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

│ 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

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.

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

│ 1916 │ 1917 │ 1918

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

Infantry. │ │45. │18 Ldw. │9 Res. │18 Ldw. │9 Res.

│ │9 Res. │ │22 Ldw. │ │22 Ldw.

│ │22 Ldw. │ │29 Bav. │ │21 Res.

│ Nov. to Jan. 1 │ │ │ │

│ │9 Res. │ │ │ │

│ │22 Ldw. │ │ │ │

│ │21 Res. │ │ │ │

Cavalry. │ │47 Res. Cav. Detch.│47 Res. Cav. Detch.

Artillery. │ │65 Res. F. A. Rgt. │274 F. A. Rgt. (2d

│ │ │ Abt.).

│ │ │65 Res. F. A. Rgt.

│ │ │ (except 3d Btry.

│ │ │ and 2 Abt. Staff

│ │ │ and 4 and 6

│ │ │ Btries.).

│ │ │1049, 1056, and

│ │ │ 1073 Light. Am.

│ │ │ Col.

Engineers and│2 Res. Co. 17 │(217) Pion. Btn.: │2 Res. Co. 17

Liaisons. │ Pions. │ │ Pions.

│ │ 2 Res. Co. 17 │130 Searchlight

│ │ Pions. │ Section.

│ │ 174 T. M. Co. │217 Signal Command:

│ │ 427 T. M. Co. │ 217 Tel. Detch.

│ │ 217 Tel. Detch. │

Medical and │ │Ambulance Co. │237 Ambulance Co.

Veterinary.│ │ │

│ │58 Field Hospital. │149 Field Hospital.

│ │149 Field Hospital.│317 Vet. Hospital.

│ │317 Vet. Hospital. │

Transport. │ │1044 M. T. Col. │

│ │1094 M. T. Col. │

HISTORY.

(9th Reserve Infantry Regiment: 2d Corps District—Pomerania. 22d

Landwehr Regiment: 6th Corps District—Upper Silesia. 29th Bavarian

Infantry Regiment: Mixed—Prussia and Bavaria.)

1916.

The 217th Division was formed on the Eastern Front about August, 1916.

ROUMANIA.

1. Composed of the 9th Reserve Infantry Regiment from the 3d Reserve

Division, the 45th Infantry Regiment from the 101st Division, and the

22d Landwehr Regiment from the 4th Landwehr Division, the 217th Division

left the Brest-Litowsk area at the beginning of October, 1916, to take

part in the Roumanian campaign.

2. It was in Dobroudja about the end of October; in the area south of

Bucarest in November. At the beginning of November the 45th Infantry

Regiment, which returned to Macedonia, was replaced by the 21st Infantry

Regiment from the 36th Reserve Division.

3. At the end of December elements of the 9th Reserve Infantry Regiment

occupied the front south of Isaccea (Dobroudja).

1917.

BRAILA.

1. In January, 1917, the 217th Division was in the Braila area; in

February, at the mouth of the Buzeu.

ODOBESTI.

2. In the month of May the division left the Braila front and went into

line northwest of Odobesti in the vicinity of Focsani. At this time it

acquired its definite organization: 9th Reserve, 29th Bavarian, and 22d

Landwehr Infantry Regiments.

PANCIU.

3. From July to December the 217th Division remained in line northwest

of Panciu.

RECRUITING.

The 217th Division was one of the most heterogeneous.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The division had been on the Roumanian front since October, 1916, and

was mediocre.

1918.

ROUMANIA.

1. Early in April the division was still on the Roumanian front, but was

leaving shortly for another theater.

UKRAINE.

2. At the beginning of May the division was in the Kherson region.

CRIMEA.

3. The middle of the month the division was near Sebastopol.

GEORGIA.

4. About the middle of July elements of the division were identified at

Poti and Tiflis.

SERBIA.

5. Early in October the division having moved to the vicinity of Nish

opposed the advance of the Serbian and allied troops.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as fourth class.

218th Division.

COMPOSITION.

│ 1916 │ 1917 │ 1918[34]

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

Infantry. │ │204 Res. │62. │204 Res. │ │256 Res.

│ │256 Res. │ │256 Res. │ │5 Ldw.

