Part 54
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 The division was withdrawn from the front at the end of November and entrained for Belgium in the middle of December.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 It took part in the initial attack on March 21, was withdrawn on the 22d and went to rest near Bourlon wood.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 About the middle of April it was withdrawn from the Moreuil sector.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.
4. About June 10–15, without any rest, it again took over the sector west of Tahure, which it occupied until August 20–25.
HILL 304.
5. Suddenly transferred to the Verdun area, the 54th Reserve Division went into line on August 24, north of Hill 304; it remained there until October 18.
FLANDERS.
6. Sent to Flanders, it was in the Dixmude sector from October 29 until March 1918.
RECRUITING.
Mixed at the time of its formation, the 54th Reserve Division became exclusively Wurttemberg, by the departure of its Saxon elements.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
Since the number of prisoners of the 54th Reserve Division in Champagne, as in the vicinity of Verdun, March to October 1917, was very slight, it has been practically impossible to obtain information concerning this division (November 1918).
1918.
BATTLE OF PICARDY.
1. The division which had been holding the Dixmude sector entrained at Bruges on March 14, and detrained at Cambrai on the following day. On March 20 it marched to Seranvillers, and a day later proceeded via Lesdain to the high ground west of Honnecourt. On the 22d it reached Gouzeaucourt; on the 23d it passed through Lechelle, Bus, and Sailly Saillisel; on the 24th it progressed north of Mametz wood, being engaged near Rozieres on the 25th and at Ovillers on the 26th. The division was relieved on April 4 by the 27th Division after suffering heavy losses at Aveluy.
SOMME.
2. The division was in reserve in immediate rear of the front until the night of April 10–11, when it relieved the 13th Division at Ville sur Ancre. The division held this sector until May 27 and again from June 28 until August 25. It was withdrawn in the Mametz area where it had fallen back upon the British attack.
3. Early in September the division was dissolved. Prisoners stated that the 248th Reserve Regiment was drafted to the 27th Division.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as second class. Its efforts in the Somme offensive were unsuccessful. Thereafter the effectives were used up and the division dissolved.
56th Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │112. │35 Fus. │112. │35 Fus. │ │88. │ │88. │ │118. │ │118. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │ (?) │17 Hus. Rgt. (Sqn.). ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │56 Brig.: │56 Brig.: │ 111 F. A. Rgt. (6 Btries.). │ 111 F. A. Rgt. │ 112 F. A. Rgt. (6 Btries.). │ 112 F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│111 Pion. Co. │111 Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │112 Pion. Co. │112 Pion. Co. │ │6 Field Co. 23 Pions. │ │2 Res. Co. 23 Pions. │ │56 T. M. Co. │ │56 Pont. Engrs. │ │56 Tel. Detch. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd units. │ │56 Cyclist Co. ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │112. │88. │112. │88. │ │118. │ │118. │ │186. │ │186. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │4 Sqn. 17 Hus. Rgt. │4 Sqn. 17 Hus. Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │56 Art. Command: │56 Art. Command: │ 112 F. A. Rgt. (9 Btries.). │ 112 F. A. Rgt. │ │ 56 Ft. A. Btn. │ │ 855 Light Am. Col. │ │ 858 Light Am. Col. │ │ 893 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│Pion. Btn.: │139 Pion Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 111 Pion. Co. │ 111 Pion. Co. │ 112 Pion. Co. │ 112 Pion. Co. │ 56 T. M. Co. │ 56 T. M. Co. │ 111 Searchlight Section. │ 186 Searchlight Section. │ 56 Tel. Detch. │56 Signal Command: │ │ 56 Tel. Detch. │ │ 165 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │56 Ambulance Co. │56 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │349 Field Hospital. │349 Field Hospital. │351 Field Hospital. │56 Vet. Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │M. T. Col. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd units. │56 Cyclist Co. │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(18th Corps District—Grand Duchy of Hesse and Hesse Nassau.)
1915.
The 56th Division was formed in March, 1915, of surplus regiments—the 35th Fusileer Regiment from the 6th Division (3d Corps District, Brandenburg), the 88th and 118th Infantry Regiments from the 21st and 25th Divisions (18th Corps District, Hesse Nassau and the Grand Duchy of Hesse). In May, 1917, the 35th Fusileer Regiment was replaced by the 186th Infantry Regiment (from the 25th Landwehr Division) recruited from Hesse.
CHAMPAGNE.
1. Concentrated in March, 1915, near Vouziers, the 56th Division went to the Champagne front, south of Ripont, in April.
GALICIA.
2. At the beginning of May it was transferred to the Eastern Front. It took part in the Galician offensive (battles of Jaroslau, on May 18, and of Rudka, on June 18), where it lost heavily.
FRANCE.
3. In June the division was brought back to the Western Front. Entraining at Jaroslau on June 28, it detrained in the vicinity of Valenciennes, where it remained at rest for a month.
LORRAINE.
4. On July 28 the division went to Lorraine and remained as a reserve troop in the vicinity of Pfalzburg-Zabern-Schirmeck.
CHAMPAGNE.
5. On September 25 it was sent to Champagne to oppose the French offensive. It was engaged in the sector of Maison de Champagne, but was soon retired on account of its losses. The infantry had casualties of 107 officers and 5,968 men. (Official List of Casualties.)
6. After reorganization, it went into line north of Massiges and took
## part in the attack of Mont Têtu at the beginning of November. It was
relieved in the middle of November.
7. In December it returned to the Champagne front.
1916.
CHAMPAGNE.
1. The 56th Division occupied the same calm sector south of Rouvroy during the entire winter of 1915–16.
2. Relieved on April 25, 1916, it was sent to rest in the vicinity of Sedan.
VERDUN (MORT-HOMME).
3. On May 26–27 it was sent into line on the left bank of the Meuse, at the Mort Homme. It received a vigorous attack there on May 31, had heavy losses, and continued to hold this sector until the middle of July.
ARTOIS.
4. After a short rest in the vicinity of Sedan, it went to the Vimy Ridge, in Artois (end of July-end of August).
SOMME.
5. On August 24–25 it was engaged in the battle of the Somme, in Belleville wood. On August 31 it launched a counterattack northeast of the wood. It left the Somme on September 9.
CHAMPAGNE.
6. It then took over a quiet sector east of Rheims at Cernay-La Pompelle. In the middle of November it returned to the Somme front (Pys) until January 7, 1917.
1917.
1. In January, 1917, the 56th Division was sent to rest in the vicinity of St. Quentin.
SOMME-HINDENBURG LINE.
2. About February 11 it went back into line south of the Somme in the vicinity of Biaches, retired at the end of March to the north of St. Quentin, and from there went to Courrieres in the vicinity of the Lens mines.
LENS.