqn. 16 Hus. Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │ │(z) Art. Command: │214 Art. Command. │ │ 44 F. A. Rgt. │44 Field Art. Rgt. │ │ │1 Abt. 15 Foot Art. │ │ │ Rgt. (Btries. 1 │ │ │ to 3). │ │ │922, 1246, and 1300 │ │ │ Light Mun. Cols. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │(214) Pion. Btn.: │214 Pion. Btn. Liaisons. │ │ │ │ │ 2 Res. Co. 23 │2 Res. Co. Pion. │ │ Pions. │ Btn. No. 23. │ │ 341 Pion. Co. │341 Pion. Co. │ │ 424 T. M. Co. │47 Searchlight │ │ │ Section. │ │ 214 Tel. Detch. │214 Div. Signal │ │ │ Command. │ │ │214 Tel. Detch. │ │ │112 Div. Wireless │ │ │ Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │224 Ambulance Co. │224 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │25 Field Hospital. │25 and 274 Field │ │ │ Hospitals. │ │274 Field Hospital.│314 Vet. Hospital. │ │Vet. Hospital. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │M. T. Col. │624 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │ │22, 59, and 20 M. │ │ │ G. Sec. Abt. │ │ │4 Btry. 18 Foot │ │ │ Art. Regt. │ │ │150 Saxon Balloon │ │ │ Detch. │ │ │268 Aviation Detch. │ │ │ (Oct. 29, 1918.) ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(50th: 5th District—Posen. 358th: 2d District—Pomerania. 363d: 8th District—Rhine Province.)
1916.
The 214th Division was formed in Lorraine in September, 1916. Two of its regiments came from the Ersatz Divisions—the 358th, former Brigade Ersatz Battalions Nos. 1, 2, 5, and 50; from the Ersatz Guard Division; the 363d, former Brigade Ersatz Battalions Nos. 29 (Aix la Chapelle), 30 (Coblentz), and 31 (Trèves), from the 8th Ersatz Division. These two regiments were for two years in the Haye. The 50th Infantry was taken from the 10th Division (Verdun front).
SOMME.
1. Started for the Eastern Front September 10, 1916, but was stopped at Frankfort on Main and brought back to France to oppose the offensive on the Somme. Hastily engaged at Rancourt September 19–20, but lost that village. Lost heavily (600 prisoners) and was relieved October 2.
BOIS LE PRÊTRE.
2. From October 15 to November 25 the division held the Bois le Pretre sector.
SOMME.
3. At the beginning of December it again went to the Somme in the region of Bapaume (Gueudecourt).
1917.
1. The division was withdrawn from the Somme about February 6, 1917, and went to rest; obtained replacements from the 609th Infantry (Rhineland).
CHAMPAGNE.
2. About February 20 the division was north of Nouroy-Moronvilliers. Its regiments were successively put in line beginning with the first part of March, then were placed all together in line April 15. April 17 and 18 the division opposed the French attacks on the Nauroy-Auberive front. Its losses were considerable (19 officers and 1046 unwounded prisoners). Losses of the 12th Company of the 50th Infantry, 129 men (document).
3. On the night of the 18th–19th the division was relieved and sent to rest southwest of Monthois and reorganized. The 5th Company of the 363d Infantry received at least 134 replacements, mostly from the 1918 class, some of them with only three months’ training.
ARGONNE.
4. About May 4–5 the division went back into line south of Rouvroy (Cernay en Dormois) and stayed there until July 22 or 23. No important action during this period.
FLANDERS.
5. During the first days of August the division was sent to Flanders via Charleville, Namur, Brussels, and Ghent. It went to the Bixschoote- Langemarck sector, where it fought until August 17 (battle of Flanders, French attack of August 16).
CAMBRAI.
6. After a rest on the coast it went to Douai August 23 and took over the Oppy-Gavrelle sector (September to November). November 22 it went in all haste to oppose the advance of the British army southwest of Cambrai, and fought until December 4. At that date it was sent to rest near Valenciennes.
RECRUITING.
A composite division. The 50th (5th District) and the 358th (2d District) had a pretty large proportion of Poles, and some Brandenburgers to counterbalance them. The 363d was a Rhenish regiment, as well as the field artillery of the division.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 214th Division must be considered as a good division. However, it should be noted that in Champagne during the attack of April 17, it was more or less demoralized by the losses suffered. A large number of men are said to have fled during the preparatory artillery fire.
At Ypres in August, 1917, the 358th and 363d opposed great resistance, particularly where there were enough officers to hold the men under the artillery fire.
Of the three regiments of the division, the 50th was the worst; many Poles.
1918.
BELGIUM.
1. The division held the Dixmude sector until April 5, when it was relieved by the 6th Bavarian Division. It was withdrawn to Couckelaere and Ichteghem, when it entrained on the 6th and 7th and traveled via Thourout-Lichtervelde-Roulers-Coutrai to Lauwe, from where they marched to Halluin.
