Disembarking near Courtrai, it was first in reserve near Passchendaele.
A few of the elements of the division engaged in battle at Langemarck on
the 17th of August. It was in line in the St. Julien sector (northeast
of Ypres) on August 20, and relieved on August 24, after suffering heavy
losses.
ST. QUENTIN.
6. In rest at Origny, from August 29 to September 9, the division then
occupied the sector southwest of St. Quentin (Sept. 9 to Nov. 11–12).
It left at this latter date to occupy the front south of Passchendaele
until the middle of February, 1918, being relieved several times in the
interval.
RECRUITING.
Silesia, especially Upper Silesia. In 1916, following the losses
suffered at Verdun, a great number of the replacement troops consisted
of men from the 3d and 4th Corps Districts (Brandenburg and Prussian
Saxony) and of the 1916 class, and of returned convalescents of the 9th
and 10th Corps Districts (Schleswig-Holstein and Hanover). This measure
was not only dictated by necessity, but contributed to counterbalance
the original Polish element.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
At Ypres (August, 1917), a certain number of men of the 51st Reserve
Infantry Regiment refused to go into the trenches; according to
prisoners, desertions to the rear were frequent, especially among the
younger men.
The combat morale of the 12th Reserve Division may, however, have been
restored during its long stay in the relatively quiet sector of St.
Quentin (September to November, 1917).
1918.
FLANDERS.
1. On February 4 the division relieved the 12th Reserve Division in the
Moorslede sector which it held until February 14.
LENS.
2. It was relieved by the 31st Division and moved south to relieve the
17th Division on night of February 17–18. It held this front until about
April 10, when it was relieved by the 9th Reserve Division.
BATTLE OF THE LYS.
3. The division reinforced the battle front at Neuve Eglise on April 13
and fought until about April 25, suffering heavy losses. One company of
the 51st Reserve Regiment was reduced to 9 men.
4. Upon relief, the division returned to its former sector near Lens,
where it was identified near Avion on April 27. It remained here until
June 14, when it moved north and entered the line northeast of Hinges on
June 17–18. About August 6, the division was relieved by the 1st Guard
Reserve Division.
ARRAS.
5. It moved to Douai and rested until its return to line near Ecoust on
night of August 30–31 to resist the British attack. Before its
withdrawal on the 11th it had lost nearly 900 prisoners.
LENS.
6. The division rested at Cambrai during September and reentered the
Lens sector on October 2. During October it was engaged at Noyelles
(11th), Wattines (19th), and Rumignies (21st). It appears to have been
out of line for a few days, returning on the night of November 3–4 west
of Orsinval. It was at Wargnies le Petit (5th), St. Waast la Vallee
(6th), Bavai (7th), northeast of Taisnieres (9th), and Villers St.
Guislain (11th).
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as second class. It appears to have been used
principally as a sector-holding division on moderately active fronts.
12th Landwehr Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────
│ 1915 │ 1916
─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────
│ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment.
─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────
Infantry. │55 Ldw. │87 Ldw. (1 and│55 Ldw. │87 Ldw.
│ │ 4 Btns. 87 │ │
│ │ Ldw. and 5 │ │
│ │ Btn. 76 Ldw.│ │
│ │ Rgt.). │ │
│ │99 Ldw. (4 │ │99 Ldw. (4th
│ │ Btn.). │ │ Btn.).
│82 Ldw. │40 Ldw. │82 Ldw. │40 Ldw.
│ │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │56 Ldw. │ │56 Ldw.
│ Gd. Jag. Btn. │ Gd. Jag. Btn.
│ Gd. Rifle Btn. │ Gd. Rifle Btn.
│ 14 Jag. Btn. │ 9 Jag. Btn.
─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────
Cavalry. │ │
─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────
Artillery. │1 Ers. Abt. 14 F. A. Rgt. │30 Res. F. A. Rgt.
│1 Ers. Abt. 30 F. A. Rgt. │1 Mountain A. Btry.
