The 185th was rated as a second-class division. Although tra_Histories of two hundred and fifty-one divisions of the German army which participated in the war (1914-1918)

warfare, it was used in only one of the great German offensives, and

there did nothing to indicate that it merited a better rating.

187th Division.

COMPOSITION.

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

│ 1915 │ 1916

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

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

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

Infantry. │187. │187. │187. │187.

│ │188. │ │188.

│ │189. │ │189.

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

Cavalry. │ │5 and 6 Sqns. 16 Dragoon Rgt.

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

Artillery. │231 F. A. Abt. │231 F. A. Abt.

│ │3 Mountain Art. Abt.

│ │

Engineers and│187 Pion. Co. │187 Pion. Co.

Liaisons. │ │

│ │192 T. M. Co.

│ │

Medical and │ │

Veterinary.│ │

│ │

Transports. │ │

Attached. │ │417 Anti-Aircraft Section.

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

│ 1917 │ 1918

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

Infantry. │187. │187. │187. │187.

│ │188. │ │188.

│ │189. │ │189.

Cavalry. │3 Sqn. 16 Dragoon Rgt. │5 Sqn. 16 Dragoon Rgt.

Artillery. │Art. Command: │6 Art. Command:

│ 231 Rgt. (9 Btries.). │ 231 F. A. Rgt.

│ │ 66 Ft. A. Btn.

│ │ 720 Light Am. Col.

│ │ 1267 Light Am. Col.

│ │ 1320 Light Am. Col.

Engineers and│(187) Pion. Btn.: │187 Pion. Btn.:

Liaisons. │ │

│ 187 Pion. Co. │ 1 Res. Co. 15 Pions.

│ 1 Res. Co. 15 Pions. │ 187 Pion. Co.

│ 187 T. M. Co. │ 187 T. M. Co.

│ Tel. Detch. │ 60 Searchlight Section.

│ │187 Signal Command:

│ │ 187 Tel. Detch.

│ │ 122 Wireless Detch.

Medical and │219 Ambulance Co. │219 Ambulance Co.

Veterinary.│ │

│28 Field Hospital. │28 Field Hospital.

│33 Field Hospital. │33 Field Hospital.

│Vet. Hospital. │255 Vet. Hospital.

Transports. │M. T. Col. │605 M. T. Col.

Attached. │ │

HISTORY.

(187th Regiment: 9th Corps District—Schleswig—Holstein. 188th Regiment:

4th Corps District—Prussian Saxony. 189th Regiment: 3d Corps

District—Brandenburg.)

1915.

The 187th Division (the 187th Brigade until June, 1916) was created May

20, 1915. Its regiments were made up as follows: The 187th, from the 9th

Corps District; the 188th, from the 4th Corps District; and the 189th, a

Brandenburger unit.

ALSACE.

1. In June, 1915, the 187th Brigade was sent to Alsace and stayed in

line in the Fecht valley and the vicinity (Metzeral-Sondernach-

Hilsenfirst-Reichackerkopf) until the end of December.

2. It next went to rest in the vicinity of Colmar.

1916.

ALSACE.

1. At the end of January, 1916, it went back in line in the Fecht valley

and the region of Guebwiller. It was kept there until the summer,

participating in battles for the possession of the heights

(Hartmannswillerkopf, Reichackerkopf).

2. At the beginning of July the 187th Brigade became the 187th Division

by the transformation of its field artillery detachment into a regiment.

TRANSYLVANIA.

3. Relieved at the end of August from the Muenster, it rested eight days

at Rouffach then entrained at Colmar for the Roumanian front.

(Itinerary: Karlsruhe-Stuttgart-Ulm-Munich-Vienna-Budapest-Sieben-

Buergen.)

ROUMANIA.

4. On September 13 it was engaged in Transylvania (region of

Hermannstadt, Tour Rouge passes), then took part in the battle of Brasso

(Kronstadt) at the beginning of October and in the operations in the

vicinity of Slanic (December). It suffered heavy losses.

1917.

ROUMANIA-FRANCE.

1. On February 11, 1917, the 187th Division left Roumania for the

Western Front. (Itinerary: Arad-Budapest-Oppeln-Breslau-Dresden-

Wuerzberg-Strassberg.) It was at rest near Dieuze (about six weeks).

LORRAINE.

2. About April 20 it took over the Moncel-Arracourt sector.

AISNE.

