Part 56
1. With the stabilization of the Roumanian front, it was in line to the north and east to Focsani, where it remained from January to April, 1917.
2. In May it was in reserve. At about this time it seems to have been brought to the rear of the French front.
3. The division reappeared in Roumania, in the vicinity of Focsani, from August 6 to 14. It attacked on the 15th and suffered heavy losses.
4. Put in reserve, near Focsani, it went back into line at the beginning of October to the north of Iresti. It was still in that region at the beginning of January, 1918.
RECRUITING.
The 252d Regiment in Thuringe, 253d Regiment in Hesse-Nassau, and 254th Regiment in the Grand Duchy of Hesse. These last two regiments may be termed Rhenish regiments.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 76th Reserve Division was at all times used on the eastern front.
1918.
1. The division was moved to the Western Front in the spring after exchanging its older men for younger men from the divisions remaining in Roumania. It entrained at Focsani on March 7 and traveled by way of Hermannstadt, Budapest, Breslau, Erfurt, Fulda, to Metz, where it detrained on March 15. The 254th Reserve Regiment was in cantonments a few days at Fort Luitpold and then went to Norroy le Veneur where it remained about 12 days. It entrained on March 31 and proceeded by way of Sedan and Charleville to Hirson (Apr. 1). From there it marched via Remigny-Golancourt-Roye-Narvillers-Hangest-Plessier-Rozainvillers, where it went into cantonments for three days.
MONTDIDIER.
2. On the night of April 12–13 the division relieved elements of the 23d Division between Malpart and La Chappelle-St. Aignan. About May 2 the division extended its front to the north and relieved a part of the 240th Division. This was a defensive sector at this time. On May 9 the French made an attack on Grivesnes Park while the 76th Reserve Division was holding it. The attack was a complete surprise and caused many casualties. Between April 10 and May 8 the losses averaged 30 to 35 men per company and the number of combatants on May 9 was about 75 per company. It was relieved in the middle of May.
VERDUN.
3. The division entered line in the Verdun region to the south of Bezonvaux on June 21. It was withdrawn from the quiet sector in mid- July, and on the 29th relieved the 46th Reserve Division southwest of Soissons. Until August 2 it was not involved in the attack. It defended the flanks of the German retreat energetically until its withdrawal on September 8. A week later its regiments were used singly to support the units in line in delaying the French advance on the line Coucy le Chateau-Ferny-Sorny. The losses in the fighting were considerable, including 575 prisoners. It showed itself a good defensive division.
4. On September 25 the division came in line on the extreme left of the American line in the Argonne. On October 10 all three regiments were opposite the United States troops in Grandpre. It remained in line until November 8 before it was finally withdrawn.
The excessive use of the division gave rise to serious internal discontent. The rifle strength of the regiments was down to less than 300 by October 24, and the troops were demanding a rest. Some companies refused to enter the line in mid-October. The divisional commander was obliged to issue an appeal to the division on October 21 to hold out. The entire rifle strength of the 2d Battalion, 254th Reserve Regiment, was but 3 officers and 75 men on October 28.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. As a defensive sector holding unit the division showed a power of sustained resistance that warranted a higher classification. By the end the division had been completely used up.
77th Reserve Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │77 Res. │255 Res. │77 Res. │255 Res. │ │256 Res. │ │256 Res. │ │257 Res. │ │257 Res. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │77 Res. Cav. Detch. │77 Res. Cav. Detch. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │77 Res. Brig.: │77 Res. Brig.: │ 59 Res. F. A. Rgt. (6 │ 59 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ Btries.). │ │ 60 Res. F. A. Rgt. (6 │ 60 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ Btries.). │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│77 Res. Pion. Co. │77 Res. Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │77 Res. Pont. Engs. │277 T. M. Co. │ │77 Res. Pont. Engs. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │1 Ambulance Co. │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │77 Res. Train Detch. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd units. │77 Res. Cyclist Co. │77 Res. Cyclist Co. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918[25] ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │77 Res. │255 Res. │77 Res. │332. │ │256 Res. │ │257 Res. │ │257 Res. │ │419. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │4 Sqn. 2 Horse Jag. Rgt. (?) │4 Sqn. 2 Horse Jag. Rgt. │77 Res. Cav. Detch. (?) │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │(?) Art. Command: │(?) Art. Command: │ 59 Res. F. A. Rgt. (9 │ 59 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ Btries.). │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│(377) Pion. Btn.: │1 Co. 1 Pions. Liaisons. │ │ │ 78 Res. Pion. Co. │1 Ldw. Co. 7 C. Dist. Pions. │ 277 T. M. Co. │39 Res. Searchlight Section. │ 39 Res. Searchlight Section.│277 T. M. Co. │ 477 Tel. Detch. │477 Tel. Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │539 Ambulance Co. │539 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │103 Field Hospital (Res.). │103 Res. Field Hospital. │104 Field Hospital (Res.). │104 Res. Field Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │105 Res. Field Hospital. │ │Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │M. T. Col. │744 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd units. │77 Res. Cyclist Co. │77 Res. Cyclist Co. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │ │403 Pion. Btn. (?) ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────── Footnote 25:
Composition at the time of dissolution.
