─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬──────_Histories of two hundred and fifty-one divisions of the German army which participated in the war (1914-1918)

│ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916

─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────

│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.

─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────

Infantry. │105 Res. │241 Res. │105 Res. │241 Res. │105 Res. │241 Res.

│ │242 Res. │ │242 Res. │ │243 Res.

│106 Res. │243 Res. │106 Res. │243 Res. │106 Res. │242 Res.

│ │244 Res. │ │244 Res. │ │244 Res.

│ 25 Res. Jag. Btn.│ 25 Res. Jag. Btn. │ 25 Res. Jag. Btn.

─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────

Cavalry. │53 Res. Cav. Detch.│53 Res. Cav. Detch.│53 Res. Cav. Detch.

│ │ │

Artillery. │53 Res. F. A. Rgt. │53 Res. F. A. Rgt. │53 Res. F. A. Rgt.

│ (9 Btries.). │ │

│ │ │

Engineers and│53 Res. Pion. Co. │53 Res. Pion. Co. │53 Res. Pion. Co.

Liaisons. │ │ │

│ │53 Res. Pont. Engs.│53 Res. Pont. Engs.

│ │ │253 T. M. Co.

│ │ │

Medical and │ │53 Res. Ambulance │

Veterinary.│ │ Co. │

│ │ │

Transports. │ │ │

─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────

─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────

│ 1917 │ 1918[23]

─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────

│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.

─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────

Infantry. │105 Res. │241 Res. │105 Res. │241 Res.

│ │242 Res. │ │242 Res.

│ │243 Res. │ │243 Res.

│ │ │ │

─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────

Cavalry. │53 Res. (?) Cav. │53 Res. Cav. Detch.

│ Detch. │ (Saxon).

─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────

Artillery. │(?) Art. Command: │(?) Art. Command:

│ │

│ 53 Res. F. A. Rgt.│ 53 Res. F. A. Rgt.

│ │ (Saxon).

─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────

Engineers and│(353) Pion. Btn.: │53 Res. Pion. Co.

Liaisons. │ │ (Saxon).

│ 53 Res. Pion. Co. │279 Pion. Co.

│ 279 Pion. Co. │253 Searchlight

│ │ Section.

│ 253 T. M. Co. │453 Tel. Detch.

│ 453 Tel. Detch. │

─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────

Medical and │Ambulance Co. │535 (?) Ambulance

Veterinary.│ │ Co.

│94 Res. Field │92 Res. Field

│ Hospital. │ Hospital (Saxon).

│Vet. Hospital. │453 Vet. Hospital.

─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────

Transports. │M. T. Col. │M. T. Col.

─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────

Footnote 23:

Composition at the time of dissolution, October, 1918.

HISTORY.

(241st and 242d Reserve Infantry Regiments: 12th Corps District—Saxony.

243d Reserve Infantry Regiment: 19th Corps District—Saxony.)

1914.

FLANDERS-YPRES.

1. The 53d Reserve Division (of the 27th Reserve Corps with the 54th

Reserve Division), formed between August and October, 1914, were sent to

Belgium, and detrained on August 14 at Ath. It was engaged, with the

divisions of the same series, in the battle of Ypres, against the

British Army. Beginning on October 21, it fought on the front

Poelcappelle-Becelaere; southeast of Gheluvelt on October 29, and near

the Ypres-Menin road at the time of the great attack of November 11. It

suffered very heavy losses—the 25th Reserve Chasseurs Battalion, already

reduced to 225 men on October 31, had only 73 on November 4 (notebook).

On November 25 the 6th Company of the 241st Reserve Infantry Regiment

had only 7 of the men left who constituted it upon its departure from

Saxony (letter).

1915.

FLANDERS.

1. The division remained in line north of Ypres during the winter of

1914–15, alternating with the 54th Reserve Division in the sector

Broodseinde-Polygon wood.

2. It took part in the second battle of Ypres, near Frezenberg and

Gravenstafel, where it again lost heavily.

3. In June it occupied the sector of Wytchaete-St. Éloi and returned

northeast of Ypres (Verlorenhoek) in the middle of July.

CHAMPAGNE AND FLANDERS.

4. At the beginning of October the 105th Reserve Brigade was sent to

Champagne to reenforce the lines near Tahure. The 106th Reserve Brigade

took over the sector of the Lys.

5. In November the division was regrouped and sent to rest in the

vicinity of Ingelmunster (north of Courtrai). It remained behind the

front during the winter of 1915–16 in the vicinity of Roulers.

1916.

LA BASSEE.

1. At the end of March, 1916, the 53d Reserve Division left Flanders and

went into line on both banks of the La Bassee Canal.