3. Hastily relieved on April 28, it entrained at Morhange on May 2 and

detrained in the vicinity of Amagne and was put into line on May 10 on

the Rheims front (north of Bermericourt; southeast of Berry au Bac)

until June 15.

4. At rest in the Aussonce-La Neuville area (end of June to July) the

187th Division was held in reserve as a “Stossdivision” or

“Eingriffsdivision.”

CHAMPAGNE.

5. About July 14 it was engaged in the Cornillet, Mont Blond, Mont Haut

sector, which it held until August 26. The 187th Infantry was

particularly tried during the attack of July 26.

6. From August 26 to September 29 it was at rest in camps at La Neuville

en Tourne à Fuii later in the region of Vervins.

FLANDERS.

7. Transferred to Belgium (Sept. 30), the division opposed the British

attack near Poelcappelle. It was partially relieved after the attack and

went into line and counter attacked on the 10th to the north of

Langemarck. Its losses in this sector were heavy.

8. After a rest to the north of Bruges from the 12th of October to

November, it went back to the front near Blankaart (south of Dixmude).

RECRUITING.

The three regiments of this division came from different Provinces—the

187th from Schleswig-Holstein, the 188th from Prussian-Saxony, and the

189th from Brandenburg. This was confirmed by a German communiqué which

mentioned “the attack troops from Schleswig-Holstein and Brandenberg” at

Mont Haut (July, 1917).

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The 187th Division was made up of young men who were well trained and

who came from active divisions.

The 187th Division was a division equipped for mountain warfare.

1918.

ARMENTIERES.

1. The 187th Division was withdrawn from line south of Lake Blankaart

about the 10th of January, and on the 16th relieved the 38th Landwehr

Division near Bois Grenier (south of Armentieres). It was relieved by

the 6th Bavarian Division about February 20 and went to the Lille area,

where it most probably received training in open warfare, though the

fact has not been definitely established.

ARRAS.

2. It left there and arrived at Douai on the 25th of March. It spent the

night of the 27th–28th in Vitry. On the 28th it reenforced the front

near Fampoux (east of Arras) on the 28th, when it attacked. A man of the

188th Regiment subsequently wrote: “We tried to break through on the

28/3/18, but only pushed Tommy back to his reserve line, and don’t

forget that it was with enormous losses to ourselves.” It was relieved

by the 2d Guard Reserve Division during the night of May 18–19, and went

to rest in the region east of Douai.

3. During the night of June 18–19 it came back and relieved the 2d Guard

Reserve Division. It was relieved by the 48th Reserve Division on the

7th of July.

ARMENTIERES.

4. After less than a week’s rest, the division came to the Armentieres

front and relieved the 39th Division between Neuf-Berquin and Vieux-

Berquin (north of Merville). It was relieved early in September by the

extension of fronts of the neighboring divisions.

CAMBRAI.

5. On the 7th it reenforced the front in the Inchy en Artois sector

(west of Cambrai). After suffering exceedingly heavy losses, it was

withdrawn about the 28th and went to rest in the Boushain region.

DOUAI.

6. October 3 it relieved the 15th Reserve Division in the Oppy sector

(west of Douai), and was withdrawn about the 20th.

7. On the 27th it reenforced the front in the Chateau l’Abbaye sector

(northeast of St. Amand), but was withdrawn a few days later.

VALENCIENNES.

9. It was identified in line near Quievrechain (northeast of

Valenciennes) on November 5.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The 187th was rated as a second-class division. The only offensive in

which it participated was that of the Somme, where it did not

distinguish itself. Subsequently it was used only to hold the front.

Toward the end of the year it was very much reduced in strength.

192d Division.

COMPOSITION.

│ 1915 │ 1916

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

Infantry. │192. │192. │192. │192.

│ │193. │ │193.

│ │25 Bav. │ │25 Bav.

Cavalry. │ │1 Ldw. Sqn. (12 C. Dist.).

│ │

Artillery. │192 F. A. Abt. (3 Btries.). │192 F. A. Abt.

│ │

Engineers and│192 Pion. Co. │192 Pion. Co.

Liaisons. │ │

│ │404 T. M. Co.

│ │

Medical and │ │

Veterinary.│ │

│ │

Transport. │ │

│ 1917 │ 1918

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

Infantry. │192. │183. │192. │183.

│ │192. │ │192.

│ │245 Res. │ │245 Res.

