Part 3
7. After some days rest at Douai, it became reengaged August 21, on the Lens front, in a series of very heavy conflicts following the attack of August 15. The 64th Reserve Infantry Regiment was particularly exhausted. Gas attacks caused it to suffer equally heavy losses in September and December.
8. The division remained in this sector until the end of 1917. In November it sent some elements to reinforce the Cambrai front against the British attack.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The division was recruited in all provinces of Prussia, like the rest of the Guard. Despite their numbers, the 64th and 93d Reserve Infantry Regiments do not come (to any considerable extent) from the 3d and 4th Corps Districts. The 93d Reserve Infantry Regiments came from what was, before its dissolution, a “guard landwehr battalion (Magdeburg)” (seal of pay book).
The 1st Guard Reserve Division is not above the average German division in value. The Alsatians in its ranks were withdrawn and sent to Russia in 1916, but there are still numerous Poles, who do not constitute an element of strength. It seems much less to be feared than most of the Prussian organizations that do not have the “Litze” (braiding), less, too, than the Wurttemburgers of the 13th Corps District and the better Bavarian troops. (British document, February, 1918.)
1918.
LENS.
1. The 1st Guard Reserve Division was relieved in the Lens sector by the 220th Division the first of the year and was withdrawn, remaining at rest in this region until it relieved the 220th Division, February 4.
CARVIN.
2. The division was relieved by the 220th Division February 20 and went to the Carvin area, where it went through a course of training in open warfare so as to become the assault division of the Souchez Group.
SOMME.
3. The opening day of the March 21 offensive the division was identified at Lagnicourt (northeast of Bapaume). It was very probably “leap- frogged” by some other division the next day, but it reappeared the 27th near Bucquoy, in a straight line with the advance taken as a whole. It suffered exceedingly heavy losses, finally having to utilize its pioneers as Infantry.
LA BASSÉE.
4. April 20 the division was withdrawn from the Somme front and marched to Givenchy (just north of the La Bassée Canal) the next day, where it relieved the 4th Ersatz Division. It fought there until about May 21, giving a good account of itself, considering its weakened condition, and as a result its brigade commander was promoted a lieutenant general, and the division commander received Pour le Mérite.
GRAMMONT.
5. The division moved to the Grammont area, where it underwent a course of training with artillery and aeroplanes in preparation for a coming offensive.
LA BASSÉE.
6. It relieved the 38th Division at Festubert, north of the La Bassée Canal July 5; it was relieved July 14 by the 18th Reserve Division.
7. The division rested in the Fauquissart area, and then relieved the 12th Reserve Division north of Hinges the night of August 2–3. It was relieved about August 26 by extension of front of the neighboring divisions.
CAMBRAI.
8. The 2d of September the division reinforced the front north of the Arras-Cambrai Road. About the 10th it side-slipped south, for it was identified southwest of Moeuvres. It remained here, suffering heavy casualties (450 prisoners), and was relieved by the 7th Cavalry Division during the night of September 22–23.
9. It remained in this region, however, and was thrown back into line in attempt to stem the British advance, being identified at Bourlon September 28; withdrawn about October 5.
10. The division returned October 16–17, relieving the 30th Division east of Neuvilly, and was withdrawn about the 20th.
11. November 4 it was identified north of Landrecies. It took part in the general retirement, being identified south of Berlaimont November 5, and east of Maubeuge on the 9th.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The 1st Guard Reserve Division was rated as in the first of four classes. During 1918 it did not fight brilliantly, but it was always to be depended upon. It was called upon to fight much in heavy engagements, and suffered very severe losses.