SOMME.

2. Sent to the Somme at the end of August, it was engaged southeast of

Maurepas (Le Forest) at the time of the French attack of September 3,

which ended in the capture of Le Forest and of Clery. It suffered heavy

losses in counterattacking and in withstanding the new French offensive

of September 13. Between September 6 and 12 the 241st Reserve Infantry

Regiment listed 12 officers and 1,502 men as casualties. On September 3

the 244th Reserve Infantry Regiment had lost 400 prisoners.

LOOS.

3. Relieved on September 14, it was transferred to the Loos front

(between Hulluch and the Lens-Béthune railroad), from September 21 to

October 5.

CHAMPAGNE.

4. On October 9 it was in Champagne, where it occupied the sector of

Prosnes, east of Rheims.

GALICIA.

5. Withdrawn from the Champagne front, the 53d Reserve Division

entrained for the Eastern Front on November 17. (Itinerary:

Bétheniville-Rethel-Sedan-Trèves-Coblenz-Ems-Cologne-Halle-Cottbus-

Liegnitz-Breslau-Cracow-Tarnow-Jaroslaw-Przemysl-Lemberg-Rohatyn.) It

detrained at Pukow (south of Lemberg) on the 26th.

6. It was sent into reserve behind the line of the Narajowka in

December. In the autumn of 1916 the 244th Reserve Infantry Regiment was

transferred to the 215th Division; later it was transferred to the 96th

Division (Saxon).

1917.

1. At the beginning of January, 1917, the 53d Reserve Division went into

line at the junction of the Narajowka and the Dniester, and remained in

this sector until the middle of June without any important engagement.

2. Relieved and sent to rest in June, it took part in the German

counteroffensive begun on July 20 and advanced north of the Dniester. It

was identified on August 3 east of Krjivtche.

3. The division was withdrawn from the front at the end of November and

entrained for Belgium in the middle of December.

RECRUITING.

The 53d Reserve Division is purely Saxon.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The 53d Reserve Division spent a year on the Eastern Front (November,

1916, to November, 1917). It is of mediocre quality.

1918.

1. The division was relieved in the Houthulst forest on February 12 and

went to rest in the Bruges area.

BATTLE OF PICARDY.

2. On March 1–2 it relieved the 27th Division northeast of Flesquieres.

It took part in the initial attack on March 21, was withdrawn on the 22d

and went to rest near Bourlon wood. The division was in General

Headquarters reserve and on March 27 marched via Havrincourt-

Ruyaulcourt-Moislains-Bouchavesnes, crossing the Somme at Clery, and

continued to march via Raincourt to Rosieres en Santerre. The 241st

Reserve Regiment went into line near Moreuil on the night of April 1–2

and relieved the 426th Regiment (88th Division); the 242d Reserve

Regiment went into line on the night of April 3–4, relieving the 100th

Body Grenadier Regiment (23d Division). On the morning of April 4 the

division attacked in the vicinity of Arriese Cour wood. The division at

this date was operating under the 18th German Army. About the middle of

April it was withdrawn from the Moreuil sector.

VERDUN.

3. About May 1 the division was resting in rear of the Verdun front. It

relieved the 84th Division west of Bethincourt in the first week of May.

It held that quiet sector until the 11th of June, when a tired division

took its place and the 53d Reserve Division returned to an active front.

SOISSONS.

4. The division detrained near Laon on June 14–15, and the next night

relieved the 6th Bavarian Reserve Division north of Le Port. Here it

participated in heavy fighting in July and August until its relief about

August 10. In this engagement the 243d Reserve Regiment was reduced to

three companies per battalion as a result of heavy losses.

5. The division was taken to the region in rear of the Argonne front and

the process of dissolution begun. Before its completion the American

offensive in the Argonne began and elements of the division were used on

the United States front between September 29 and October 15.

According to the available evidence, the 242d Reserve Regiment was

drafted to the 24th and 58th Divisions, the 241st Regiment to the 23d

Division, and the 243d Reserve Regiment to the 40th and 58th Divisions.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as third class. It participated in the spring

Somme offensive, but thereafter did not play an important part in the

fighting. The low effective strength was directly responsible for the

dissolution of the division.

54th Division.

COMPOSITION.

─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────

│ 1915 │ 1916

─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────

│ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment.

─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────

Infantry. │108. │27 Res. │108. │84.

│ │90 Res. │ │27 Res.

│ │84. │ │90 Res.

─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────

Cavalry. │ (?) │17 Hus. Rgt. (Sqn.).

