1st Reserve Division (German Empire)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=1st Reserve Division ("1. Reserve-Division")
dates=1914-1919
country=Germany
branch=Army
type=Infantry
size=Approx. 15,000
World War I: Gumbinnen, Tannenberg, 1st Masurian Lakes, Łódź, Spring Offensive, Hundred Days Offensive

The 1st Reserve Division ("1. Reserve-Division") was a reserve infantry division of the Imperial German Army in World War I. It was formed on mobilization in August 1914 from reserve infantry units primarily from East Prussia. The division served from the beginning of the war until October 1917 on the Eastern Front, after which it was transferred to the Western Front for the war's final campaigns. It was rated a third class division by Allied intelligence, mainly due to its losses in heavy fighting and reduced quality of replacement troops. [ [http://www.1914-18.info/erster-weltkrieg.php?u=367 1. Reserve-Division - Der erste Weltkrieg] ] ["Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-One Divisions of the German Army which Participated in the War (1914-1918), compiled from records of Intelligence section of the General Staff, American Expeditionary Forces, at General Headquarters, Chaumont, France 1919" (1920)]

August 1914 organization

The 1st Reserve Division's initial wartime organization was as follows: [Cron et al., "Ruhmeshalle"]

*1.Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade:
**Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 1
**Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 3
*72.Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade:
**Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 18
**Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 59
**Reserve-Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 1
*Reserve-Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 1
*Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 1
*4./Pommersches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 2

Late World War I organization

Divisions underwent many changes during the war, with regiments moving from division to division, and some being destroyed and rebuilt. During the war, most divisions became triangular - one infantry brigade with three infantry regiments rather than two infantry brigades of two regiments (a "square division"). The 1st Reserve Division triangularized in June 1917. [ [http://www.1914-18.info/erster-weltkrieg.php?u=367&info=01.Reserve-Division&start=100 1. Reserve-Division - Der erste Weltkrieg] ] An artillery commander replaced the artillery brigade headquarters, the cavalry was further reduced, the engineer contingent was increased, and a divisional signals command was created. The 1st Reserve Division's order of battle on January 1 1918 was as follows: [Cron et al., "Ruhmeshalle"]

*1.Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade:
**Ostpreußisches Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 1
**Ostpreußisches Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 3
**Posensches Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 59
*4.Eskadron/2.Garde-Ulanen-Regiment
*Artillerie-Kommandeur 71:
**Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 1
**II./Reserve-Fußartillerie-Regiment Nr. 1
*Stab Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 301:
**4./Pommersches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 2
**1.Reserve-Kompanie/Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 34
**Minenwerfer-Kompanie Nr. 201
*Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 401

References

* [http://www.1914-18.info/erster-weltkrieg.php?u=367 1.Reserve-Division] at [http://www.1914-18.info 1914-18.info]
* Hermann Cron et al., "Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee" (Berlin, 1935)
* Günter Wegner, "Stellenbesetzung der deutschen Heere 1815-1939", Bd. 1 (Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück, 1993)
* "Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-One Divisions of the German Army which Participated in the War (1914-1918), compiled from records of Intelligence section of the General Staff, American Expeditionary Forces, at General Headquarters, Chaumont, France 1919" (1920)

Notes