Part 23
4. It was relieved on August 20 and transferred to Alsace for reorganization and rest. It remained in the region west of Bale until the end of September. It was then sent to the Italian front, to the 14th German Army, where it was engaged in the Tolmino sector on October 25, and relieved on the Piave about the 8th of December.
FRANCE.
5. The 12th Division was brought back from Italy to the French front about December 25. At the beginning of January, 1918, it was in the neighborhood of Zabern.
RECRUITING.
The 12th Division is recruited from Upper Silesia, a great mining and industrial center, which suffices to insure its own full recruiting and even helps out other districts less populated or temporarily below strength. The sending of these men outside of the district has the advantage of reducing, in its own regiments, the Polish element, which dominates in Upper Silesia.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 12th Division fought well at the Somme.
It appears to have been reorganized during its stay at Zabern (January, 1918). It has always been considered a good division.
1918.
LORRAINE.
1. On January 24 the 12th division entered the Domevre sector, relieving the 233d Division. It was relieved on February 20 and went to rest and train in Alsace. On March 18 it entrained at Froeschweiler and moved to Ath, from where it marched to the Gory-Belloune area, south of Douai (a march of 40 miles).
BATTLE OF PICARDY.
2. On the 23d the division moved to Drury and up the Cambrai-Arras road to Vis en Artois, coming into line on the night of March 23–24. It attacked on the 24th, but was held up by the British artillery fire. It remained in line until April 1, making little progress in spite of heavy and costly fighting.
BATTLE OF THE LYS.
3. The division rested in the suburbs of Douai until mid-April. It was engaged northeast of Merris on the 17th. It appears to have received replacements in the interim. The division passed into the second line on May 18, after suffering especially heavy losses. In recognition of the service of the 12th Division, south of Arras and in the Lys battle, Gen. Lequis, the division commander, received the Order of Merit in May.
4. The division was at rest near Renaix (Belgium) from May 29 to July 12. It entrained at Audenarde on the 12th and moved to Perenchies (via Coutrai and Lille).
METEREN.
5. The division was engaged south of Meteren on the night of July 19–20; here it remained until August 28. In a local operation on August 18 the division lost 300 prisoners, otherwise the sector was quiet.
BATTLE OF CAMBRAI.
6. It entrained near Armentieres on August 28 and went to a point north of Douai (Le Forest). It was engaged southeast of Morchies on September 3, and in the days following was driven back on Inchy en Artois, Marquion (3d to 13th). By the end of September it had passed Bourlon, Epinoy, Aubencheul au Bac, and Fressies. The division was relieved about October 6. The division lost more than 1,100 prisoners.
7. It was reengaged on October 11 southeast of Armentieres. It retreated by Lille (Oct. 20) east of Tourcoing, and at Helchin. On the 25th it was relieved.
8. On November 3 it was again in line east of Joulain and remained until the armistice. In withdrawing the division passed Maresches, Jenlain, Autreppe, and Blangies.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as a second-class division. It was actively engaged in the spring offensives and did well. After the middle of July it was almost constantly engaged in hard defensive fighting.
12th Reserve Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │22 Res. │38 Res. │22 Res. │38 Res. │22 Res. │23 Res. │ │51 Res. │ │51 Res. │ │38 Res. │23 Res. │22 Res. │23 Res. │22 Res. │ │51 Res. │ │23 Res. │ │23 Res. │6 Res. │Jag. Btn. │6 Res. │Jag. Btn.│6 Res. │Jag. Btn.│ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │4 Res. Uhlan Rgt. │4 Res. Uhlan Rgt. │4 Res. Uhlan Rgt. │ (3 Sqns.). │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │12 Res. F. A. Rgt. │12 Res. F. A. Rgt. │12 Res. F. A. Regt. │ (6 Btries.). │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│1 and 2 Res. Cos. 2│1 and 2 Res. Cos. 2│1 and 2 Res. Cos. 2 Liaisons. │ Pion. Btn. No. 6.│ Pion. Btn. No. 6.│ Pion. Btn. No. 6. │ │12 Res. Pont. Engs.│212 T. M. Co. │ │ │ │ │12 Res. Tel. Detch.│12 Res. Pont. Engs. │ │ │ │ │ │12 Res. Tel. Detch. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │ │7 and 132 Anti- │ │ │ Aircraft │ │ │ Sections. │ │ │8 Bav. Labor Btn. ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │22 Res. │23 Res. │22 Res. │23 Res. │ │38 Res. │ │38 Res. │ │51 Res. │ │51 Res. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │ (?) │2 Sqn. 4 Res. Hus. │ │ Rgt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │(?) Art. Command: │99 Art. Command: │ │ │ 12 Res. F. A. Rgt.│ 12 Res. F. A. │ (9 Btries.). │ Regt. │ │ 133 Ft. A. Btn. │ │ 830 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1243 Light Am. │ │ Col. │ │ 1297 Light Am. │ │ Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│312 Pion Btn.: │312 Pion Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 1 Res. Co. 6 │ 1 Res. Co. 6 │ Pions. │ Pions. │ 2 Res. Co. 6 │ 2 Res. Co. 6 │ Pions. │ Pions. │ 212 T. M. Co. (23)│ 212 T. M. Co. │ (?) Searchlight │ │ Section. │ │ 412 Tel. Detch. │ 105 Searchlight │ │ Section. │ │412 Signal Command: │ │ 412 Tel. Detch. │ │ 114 Wireless │ │ Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │Ambulance Co. │520 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │30 Res. Field │30 Res. Field │ Hospital. │ Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │31 Res. Field │ │ Hospital. │ │412 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transports. │711 M. T. Col. │711 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
12th Reserve Division: (6th Corps District-Silesia).