│ │
│ │9 Mountain A. Btry.
│ │11 Mountain A. Btry.
│ │18 Mountain A. Btry.
─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────
Engineers and│ │(?) 2 Ldw. Pion. Co. (14 C.
Liaisons. │ │ Dist.).
│ │312 T. M. Co.
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────
Medical and │ │
Veterinary.│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────
Transports. │ │
─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────
Attached. │ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────
│ 1917 │ 1918
─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────
│ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment.
─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────
Infantry. │55 Ldw. │56 Ldw. │87 Ldw. │
│ │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │87 Ldw. │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │435 Ldw. │ │
│ │ (include 4th│ │
│ │ Btn. 99 Ldw.│ │
│ │ Rgt.). │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ │ │
─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────
Cavalry. │2 Sqn. 7 Res. Dragoon Rgt. │1 Sqn. 9 Res. Hus. Rgt.
─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────
Artillery. │Art. Command: │252 Ldw. F. A. Rgt.
│ 12 Ldw. F. A. Rgt. │2 Bav. Ldw. Ft. A. Btn. (2d
│ │ Btry.).
│ │
│ │
│ │
─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────
Engineers and│412 Pion. Btn.: │415 Pion. Btn.:
Liaisons. │ │
│ 1 Ldw. Co. 4 Pions. │ 1 Ldw. Co. 4 C. Dist. Pions.
│ 2 Ldw. Co. 14 Pions. │ Landst. Ers. Co. 8 C. Dist.
│ │ Pions.
│ 2 Ldw. Co. 16 Pions. │ 75 Searchlight Section.
│ 312 T. M. Co. │478 Signal Command:
│ 268 Searchlight Section. │ 478 Tel. Detch.
│ 512 Tel. Detch. │ 140 Wireless Detch.
─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────
Medical and │564 Ambulance Co. │564 Ambulance Co.
Veterinary.│ │
│568 Ambulance Co. │
│14 Ldw. Field Hospital. │
│15 Ldw. Field Hospital. │
│Vet. Hospital. │
─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────
Transports. │M. T. Col. │
─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────
Attached. │58 Art. Survey Section. │
│5 Labor Btn. │
│63 Labor Btn. │
│227, 228, and 251 Heavy M. G.│
│ Detch. │
─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(56th Landwehr Regiment: 7th Corps District-Westphalia. 87th Landwehr
Regiment: 18th Corps District-Hesse. 436th Landwehr Regiment: 15th Corps
District-Alsace.)
1915.
ALSACE.
1. The 12th Landwehr Division was formed toward the end of April, 1915,
with the elements of the Landwehr, which were distributed along the
Alsatian front, between the Fecht and the district of Cernay, and which
were assigned to the Fuchs Division at the time of the attacks upon
Hartmannswillerkopf (March-April). The active brigade of the Fuchs
Division having left the Vosges for Champagne, the 12th Landwehr
Division grouped these elements of the Landwehr and occupied until May,
1917, the sectors included between the valley of Munster and Cernay. On
the 21st of December, 1915, the 14th Jager Battalion, attached to the
division, lost at Hartmannswillerkopf 840 killed, wounded, and missing
(official list of casualties), and was withdrawn to be reorganized in
Belgium.
1916.
ALSACE.
1. Sector Guebwiller-Cernay.
At the end of September, 1916, the 40th Landwehr Regiment left the 12th
Landwehr Division to be assigned to the 33d Division. It was replaced by
the 436th Landwehr Regiment, which had been formed in May of the
preceding year.
In October the battalions of Jagers and of the riflemen of the guard and
the 9th Battalion of Jagers, attached to the 12th Landwehr Division,
were sent to Macedonia.
1917.
ALSACE.
1. January-May, 1917. Sector Munster-Cernay.
GALICIA.
2. Relieved on the Alsatian front about the middle of May, the 12th
Landwehr Division was transferred to Galicia. Itinerary: Cernay-
Strassborg-Karlsruhe-Ludwigsburg-Munich, Salzburg-Vienna-Lemberg-
Zloczow.