Guard Ersatz Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1914–15 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │1 Gd. Mixed │1 Gd. Ers.(1, │1 Gd. Mixed │6 Gd. (former │ Ers. │ 2, and 6 Gd.│ Ers. │ 1 Gd. Ers.). │ │ Bde. Ers. │ │ │ │ Btns.). │ │ │ │2 Gd. Ers. │ │7 Gd. (former │ │ (3,4 and 5 │ │ 2 Gd. Ers.). │ │ Gd. Bde. │ │ │ │ Ers. Btns.).│ │ │5 Gd. Mixed │357 (5 Ers. │5 Gd. Mixed │357. │ Ers. │ Btn. 2d C. │ Ers. │358. │ │ Dist. and 5 │ │ │ │ Ers. Btn. 1 │ │ │ │ C. Dist.). │ │ │ │358 (6, 7, and│ │ │ │ 8 Ers. Btns.│ │ │ │ 2d C. │ │ │ │ Dist.). │ │ ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │Gd. Ers. Cav. Detach. │1st Sqn. Gd. Cav. Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │1st Ers. Abt. (1st and 2d Gd.│7th Gd. F. A. Rgt. │ F. A. Rgt.). │ │38th F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│1 Co. Gd. Ers. Pion. Btn. │301 (Gd.) Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │1 Ers. Co. 2 Pion. Btn. │302 Pion. Co. │ │7 Gd. T. M. Co. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │32 Ldw. Btn. 2d C. Dist. │81 Labor Btn. │ (1915). │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │Gd. Ers. │6 Gd. │Gd. Ers. │6 Gd. │ │7 Gd. │ │7 Gd. │ │399. │ │399. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │5th Sqn. 2d Gd. Uhlan Regt. │5 Sqn. 2 Gd. Uhlan Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │6th Gd. Art. Command: │6 Gd. Art. Command: │ │ │ 7 Gd. F. A. Rgt. │ 7 Gd. F. A. Rgt. │ │ 89 Ft. A. Btn. │ │ 759 Light Am. Col. │ │ 814 Light Am. Col. │ │ 886 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│Eng. Btn.: │501 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 301 (Gd.) Pion. Co. │ 301 Gd. Pion. Co. │ 302 Pion. Co. │ 302 Pion. Co. │ 7 Gd. T. M. Co. │ 49 Searchlight Section. │ 292 Searchlight Section. │551 Signals Command: │ 551 Gd. Tel. Detch. │ 551 Gd. Tel. Detch. │ │ 36 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │62 Ambulance Co. │63 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │133 Field Hospital. │133 Field Hospital. │134 Field Hospital. │134 Field Hospital. │209 Vet. Hospital. │209 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │M. T. Col. │761 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
1914–15.
Formed in August, 1914, by grouping the Guard Ersatz Battalions and the Ersatz Battalions of the 2d Corps District, the division detrained at Saverne August 19. In reserve during the battle on the 20th, it crossed the frontier on the 23d with the 6th Army, fought southeast of Lunéville the first days of September, and toward the end of the same month it went to Haye (Woevre).
HAYE.
1. There it formed part of the Ersatz Corps and held various sectors of the region until March, 1916 (St. Baussant, Flirey, Bois de Mort-Mare, etc.).
1916.
1. In March, 1916, the 1st Guard Ersatz Mixed Bde. (6th and 7th Guard Regiments) left the Apremont region to go to the north of Combres and to the south of Fresnes-en-Woevre.
VERDUN.
2. After a rest of 10 days at St. Marie aux Chênes (Apr. 24-May 3) it went to the front north of Verdun. May 11–12 it entered line in the Bois-Nawé (west of Douaumont), where it took part in several attacks (notably that of May 25). It rested in June, and fought again, beginning July 1, to the southeast of the Thiaumont works.
3. The 5th Guard Ersatz Mixed Bde. which had remained in the Montsec region, entrained at Vigneulles-St. Benoît (July 23–26), detrained at Spincourt, and during the night of August 3–4 entered line to the east of Fleury. Together with the 1st Bde., it took part in the attack of August 5, and both suffered heavy losses.
4. The Guard Ersatz Division was withdrawn from line the end of August, after having lost 50 per cent of its infantry before Verdun.
FLIREY-EN-HAYE.
5. After a rest in the region west of Spincourt it went back into line to the north of Flirey-en-Haye; it remained there until about the 5th of November.
In September the 357th and the 358th Infantry Regiments were attached to the Bavarian Ersatz Division and the 214th Division, respectively. The Guard Ersatz Division received in exchange a regiment newly formed from companies taken from the 6th and 7th Guard and the 357th Infantry Regiments.
COTE DU POIVRE.
6. The division rested in November, leaving December 18 to go to the region north of Côte du Poivre, following the French attack of December 15.
1917.
1. About January 15, 1917, the Guard Ersatz Division was withdrawn from the Verdun front and sent to Champagne (St. Hilaire sector).
2. Relieved toward the end of March, the division was sent to reserve in the Chateau-Porcien region, which it quitted April 12.
AISNE.
3. April 16 and the days following elements of the division counterattacked toward Bermericourt; then relieving (Apr. 18) the remnants of the 21st Division, the Guard Ersatz Division went through the French attack of May 4. It left this front soon after.