Cavalry. │(?) Sqn. 1 Res. Hus. Schutz. │1 Sqn. 18 Res. Hus. Rgt.

│ Rgt. │

Artillery. │(?) Art. Command: │192 Art. Command:

│ 192 F. A. Rgt. (9 Btries.). │ 192 F. A. Rgt.

│ │ 58 (Saxon) Ft. A. Btn.

│ │ 850 Light Am. Col.

│ │ 1150 Light Am. Col.

│ │ 1162 Light Am. Col.

Engineers and│(192) Pion Btn.: │192 Pion. Btn.

Liaisons. │ │

│ 4 Co. 22 Pions. │4 Co. 22 Pions.

│ 192 Pion. Co. │192 (Saxon) Pion. Co.

│ 404 T. M. Co. │404 T. M. Co.

│ 192 Searchlight Section. │129 Searchlight Section.

│ 192 Tel. Detch. │192 Signal Command:

│ │ 192 Tel. Detch.

│ │ 173 Wireless Detch.

Medical and │29 Ambulance Co. │29 Ambulance Co.

Veterinary.│ │

│5 Res. Field Hospital. │2 Res. Field Hospital.

│23 Ldw. Field Hospital. │3 Res. Field Hospital.

│Vet. Hospital. │292 Vet. Hospital.

Transport. │M. T. Col. │

HISTORY.

(12th and 19th Corps Districts—Saxony.)

1915.

The 192d Brigade (became the 192d Division in June, 1916) was formed out

of regiments created by selection of men from various units. It was

formed at the beginning of June, 1915, with the 192d Infantry (Saxon),

formed out of elements taken from the 32d Division, the 193d

(Westphalian, 7th Corps District), detached after its creation to the

13th Reserve Division, and with the 25th Bavarian Regiment, formerly

belonging to the 4th Bavarian Division, the regiments of which had

contributed to the formation of this last regiment.

1. Until the month of September, 1915, the three regiments of the

brigade occupied different sectors on the Western Front—the 192d near

Charency in August, the 193d on the Aisne (region of Chamouille), and

the 25th Bavarian near Warneton (Flanders) in July.

CHAMPAGNE.

2. At the end of September the elements of the 192d Brigade were brought

together in the rear of the Champagne front. Engaged as a reenforcement

against the French offensive (Sept. 27 to the beginning of October) near

the Souain-Somme Py road, it suffered heavy losses (50 officers and

3,594 men out of action, according to official lists). The brigade

stayed in the Souain sector until the end of November.

3. In December it was at rest in the region of Bignicourt-Machault.

1916.

CHAMPAGNE.

1. At the beginning of January, 1916, the 192d Brigade again took a

sector in Champagne (until Jan. 26).

2. From the end of January to the beginning of March it was at rest in

the vicinity of Montcornet.

3. From the 4th to the 18th of March the regiments were engaged in

making defensive works in the region of Laon.

VERDUN-BOIS D’AVOCOURT.

4. On March 18 the brigade was brought near Vouziers and Stenay, then

assembled in the rear of the Verdun front on the left bank of the Meuse

(Mar. 22). On the 23d it relieved the 11th Bavarian Division, sorely

tried by the attacks on Malancourt and the Bois d’Avocourt. It took part

itself in the battles which effected the capture of that wood and

suffered heavy losses. From April 13 to May 10 the 11th Company of the

192d Infantry received at least 125 replacements and the 12th Company

116 replacements.

5. The 192d Brigade stayed in the Malancourt-Avocourt wood sector until

the end of August, holding it alternately with the 11th Bavarian

Division. During this period (May-August) it only took part in local

engagements.

6. In June it was changed into a division, its composition remaining

unchanged except for the expansion of its field artillery.

FLEURY-DOUAUMONT.

7. On August 22 the new division was relieved and transferred to the

right bank of the Meuse (Charency-Longuyon). On the 28th it was engaged

in the Fleury-Douaumont sector. Its regiments were sorely tried by the

French attacks of September 3 and 9.

8. Relieved from the front at the end of September and beginning of

October the division was entirely reorganized. The 193d Infantry went to

the 222d Division (being organized) and was replaced by the 418th, newly

formed; the 25th Bavarian went to the 14th Bavarian Division and was

replaced by the 245th Reserve Regiment of the 54th Reserve Division.

CÔTES DE MEUSE.