─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────

Artillery. │54 Brig.: │54 Brig.:

│ 107 F. A. Rgt. (6 Btries.). │ 107 F. A. Rgt.

│ 108 F. A. Rgt. (6 Btries.). │ 108 F. A. Rgt.

│ │

Engineers and│107 Pion. Co. │107 Pion. Co.

Liaisons. │ │

│108 Pion. Co. │108 Pion. Co.

│ │54 T. M. Co.

│ │54 Pont. Engs.

│ │54 Tel. Detch.

│ │

Medical and │ │

Veterinary.│ │

│ │

Transport. │ │

Odd Units. │ │54 Cyclist Co.

Attached. │54 Ft. A. Btn. │24 Labor Btn.

─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────

│ 1917 │ 1918

│ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment.

Infantry. │108. │84. │(?) │84.

│ │27 Res. │ │27 Res.

│ │90 Res. │ │90 Res.

Cavalry. │1 Sqn. 17 Hus. Rgt. │1 Sqn. 17 Hus. Rgt.

Artillery. │54 Art. Command: │55 Art. Command:

│ 108 F. A. Rgt. (9 Btries.). │ 108 F. A. Rgt.

│ │ 54 Ft. A. Btn.

│ │ 746 Light Am. Col.

│ │ 955 Light Am. Col.

│ │ 966 Light Am. Col.

Engineers and│Pion. Btn.: │138 Pion. Btn.:

Liaisons. │ │

│ 107 Pion. Co. │ 107 Pion. Co.

│ 108 Pion. Co. │ 108 Pion. Co.

│ 1 Ldw. Co., 16 Pions. │ 97 Searchlight Section.

│ 54 T. M. Co. │54 Signal Command:

│ 107 Searchlight Section. │ 54 Tel. Detch.

│ 54 Tel. Detch. │ 87 Wireless Detch.

Medical and │54 Ambulance Co. │54 Ambulance Co.

Veterinary.│ │

│345 Field Hospital. │345 Field Hospital.

│348 Field Hospital. │348 Field Hospital.

│Vet. Hospital. │54 Vet. Hospital.

Transport. │578 M. T. Col. │578 M. T. Col.

Odd Units. │ │

Attached. │119 Labor Btn. │

HISTORY.

(84th and 90th Reserve Infantry Regiments: 9th Corps

District—Schleswig—Holstein and Mecklenburg. 27th Reserve Infantry

Regiment: 4th Corps District—Prussian Saxony.)

1915.

1. The 54th Division was formed in March, 1915, by the removal of

regiments from divisions engaged at this time between the north of Noyon

and east of Soissons.

Two of these regiments, the 84th (18th Division) and the 90th Reserve

(18th Reserve Division), came from the 9th Corps District (Schleswig-

Holstein and Mecklenburg); the third regiment, the 27th Reserve (7th

Reserve Division) was originally from Prussian Saxony (4th Corps

District).

CHAMPAGNE.

2. Concentrated in March near Guise, the 54th Division was sent to

Champagne in the middle of April (vicinity of Perthes), where it

remained until July, 1915.

RUSSIA.

3. In July it was transferred to Russia. It fought on the Narew (July

and August) and on the Niemen, southeast of Grodno, in September.

FRANCE-OISE.

4. Brought back to France at the beginning of October, it went into line

on the 12th on the left bank of the Oise (Quennevières-Moulin sous

Touvent).

1916.

1. Withdrawn from the Oise front in January, 1916, the 54th Division

rested in the vicinity of La Fère until May. During this time it was

occupied in defensive works in the vicinity of Soissons-Craonne.

VERDUN.

2. In May it was transferred to Verdun. It occupied the sector of Hill

304 on May 14.

3. About September 11 it crossed to the right bank of the Meuse and

advanced north of Fleury. On October 24 it was dislodged by the French

attacks and thrown back with heavy losses north of Douaumont Fort. It

was relieved at the beginning of November.

LORRAINE.

4. Having scarcely made good its losses, it went back into line on

November 5 north of Flirey en Haye.

1917.

1. The division remained in the calm sector of Flirey during the winter

of 1916–17.

AISNE.

2. Relieved in the middle of April, 1917, it was sent behind the

Champagne front (vicinity of Asfeld). On April 21 it reenforced the

lines at Berry au Bac. It underwent the French attack of May 4, to which

it opposed a serious resistance on the Juvincourt Ridge, but suffered

heavy losses (650 prisoners).

3. It was withdrawn from the Aisne front on May 10.

CHAMPAGNE.

4. Sent to the east of Rheims, the division occupied the sector south of

Somme Py from May 15 to July 24. It was filled up there in June by

several reenforcements, totaling about 2,000 men.