HISTORY.
(255th Regiment: 7th Corps District—Westphalia. 257th Regiment, 332d Regiment: 8th Corps District—Rhenish Province.)
1915.
The 77th Reserve Division was formed at the Senne Cantonment (7th Corps Region) in January, 1915, with six field battalions (Nos. 31–36) of the 7th Corps Region and three of the 8th, (Nos. 37–39.) With the 78th Reserve Division, it composed the 39th Reserve Corps.
RUSSIA.
1. Brought to the Eastern Front at the beginning of February, detraining at Insterburg, it was a part of the army operating in Eastern Prussia after February 12.
2. At the beginning of March it was engaged on the Sopotzkyn-Chtabin front in the region of Simno; on March 9 it covered the retreat of the 21st Corps and fell back to Seiny, Suwalki and Augustowo (Mar. 10 to 31).
3. During May and June the 77th Reserve Division took part in the Courland raid. On May 5 it was identified as being on the Rossieny- Beisagola front (to the South of Chavli).
GRODNO.
4. Taking part in the summer offensive, it advanced through the regions of Grodno, Olita (Aug 30) and Vileiki (Sept 27).
5. At the beginning of November it established itself in the vicinity of Kchtchava, east of Novo-Alexandrovsk.
1916.
COURLAND.
1. The 77th Reserve Division stayed in the region north of Kchtchava—and south of Dvinsk during all of 1916 and until August 1917. In August of 1916 it gave one of its regiments—the 256th—to the Mitau group and later to the 218th Division.
1917.
COURLAND.
1. At the end of August, 1917, the 77th Reserve Division was transferred from the region of the Dvinsk to the Riga front, being brought up to strength by the addition of the 332d Regiment, the latter having originally come from the 83d Division after having successively been part of the 11th Landwehr Division and the 8th Cavalry Division.
2. In October the 77th Reserve Division appeared in the vicinity of Friedrichstadt; near Jakobstadt, at the end of October. The 255th Regiment may have participated about this date in the occupation of the island of Oesel.
3. On November 5 the division is identified in the region of Libau; on January 20, the 257th Regiment at Mitau; and to the northwest of the Novo-Alexandrovsk-Dvinsk railway, the 255th Regiment on February 10. On March 1 the 332d Regiment of Infantry was to leave “in order to advance in the East” (letter).
RECRUITING.
Principally Westphalia for the 255th Regiment; Rhenish provinces for the 257th and 332d Regiments. Numerous recruits from Lorraine and Alsace. Poles in the 332d Regiment, which received the Ersatz Battalion of the 19th Infantry at the time it was formed.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 77th Reserve Division did not leave the Russian front. One of its present regiments, the 332d, is a former regiment of the Posen garrison, of which two of the three battalions were Rhenish Landsturm battalions. Successive replacements gave this regiment the appearance of an ordinary regiment. In January, 1918, the older and sickly men were released.
1918.
1. The division left Russia about April 1 and traveled via Magdebourg- Hildesheim-Cologne-Gerolstein-Gouvy-Bastogne-Lebramont-Sedan-Liart- Rozay-Montcornet, detraining in the vicinity of Laon on April 4. It marched by stages toward Villers-Carbonnel-Athies, where it rested and trained from April 11 to 19. On April 20 it entered the line north of Hangard and was engaged until the end of the month.
SOMME.
2. It returned to line east of Villers-Bretonneux on May 18 and held that sector until July 4.
WOEVRE.
