Chapter 61 of 76 · 3973 words · ~20 min read

Part 61

─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1917 │ 1918 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │205. │32. │205. │32. │ │71. │ │71. │ │116 Res. │ │144. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │3 Sqn. 6 Drag. Rgt. │3 Sqn. 6 Drag. Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │103 Art. Command: │103 Art. Command: │ 205 F. A. Rgt. (9 Btries.). │ 205 F. A. Rgt. │ │ 3 Abt. 11 Res. Ft. A. Rgt. │ │ 721 Light Am. Col. │ │ 919 Light Am. Col. │ │ 1228 Light Am. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│103 Pion. Btn.: │103 Pion. Btn.: Liaisons. │ │ │ 87 Res. Pion. Co. │ 87 Res. Pion. Co. │ 9 Co. 28 Pions. │ 9 Co. 28 Pions. │ 103 T. M. Co. │ 103 M. Co. │ (205) Searchlight Section. │ 208 Searchlight Section. │ 103 Tel. Detch. │103 Signal Command: │ │ 103 Tel. Detch. │ │ 15 Wireless Detch. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │103 Ambulance Co. │103 Ambulance Co. Veterinary.│ │ │361 Field Hospital. │361 Field Hospital. │362 Field Hospital. │362 Field Hospital. │202 Vet. Hospital. │202 Vet. Hospital. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │ │591 M. T. Col. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Odd units. │Divisional M. T. Col. │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Attached. │M. G. Co. of the 4 Gd. Gren. │ │ Rgt. │ │12 T. M. Co. │ │24 Bomb Thrower. │ │14 M. G. Co. │ │75 M. G. S. S. Detch. │ │2 Bav. M. G. S. S. Detch. │ │1 Co. 629 Ambulance Co. │ │102 Gd. Pions. │ │2 Gd. Pion.Co. │ │1 Co. 29 Pions. │ │2 Co. 8 C. Dist. T. M. Btn. │ │1 Co. 8 C. Dist. T. M. Btn. │ │35 Flame-thrower Detch. │ │1 Btry. 107 F. A. Rgt. │ │22 Btries. 43 Res. F. Rgt. │ │1 Btry. 43 Res. F. A. Rgt. │ │2 Btries. 2 Gd. F. A. Rgt. │ │7 Ft. Art. Rgt. │ │4 Btries. 19 Ft. Art. Rgt. │ │2 Btries. 1 Res. Ft. Art. │ │ Rgt. │ │1 Btry. 16 Ft. Art. Rgt. │ │42 Art. Survey Section. │ │127 Giant Periscope Section. │ │306 Supply Train. │ │497 Ammunition Train. │ │117 Bav. Art. Ammunition │ │ Train. │ │42 Res. Art. Ammunition │ │ Train. │ │295 Ammunition Train. │ │28 Ammunition Train. │ │216 Ammunition Train. │ │31 Supply Depot. │ │13 Supply Depot. │ │81 Field Bakery. │ │10 Reconnaissance Flight. │ │265 Reconnaissance Flight. │ │111 Balloon Sqn. │ │107 Balloon Sqn. │ │37 Wireless Detch. │ │1135 Signal Detch. │ │289 Pigeon Loft. │ │92 Pigeon Loft. │ │2 Co. 87 Labor Btn. │ │3 Co. 87 Labor Btn. │ │100 Pris. of War Labor Btn. │ │Chemnitz Landst. Labor Btn. │ │2 Co. 11 Bav. Labor Btn. │ │1 and 4 Cos. 72 Road Building│ │ Btn. │ │(According to a captured │ │ document of Sept. 26, │ │ 1917.) │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────

HISTORY.

(32d Regiment: 11th. Corps District—Hesse—Electoral. 71st Regiment; 11th Corps District—Thuringen. 116th Reserve Regiment: 18th Corps District—Grand Duchy of Hesse.)

1915.

The 103d Division was formed at the Warthe cantonment in May, 1915, by taking the 32d Regiment from the 22d Division, the 71st Regiment from the 38th Division, and the 116th Reserve Regiment from the 25th Reserve Division.

SERBIA.