YPRES.

5. On July 25 it entrained at Machault (southwest of Vouziers) for

Charleville, from which place it went to Belgium after a short rest. It

was in action east of Ypres from August 5 to 19, and suffered new losses

during the British attack of August 16. One company of the 90th Reserve

Infantry Regiment was reduced to one officer and four men.

CAMBRAI.

6. Sent back into line at the end of August on the Cambrai front

(Havrincourt-Villers Plouich), the division again lost very heavily in

this sector, principally in the course of a tank attack on November 20

(2,789 prisoners).

LORRAINE.

7. Relieved immediately after this attack, it was sent to rest in

Lorraine and reorganized. Between August and November the division

received more than 3,000 replacements. (British Summary of Information.)

RECRUITING.

Mixed upon its formation (Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg, Prussian

Saxony,) the 54th Division remained so with a tendency, nevertheless, to

make the 90th Reserve Infantry Regiment a pure Mecklenburg regiment and

to reserve the drafts from the rest of the 9th Corps District for the

84th Infantry Regiment.

In January 1918, the 1919 class did not seem to be represented; the 90th

Reserve Infantry Regiment had just received replacements made up of men

put back in the 1917 and 1918 classes who entered the service in

September, 1917.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The 54th Division held the most active sectors on the Western front; it

has everywhere given proof of great energy in its resistance, especially

at Cambrai in November, 1917. However, before the affair of Cambrai

rather frequent desertions proved that the losses incurred at Ypres had

weakened the morale of the troops; besides, the replacements received in

Lorraine were mostly composed of returned wounded of all ages.

However, the 54th Division tried, during its stay in Lorraine, to

amalgamate all these elements and to renew their combat value by

intensive training and careful instruction (March, 1918).

1918.

BATTLE OF PICARDY.

The division was relieved in the sector north of Nancy about February 17

by the 48th Landwehr Division. It remained in Lorraine in March

undergoing training for open warfare. It entrained near Dieuze on the

24th and traveled via Metz-Sedan-Charleville-Mons-Valenciennes to a

place about 10 miles east of Douai. The division expected to come into

line near Arras, but after resting one night at Douai it marched off

toward Peronne and arrived at Rosieres on April 2. It moved up to the

line north of Moreuil on the night of April 3–4, taking part in the

attack. The division withdrew on the night of the 5th–6th. It returned

to line south of Thennes on April 10 and stayed in about eight days.

SOMME.

2. The division rested at Cambrai until the night of May 22–23, when it

relieved the 183d Division near Ville sur Ancre. It was relieved on June

20 by the 107th Division. Following its relief, the division rested

north of the Somme until August 3, when it was engaged near Antheuil.

About September 1 the division left its sector near Lassigny and

relieved the 105th Division northeast of Noyon. Here it was relieved on

September 10.

CAMBRAI-ST. QUENTIN.

3. The division rested 15 days before it entered line northeast of

Hargicourt on September 25, relieving the 232d Division. It fought in

the Le Cateau area until October 12, when it retired to reserves in the

vicinity of Landrecies. On November 2 it was reengaged at Ors and

continued in line until the armistice. The last identification was at

Lemont-Fontaine on the 8th.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as second class. In the last year its service was

largely on the defensive in active sectors. In this capacity it was

almost constantly in line.

54th Reserve Division.

COMPOSITION.

─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────

│ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916

│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.

Infantry. │107 Res. │245 Res. │107 Res. │245 Res. │107 Res. │245 Res.

│ │246 Res. │ │246 Res. │ │247 Res.

│108 Res. │247 Res. │108 Res. │247 Res. │108 Res. │246 Res.

│ │248 Res. │ │248 Res. │ │248 Res.

│ 26 Res. Jag. Btn. │ 26 Res. Jag. Btn. │ 26 Res. Jag. Btn.

Cavalry. │54 Res. Cav. Detch.│54 Res. Cav. Detch.│54 Res. Cav. Detch.

│ (Wurtt.). │ │

Artillery. │54 Res. F. A. Rgt. │54 Res. F. A. Rgt. │54 Res. F. A. Rgt.

│ (9 Btries., 1–3 │ │

│ Sax., 4–9 │ │

│ Wurtt.). │ │

│ │Ers. Abtl. 59 F. A.│

│ │ Rgt. │

│ │ │

Engineers and│54 Res. Pion. Co. │54 Res. Pion. Co. │54 Res. Pion. Co.

Liaisons. │ (Saxon). │ │

│ │54 Res. Pont. Engs.│254 T. M. Co.

│ │ │

│ │ │54 Pont. Engs.