│ │ │ │ │ │ (2d

│ │ │ │ │ │ Btn.).

│ │5 Ldw. │ │5 Ldw. │ │

Cavalry. │ │4 Sqn. 1 Gd. Drag. │4 Sqn. 1 Drag. Rgt.

│ │ Rgt. │

Artillery. │85 F. A. Rgt. │85 F. A. Rgt. │85 F. A. Rgt.

│ │ │ (except 2 Abt.

│ │ │ Staff, 4 and 6

│ │ │ Btries.; 3d Abt.

│ │ │ Staff, 7 and 9

│ │ │ Btries.).

│11 Mountain F. A. │ │

│ Btry. │ │

│ │ │

Engineers and│ │(218) Pion. Btn.: │218 Signal Command:

Liaisons. │ │ │

│ │ 2 Res. Co. 26 │ 218 Tel. Detch.

│ │ Pions. │

│ │ 388 Pion. Co. │

│ │ 428 T. M. Co. │

│ │ 267 Searchlight │

│ │ Section. │

│ │ 218 Tel. Detch. │

Medical and │ │121 Ambulance Co. │121 Ambulance Co.

Veterinary.│ │ │

│ │145 Field Hospital.│145 Field Hospital.

│ │96 Field Hospital. │318 Vet. Hospital.

│ │367 Field Hospital.│

│ │Vet. Hospital. │

Transport. │ │628 M. T. Col. │

Footnote 34:

The below comprises only the elements under 308th Postal Sector (Nov.

13, 1918). The 62d Infantry Brigade, and elements of the 5th Landwehr

Regiment were in the 310th Postal Sector and are carried as attached

to other divisions.

HISTORY.

(204th Infantry Regiment: Guard. 256th Reserve Infantry Regiment: 7th

Corps District—Westphalia. 5th Landwehr Regiment: 17th Corps

District—West Prussia.)

1916.

The division was formed on the Eastern Front about September, 1916.

GALICIA.

1. Concentrated, beginning of October, in the Brest-Litovsk area, the

218th Division was transferred to Galicia, in the Brody, sector in the

middle of October.

ROUMANIA.

2. Beginning of December the 218th Division was sent to the Roumanian

front. It was then composed of the 204th Infantry Regiment, taken from

the 43d Reserve Division; the 256th Reserve Infantry Regiment, from the

Mitau Group; and of the 5th Landwehr Regiment, taken from the 11th

Landwehr Division. It occupied the sector of Oitoz (December).

1917.

ROUMANIA.

1. The 218th Division remained in line between the valleys of the Trotus

and of the Putna (south of Ocna, northwest of Panciu) until July, 1917.

2. At the end of July it was engaged in its sector in front of Kezdi-

Vasarhely and retired to the south bank of the Putna on July 29.

3. In August and until the end of the year 1917 the 218th Division

remained in line in the vicinity of Soveja.

RECRUITING.

The 204th Reserve Infantry Regiment was recruited from the whole of

Russia; the 256th Reserve Infantry Regiment from Westphalia and the

Rhine Districts; the 5th Landwehr Regiment from West Prussia.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The 218th Division had been on the Roumanian front since December, 1916,

and was mediocre.

1918.

ROUMANIA.

In June the division was still in Roumania. Men under 35 years of age

were sent to the Western Front, which gave rise to the report of the

division’s presence in the Lille-Armentières region early in June. The

256th Reserve Regiment was identified in Macedonia early in July, but

the remainder of the division was still in Roumania the middle of

October.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as fourth class.

219th Division.

COMPOSITION.

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

│ 1917 │ 1918

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

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

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

Infantry. │47 Ers. │101 Res. │47 Ers. │101 Res.

│ │391. │ │391.

│ │431. │ │431.

│ │(100 Ldw.). │ │

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

Cavalry. │ (?) │4 Sqn. 19 Hus. Rgt.

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

Artillery. │ (?) │45 Saxon Ers. F. A. Rgt.

│ │767 Light Am. Col.

│ │768 Light Am. Col.

│ │785 Light Am. Col.

Engineers and│(219) Pion. Btn.: │205 Pion. Btn. Rgt.