9. About the end of October the 418th Regiment, which had been put in

line in the Moranville sector (Côtes de Meuse), replaced the 183d

Infantry in the 183d Division, the last-named regiment going to the 192d

Division, which was now entirely Saxon.

BEZONVAUX.

The 192d Division, having thus acquired its present organization, took a

position to the east of Bezonvaux in December.

1917.

VERDUN-BEZONVAUX.

1. It occupied this sector until December, 1917, and during this long

period remained entirely passive.

HILL 344.

2. Relieved from this calm sector about December 10, 1917, it

immediately went into line north of Hill 344, where it still was in

January, 1918.

RECRUITING.

The division was entirely Saxon after the end of 1916.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The 192d Division stayed more than a year in a very calm sector (east of

Bezonvaux, December 1916, to December, 1917).

In January, 1918, the division might be considered as rested, but its

combat value at that time seemed rather mediocre. In the various actions

in which it took part on the Verdun front it did not distinguish itself.

1918.

OISE.

1. The division held the sector on the Verdun front until the middle of

April, when it was relieved, and on May 19 it relieved the 200th

Division southeast of Rouvrel. It was still in line when the Allies

attacked on August 8. About August 11 the division was withdrawn.

ST. MIHIEL.

2. The division marched to Origny via Rosieres-Athies-St. Quentin. It

left there August 25 and went by train to Chambley via Ribemont-Crecy-

Mortiers-Marle-Charleville-Sedan-Montmedy-Longuyon-Metz, arriving on

August 26. On the 20th the division entered line in the tip of the St.

Mihiel salient.

3. The division extracted itself from the salient and was relieved about

September 22, when the line had stabilized. It was moved west and again

came into line at Bezonvaux.

MEUSE-ARGONNE.

4. From October 8 until about October 22 the division held the Bezonvaux

sector. It was then shifted northward to the area south of Etrayes,

where it remained until the armistice.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as third class. It did well at St. Mihiel, but in

its other sectors its conduct was mediocre.

195th Division.

COMPOSITION.

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

│ 1916 │ 1917 │ 1918

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

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

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

Infantry. │101 Res. │6 Jag. │101 Res. │6 Jag. │101 Res. │6 Jag.

│ │8 Jag. │ │8 Jag. │ │8 Jag.

│ │233 Res. │ │233 Res. │ │14 Jag.

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

Cavalry. │ │(3 Sqn. 14 Uhlan │2 Sqn. 14 Uhlan

│ │ Rgt.) │ Rgt.

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

Artillery. │260 F. A. Rgt. │Art. Command: │260 F. A. Rgt.

│ │ 260 F. A. Rgt. │860 Light Am. Col.

│ │ │873 Light Am. Col.

│ │ │1282 Light Am. Col.

Engineers and│ │(195) Pion. Btn.: │195 Pion. Btn.:

Liaisons. │ │ │

│ │ 1 Co. 32 Res. │ 1 Co. 32 Res.

│ │ Pions. │ Pions.

│ │ 55 Res. Pion. Co. │ 55 Res. Pion. Co.

│ │ 195 T. M. Co. │ 102 Searchlight

│ │ │ Section.

│ │ 195 Tel. Detch. │195 Signal Command:

│ │ │ 195 Tel. Detch.

│ │ │ 66 Wireless Detch.

Medical and │ │207 Ambulance Co. │207 Ambulance Co.

Veterinary.│ │ │

│ │22 Field Hospital. │22 Field Hospital.

│ │347 Field Hospital.│347 Field Hospital.

│ │ │231 Vet. Hospital.

Transport. │ │860 M. T. Col. │607 M. T. Col.

Attached. │64 (?). M. G. S. S.│ │

│ Detch. │ │

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

HISTORY.

(6th and 8th Jägers: Various sections of Prussia. 233d Reserve Regiment:

11th Corps District—Thuringen.)

1916.

1. The division was organized in July, 1916, in the Ruddervoorde region

with the following elements: (1) 233d Reserve Regiment, obtained from

the 51st Reserve Division; (2) the 6th Jägers (5th and 6th Battalions of

Jägers, 14th Battalion of Jägers—the last after arriving on the Russian

front was thereafter replaced by the 2d Reserve Battalion of Jägers);

(3) 8th Jägers (4th, 16th, and 24th Battalions of Reserve Jägers).

GALICIA.