4. May; rest in rear of the Champagne front.
RUSSIA.
5. After a stay in a sector in Haye to the north of Flirey (from the beginning of June to the middle of July), the division was carried to the eastern front (July 23–27). (Itinerary: Sarrebrucken, Kreuznach, Frankfort, Leipsic, Cottbus, Glogau, Warsaw, Grodno, Vilna.)
6. The Kaiser reviewed the division July 29. From the 1st to the 17th of August it was trained in open warfare near Vilna.
RIGA.
7. Taken to Chavli (Aug. 28), then to the Gross-Ekkau region, the division entered line in the Uxkuell region and participated in the Riga offensive, entering Riga September 3–4.
FRANCE.
8. September 8 the division entrained for the western front. (Itinerary: Chavli, Kovno, Eydtkuhnen, Insterberg, Posen, Cottbus, Leipsic, Frankfort, Thionville, Briey.) It encamped near Spincourt, and then, about October 10, entered line to the north of Bezonvaux.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The Guard Ersatz Division was recruited all over Prussia just as all the other Guard divisions.
Good division. The 6th and 7th Guard Regiments are not to be considered as tried troops. The 399th Infantry Regiment seems to have but a slight combative value.
The men are said to have shown dissatisfaction when they left Russia for the western front. Desertions are said to have taken place en route. (Inter. pris. Dec. 15–17.)
1918.
VERDUN.
1. The division remained north of Verdun until February 20, when it was relieved and went to Damvillers, entrained, and went to the Arlon area and was trained until March 15.
SOMME.
2. It entrained at Arlon on that date and traveled via Charleroi to Mons, where it arrived the following day. By night marches the division passed through Maubeuge-Bavai-Englefontaine-Fontaine au Bois-Bazuel-Le Cateau-Busigny-Bohain-Fresnoy-Péronne, without taking part in any fighting. It came into line March 25–26, and was heavily engaged at Proyart the 27th.
HANGARD.
3. The division was withdrawn about April 6, after having large casualties, and reinforced the front near Hangard the night of April 9–10, not being relieved until about May 4. Flanking divisions extended their fronts.
MONS.
4. It rested northwest of Mons until the end of June.
CHAMPAGNE.
5. It then went to reserve in Champagne, and entered line west of Auberive July 15. It was withdrawn on the 21st.
OULCHY LE CHATEAU.
6. The division was identified in line north of Oulchy le Chateau July 29, where it fought until withdrawn, about August 9.
ALSACE.
7. It went into rest cantonments at Helfrantzkirch (northeast of Basle), and remained there until September 25.
YPRES.
8. Prisoners of the division were captured southwest of Roulers, and they stated that it entered line October 5–6. The division remained in line fighting stubbornly, but to no purpose, until withdrawn, November 7.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
Reliable information is to the effect that the Guard Ersatz, the Guard Cavalry, and the Jaeger Divisions bore the title “Oberste Heeresleitungs Angriffsdivisionen,” and that they were held under the direct control of the Supreme Command. Nevertheless, the Guard Ersatz has always been considered as being in the second of four classes.
Guard Cavalry Division.
COMPOSITION.
───────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────── │ 1918 ───────────────────────┼───────────────────────┬─────────────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ───────────────────────┼───────────────────────┼─────────────────────── Infantry. │5 Ldw. Inf. │ ───────────────────────┼───────────────────────┼─────────────────────── Cavalry. │11 Cav. │1 Cuirassier. │ │8 Drag. │14 Cav. │5 Uhlan. │ │8 Hus. │ │11 Hus. │38 Cav. │2 Mounted Jag. │ │6 Mounted Jag. │ │4 Cuirassier. │ │Gd. Cuirassier (1 Sqn. │ │ of 4 Mounted Jag.). ───────────────────────┼───────────────────────┴─────────────────────── Artillery. │132 Art. Command: │ 3 Gd. F. A. Rgt. │ 226 F. A. Rgt. ───────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────────── Engineers and Liaisons.│412 Pion. Btn.: │ 307 Pion. Co. │ 2 Ers. Pion. Co. │ 183 Wireless Detch. │ 286 and 385 T. M. Cos. ───────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────────── Medical and Veterinary.│257 Ambulance Co. │302 Field Hospital. │315 Field Hospital. │286 Vet. Hospital. ───────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────────── Attached. │Balloon Sqn. No. 33. │290 Reconnaissance Flight. ───────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
1918.
