79. Reserve-Division 1914-1918
The 79th Reserve Division was one of a series of divisions raised during the winter of 1914-1915. Together with 80. Reserve-Division, it formed the 40th Reserve Corps.
Composition
The division was formed at Döberitz training area in December 1914 with two reserve infantry regiments mainly raised by Guards units, a reserve infantry regiment raised from the 4th Corps District and two reserve artillery regiments.
Infantry
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 261 was raised from Guards field battalions 1-3 and Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 262 from Guards field battalions 4-6 by Stellvertretendes General-Kommando des Garde-Korps in Döberitz. The third battalions of these two regiments were not designated with the Roman numeral III as in most infantry regiments, but were referred to as Füsilier battalions by order of the Guards infantry inspectorate.
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 263 was raised in Alten Grabow from field batallions 19 (Magdeburg), 20 (Magdeburg) and 21 (Halberstadt) by Stellvertretendes General-Kommando of IV. Armee-Korps.
Artillery
Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 63 was raised in December 1914 with a staff and two detachments, each with a light ammunition column (later to become leichte Munitions-Kolonne 133 and subsequently 1092, and 134 and subsequently 1275, respectively) by Stellvertretendes General-Kommando des Garde-Korps. The batteries were drawn from Guards field artillery regiments 1, 2, 3 and 4. In December 1916, a third detachment was added with a light ammunition column (later to become leichte Munitions-Kolonne 721). Its batteries were drawn from the 2nd replacement detachments of Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 80, Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 72 and Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 20. Further light ammunition columns were assigned to the regiment in early 1918: leichte Munitions-Kolonne Nr. 718 (I. Abteilung), 719 (II. Abteilung) and 1354 (III. Abteilung). Replacements were supplied by Ersatz-Feldartillerie-Regiment Zossen.
Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 64 was also raised in December 1914 with a staff and two detachments, each with a light ammunition column (later to become leichte Munitions-Kolonne 470 and subsequently 962, and 471 and subsequently 963, respectively) by Stellvertretendes General-Kommando of IV. Armee-Korps. At least one of the batteries was drawn from Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 74. In December 1916, a third detachment was added with a light ammunition column (later to become leichte Munitions-Kolonne 765). At least one battery was drawn from the 2nd replacement detachment of Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 18. Further light ammunition columns were assigned to the regiment in early 1918: leichte Munitions-Kolonne Nr. 987 (I. Abteilung), 988 (II. Abteilung) and 774 (III. Abteilung). Replacements were supplied by Ersatz-Feldartillerie-Regiment Zossen.
Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 64 was transferred to 226. Infanterie-Division in December 1916. The artillery command, previously the command of 79. Reserve-Feldartillerie-Brigade, was formed in mid February 1917.
Pionier and support elements
The engineer elements were organised under a battalion staff in 1917 and searchlight sections were added in the same year. The signals command was establised in early 1918. Maschinengewehr-Scharfschützen-Abteilung 12 was attached to the division in time for the spring offensive in 1918.
Kriegsgliederung/order of battle on 29 December 1914
79. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade |
||
| Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 261 | Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 262 | Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 263 |
| Reserve-Radfahr-Kompagnie 79 | ||
| Reserve-Kavallerie-Abteilung Nr. 79 | ||
79. Reserve-Feldartillerie-Brigade |
||
| Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 63 | Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 64 | |
| Reserve-Pionier-Kompagnie 81 | ||
Kriegsgliederung/order of battle on 23 February 1918
79. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade |
||
| Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 261 | Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 262 | Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 263 |
| Maschinengewehr-Scharfschützen-Abteilung 12 | ||
| 3. Eskadron Husaren-Regiment Kaiser Franz Josef von Österreich, König von Ungarn (Schleswig-Holsteinisches) Nr. 16 | ||