2. It was shortly thereafter transferred to Galicia.

3. The division took part in the open warfare of August, 1916.

4. It next went into line with Austrian troops in the Zloczow sector.

1917.

FRANCE.

1. It was transferred to the Western Front at the end of April, 1917.

(Itinerary: Leniky-Cracovie-Oppeln-Breslau-Leipzig-Halle-Paderborn-

Essen-Duesseldorf-Aix la Chapelle-Verviers-Liége-Louvain-Brussels-

Cambrai.)

2. The division was successively in line in the Ypres sector (May), in

the Wytschaete sector (June-July), and in the St. Quentin sector

(August).

3. During the month of August it rested in the Walincourt region.

FLANDERS.

4. From October 3 to 12 it fought in the Passchendaele sector. It

sustained heavy losses (more than 600 prisoners).

5. Relieved on October 12 the division was reorganized at Meulebecke

from the 14th to the 18th and was transferred by rail to Gand. At the

time it was relieved the 233d Reserve was reduced to 800 men (story of

deserter).

6. On about the 21st it entrained at Heydinge and was brought via

Brussels-Namur-Dinant-Givet-Charleville-Sedan-Montmedy and Conflans to

Haye, where it detrained on the 23d.

HAYE.

7. On October 28 it took over a sector to the southwest of Thiaucourt

(Flirey).

ITALY.

8. On November 11 the division was entrained at Metz for Italy. It

detrained at Trente on November 14, where it rested until the 24th. It

left Trente on December 3 without having participated in any engagement.

(Itinerary: Trente-Innsbruck-Munich-Carlsruhe-Offenberg-Friberg-

Mulhouse.)

ALSACE.

9. Arriving on December 6, it was billeted in the region of Sundgau,

where it stayed until February, 1918.

RECRUITING.

The division was very heterogeneous. The 233d came from Thuringen (11th

Corps District). The various jaeger regiments came from various depot

jaeger battalions (2d, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 11th Corps Districts).

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The 195th Division was sorely tried in Flanders in October, 1917. In

November, 1917, the greater part of its strength came from the classes

called during the war. The average age was 25. It can be classed as a

good division.

1918.

CAMBRAI.

1. The 195th Division left Alsace, where it had been resting since its

return from Italy, the 5th and 6th of February, and proceeded to

Valenciennes. On the 27th a prisoner was captured near Bullecourt

(northeast of Bapaume), who stated that his battalion had relieved

another battalion of the same regiment during the night of the

25th–26th. The 195th Division had probably relieved the 16th Bavarian

Division some days before. It was relieved by the 16th Bavarian Division

on the 2d of March. It was very probably trained in open warfare, but

the fact has not been definitely established.

2. On the 21st it came back reenforcing the front near Noreuil

(northeast of Bapaume). The heavy fighting on this front did not come in

the first days of the offensive but a few days later the division was

heavily engaged, especially on the 28th and 31st near Bucquoy. This

represented an advance of only a few kilometers gained at the cost of

heavy losses in many attacks. It was relieved by the 17th Division

during the night of April 1–2.

3. On the 9th it relieved the 16th Bavarian Division in the Ayette

sector (northwest of Bapaume). It remained here fighting hard until

relieved by the 5th Bavarian Reserve Division about the 24th. In this

fighting the losses were very heavy, especially in the 233d Reserve

Regiment (the commander of which was awarded Pour le Merite) which was

dissolved soon after; its place was taken by the 14th Jaeger Regiment.

It was sent to the Cambrai region to rest and refit.

MARNE.

4. The first day of the battle of the Marne-July 15—it reenforced the

front near Chatillon sur Marne (northwest of Epernay). It was withdrawn

early in August and went to rest near Metz.

ST. MIHIEL.

5. On the 14th of September, after the line reached by the American

First Army had stabilized, the division entered line in the Haumont

sector (northeast of St. Mihiel). It was not heavily engaged and was

withdrawn about the 28th.

MEUSE-ARGONNE.

6. The division then moved to the Champagne front, where it reenforced

the front in the St. Etienne à Arnes sector (south of Machault) on the

6th of October. It was opposed by French troops until the 24th; after

that it was opposite the Americans on account of a readjustment of

sectors. It was withdrawn on the 29th.

Histories of two hundred and fifty-one divisions of the German army which participated in the war (1914-1918) · 第 67 / 78 段

The 185th was rated as a second-class division. Although trained in open