Liaisons. │ │

│ 254 Pion. Co. │ 377 Pion. Co.

│ 54 Bav. Pion. Co. │ 78 Res. Pion. Co.

│ 416 T. M. Co. │ 222 Searchlight Section.

│ 219 Tel. Detch. │219 Signal Command:

│ │ 219 Tel. Detch.

Medical and │444 Ambulance Co. │404 Ambulance Co.

Veterinary.│ │

│111 Field Hospital. │111 Field Hospital.

│153 Field Hospital. │153 Field Hospital.

│Vet. Hospital. │226 Vet. Hospital.

Transports. │M. T. Col. │

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

HISTORY.

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

1917.

The 219th Division (Saxon) appeared to have been formed in January,

1917.

LORRAINE.

1. Concentrated in Lorraine and comprising the 431st Infantry Regiment,

made up of drafts from various Saxon Regiments, the 101st Infantry

Regiment, from the 23d Reserve Division, and the 100th Landwehr

Regiment, a surplus regiment of the 19th Ersatz Division, the 219th

Division occupied the sector of Blamont in February, 1917.

2. It remained on the Lorraine front in the vicinity of Leintrey-

Badonviller until June 10.

ARTOIS.

3. Sent to the north of France, it relieved the 79th Reserve Division

north of La Bassée (Neuvechapelle-Fromelles) on July 8. With the 42d

Landwehr Division, it exchanged the 100th Landwehr Regiment for the

391st Infantry Regiment, Saxon also.

RUSSIA.

4. About the end of September the 219th Division was withdrawn from the

front and transferred to Russia at the beginning of October.

RIGA.

5. It was in the Riga area in October and November.

RECRUITING.

The division was entirely Saxon.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The 219th Division had been in Russia since October, 1917, and was a

fairly good division.

1918.

LIVONIA.

1. The 219th Division took part in the occupation of Livonia; on the

17th of March it arrived at Dorpat.

SERBIA.

2. The 101st Reserve and the 431st Landwehr Regiments were identified at

Nish on the 9th of October. The 391st Regiment was seen at Walk in

Livonia at the beginning of October, when the men said they were leaving

for the western theater (the regiment was never identified there). The

whole of the 219th Division had thus left the Russian front and two

regiments at least went to Serbia.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as third class.

220th Division.

COMPOSITION.

│ 1916 │ 1917 │ 1918

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

Infantry. │4 Gd. │55 Res. │4 Gd. │190. │4 Gd. │190.

│ │99 Res. │ │55 Res. │ │55 Res.

│ │207 Res. │ │99 Res. │ │99 Res.

Cavalry. │ │4 Sqn. 14 Uhlan │4 Sqn. 14 Uhlan

│ │ Rgt. │ Rgt.

Artillery. │51 F. A. Rgt. │220 Art. Command: │220 Art. Command:

│ │ 51 F. A. Rgt. │ 51 F. A. Rgt.

│ │ │ 87 Ft. A. Btn.

│ │ │ 938 Light Am. Col.

│ │ │ 1326 Light Am.

│ │ │ Col.

│ │ │ 1327 Light Am.

│ │ │ Col.

Engineers and│ │220 Pion. Btn.: │220 Pion. Btn.:

Liaisons. │ │ │

│ │ 2 Res. Co. Gd. │ 2 Gd. Res. Pion.

│ │ Pions. │ Co.

│ │ 88 Bav. Pion. Co. │ 88 Res. Pion. Co.

│ │ 417 T. M. Co. │ 417 T. M. Co.

│ │ 220 Tel. Detch. │ 189 Searchlight

│ │ │ Section.

│ │ │220 Signal Command:

│ │ │ 220 Tel. Detch.

│ │ │ 124 Wireless

│ │ │ Detch.

Medical and │ │40 Ambulance Co. │40 Ambulance Co.

Veterinary.│ │ │

│ │55 Res. Field │55 Res. Field

│ │ Hospital. │ Hospital.

│ │74 Res. Field │74 Res. Field

│ │ Hospital. │ Hospital.

│ │276 Vet. Hospital. │276 Vet. Hospital.

Transport. │ │630 M. T. Col. │630 M. T. Col.

HISTORY.