Artillerie-Kommandeur 79 |
||
| Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 63 | II. Bataillon Fußartillerie-Regiment Nr. 20 | |
Stab Pionier-Bataillon 379 |
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| Reserve-Pionier-Kompagnie 81 | 1. Ersatz-Kompagnie Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 24 | Minenwerfer-Kompagnie 279 |
| Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 479 | ||
Commanders
79. Reserve-Division 1914-1918
- From December 1914 to 12 August 1916 Generalmajor Karl Friedrich Bernhard Boëß
- From 15 August 1916 General der Infanterie z.D. Ernst von Bacmeister
- From 13 March 1918 Generalmajor Karl Georg Richard Landauer
Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 63
- From 29 December 1914 to 7 June 1916 Major Freiherr von Wangenheim (died 7 June 1916)
- From 15 June 1916 to 19 November 1917 Major (later Oberstleutnant) Cropp
- From 19 November 1917 until demobilisation Major Hüter (from F.A.R. 63 (F.A.R. 27 before the war))
Calendar of battles and engagements
| 79. Reserve-Division (Ostfront) | |
| 04.02.-22.02.1915 | Winterschlacht in Masuren |
| 23.02.-06.03.1915 | Gefechte am Bobr |
| 09.03.-12.03.1915 | Gefechte bei Seiny |
| 13.03.-24.03.1915 | Gefechte am Bobr |
| 25.03.-30.03.1915 | Gefechte bei Krasnopol und Krasne |
| 31.03.-20.07.1915 | Stellungskämpfe zwischen Augustow, Mariampol und Pilwiszki |
| 17.05.-20.05.1915 | Gefechte bei Szaki (Teile) |
| 04.06.-08.06.1915 | Gefechte bei Wyssoka-Ruda und Koslowa-Ruda |
| 10.06.-19.06.1915 | Gefechte bei Kalwarja, an der Dawina und Szlawanta |
| 21.07.-07.08.1915 | Kämpfe an der Jesia und bei Wejwery |
| 08.08.-18.08.1915 | Belagerung von Kowno |
| 19.08.-08.09.1915 | Njemen-Schlacht |
| 09.09.-02.10.1915 | Schlacht bei Wilna |
| 03.10.1915-30.11.1916 | Stellungskämpfe zwischen Krewo und Smorgon |
| 01.12.-05.12.1916 | Transport nach dem Westen |
| 79. Reserve-Division (Westfront) | |
| 04.12.1916-02.01.1917 | Reserve der O.H.-L. hinter der 6. Armee |
| 02.01.-01.04.1917 | Stellungskämpfe in Französisch-Flandern |
| 02.04.-13.04.1917 | Frühjahrsschlacht bei Arras |
| 14.04.-01.05.1917 | Stellungskämpfe an der Yser |
| 03.07.-12.07.1917 | Stellungskämpfe in Flandern |
| 17.07.-30.07.1917 | Grenzschutz an der belgisch-holländischen Grenze |
| 02.08.-17.08.1917 | Schlacht in Flandern |
| 29.08.1917-31.01.1918 | Kämpfe in der Siegfriedstellung |
| 30.11.-07.12.1917 | Angriffsschlacht bei Cambrai |
| 01.02.-20.03.1918 | Kämpfe in der Siegfriedstellung und Vorbereitungszeit für die "Große Schlacht in Frankreich" |
| 21.03.-06.04.1918 | Große Schlacht in Frankreich |
| 21.03.-22.03.1918 | Der Durchbruch zwischen Gouzeaucourt und Vermand |
| 23.03.-26.03.1918 | Verfolgungskämpfe im Sommegebiet |
| 25.03.1918 | Erstürmung des Mametz-Waldes |
| 07.04.-18.04.1918 | Kämpfe an der Ancre |
| 26.05.-20.06.1918 | Stellungskrieg in Flandern |
| 26.07.-03.08.1918 | Die bewegliche Abwehrschlacht zwischen Marne und Vesle |
| 09.08.-03.09.1918 | Abwehrschlacht zwischen Somme und Oise |
| 10.08.-27.08.1918 | Schlacht um Roye und Lassigny |
| 28.08.-03.09.1918 | Schlacht am Nordkanal bei Nesle und Noyon |
| 04.09.-18.09.1918 | Kämpfe vor der Siegfriedfront |
| 19.09.-02.10.1918 | Abwehrschlacht zwischen Cambrai und St. Quentin |
| 10.10.-04.11.1918 | Kämpfe vor und in der Hermannstellung |
| 17.10.-26.10.1918 | Kämpfe zwischen Oise und Serre |
| 18.10.1918 | Schlacht bei Wassigny |
| 04.11.1918 | Schlacht bei Etreux und Le Grand Verly |
| 05.11.-11.11.1918 | Rückzugskämpfe vor der Antwerpen-Maas-Stellung |
| 12.11.-19.12.1918 | Räumung des besetzten Gebietes und Marsch in die Heimat |
Sources
- Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee, 5th edition, Berlin
- Die Schlachten und Gefechte des Grossen Krieges 1914-1918, compiled by the Grosser Generalstab, Berlin 1919
- Geschichte des deutschen Heeres im Weltkriege 1914-1918, Hermann Cron, Berlin, 1937
- Formationsgeschichte der deutschen Infanterie im Ersten Weltkrieg 1914-1918, Hartwig Busche, 1998
- Handuch der Verbände und Truppen des deutschen Heeres 1914-1918, Teil IX: Feldartillerie, Band 1 & 2, Jürgen Kraus/Hartwig Busche, Wien, 2007
- Das Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 262 1914-1918, bearbeitet von Hauptmann d. R. Fischer, Sporn Verlag, Zeulenroda
- Erinnerungsblätter deutscher Regimenter - Geschichte des Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiments Nr. 63, bearbeitet von Felix Parrisius, Oberleutnant d.R. a.D., Stalling, Oldenburg/Berlin, 1925
- Histories of 251 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
Copyright © 2008 David Gregory