1. The division left the eastern theater in the middle of March. It was reconstituted in the camp at Zossen (south of Berlin), and was then moved to the Maubeuge area, where it underwent six weeks’ training for open warfare. It now consisted of 9 dismounted regiments, grouped in 3 brigades, 2 companies of pioneers, and a trench mortar company.
CHAMPAGNE.
2. About May 28 the division relieved the 23d Division east of the Suippe. It was relieved about July 2, and on the 15th returned to strengthen the battle front near Souain. It was relieved about July 20.
SOISSONS.
3. The division was moved to the Soissons area, and on August 22 relieved the Jaeger Division east of Soissons. It retired from the front about September 5.
CHAMPAGNE.
4. On September 23–24 it relieved the 15th Bavarian Division north of Prosnes, and was thereafter constantly in line in Champagne. The direction of its final retreat lay through Herpy (Nov. 1), St. Ferguex (5th), Rethel (6th), and Rocquigny (7th).
VALUE.
The division was rated as second class. It was reported to be one of the General Headquarters attack divisions held under direct control of the Supreme Command. After the failure of the July offensive east of Reims the division was constantly on the defensive.
1st Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1914 │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │1. │1 Gren. │1. │1 Gren. │1. │1 Gren. │ │41. │ │41. │ │41. │2. │3 Gren. │2. │3 Gren. │2. │3 Gren. │ │43. │ │43. │ │43. ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │8 Uhlan. Regt. │ (?) │ (?) │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │1 Brig.: │1 Brig.: │1 Brig.: │16 F. A. Rgt. │16 F. A. Rgt. │16 F. A. Rgt. │52 F. A. Rgt. │52 F. A. Rgt. │52 F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│ │1 Eng. Btn. (1 C. │1 Eng. Btn. (1 C. Liaisons. │ │ Dist.): │ Dist.): │ │ Field Co. 1 Pion. │ 271 Pion. Co. │ │ │ (Oct., 1917). │ │ 1 Pontoon Engs. │ 1 Pontoon Engs. │ │ 1 Tel. Detch. │ 1 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ 1 T. M. Co. │ │ │ │ │ │ 3d Co. 1 Pions. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │ │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │ │ │ ─────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │ │ │100 Labor Btn. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
─────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │Brigade. │Regiment.│Brigade. │Regiment. ─────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── Infantry. │1. │1 Gren. │1. │1 Gren. │ │3 Gren. │ │3 Gren. │ │43. │ │43. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────┴─────────┼─────────┴───────── Cavalry. │3d Sqn. 8 Uhlan. │3 Sqn. 8 Uhlan. │ Regt. │ Regt. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Artillery. │(z) Art. Commandt: │1 Art. Command: │16 F. A. Rgt. │ 16 F. A. Rgt. │52 F. A. Rgt. │ 1 Abt. 10 Ft. A. │ │ Rgt. (Staff. 1, │ │ 3, and 4 Btries.) │ │ 1083 Light Am. │ │ Col. │ │ 1095 Light Am. │ │ Col. │ │ 1096 Light Am. │ │ Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Engineers and│112 Eng. Btn.: │110 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 3d Co. 1 Pions. │ 3 Co. 1 Pions. │ (z). │ │ 271 Pion. Co. │ 271 Pion. Co. │ 1 T. M. Co. │ 1 T. M. Co. │ 1 Tel. Detch. │ 108 Searchlight │ │ Section. │ 305, 311, 312, and│1 Signal Command: │ 392 Searchlight │ │ Sections. │ │ │ 1 Tel. Detch. │ │ 43 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Medical and │4 Ambulance Co. │4 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │Field Hospital. │13 Field Hospital. │1 Vet. Hospital. │16 Field Hospital. │ │1 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Transport. │M. T. Col. │534 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────── Attached. │66 M. G. S. S. │ │ Detch. │ │54, 55, 56, and 57 │ │ Light M. G. │ │ Sections. │ ─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────
HISTORY.
1914–15.
Along with the 2d Division, the 1st Division forms the 1st Army Corps (Koenigsberg).
RUSSIA.
1. The 1st Army Corps was engaged on the Russian front at the very beginning of the war.
2. Up until November the 1st Division participated in the operations of East Prussia, and notably in the battle of Tannenberg (Aug. 27–29).