3. It occupied the sector south of Brody and northwest of Zalosce until
the beginning of 1918. It took part in the attacks of July, 1917.
In the course of the final months of 1917 the 12th Landwehr Division had
numerous troops taken to fill up units on the Western Front or to be
sent to the 227th Division, 197th Division, or the 33d Reserve Division.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 12th Landwehr Division, which was on the Alsatian front until May,
1917 and then in Galicia, appears to be of mediocre quality.
1918.
1. The history of the component elements of this division after their
arrival on the Western Front is uncertain. Between March and June the
56th Landwehr Regiment was in the 6th Army, the 436th Landwehr Regiment
was in the 2d Army, and the 87th Landwehr Regiment was in the 18th Army.
The men of these units were assigned to various kinds of police work,
guarding prisoners, etc. The staff of the division during this period
was believed to be in Finland. About July 15 the division had been
announced as dissolved by the French, British, and American general
headquarters.
ALSACE.
2. On August 7 the 87th Landwehr Regiment and the 436th Landwehr
Regiment were joined as infantry under the 21st Landwehr Brigade Staff,
Gen. Hoffman, of the 14th Landwehr Division. The 56th Landwehr Regiment
was also identified in this region and the division was regarded as
reconstituted in October.
3. Later identifications disclosed that the regiments were not forming a
division but were acting independently. The division was again classed
as dissolved about the middle of October.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as a third-class division.
12th Bavarian Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────
│ 1916 │ 1917 │ 1918
─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────
│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.
─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────
Infantry. │22 Bav. │26 Bav. │22 Bav. │26 Bav. │22 Bav. │26 Bav.
│ │27 Bav. │ │27 Bav. │ │27 Bav.
│ │28 Bav. │ │28 Bav. │ │28 Bav.
─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────
Cavalry. │4 Sqn. 7 Bav. Light│4 Sqn. 7 Bav. Light│1 Sqn. 7 Bav. Light
│ Cav. Rgt. │ Cav. Rgt. │ Cav. Rgt.
─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────
Artillery. │22 Bav. F. A. Rgt. │22 Bav. F. A. Rgt. │12 Bav. Art.
│ │ │ Command:
│ │ │ 22 Bav. F. A. Rgt.
│ │ │ 8 Bav. Ft. A. Btn.
│ │ │ 136 Light Am. Col.
│ │ │ 137 Light Am. Col.
│ │ │ 138 Light Am. Col.
─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────
Engineers and│22 Bav. Pion. Co. │(12 Bav.) Pion. │12 Bav. Pion. Btn.:
Liaisons. │ │ Btn.: │
│ │ 22 Bav. Pion. Co. │ 22 Bav. Pion. Co.
│ │ 26 Bav. Pion. Co. │ 26 Bav. Pion. Co.
│ │ 12 Bav. T. M. Co. │ 12 Bav. T. M. Co.
│ │ 12 Bav. Tel. │ 16 Bav.
│ │ Detch. │ Searchlight
│ │ │ Section.
│ │ │12 Bav. Signal
│ │ │ Command:
│ │ │ 12 Bav. Tel.
│ │ │ Detch.
│ │ │ 189 Wireless
│ │ │ Detch.
─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────
Medical and │ │12 Bav. Ambulance │12 Bav. Ambulance
Veterinary.│ │ Co. │ Co.
│ │38 Bav. Field │38 Bav. Field
│ │ Hospital. │ Hospital.
│ │39 Bav. Field │39 Bav. Field
│ │ Hospital. │ Hospital.
│ │Vet. Hospital. │16 Bav. Vet.
│ │ │ Hospital.
─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────
Transports. │ │M. T. Col. │692 M. T. Col.
─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(Bavaria.)
1916.
It was formed about the middle of the summer of 1916. It was assembled
in July, 1916, at Grafenwoehr Camp (Bavaria), and remained until the end
of July in the Valley of the Fecht, and then entrained for the Roumanian
front in October.
