XIII (Royal Württemberg) Corps

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=XIII (Royal Württemberg) Army Corps ("XIII. (Königlich Württembergisches) Armeekorps")
dates=1817-1919
country=Württemberg/Germany
branch=Army
size=Approx. 40,000
garrison=Stuttgart
battles=Austro-Prussian War, Franco-Prussian War, World War I

The XIII (Royal Württemberg) Army Corps ("XIII. (Königlich Württembergisches) Armeekorps") was a corps of the Imperial German Army. It was, effectively, also the army of the Kingdom of Württemberg, which had been integrated in 1871 into the Prussian Army command structure, as had the armies of most German states. The corps was originally established as the Württemberg Corps Command ("Korpskommando") in 1817. It became the XIII Army Corps when it was integrated into the Prussian numbering system on December 18, 1871, shortly after the Franco-Prussian War. [Günter Wegner, "Stellenbesetzung der deutschen Heere 1815-1939." (Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück, 1993), Bd. 1, p. 73]

The corps saw action in the Austro-Prussian War as the Royal Württemberg Division of the VIII German Federation Army Corps ("VIII. deutschen Bundesarmeekorps"). In the Franco-Prussian War, the corps formed the headquarters staff of the Württemberg Field Division of the Combined Württemberg-Baden Army Corps. The Württemberg Field Division saw action in the battles of Wörth and Sedan and in the Siege of Paris.

On mobilization in 1914, the corps was subordinated to the 5th Army and saw action on the Western Front. It was transferred to the 6th Army during the Race to the Sea. In October 1914, the corps headquarters formed Corps Fabeck, which by the end of the month had become a provisional army group, commanding XV. Army Corps, II. Bavarian Army Corps and Corps Urach. In November, the XIII Army Corps was transferred from the 6th Army to the 9th Army on the Eastern Front. By 1916, the corps had returned to the Western Front and was subordinated to the 4th Army under Army Group Crown Prince Rupprecht. From April 1917 to March 1918, the corps commanded Group Caudry, another provisional command. In September 1918, it took over command of Group Ebene under Army Group Duke Albrecht of Württemberg, and commanded Group Ebene until war's end. [ [http://www.1914-18.info/erster-weltkrieg.php?u=544 XIII. (Königlich Württembergisches) Armeekorps (Chronik 1914/1918)] ]

Pre-World War I organization

The organization of the corps on July 3, 1913 was as follows: [Wegner, p. 74]
*26th Division (1st Royal Württemberg)
*27th Division (2nd Royal Württemberg)
*Landwehr Inspection Stuttgart
*13th Pioneer Battalion
*13th Train Battalion

Organization on mobilization in 1914

On mobilization, the corps assigned engineers (pioneers) and trains to its subordinate divisions, and received aviation and other support units from army assets. The organization of the corps on August 17, 1914, shortly after mobilization for World War I, was as follows: [Wegner, p. 74]

*26th Infantry Division (1st Royal Württemberg)
*27th Infantry Division (2nd Royal Württemberg)
*I. Battalion/13th Foot Artillery Regiment (heavy field howitzers)
*4th Field Aviation Detachment
*13th Corps Bridge Trains
*13th Corps Telephone Detachment
*Searchlight Platoon/13th Pioneer Battalion
*Corps munitions columns and trains

References

* [http://www.1914-18.info/erster-weltkrieg.php?u=544 XIII. (Königlich Württembergisches) Armeekorps (Chronik 1914/1918)]
* Claus von Bredow, bearb., "Historische Rang- und Stammliste des deuschen Heeres" (1905)
* Günter Wegner, "Stellenbesetzung der deutschen Heere 1815-1939." (Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück, 1993), Bd. 1

Notes