3. The division was moved to the Woevre by Hirson and Montmedy and on July 14 relieved the 183d Division in the Flirey sector. It held that sector until the American attack on St. Mihiel on September 12. The division suffered very heavy losses in prisoners, but had few other casualties, the prisoners stating that they were completely cut off by the American barrage. It was withdrawn on September 16 and did not thereafter return to line.
4. What remained of the 77th Reserve Division was reassembled at Pagny and was occupied in organizing the ground between Pagny and Prenay. A report of October 11 stated that the division passed through Berlin on its way to the Balkan front on October 2. The division was then considered as withdrawn from the Western Front.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. It was not seriously engaged except in the St. Mihiel attack, which practically destroyed the division. Its morale was only mediocre. Deserters from the Alsace- Lorraine element in the division were numerous.
78th Reserve Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │78 Res. │258 Res. │78 Res. │258 Res. │ │259 Res. │ │259 Res. │ │260 Res. │ │260 Res. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │78 Res. Cav. Detch. │78 Res. Cav. Detch. │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │78 Res. Brig.: │78 Res. Brig.: │ 61 Res. F. A. Rgt. (6 │ 61 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ Btries.). │ │ 62 Res. F. A. Rgt. (6 │ 62 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ Btries.). │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│78 Res. Pion. Co. │78 Res. Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │78 Res. Pont. Engs. │2 Landst. Pion. Co. (2 C. │ │ Dist.). │ │278 T. M. Co. │ │78 Res. Pont. Engs. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │1 Ambulance Co. │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │78 Res. Train Detch. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd units. │78 Res. Cyclist Co. │78 Res. Cyclist Co. │ │83 Labor Btn. ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918[26] ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │78 Res. │258 Res. │78 Res. │258 Res. │ │259 Res. │ │259 Res. │ │260 Res. │ │260 Res. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │2 Sqn. 16 Hus. Rgt. │78 Res. Cav. Detch. │ │2 Sqn. 16 Hus. Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │78 Art. Command: │(?) Art. Command: │ 62 Res. F. A. Rgt. (9 │ 62 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ Btries.). │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│378 Pion. Btn.: │79 Res. Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ 79 Res. Pion. Co. │80 Res. Pion. Co. │ │ │ 80 Res. Pion. Co. │299 Searchlight Section. │ 278 T. M. Co. (299 │278 T. M. Co. │ Searchlight Section). │ │ 478 Tel. Detch. │478 Tel. Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │540 Ambulance Co. │540 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │107 Res. Field Hospital. │106 Res. Field Hospital. │108 Res. Field Hospital. │107 Res. Field Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │108 Res. Field Hospital. │ │Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │M. T. Col. │745 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd units. │78 Res. Cyclist Co. │ │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────── Footnote 26:
Composition at the time of dissolution.
HISTORY.
(258th Regiment: 8th Corps District—Rhenish Province. 259th Regiment: 10th Corps District—Grand Duchy of Oldenberg. 260th Regiment: 10th Corps District—Hanover.)
1915.
The 78th Reserve Division which, with the 77th Reserve Division, constituted the 39th Reserve Corps as one of the reserve divisions created during the winter of 1914–15. One of its regiments—the 258th—grew out of three field battalions of the 8th Corps Region (Nos. 40–42) and the 259th and the 260th out of six field battalions (Nos. 49–54) of the 10th Corps District. All three regiments were trained at the Alten-Grabow cantonment (4th Corps District).
RUSSIA.
1. In action on the Russian front to the north of Grodno, near Simno, Kalvariia and Suwalki in March, 1915, it took part in the Courland raid (region of Chavli) in May. It was engaged in the operations on the Dubissa to the northeast of Rossieny from the end of May to the middle of July.
2. In July, with the Army of Niemen (Beulow) it took part in the offensive against Russia, occupied the region of Poneviej, to the west of Kupichki (August) arrived before Dvinsk in September and held a position near the Illukst (September-December).
1916.
COURLAND.
1. The 78th Reserve Division remained in the Illukst (region of Dvinsk) during the whole year 1916 and until the month of April, 1917.
1917.
COURLAND.
1. Relieved from the Illukst region on April 14, 1917, the division was transferred to the Western Front. It entrained on April 15 (itinerary: Kovno-Wirballen-Allenstein-Posen-Leipzig-Nuremberg-Karlsruhe-Friberg- Muelheim) and detrained near Mulhausen on the 19th.
FRANCE (ALSACE).