3. In December the two divisions of the 1st Corps separated. The 2d Division remained in the north; the 1st Division went to the 9th Army, from December, 1914, to January, 1915 (Bzura-Rawka), then to the Army of the South, operating in the Carpathians and on the Dniester, from February, 1915, to February, 1916.
1916.
FRANCE.
1. The division went to France in March, 1916. The 41st Infantry Regiment detrained March 13 near Metz; the 48th Infantry Regiment at Hagondange March 5.
VERDUN.
2. The division was put in line near Vaux April 20, fought in the bois de la Caillette in May, in the bois de Vaux Chapitre, and the bois Fumin in June and July. It suffered enormous losses there. In the 1st Company of the 41st Infantry Regiment, the numbers on the pay books passed from 1,359 (Apr. 10) to 1,674 (July 19), indicating the arrival of at least 316 reinforcements. From the beginning of the war until July, 1916, the regiment had received an average of 1,360 men per company.
RUSSIA.
3. At the end of July, 1916, the 1st Division, leaving behind the 41st Infantry Regiment, which fought before Verdun in August, was once more taken to the eastern front, where it formed part of the Carpathian Corps.
1917.
BUKOVINA.
1. In July, 1917, the division was in the Kirlibaba-Dorna-Vatra region. Beginning July 27, it followed up the retreating Russians, halting, early in August, in the Sereth region.
FRANCE.
2. The division entrained, the beginning of December, near Czernowitz, and was carried to the French front. (Itinerary: Kolomea, Stanislau, Lemberg, Tarnow, Oppeln, Breslau, Dresden, Leipsic, Halle, Cassel, Coblentz, Treves.) Ordered to Lorraine, it was sent to the region east of Etain, relieving the 13th Reserve Division and occupying the sector in front of Moulainville (Dec. 27; still there Jan. 23, 1918).
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
Theoretically, the regiments of the 1st Division are recruited in East Prussia, but since the 1st Corps District, sparsely populated and of restricted size, could not keep it up alone, the elements coming from outside this district are numerous. During the stay on the eastern front Alsace-Lorrainers were used in considerable number. While in France the division’s ranks were filled up with the aid of the abundant resources of Brandenburg and Silesia (3rd and 4th Corps Districts); consequently, the division does not display to any degree the local character like the majority of the German divisions.
The 1st Division was on the Russian front from August, 1914, until December, 1917, with the exception of the period April-July, 1916, during which it was engaged before Verdun.
The troops of the division fraternized with the Russians for about three weeks in April, but this came to an end early in May with the arrival opposite them of new Russian troops, who received their advances with bullets. (Inter. pris., Jan. 24, 1918.)
1918.
WOEVRE.
1. The division remained in line in the Verdun sector until relieved by the 11th Bavarian division about February 15.
2. It moved to the Conflans area, where it went through a course of training in open warfare in order to fit itself to become an assault division. At this time, too, it exchanged its Alsatians for Prussians of the 78th Reserve Division.
SOMME.
3. March 27 the division reinforced the front at Bray, north of the Somme. It fought until the 30th, and lost to such an extent that its companies, which had been filled up while in the Conflans area, were reduced to an average strength of 40 men.
4. It was withdrawn March 30, and rested immediately in rear of the position it had held in line until about April 19.
5. The following day the division went back into line just south of the Somme, and immediately suffered heavily. It was relieved May 2 by the 24th Reserve Division.
6. The division went to rest in the Peruwelz area, and then had some more training in the same region.
CHAMPAGNE.
7. Early in July the division was identified in reserve near Hirson.
8. July 16 it entered line near St. Hilaire, and was withdrawn the 20th.
RHEIMS.
9. It was immediately thrown into line in the Bois de Vrigny, where it fought in an attempt to prevent the Allies from annihilating the German troops in the Soissons-Chateau Thierry-Rheims pocket.
LAON.
10. About August 10 the division was withdrawn and went to rest in the region of Laon.
LAFFAUX.
11. September 3 it relieved the 27th Division near Laffaux, and, being surprised by a French attack, lost heavily (2,300 prisoners).
12. September 16 it was relieved by the 29th Division.
RHEIMS.
13. The division came back into line near Betheny (northeast of Rheims) on October 2 and was withdrawn about the 8th.
ST. FERGEUX.
14. It reentered line in the St. Fergeux region October 14, and was again withdrawn the 29th.
LIART.
15. November 7 the division was identified near Liart (south of Rocroi), and remained in line until the armistice.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class.
1st Reserve Division.
COMPOSITION.