ROUMANIA.
1. Composed of the 26th, 27th, and 28th Bavarian Regiments, the division
took part in the Roumanian campaign and fought in the region of
Campolung (October-November, 1916).
2. In December it took part in the operations north of the road Buzeu-
Rimnicu-Sarat.
1917.
FOCSANI.
1. Beginning with January, 1917, the 12th Bavarian Division remained in
line north of Focsani.
2. In August it took part in the attacks launched against the Roumanians
north of Focsani (from Batinesci to the Sereth) and suffered very heavy
losses.
PANCIU.
3. Sent to rest after these engagements, it came back into line at the
end of September, south of Panciu (Marasesti District).
4. In December it was in reserve in the Focsani District.
RECRUITING.
The division is recruited from the whole of Bavaria.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
It was on the Roumanian front from October, 1916. Its combat value is
mediocre.
1918.
1. The division entrained at Ploesci on April 30 and traveled via
Bucharest-Craiova-Budapest-Dresden-Frankfurt on the Main-Mainz-Mezieres
to a station between Mezieres and Rethel, where it detrained after a
journey of nine days. It rested near Vieil St. Remy (20 kilometers
southeast of Mezieres), until May 24, when it marched toward the Aisne
by Chateau Porcien, Asfeld, Avaux, and Neufchatel.
BATTLE OF THE AISNE.
2. The division crossed the old line near Berry au Bac on May 28 and
followed the advance through Roucy, Montigny sur Vesle and Lagery. It
was engaged on the 30th near Ville en Tardenois, with the Marne between
Damery and Cumieres as its final objective. In that sector it stayed
until July 13–14. Losses were heavy about the end of May and the 1st of
June.
3. It was in reserve in the same sector on the 15th behind the 22d
Division, on the 17th it attacked and until the end of July took part in
the struggle for Epernay, toward which the division got as far as the
Bois Courton.
4. Upon its relief on July 26 the division marched to the Ligny en
Cambresis area in stages. There it rested until August 29, when it
entrained at Solesmes and traveled via Valenciennes-Condes-Ath-Ghent to
Roubaix. After two days’ rest it reentrained and was railed via Courtrai
to Isegheim, relieving the 6th Cavalry Division east of Ypres on the
night of August 31-September 1.
FLANDERS.
5. In this sector the division sustained an attack by the British on
September 28. It was thrown back on Moorslede with a loss of 3,000
prisoners. The division was relieved on October 1.
6. The division rested at Roubaix until October 17, when it returned to
line southeast of Herseaux. It continued in this region until the
armistice. The last identification was at Cordes.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as a third-class division. Its morale appears to
have been low in the summer and fall of 1918.
13th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────
│ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916
─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────
│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.
─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────
Infantry. │25. │13. │25. │13. │26. │13.
│ │158. │ │158. │ │15.
│26. │15. │26. │15. │ │55.
│ │55. │ │55. │ │
│11 Jag. Btn. (Oct. │ │ │ │
│ 1914-Mar. 1915). │ │ │ │
─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────
Cavalry. │16 Uhlan Rgt. (3 │ │16 Uhlans (2
│ Sqns.). │ │ Sqns.).
─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────
Artillery. │13 Brig.: │13 Brig.: │13 Brig.:
│ 22 F. A. Rgt. │ 22 F. A. Rgt. │ 22 F. A. Rgt.
│ 58 F. A. Rgt. │ 58 F. A. Rgt. │ 58 F.A. Rgt.
│ │ │
│ │ │
│ │ │
─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────
Engineers and│ │1 Pion. Btn. No. 7:│1 Pion. Btn. No. 7:
Liaisons. │ │ │
│ │ │
│ │ Field Co. 7 Pions.│ 1 Co. 7 Pions.
│ │ 13 Pont.-Engs. │ 13 T. M. Co.
│ │ 13 Tel. Detch. │ 13 Pont.-Engs.
│ │ │ 13 Tel. Detch.