2. On April 25 it went into line in the Burnhaupt sector to the north of the Rhône-Rhine Canal.
AISNE-AILETTE.
3. Relieved on May 11, it was sent into the Aisne. For 10 weeks it occupied (May 23-Aug. 5) the sector south of the Ailette, where it did not participate in any action of importance. Beginning with June 19 it made a series of local attacks in which the 258th Regiment suffered some fairly big losses (especially on June 20, to the east of Vauxaillon).
VERDUN.
4. Sent toward the Verdun front as a reserve at the time of the French offensive of August 20, it was engaged to the north of Caurières (southwest of the Ornes) on September 10. On September 13 it executed a counterattack and continued to occupy this difficult sector until the middle of October.
LORRAINE.
5. Withdrawn from Verdun, the division immediately went into line along the banks of the Seille (between Cheminot and Abaucourt) on October 14. Its stay in Lorraine was devoid of any particular event.
HAYE.
6. Toward the middle of December it was withdrawn from the Abaucourt sector and put at rest for instruction in the region of Chambley-Mars la Tour (Dec. 18 to Jan. 11, 1918), then sent to Seicheprey toward the middle of January. It was identified as still there on March 29.
RECRUITING.
One of the three regiments, the 258th, was Rhenish; the 259th was an “Oldenberger” Regiment, while the 260th was a Hanoverian and Brunswickian organization, terms found in documents, as well as the designation Lower Saxony, a more general term.
The neighboring corps districts (7th, Westphalia, and 9th, Schleswig- Holstein) were occasionally called upon for replacements.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 78th Reserve Division showed up well on the Eastern Front and on the French front.
After a hard stay opposite Verdun, the division seems to have gone through a moral crisis; relatively high number of desertions took place in the 258th, and especially in the 259th Regiment. The intention of the High Command in sending the division into Lorraine (October-December, 1917) is said to have been done with an idea of giving its chiefs an opportunity of getting their units well in hand again.
Nevertheless, the vigorous command and the fairly high number of effectives, taken for the greater part from the younger classes, make the 78th Reserve Division a combat division worthy of consideration. At Jonville at the end of December, 1917, the division took part in assault practice.
It is to be noted that a certain number of recruits were from Alsace and Lorraine.
1918.
CHATEAU THIERRY.
1. The division was relieved in the Woevre about May 11 by the 8th Bavarian Reserve Division. It came into line on June 4 west of Dammard (Ourcq region). It was engaged until about July 20 and then withdrawn.
2. The division was disbanded at Montcornet on August 12. The 259th Reserve Regiment was broken up and one battalion of it sent to each regiment of the 2d Guard Division. The 260th Reserve Regiment was turned as a draft to the 20th Division.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. After about two weeks of heavy fighting on the Marne salient, the division was dissolved.
79th Reserve Division.
COMPOSITION.
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │79 Res. │261 Res. │79 Res. │261 Res. │ │262 Res. │ │262 Res. │ │263 Res. │ │263 Res. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │79 Res. Cav. Detch. │79 Res. Cav. Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │79 Res. Brig.: │79 Res. Brig.: │ 63 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ 63 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ 64 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ 64 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│79 Res. Pion. Co. │79 Res. Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │79 Res. Pont. Engs. │83 Res. Pion. Co. │ │279 T. M. Co. │ │79 Res. Pont. Engs. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │1 Ambulance Co. │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │79 Res. Train Detch. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd Units. │79 Res. Cyclist Co. │79 Res. Cyclist Co. ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │79 Res. │261 Res. │79 Res. │261 Res. │ │262 Res. │ │262 Res. │ │263 Res. │ │263 Res. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │3 Sqn. 16 Hus. Rgt. │3 Sqn. 16 Hus. Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │79 Art. Command: │79 Art. Command: │ 63 Res. F. A. Rgt. (9 │ 63 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ Btries.). │ │ │ 2 Abt. 20 Ft. A. Rgt. (6 and │ │ 8 Btries.). │ │ 718 Light Am. Col. │ │ 719 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1354 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│379 Pion. Btn.: │379 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 81 Res. Pion. Co. │ 81 Res. Pion. Co. │ 1 Ers. Co. 24 Pions. │ 1 Ers. Co. 24 Pions. │ 279 T. M. Co. │ 25 Searchlight Section. │ 40 Res. Searchlight Section.│479 Signal Command: │ 50 Searchlight Sections. │ 479 Tel. Detch. │ 51 Searchlight Section. │ 64 Wireless Detch. │ 79 Searchlight Sections. │ │ 79 Res. Pont. Engs. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │541 Ambulance Co. │541 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │110 Field Hospital. │110 Res. Field Hospital. │111 Field Hospital. │111 Res. Field Hospital. │112 Field Hospital. │164 Vet. Hospital. │Vet. Hospital. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │746 M. T. Col. │746 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd Units. │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────
HISTORY.