1. On May 10, 1915, the 103d Division was sent to a region near the Serbian frontier and stayed there, together with the 101st Division, until the end of June, between the Drave and the Save.

RUSSIA.

2. During the summer it appeared on the Russian front and participated in the offensive of the Linsingen Army—near Lemberg, July 29; near Sokal, August 16.

3. It was put at rest at the end of August.

SERBIA.

4. Transferred to southern Hungary (September), it took part in the Serbian campaign with the Gallwitz Army. It was at Kragujevac in November and at Nish at the beginning of December.

5. This expedition having been completed, it stayed at rest at Uskub, the 71st Infantry going to Veles.

1916.

MACEDONIA.

1. In January, 1916, the 116th Reserve Regiment advanced up to Macedonia and soon, at the end of February, the 103d Division was on the Greek frontier (Lake Dorian sector), to the left of the 101st Division, with which it formed the 4th Reserve Corps.

FRANCE.

2. Entrained for France about April 27.

CHAMPAGNE.

3. Detrained at Châtelet sur Retourne about May 6 and was reviewed at Avançon by the Emperor on the 9th and went into line on the 23d in the Prosnes-Prunay sector to the east of the 58th Division (these two divisions forming the 4th Reserve Corps).

VERDUN.

4. The 103d Division left Champagne on June 16 for the Verdun front. It was engaged on June 22 in the Vaux-Chapitre wood and took part in the big attack of June 23 on the Souville Fort and the attack of July 11. During this period (June-July) it suffered very heavy losses.

5. Relieved at the end of July, it went into line in a sector near Apremont Forest for a few days (until Aug. 2).

CÔTES DE MEUSE.

6. From the beginning of August to September 15 it occupied the front along the Côtes de Meuse (Bois des Chevaliers, Vaux les Palameix).

CHAMPAGNE.

7. Transferred to Champagne (Sept. 20), the division took over the Somme-Py sector, Tahure (until the beginning of October).

SOMME.

8. The 103d Division was next sent to the Somme (detrained at Bohain, Oct. 8). It was engaged between Bouchavesnes and the St. Pierre-Vaast wood (Oct. 15 to Nov. 10). The 116th Reserve Regiment was particularly put to the test.

CHAMPAGNE.

9. After a few days’ rest the division came back to Champagne (Nov. 13). It occupied the Souain sector (Nov. 15 to Jan. 15, 1917). While there was engaged only in a few local raids. In December and January it received important reenforcements.

1917.

VERDUN.

1. The 103d Division in January, 1917, went to the Verdun front (Samogneux-Louvemont). It stayed there four months and was always on the defensive.

CHEMIN DES DAMES.

2. Relieved on May 23, the division was transferred to the Aisne. It held the Chemin des Dames sector (Malmaison, Les Bovettes, Panthéon, La Royère) from May 26 to October 11–12. It only participated in the attacks of June 6 and July 8 as supporting troops and as a result suffered but slight losses during that period.

3. Relieved from the Aisne front on October 11 the 103d Division was sent to rest in the region of Sissonne. It seems to have been transferred on October 24 toward the north of the Ailette as an attacking division.

ST. QUENTIN.

4. After a rest at the end of November and the first two weeks of December in the vicinity of Origny-Ste. Benoite, the division took over the sector of Itancourt (Dec. 27–28) near St. Quentin.

RECRUITING.

The 32d Regiment and the 71st Regiment, recruited in Thuringen and Hesse-Electoral, and the 116th Reserve Regiment in the Grand Duchy of Hesse. Although the 3d Batallion of the 85th Landwehr was transferred to the 116th as 3d Batallion of this unit, its recruiting was a great deal less from the 9th Corps District than from the 18th Corps District.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The showing made by the 103d Division in the conflicts in which it was engaged warrants its being classed among the good units. Its losses in 1917 were comparatively small. Its strength was gradually made up of younger men by the transfer from it of the older soldiers. It was classed as an attack division by the German Command. A secret order of the 103d Division of September 20, 1917, contains the following: “Our division, which was specially trained for offensive work, and which is designated as an attack division (Angriffs division), is, in an offensive, very superior to the adversary * * *.”

1918.

BATTLE OF PICARDY.