LYS.
2. It was engaged north of Armentieres from April 10 to 13 (Ploegsteert- Neuve Eglise). It was relieved on the 13th–14th and went to rest near Lille until May 19. On May 6 some elements of the division reenforced the Alpine Corps at Locre for a short time.
ARRAS.
3. On May 19–20 the division came in line east of Arras (Feuchy-Monchy le Preux) and held that quiet sector until the British attacked them on August 27. The division lost 1,171 prisoners and was relieved on the 28th.
PICARDY.
4. The division rested until September 24, when it entered line southwest of Douai (Sailly Ostrevent Biache, St. Vaast) and held there until October 8. It retreated between Douai and Valenciennes as far as east of St. Awand. It withdrew from line near Conde on the 24th. A day later it was reengaged south of Valenciennes (Famars) and in line until November 5. On the first 10 days of November the division lost 750 prisoners.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as second class. In 1918 it played a rather colorless rôle. Its hardest fighting was in October in the Cambrai battle.
215th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1916 │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │61 Res. │60 Res. │61 Res. │71 Ldw. │61 Res. │224 Res. │ │2 Res. │ │224 Res. │ │2 Res. │ │ Ers. │ │ │ │ Ers. │ │40 Ers. │ │2 Res. │ │ │ │ (Saxon).│ │ Ers. │ │ │61 Res. │71 Ldw. │ │ │ │ │ │2 Res. │ │ │ │ │ │ Ers. │ │ │ │ │ │40 Ers. │ │ │ │ │ │ (Saxon).│ │ │ │ │ │244 Res. │ │ │ │ │ │ (Saxon).│ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┬┴─────────┴────────┬┴─────────┴──────── Cavalry. │3 Sqn. 8 Res. Hus. │3 Sqn. 8 Res. Hus. │ │ Rgt. │ Rgt. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │274 F. A. Rgt. │274 F. A. Rgt. │274 Field Art. Rgt. │ │ │1413 Light Mun. │ │ │ Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │(215) Pion. Btn.: │6 Co. Pion. Btn. Liaisons. │ │ │ No. 29. │ │ 249 Pion. Co. │115 Searchlight │ │ │ Section. │ │ 6 Co. 29 Pions. │215 Div. Signal │ │ │ Command. │ │ 425 T. M. Co. │215 Tel. Detch. │ │ Tel. Detch. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │221 Ambulance Co. │221 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │166 Field Hospital.│315 Vet. Hospital. │ │174 Field Hospital.│ │ │Vet. Hospital. │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │M. T. Col. │625 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │21 Res. Jag. Btn. │ │ │ (Until fall of │ │ │ 1917.) │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(224th Reserve Infantry Regiment: 18th Corps District—Hesse—Nassau. 2d Reserve Ersatz and 71st Landwehr Regiments: 11th Corps District—Thuringia and Prussian Saxony.)
1916.
CHAMPAGNE.
1. The 215th Division, formed about September, 1916, and comprising at this time the 40th Ersatz Regiment, taken from the 19th Ersatz Division; the 2d Reserve Ersatz, from the 1st Reserve Ersatz Brigade; the 60th Reserve, from the 13th Landwehr Division, was identified for the first time on September 29, 1916, on the Champagne front, east of Auberive. It occupied the sector of Prosnes, south of Ste. Marie a Py, until the end of November.
2. Relieved in Champagne, the 215th Division was transferred to the Eastern Front, leaving the 60th Reserve Regiment in France as a part of the 221st Division and taking with it the 71st Landwehr Regiment from the 13th Landwehr Division.
RUSSIA.
3. Arriving in Russia at the beginning of December, the 215th Division formed a part of the 22d Reserve Corps (Army of the Bug) and was reenforced by the addition of the 244th Reserve Infantry Regiment from the 53d Reserve Division.
1917.
VOLHYNIA.
1. At the beginning of 1917 the composition of the 215th Division was again changed—the 244th Reserve Infantry Regiment went over to the 119th Division and was replaced by the 224th Reserve Infantry Regiment from the 48th Reserve Division.
2. During the year 1917 the 215th Division occupied, in Volhynia, the sector situated east of Gorokhov (northwest of Berestiecko).
3. Its composition was once more modified—the 40th Ersatz Regiment was transferred to a newly formed Saxon division, the 96th.
RECRUITING.
The 215th Division was fairly homogeneous. It was mostly recruited from the 11th and to some extent from the 18th Corps Districts (Thuringia, the Electorate of Hesse, and Hesse-Nassau).
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The division had been in Russia since December, 1916, and was only mediocre.
1918.
UKRAINE.
1. Early in the year the division was still in Russia. It was identified near Kiev on the 12th of March and in the Kharkov region in April. Early in May the division had advanced to the Sea of Azov. Early in September, all unmarried men less than 35 years of age (Alsace-Lorrainers included) were sent to the Western Front, which probably explains the many reports of the division having been sent to France. In all probability the division never left the Ukraine.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as fourth class.