│ │ │

Medical and │ │54 Res. Ambulance │

Veterinary.│ │ Co. │

│ │ │

Transport. │ │ │

─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────

│ 1917 │ 1918[24]

─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────

│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.

─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────

Infantry. │107 Res. │246 Res. │107 Res. │246 Res.

│ │247 Res. │ │247 Res.

│ │248 Res. │ │248 Res.

│ │ │ │

─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────

Cavalry. │54 Res. Cav. Detch.│54 Res. Cav. Detch.

│ │ (Wurtt.).

─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────

Artillery. │(?) Art. Command: │(?) Art. Command:

│ │

│ 54 Res. F. A. Rgt.│ 54 Res. F. A. Rgt.

│ (9 Btries. │ (Wurtt.).

│ Wurtt.). │

─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────

Engineers and│(354) Pion. Btn.: │1 Res. Co. 13

Liaisons. │ │ Pions.

│ 1 Res. Co. 13 │2 Res. Co. 13

│ Pions. │ Pions.

│ 2 Res. Co. 13 │312 Searchlight

│ Pions. │ Section.

│ 254 T. M. Co. │254 T. M. Co.

│ 312 Searchlight │454 Tel. Detch.

│ Section. │

│ 454 Tel. Detch. │

─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────

Medical and │536 Ambulance Co. │536 Ambulance Co.

Veterinary.│ (Wurtt.). │ (Wurtt.).

│92 Res. Field │93 Res. Field

│ Hospital. │ Hospital

│ │ (Wurtt.).

│Vet. Hospital. │94 Res. Field

│ │ Hospital

│ │ (Wurtt.).

│ │246 Vet. Hospital.

─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────

Transport. │M. T. Col │M. T. Col.

─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────

Footnote 24:

Composition at the time of dissolution, September, 1918.

HISTORY.

(13th Corps District—Wuerttemberg.)

1914.

BELGIUM.

1. The 54th Reserve Division, forming the 27th Reserve Corps with the

53d Reserve Division, was formed of men from Wurttemberg, with the

addition of one infantry regiment and one battalion of chasseurs from

Saxony. Trained at the Muensingen Camp, it went into action for the

first time on October 21, 1914, in Belgium at the battle of Ypres. On

October 29, it made an unsuccessful attack south of Gheluvelt, going

slightly to the north, it took part in the general attack of November 11

in the vicinity of Zonnebeke, where it lost very heavily. From October

21 to November 20 the 248th Reserve Infantry Regiment listed 32 officers

and 1,395 men as casualties. (Official List of Casualties.)

1915.

1. The division remained in Flanders during the entire year of 1915,

occupying the front Becelaere-Polygon wood, between the Ypres-Menin wood

and the Roulers railroad.

2. In April and May it suffered heavy losses during the second battle of

Ypres (Frezenberg, Verlorenhoek, Hooge).

1916.

1. At the end of January and beginning of February, 1916, the 54th

Reserve Division was withdrawn from the Ypres salient, concentrated in

the vicinity of Thielt, Ghent, and Hasselt and sent for training to the

Beverloo Camp (February-March).

ARTOIS.

2. Toward the end of March it took over the sector south of Neuve

Chapelle (north of La Bassée) where it did not take part in any

important action.

SOMME.

3. Relieved at the end of August, it was sent to the Somme (sector of

Combles-La Forest) and suffered very heavy losses between September 8

and 18.

LORRAINE.

4. After a short stay in the Loos salient (Vermelles-Hulluch road) at

the beginning of October the 54th Reserve Division was transferred to

Lorraine and sent into line in the vicinity of Blamont.

5. At this time, the 245th Reserve Infantry Regiment (Saxon) was taken

from it to be assigned to the 192d Division.

VERDUN.

6. At the end of November the division left Lorraine, was sent during

the course of December behind the front northwest of Cambrai, then to

the Meuse, where it went into line on December 22, west of Bezonvaux

(Les Chambrettes), after the French attack of December 16.

1917.

CHAMPAGNE.

1. Withdrawn from the Verdun front about January 23, 1917, the 54th

Reserve Division took over, in Champagne, the sector included between

the Navarin Farm and the Tahure Hill.

2. In March it sent one battalion of the 246th Reserve Infantry Regiment

into the attacks of Maisons de Champagne on March 27.

3. At the beginning of May the division went as a reenforcement south of

Moronvilliers. It went into action from May 15 to June 10 (Téton, Mont

Haut) and lost heavily.

Histories of two hundred and fifty-one divisions of the German army which participated in the war (1914-1918) · 第 54 / 78 段