1. The division was in line south of St. Quentin on March 21 as the left division of Von Conta group. It advanced toward Vendeuil without meeting great resistance and reached there at midnight. The 22d it reached the Crozat Canal and crossed at Liezon the next day. Placed in reserve on the 23d, it followed the general advance by Villequier-Aumont (24th), Quesmy (25th), Lagny (27th). On the 28th the division captured the Dives-Lassigny road and relieved the 36th Division in that vicinity. It attacked Plemont on March 30, but was unable to maintain its position and fell back on April 1, after heavy losses. It was relieved about April 15.

AISNE.

2. About April 27 the division relieved the 108th Division at Corbeny. It was still in line when the attack of May 27 started and advanced to the Marne northwest of Chatillon via Romigny, Vandieres, Bois de Mareuil. It was relieved by the 22d Division between June 24 and 26.

BATTLE OF THE MARNE.

3. It rested near Fismes until it reentered line about July 14 in the sector Anthenay-Bois de Trottes. It was engaged until about August 1, when it was withdrawn from the battle front southwest of Rheims.

CHEMIN DES DAMES.

4. The division rested at Malmaison until August 22, when it was engaged north of St. Aubin. In that locality it remained in line until about September 5.

CHAMPAGNE.

5. On September 26 the division entered line in Champagne, relieving the 202d Division in the area south of Fontaine en Dornmeois. It received the full weight of the French attack and in four days in line lost more than 2,000 prisoners, including 6 battalion commanders.

6. After three weeks of rest, elements of the division were reengaged southwest of Longwe on October 24. Other elements were identified in the sector of the 76th Reserve Division and the 2d Landwehr Division, near the junction of the American and French Armies. Elements continued to be identified in this general locality until the armistice. Most of the division appeared to have been opposed to the French Army. The last identification was at Sedan.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as third class. At the end its effectives were greatly reduced. Discontent over their prolonged service in line had lowered the morale of the division.

105th Division.

COMPOSITION.

─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │209. │21. │209. │21. │ │122 Fus. │ │122 Fus. │ │129. │ │129. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │4 Mounted Jag. Rgt. (2 │4 Mounted Jag. Rgt. (Sqns.). │ Sqns.). │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │209 F. A. Rgt. (7 Btries.). │209 F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│209 Pion. Co. │209 Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ │105 T. M. Co. │ │105 Pont. Engs. │ │105 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transports. │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────

HISTORY.

(21st and 129th Regiments: 17th Corps District—Western Prussia. 400th Regiment: 8th Corps District—Rhine Province.)

1915.

The 105th Division was formed at Thorn in May, 1915. At the outset it comprised the 122d Regiment of Fusileers obtained from the 26th Division (13th Corps District), the 21st Infantry from the 35th Division, and the 129th Infantry from the 36th Division (17th Corps District).

In 1917 the 400th replaced the 122d Regiment (Wurttemberg).

SERBIA.

1. In June, 1915, the 105th Division appeared on the Serbian front at the same time as the 101st and 103d Divisions.

GALICIA.

2. At the end of June it was transferred to Galicia via Budapest and Stry. It participated in the offensive against the Russians on the Gnila Lipa from June 24 to July 1, on the Zlota Lipa July 20. From Galicia it went to Poland; fought at Krasnostaw at the end of July and between Wieprz and the Jaselda until August 20. At the end of August it was on the Chtchertchev-Brest-Kobryn railway front.

SERBIA AND BULGARIA.

3. Chosen for the Serbian campaign, it again found itself in company with the 101st and 103d Divisions and went into line on the Serbian front in October but did not stay there long. While the 122d fusileers pushed on in the south of this country, the 21st and the 129th entrained in December for Eastern Bulgaria.

1916.

BULGARIA.

1. Assigned to watch the Roumanian frontier and the coast of the Black Sea, the 21st went to Varna and the 129th from Choumla to the coast. This mission did not end until May, 1916.

MACEDONIA.

2. At this time the division was being re-formed in Macedonia, where the three regiments were again together at the beginning of June.

GALICIA.