1914.
The 12th Reserve Division formed, with the 11th Reserve Division, the 6th Reserve Corps, formed in Silesia at the time of mobilization.
MEUSE-ARGONNE.
1. At the outbreak of the war, the division detrained at Sarrebruecken; fought in the neighborhood of Arrancy from the 22d to the 25th of August; remained at Mangiennes from the 27th to the 30th; crossed the Meuse on September 1; was beaten back with heavy losses on September 2 near Cierges; was at Rarécourt on the 7th and near Triaucourt on the 9th; spread out to the east of the Argonne upon Gercourt (11th to the 13th) and Montfaucon (Sept. 17).
2. At the end of September to the end of October took up its position east of Varennes in the district of Malancourt-Chattancourt and toward the end of October took its final position north of Bethencourt (southeast of Cuisy-Bois de Forges).
3. The division occupied this sector until the German offensive upon Verdun (end of February, 1916).
1915.
1. January to December, 1915, sector north of Bethencourt-Bois de Forges.
In April the 27th Infantry Regiment Reserve was transferred to the 117th Division, a new formation.
2. In September, 1915, elements of the 12th Reserve Division (battalion of the 23d Reserve Infantry Regiment) were detached in Champagne (Main de Massiges) to reinforce divisions engaged in fighting.
1916.
1. At the end of February, when the Verdun offensive began, the 12th Reserve Division still held the line in the region of Bois de Forges.
VERDUN.
2. On the 6th of March, 1916, the division went into action; it took the village of Forges and, on March 10, the Corbeaux wood. It vainly attacked the Mort Homme.
3. It was withdrawn from the Verdun front in the middle of May, after suffering heavy losses (71 per cent of its infantry). It was first at rest in the Thionville region, and then in reserve in the Cambrai region, at the beginning of June.
SOMME.
4. On July 2 it took part in the battle of the Somme (sector of Montauban-Hardecourt). It counterattacked near the Trônes wood and suffered very heavy losses. It was relieved about July 14, completely exhausted. (On the 10th of July not a single officer remained in the 2d Battalion of the 38th Reserve Infantry Regiment (letter). From the 17th of March to the 5th of July the 5th Company of the 23d Reserve Infantry Regiment received no less than 326 men as replacements).
5. On July 15 it was sent to rest in the Manancourt region. Elements of the division still remained in line, along the Somme near Guillemont, until August 1.
FLANDERS.
6. From the beginning of August until September 26–27, the 12th Reserve Division occupied a sector north of the Lys, near Armentières (Warneton- Messines), where it once more suffered losses.
SOMME.
7. At the end of September the division was once more on the Somme front (Barleux-Berny). It remained there until the beginning of November without suffering any great losses.
ARTOIS.
8. Transferred to Artois, it went into line on Vimy Ridge (sector Vimy- Roclincourt) at the beginning of December. It suffered fairly heavy losses. At the present time, 17 per cent of the prisoners from the 51st Reserve Infantry Regiment belong to the 1917 class.
1917.
1. The 12th Reserve Division remained on the Vimy front until February 27, 1917.
2. It was resting in the Avesnes region during the month of March.
3. From April 9–12 to May 24 it held the lines between Itancourt and the Oise.
ST. QUENTIN.
4. After a fortnight’s rest in the Guise region, it occupied (from the beginning of June to Aug. 6–8), the St. Quentin sector (south of Fayet).
FLANDERS.
5. On August 7 the division entrained for Flanders, at Fresnoy le Grand. 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.