│ │ │
│ │ │
│ │ │
─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────
Medical and │ │ │
Veterinary.│ │ │
│ │ │
│ │ │
│ │ │
│ │ │
─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────
Transports. │ │ │
─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────
Attached. │ │ │
│ │ │
│ │ │
│ │ │
│ │ │
│ │ │
│ │ │
│ │ │
│ │ │
│ │ │
─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────
│ 1917 │ 1918
─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────
│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.
─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────
Infantry. │26. │13. │26. │13.
│ │15. │ │15.
│ │55. │ │55.
│ │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ │ │
─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────
Cavalry. │3 Sqn. 16 Uhlan │3 Sqn. 16 Uhlan
│ Rgt. │ Rgt.
─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────
Artillery. │13 Art. Command: │13 Art. Command:
│ 58 F. A. Rgt. │ 58 F. A. Rgt.
│ │ 151 Ft. A. Btn.
│ │ 856 Light Am. Col.
│ │ 859 Light Am. Col.
│ │ 861 Light Am. Col.
─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────
Engineers and│124 Pion. Btn. (1 │7 Pion. Btn.:
Liaisons. │ Pion. Btn. No. │
│ 7): │
│ 1 Co. 7 Pions. │ 1 Co. 7 Pions.
│ 2 Co. 7 Pions. │ 2 Co. 7 Pions.
│ 13 T. M. Co. │ 13 T. M. Co.
│ 7 Searchlight │13 Signal Command:
│ Section. │
│ 13 Tel. Detch. │ 13 Tel. Detch.
│ │ 5 Wireless Detch.
─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────
Medical and │17 Ambulance Co. │17 Ambulance Co.
Veterinary.│ │
│Field Hospital No. │70 Field Hospital.
│ 73. │
│Vet. Hospital. │73 Field Hospital.
│ │13 Vet. Hospital.
─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────
Transports. │M. T. Col. │546 M. T. Col.
─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────
Attached. │41 Anti-Aircraft │
│ Sect. M. G. S. S.│
│ Detch. No. 75. │
│546 Supply Train. │
│265 A. Air. Sqn. │
│10 Air. Sqn. │
│37 Wireless Detch. │
│87 Labor Btn. │
│2 Co. 11 Labor Btn.│
│306 Wagon Train. │
─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
(7th Corps District—Westphalia.)
1914.
BELGIUM.
1. The 13th Division, forming with the 14th Division the 7th Army Corps,
was a part, at the outbreak of the war, of the 2d Army (Von Buelow). It
entrained in the vicinity of Eupen from the 9th to the 11th of August,
and the 25th Brigade took part in the final operations of the siege of
Liège. After the fall of this place the division reassembled, passed
through Wavre, Nivelles, Seneffe, crossed the Sambre below Thuin (battle
of Charleroi), entered France on August 25, and left the 26th Brigade in
front of Maubeuge, where it remained until the city was taken (Sept. 7).
CHAMPAGNE.
2. The 25th Brigade, going forward, fought east of St. Quentin on the
29th, and was at Montmirail on September 6, where it took part in the
battle of the Marne. After the 26th Brigade was released it reached Laon
on the 10th, and on the 12th the entire 13th Division went into position
north of Rheims, forming a part of the 7th Army (Von Heeringen). It
remained there until the end of the month.
ARTOIS.
3. At the beginning of October the 13th Division was transferred to
Artois, where it remained until the end of March, 1916. It fought in the
sector Angres-Souchez in October and November, in that of Fromelles-
Aubers in November and December.
1915.
ARTOIS.
In March and in June, 1915, the division underwent two heavy attacks at
Neuve Chapelle and at Festubert. The battles from the 6th to the 29th of
March, 1915, cost the 13th Infantry Regiment 21 officers and 1,301
noncommissioned officers in killed, wounded, and missing. (Official list
of Prussian casualties.)
In March the division transferred the 158th Infantry Regiment to the
50th Division, a new formation.
1916.
VERDUN (HILL 304).