3. The June Russian offensive was responsible for its return to Galicia and at the end of the month it was in Bukovina. The 105th Division operated in the region of Kolomea (end of June, beginning of July) and suffered heavy losses. The 122d fusileers reported 26 officers and 1,165 men out of action. The division next fought in Galicia to the east of Stanislau in July and August (east of Tlumacz-Tysmienica), to the east of Halicz in September.

4. The division remained in the vicinity of Halicz until October.

COURLAND.

5. Relieved from Galicia, the division was sent to Courland, to the south of Kekkau (October).

6. On October 20 it took over the sector to the west of Jakobstadt.

1917.

JAKOBSTADT.

1. The 105th Division occupied the Jacobstadt front until November, 1917. In April the 400th Regiment replaced the 122d which was transferred to the 243d Division (old 8th Ersatz Division), a Wurttemberg unit. The division took Jacobstadt on September 21.

FRANCE.

2. On November 5 the 105th Division entrained at Mitau and was transported to France. (Itinerary: Kovno-Koenigsberg-Schneidemuehl- Berlin-Cassel-Coblenz-Treves-Thionville-Sedan-Mezieres.) It detrained at Juniville (south of Rethel) on November 11 and rested in this region.

RECRUITING.

The 21st and the 129th were classified as “troops from Western Prussia” in an official document. Although the 21st was called the 4th Pomeranian, it was actually recruited for the most part in the Province of Western Prussia, which was its station in peace time. The 400th was, by reason of its replacement depot, a Rhenish unit.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The 105th Division was first put into line on the French front at the beginning of January, 1918. It suffered losses in Galicia during the Summer of 1916.

Its long stay in the Courland sector had not increased its combat value.

1918.

BATTLE OF PICARDY.

1. The division was engaged west of Noyon on April 15 and remained in that area until May 17, when it was relieved by the 223d Division. Losses were very considerable in the early part of the division’s occupation of that sector.

NOYON.

2. It rested north of Noyon until May 31 when it reenforced the Aisne battle front at Nampcel, east of the Oise. Throughout June it was engaged in this sector. It attempted a local attack on Moulin sous Touvent on July 3 without success. In minor operations in June and July the division lost about 1,000 prisoners. In August it was heavily engaged and forced back on Noyon, where it was relieved by the 54th Division about September 1.

3. The division rested for about three weeks in the area south of Ferte Chevresis-Montigny sur Crecy. It was engaged at Septvaux about September 27. It fought in the retreat through Fourdrain as far as Mesbrecourt- Assis sur Serre. It held that sector until the capture of Mesbrecourt on October 22, after which it took up a position to the north. The division was in the neighborhood of Pargny wood until November 5. Thereafter it was identified at Vervins (6th), Voulpaix (7th), north of Wimy (9th).

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as third class. As a sector holding division it saw almost constant service most of which was in the Noyon area. Its morale was greatly lowered in November.

107th Division.

COMPOSITION.

─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────── │ 1915 │ 1916 ─────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬────────────── │ Brigade. │ Regiment. │ Brigade. │ Regiment. ─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────── Infantry. │213. │52 Res. │213. │52 Res. │ │227 Res. │ │227 Res. │ │232 Res. │ │232 Res. ─────────────┼──────────────┴──────────────┼──────────────┴────────────── Cavalry. │ (?) │3 Sqn. 1 Uhlan Rgt. ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Artillery. │213 F. A. Rgt. (7 Btries.). │213 F. A. Rgt. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Engineers and│213 Pion. Co. │213 Pion. Co. Liaisons. │ │ │ │4 Co. 21 Pions. │ │107 T. M. Co. │ │107 Pont. Engs. │ │107 Tel. Detch. │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Medical and │ │ Veterinary.│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────── Transport. │ │ ─────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────

HISTORY.

(52d Reserve Regiment: 3d Corps District—Brandenburg. 227th Reserve Regiment: 4th Corps District—Prussian Saxony. 232d Reserve Division: 10th Corps District—Hanover.)

1915.

The 107th Division was formed at Glogau in May, 1915, with regiments transferred from the 49th Reserve Division (227th Reserve Regiment), from the 50th Reserve Division (232d Reserve Regiment), and from the 5th Reserve Regiment (52d Reserve Regiment).