(190th Infantry Regiment and 55th Reserve Infantry Regiment; 7th Corps

District—Westphalia. 99th Reserve Infantry Regiment; 15th Corps

District—Alsace.)

1916.

The 220th Division was formed at the end of 1916 with regiments taken

from divisions then in line on the Somme and south of Artois. The 207th

Reserve Infantry Regiment coming from the 44th Reserve Division, the

55th Reserve Infantry Regiment and the 2d Reserve Guard Division and the

99th Reserve Infantry Regiment from the 26th Reserve Division.

1917.

ARTOIS.

1. Concentrated at Boyelles (west of Croisilles) on February 6, 1917,

the 220th Division went into line at Ransart, south of Arras. About

March 18 it took part in the retirement of the German forces and

established its position at Hénin sur Cojeul, Ecoust St. Menin,

Croisilles. It was engaged, in April, between Croisilles and Arras. In

April the 190th Infantry Regiment replaced the 207th Reserve Infantry

Regiment.

2. Withdrawn from the Arras front at the end of April, the 220th

Division was sent to rest in the vicinity of Montagne du Nord, then to

Belgium between May 6 and 15.

3. It came back to its old sector in Artois (Fontaine les Croisilles,

Bullecourt) about May 29, and remained there until about July 6.

LENS.

4. After a rest in the rear of Douai, northwest of Lens, from the

beginning of July to the middle of August, the division was engaged near

Lens from August 16 to 22.

YPRES.

5. At the beginning of October it was sent to Belgium. On the 12th it

went into line east of Zonnebeke.

CAMBRAI.

6. Sent to rest about October 15 in the vicinity of Bruges, it then

fought on the Cambrai front, south of Crèvecoeur, at the end of November

(German counterattack).

7. It was sent to rest in December.

RECRUITING.

The 220th Division may be considered as Westphalian since two of its

regiments were normally filled up from the 7th Corps District, and since

the 99th Reserve Infantry Regiment, like a number of regiments in

Alsace, received most of its men from there.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The regiments of the 220th Division did not appear to have any great

offensive value.

The division lost quite heavily in the sector of Lens at the beginning

of 1918.

1918.

LA BASSÉE.

1. During the night of December 31-January 1 it relieved the 1st Guard

Reserve Division in the Hulluch-Loos sector (south of La Bassée). On the

27th it was relieved by the 1st Guard Reserve Division.

2. A day or two later it relieved the 207th Division in the sector to

the right of the one it had just held. During the night of the 18th–19th

of February it was relieved by the 207th Division.

3. It went back to the Lens sector then and relieved the 1st Guard

Reserve Division on the 20th. It was not withdrawn until April 25, when

it was relieved by the 42d Division. During these three months the

division had about 1,600 casualties (mainly gas), and so now a week or

so was spent refitting in the region north of Douai.

4. On May 6 it relieved the 44th Reserve Division southeast of Locon

(west of La Bassée). This front had been stabilized by now, but still

there was a great deal of artillery activity and constant raiding. The

division was withdrawn about the 1st of August, the neighboring

divisions extending their fronts.

BAPAUME.

5. After a fortnight’s rest the division reenforced the front in the

Biefvillers sector (northwest of Bapaume) about the 20th of August. It

was withdrawn about the 3d of September after losing some 600 prisoners.

CAMBRAI.

6. It rested again for a fortnight, and then reenforced the front near

Blécourt (north of Cambrai) about the 29th of the month. It was heavily

engaged here and suffered severely; withdrawn on the 13th of October.

VALENCIENNES.

7. About the 21st it reenforced the front near Anzin (northwest of

Valenciennes). It was withdrawn on November 4.

8. On the 7th it was put back into line near Elouges (southwest of

Ghislain); it was not withdrawn before the armistice.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The 220th Division was not used in any of the German offensives during

1918; on the contrary, its rôle seems to have been that of a holding

division. The 55th Reserve Regiment was mentioned as having displayed

“marked gallantry” in the German communiqué of October 2. It is rated as

a second-class division.

221st Division.

COMPOSITION.

Histories of two hundred and fifty-one divisions of the German army which participated in the war (1914-1918) · 第 72 / 78 段