1. Relieved at the end of March, 1916, the 13th Division was sent to
rest in the Cambrai area.
2. About the 5th of June the division entrained and was sent to the
Verdun area by way of Montmédy-Stenay. It went into line in the sector
of Hill 304, which it occupied until the month of September.
SOMME.
3. Transferred to the Somme, it took part in the battle on September 12
(south of Vouchavesnes-Cléry sur Somme). It suffered heavy losses there
which necessitated its being relieved on September 19.
4. It was quickly reorganized in the Dun area and put back in the sector
of Hill 304 (Oct. 10).
1917.
1. The 13th Division remained in line at Hill 304 until the middle of
May, 1917. It was then relieved in this area and sent to the Aisne,
where it remained at rest for three weeks near Laon.
CHEMIN DES DAMES.
2. On the 9th of June it began to take over the sector of Cerny. It
launched an important attack on July 31 upon the Deimling salient, but
was not able to retain the ground won. On August 2–3 it attacked again,
but without success. The 13th and 15th Infantry Regiments each lost 600
men.
ST. GOBAIN.
3. The 13th Division, very much exhausted, was relieved during the night
of August 3–4. It was transferred by railroad to the St. Gobain area
without having time to fill up its regiments, and went into line in the
Deuillet-Servais sector, which it held from August 10 to September 17.
LA MALMAISON.
4. It was at rest in the area of Crépy en Laonnois (Sept. 20 to Oct.
11). The division was filled up from the recruit depots of neighboring
divisions, although they were not Westphalians (5th Reserve Division,
29th Division, and 103d Division). About the 11th of October it again
went into line on the Chemin des Dames east of Laffaux mill. Beginning
with October 15, it suffered heavy losses from our artillery
preparation. On the 23d it underwent the French attack. (Losses: 47
officers and 1,548 men prisoners, including 2 regimental commanders, a
third being killed.) The division may be considered as exhausted at the
Mennejean Farm.
5. It was sent to the Sedan area and reorganized. About November 10 it
received 1,000 men from Russia as replacements (men at least 35 years of
age).
MEUSE.
6. About December 18 it occupied the sector of the Bois de Malancourt-
Haucourt (and was still there on Jan. 23, 1918).
RECRUITING.
The 13th Division is a Westphalian Division, in addition to contingents
from the two principalities of Lippe. These were even mentioned with
honor in the German communique of July 1, 1917, a thing which would
ordinarily be sufficient to identify the division.
It is manifest, however, that in 1917 the provincial character of the
division had been very much changed. The replacements of September (1918
class) were taken from the recruit depots nearby (5th Reserved Division,
29th Division, 103d Division), and introduced, especially in the 15th
Infantry Regiment, men from Brandenburg, Baden, and Thuringia. Some
Westphalians came in October, but they were mostly older men (classes
1892 to 1903 of the Landsturm), coming from Landsturm battalion of the
7th Corps District.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
In the Somme battle (September, 1916) the 13th Division put up a
vigorous defense and did not yield any ground.
On the Aisne (June-July, 1916) its combat value was just as great; it
attacked vigorously and put up a stubborn resistance to our
counterattacks. Besides that, it is mentioned in the German communiques:
September, 1916, for its valor on the Somme, December 20, 1916, and
January 25, 1917 (Hill 304); January 29, 1917, the 15th and the 13th
Infantry Regiments are praised for their heroic resistance. It may be
considered as a good division.
It must be noticed, however, that on October 23, on the Chemin des
Dames, in spite of stringent orders to hold its position, the 13th
Division put up very little resistance; units surrendered en masse with
their officers.
The 55th Infantry Regiment is probably only of mediocre worth since its
reconstruction after the battle of Malmaison.
1918.
1. The division was relieved from the Verdun front about February 6 and
went to rest in the vicinity of Arlon, and after February 15 at
Valenciennes and Mons. It marched to the Somme front in four nights, and
then rested at Clary for two days.
BATTLE OF PICARDY.