GALICIA.

1. The division took part in the battles near Lemberg (June 17–22).

RUSSIA.

2. In July the division was engaged near the Bug, in the vicinity of Grubeszow (July 19–30).

3. On July 31 it fought to the northeast of Cholm. It was near Wlodawa from August 13 to 17.

4. On August 25 and 26 it participated in the taking of Brest-Litowsk. It entered Pinsk on September 16.

SERBIA.

5. From Pinsk it operated against Serbia, staying there from the beginning of October to the end of November, 1915.

1916.

COURLAND.

1. In January, 1916, the division was in reserve in the vicinity of Dvinsk, where it remained until March 15.

POSTAVY-SMORGONI.

2. On March 18 it took over the sector to the north of Postavy. From May to June 20 it was near Smorgoni. At the end of the month it was assigned to meet the Russian offensive in Volhynia.

VOLHYNIA.

3. It was engaged between the Styr and the Stokhod from June 21 until the middle of July.

4. In August and September it was still in Volhynia, near the Kovel- Rovno railway.

KOVEL.

5. The division stayed in this region and occupied the sector west of Kachovka until the beginning of November, 1917.

1917.

FRANCE.

1. Relieved about November 9, 1917, from the Kovel sector, the 107th Division entrained on the 13th at Poginski for the Western Front. (Itinerary: Kovel-Brest-Litovsk-Warsaw-Posen-Frankfort on the Oder- Berlin-Cassel-Coblenz-Treves-Thionville-Sedan-Charleville-Hirson.) It detrained east of Cambrai on the 18th.

CAMBRAI.

2. From November 21 on it was engaged to the southwest of Cambrai (Noyelles-Rumilly).

3. It was retired from the front about the end of December.

RECRUITING.

The 52d Reserve Regiment remained a Brandenburger regiment, as at time of its formation. The 227th Reserve Regiment, formed in the 5th Corps District at the end of 1915, had a majority of effectives from the 4th Corps District and still received replacements from Prussian Saxony. On the other hand, the 232d Reserve Regiment, formed in the 4th Corps District, recruited principally in Hanover (10th Corps District). The 107th Division had hence a heterogeneous organization.

1918.

CAMBRAI.

1. The division remained in line in the Gonnelieu sector until about February 15, when it was relieved by the 18th Division from “B” Army and went into reserve. On March 1 it returned and relieved the 18th Division in its former sector at Gonnelieu.

BATTLE OF PICARDY.

2. It was still in line when the offensive of March 21 began and advanced via Mesnil to Avelny wood under the 39th Corps. It was relieved on April 16 by the 16th Reserve Division near Anthuille and went to rest near Cambrai.

3. On May 16 the division came into line at Morlancourt, relieving the 199th Division, and held that sector until the night of May 23–24. It rested in the Cambrai area until its return to line at Morlancourt on the night of June 20–21. It was withdrawn about August 1.

THIRD BATTLE OF THE SOMME.

4. When the British began the attack on August 8 the division hastily returned to line near Proyart. Until the 28th it was hotly engaged at Proyart, Mericourt, and Herleville. One thousand seven hundred prisoners were taken from the division in this fighting.

WOEVRE.

5. On September 3 the division started for Metz to rest. Its destination was changed and it detrained at Conflans on September 16, marched via Frianville-Brainville-Allamont-Moulotte to Harville, where it went into line. The sector was a quiet one, and the battalions were well rested.

MEUSE-ARGONNE.

6. The division left that sector on October 11 and went in trucks from Conflans to Stenay via Longuyon-Montmedy-Sedan. By way of Dun sur Meuse the division entered the line on October 14. One regiment had previously entered line on the 11th. Until the 20th the division was engaged in resisting without especial success the American attack. Two of the regiments of the division were out of the line from the 20th to November 1. The total losses of the division up to this time were estimated at 2,100, including 352 prisoners. Two regiments of the division were again engaged from November 1 to 10 in the Villers area, when the division was considered withdrawn following a failure to identify it by contact.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as third class. There was evidence that the morale of the men was low as a result of the heavy casualties that the division suffered throughout 1918.

108th Division.

COMPOSITION.