216th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1916 │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │ │182. │177. │42. │(?) │42. │ │354. │ │354. │ │354. │ │21 Res. │ │59. │ │59. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │ │ │205 Cav. Sqn. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │54 F. A. Rgt. │54 F. A. Rgt. │216 Art. Command: │ │ │ 54 F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ 3 Abt. 10 Ft. A. │ │ │ Rgt. (Staff, and │ │ │ 9 and 11 Btries.) │ │ │ 762 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│2 Gd. Ldw. Pions. │(216) Pion. Btn.: │217 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ │ │ 2 Ldw. Co. Gd. │ 247 Pion. Co. │ │ Pions. │ │ │ 216 Tel. Detch. │ 2 Ldw. Co. Gd. C. │ │ │ Dist. Pions. │ │ │ 78 Searchlight │ │ │ Section. │ │ │216 Signal Command: │ │ │ 216 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ 167 Wireless │ │ │ Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │260 Ambulance Co. │260 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │53 Field Hospital. │324 Field Hospital. │ │324 Field Hospital.│332 Field Hospital. │ │Vet. Hospital. │257 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │M. T. Col. │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(42d Infantry Regiment; 2d Corps District—Pomerania. 59th Infantry Regiment; 20th Corps District—Eastern part of West Prussia. 354th Infantry Regiment; 6th Corps District—Silesia.)
1916.
The 216th Division was formed in Galicia in July, 1916, by drafts upon regiments of other divisions. At the time of formation it comprised the 182d Infantry Regiment, from the 123d Division (Saxon), the 354th Infantry Regiment from the 38th Division and the 21st Reserve Infantry Regiment from the 217th Division.
GALICIA-TRANSYLVANIA.
1. In Galicia (Brzezany) beginning of October, the 216th Division was transferred to the Transylvanian front (valley of the Olt) on November 8.
ROUMANIA.
2. It took part in the Roumanian campaign.
3. At the end of December it was south of Rimnicu-Sarat.
1917.
ROUMANIA.
1. In January, 1917, the 216th Division was in line east of Focsani, where it remained until August.
2. It took part in the attacks north of Focsani in August, where the 182d Infantry Regiment lost especially heavily.
3. At this time the 42d and 59th Infantry Regiments, filled up in June by men borrowed from the 76th Reserve Division, then in the rear of the Roumanian front replaced the 182d Infantry Regiment, transferred to the 212th Division and the 21st Infantry Regiment, sent to the Macedonian front.
4. With this composition the 216th Division occupied the line north of the mouth of the Buzeu. It was still there at the end of December. The 354th Infantry Regiment was identified on December 28 by fraternizing.
RECRUITING.
The 42d Infantry Regiment, Pomeranian, and the 59th Infantry Regiment, from Posen, also contained contingents from the 2d, 5th and 20th Corps Districts, and since 1915 have contained a large number of Alsace- Lorrainers. The 354 Infantry Regiment, formed from mobile depot battalions of the former Breslau Garrison, replaced its 3d Battalion (Saxon) by Prussians, and consisted almost entirely of drafts from Silesia.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 216th Division fought and held sectors almost entirely on the Roumanian front.
1918.
1. On the 1st of April the division started for the Western Front. It traveled via Bucharest-Budapest-Prague-Dresden-Leipsig-Erfurt-Frankfort- Thionville-Luxemburg-Namur-Mons-Valenciennes, and detrained at Orchies and Somain from April 12 to 20.
KEMME.
2. It entered line at Kemme on May 9 and with the exception of the first week in June held that sector until June 18.
3. The division rested and underwent training north of Courtrai (Oostroosebeke-Marialoop) until July 23. It was then railed to Laon and marched toward the front south of Fismes through Urcel, Brenelle, Bozoches, Mont St. Martin. It was in reserve northeast of Cierges on July 28–29.
VESLE-AISNE.
4. It was engaged near Cierges and west of the Bois Meuniere on July 29 and 30. The next day it returned north of Cierges and later to the Vesle east of Fismes (Magneux). The division lost heavily in their retreat. It held the sector on the Vesle until September 5, when it fell back through Merval toward the line of the Aisne. It held on the line west of Revillon, south of Villers en Prayeres until October 10. Again it gave way before the Allied pressure and retired through Bouconville, north of Aubigny (11th–12th), Montaigu (13th) toward Liesse-Sissonne. In this area the division was withdrawn from line on October 23.
CHAMPAGNE.
5. Without having had an opportunity to rest, the division was returned to line northwest of Chateau Porcien on October 25 and fought until November 5.
6. At the time of the armistice the division was considered in reserve of 5th Army.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. Its conduct during the retreat to the Vesle was good. The three months of constant service in line greatly fatigued the troops and lowered the morale of the division.
217th Division.
COMPOSITION.