(261st and 262d Reserve Regiments: Entire Prussian territory by selection, in the same manner as the Guard. 263d Reserve Regiment: 4th Corps District—Prussian Saxony.)
1915.
EASTERN PRUSSIA.
1. The 79th Reserve Division was one of the divisions formed in the winter of 1914–15, and, with the 80th Reserve Division, formed the 40th Reserve Corps. It grew out of six field battalions of the Guard and three field battalions. (Nos. 19–21) of the 4th Corps District. It was trained at the Doeberitz cantonment and sent to Eastern Prussia at the beginning of February, 1915, where it took part in the battle of the Masure Lakes from the 7th to the 17th.
RUSSIA.
2. It was identified in the vicinity of Lyck on February 13, as marching toward Augustowo on the 14th and to the south of the Forest of Augustowo on the 24th.
POLAND.
3. From the end of February until the end of March it was engaged on the Bobr, to the north of the Fortess of Ossoviec. At the end of March, having come back in the northeast, it held the passes in the lakes to the east of Suwalki-Augustowo.
4. At the beginning of May the 40th Reserve Corps advanced toward Kalwaria-Mariampol.
KOVNO.
5. On June 9 the 79th Reserve Division appeared before Kovno; it took
## part in the siege and the taking of this town (July-Aug. 18).
SMORGONI.
6. The offensive against the Russians took it through Ochmiana (?) to the south of Smorgoni (Aug. 27). The division took a position in this region.
SMORGONI-KREVO.
7. The division occupied the Krevo-Smorgoni (south of Vilna) sector from the end of August, 1915, until some time in November, 1916.
1916.
RUSSIA-FRANCE.
1. Relieved from the Smorgoni sector at the end of November, 1916, the 79th Division was transferred to the Western Front. It entrained at Mitau (Itinerary: Chavli-Grodno-Bielostok-Varsovie-Lodz-Kalisz-Glogau- Cottbus-Halle-Paderborn-Duesseldorf-Aix la Chapelle-Herbesthal-Liege- Louvain-Brussels) and detrained at Ascq (east of Lille) on December 10.
LILLE.
2. Remained there at rest.
1917.
LA BASSEE.
1. About January 10, 1917, it took over the La Bassee-Vermelles sector (up to Jan. 28).
LENS-VIMY.
2. At the end of February it appeared in the Lens sector and on March 3 on the Vimy front. On April 9 it was sorely tried by the British attack on the heights of Vimy, where it lost 1,660 prisoners.
3. It was relieved about April 14 and put at rest.
LILLE.
4. On May 3 the division entered the line again in the quiet sector to the southwest of Lille (between Boutillerie and Fauquissart). It stayed there until July 8.
FLANDERS.
5. After a few days rest at Templeuve it was transferred to Flanders, where it was again at rest (east of Bruges) (July).
LANGEMARCK.
6. At the beginning of the British offensive at Ypres (July 31) it was brought to Langemarck as a “counterattack” division. Engaged on August 6 it suffered very heavy losses and abandoned Langemarck during the attack of the 16th. It was relieved on the 16th, having lost 75 per cent of its strength. It was put at rest east of Cambrai and reorganized.
ST. QUENTIN.
7. On September 1 it took over the sector northwest of St. Quentin (Pontruet-Gricourt), which it occupied until November 28.
CAMBRAI.
8. On November 21, by reason of the British offensive, it hastily put two battalions in action at Masnières.
9. At the beginning of December the 79th Reserve Division went into line to the east of Gouzeaucourt. It was relieved in January, 1918, reappeared on the front at the beginning of February near Gonnelieu, and went back to rest at the end of the month.
RECRUITING.
The 261st and 262d Regiments were taken from depots of the Guard and were recruited like the latter, from all sections of Prussia. The 263d Regiment was a “Magdeberg” unit (Prussian Saxony).
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 79th Division, already sorely tried at Vimy in April, was much used at Ypres in August, 1917.