19th Division (German Empire)

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The 19th Division , also known as the 19th Infantry Division for the duration of the mobile relationship , was a large unit of the Prussian Army .

19th division

active October 11, 1866 to 1919
Country German EmpireThe German Imperium German Empire
Armed forces Prussian Army
Type Infantry Division
structure see: Outline
Insinuation Xth Army Corps
command Hanover

structure

The division was part of the X Army Corps .

Peace structure 1914

Organization of war during mobilization in 1914

  • 37th Infantry Brigade
    • Infantry Regiment "Duke Friedrich Wilhelm von Braunschweig" (East Frisian) No. 78
    • Oldenburg Infantry Regiment No. 91
  • 38th Infantry Brigade
    • Fusilier Regiment "General-Field Marshal Prince Albrecht of Prussia" (Hannoversches) No. 73
    • 1st Hannoversches Infantry Regiment No. 74
  • 3rd Squadron / Brunswick Hussar Regiment No. 17
  • 19th Field Artillery Brigade
    • 2nd Hanover Field Artillery Regiment No. 26
    • East Frisian Field Artillery Regiment No. 62
  • 1st Company / Hanover Pioneer Battalion No. 10

Division of War of March 8, 1918

  • 37th Infantry Brigade
    • 1st Hannoversches Infantry Regiment No. 74
    • Infantry Regiment "Duke Friedrich Wilhelm von Braunschweig" (East Frisian) No. 78
    • Oldenburg Infantry Regiment No. 91
    • Machine gun sniper division No. 30
    • 3rd Squadron / Brunswick Hussar Regiment No. 17
  • Artillery Commander No. 19
    • 2nd Hanover Field Artillery Regiment No. 26
    • Foot Artillery Battalion No. 93
  • Engineer Battalion No. 127
  • Division News Commander # 19

history

The division was established on October 11, 1866 after the German War and was in command in Hanover until it was dissolved in 1919 .

Franco-German War 1870/71

The superordinate X. Army Corps under General Konstantin Bernhard von Voigts-Rhetz was supposed to carry out an advance against the Metz - Verdun road via Thiaucourt . General Schwartzkoppen, commander of the 19th Division, attacked on August 16, 1870 during the Battle of Mars-la-Tour with two of his regiments (together a brigade) while on the move, without having clarified the terrain or strength and position of the enemy . His soldiers had walked twelve hours and were exhausted accordingly. He assumed that the attack would be against the French flank, but it was the center of the IV French Corps ( Ladmirault ).

During the attack on the heights of Bruville, the two regiments got caught in the crossfire of two French divisions ( Gernier and Cissey ). Within less than 30 minutes, his regiments suffered a loss of 2,600 men and had to withdraw completely defeated. These losses corresponded to 60% of the total strength, 45% of all soldiers of the regiments had fallen, including Brigadier General von Wedell and the two regimental commanders. It was only thanks to a relieved cavalry attack that the regiments were not completely wiped out, but were able to break away from the enemy. A French counterattack was carried out with only one brigade and could be repulsed.

First World War

Lieutenant General Max Hofmann was appointed commander of the 19th division on March 22, 1913. At the outbreak of the First World War, the 19th Division of the X. Army Corps under General von Emmich entered neutral Belgium, took part in the conquest of Liège and fought during the Battle of the Sambre near Namur and Châtelet . The division then crossed the Belgian-French border. During the battle of St. Quentin at the end of August, the division was able to repel the enemy standing on the heights of Mont d'Origny. After fighting on the Petit Morin , the Division received during the crucial Battle of the Marne the retreat command and resigned after the defensive battles in the Aisneschlacht in trench warfare over. In April 1915 the 19th Division moved to Galicia on the Eastern Front . Here the division took part in the breakthrough battle of Gorlice-Tarnów in early May as part of the 11th Army , then crossed the San and advanced to Jaroslau fighting . In June 1915, the 19th Division fought near Lubaczow and Lemberg . In mid-July 1915, the Russian lines were broken at Krasnostaw, followed in August and September 1915 from the Wieprz over the Bug to the Jasiolda. Between September 9 and 26, 1915, he was returned to the Western Front and then deployed in the autumn battle in Champagne . From mid-October 1915 to mid-May 1916, the division was engaged in another trench warfare on the Aisne.

Between June 7 and 12, 1916, the ship was again transported to the Eastern Front. In the summer of 1916, the division led heavy fighting on the upper Styr and Stochod as part of the Marwitz Army Group during the Brusilov Offensive . On July 30, 1916, General Walter von Hülsen was appointed commander of the 19th division. Subsequently, the 19th Division moved back to the Western Front in November 1916 and was used again on the Aisne. Then withdrawn from the front, the large formation was from December 23, 1916 to mid-January 1917 as a reserve of the Supreme Army Command with the 3rd Army and was involved in trench warfare in Champagne. During the second Battle of the Aisne in April and May 1917, the 19th Division maintained the front section assigned to it against multiple French attacks. This was followed by position battles in front of Reims and in Champagne , before the division was also deployed in front of Verdun from September 1917 .

At the beginning of March 1918, the large association prepared in the section for the Michael Offensive . On March 21, the division on the left wing of the 2nd Army in the Association of General Command 51 ( Hofacker ) started the attack. One day later, the division was able to cross the Somme south of Péronne and then advance to Amiens . The English 50th Division under Major General HC Jackson was overrun, 60 guns, seven tanks and 1000 prisoners were brought in. On June 9, 1918, the 19th Division attacked as part of the XVII. Army Corps (Gruppe Webern ) in the area west of Noyon to the south and reached the Matz sector. Between June 20 and the end of July the division carried out trench warfare in Lorraine. After the failure of the last German attack efforts on the Marne , the division on the Vesle in the Reims area was engaged in permanent defensive battles; in November it was fighting in the Antwerp-Maas position. After the end of the war, General von Hülsen led the remains of the 19th Division via Linz am Rhein to Marburg and from there to the garrison in Hanover.

Battle calendar

1914

1915

  • until April 25th - fighting on the Aisne
  • April 25-30 - transport to the east
  • 0May 1st to 3rd - Battle of Gorlice-Tarnów
  • 0May 4th to 23rd - pursuit battles after the Battle of Gorlice-Tarnów
  • May 16-23 - crossing over the San
  • May 24th to 26th - fights near Radymno and San
  • May 27th to June 4th - fighting at the Jaroslau bridgehead
  • June 12-15 - breakthrough battle of Lubaczów
  • June 17th to 22nd - Battle of Lviv
  • June 22nd to July 16th - Persecution battles on the Galician-Polish border
  • July 16-18 - breakthrough battle of Krasnostav
  • July 19-28 - fighting following the breakthrough battle at Krasnostav
  • July 29-30 - Breakthrough Battle of Biskupice
  • July 31 to August 19 - chase battles from Wieprz to Bug
  • August 19 to September 8 - Chase battles between Bug and Jasiolda
  • 0September 9-26 - OHL reserves and transport to the west
  • September 27th to October 18th - Autumn battle in Champagne
  • from October 19th - fighting on the Aisne

1916

  • until May 16 - fighting on the Aisne
  • May 17 to June 7 - OHL reserve and transport to the east
  • 0June 4th to July 15th - fighting on the Stochod
  • July 16-27 - fighting on the upper Styr- Stochod
  • July 28th to November 4th - Battle of Kovel
  • 05th to 9th November - trench warfare on the upper Styr-Stochod
  • 0November 9-13 - transport to the west
  • November 14th to December 22nd - fighting on the Aisne
  • from December 23rd - OHL reserve in 3rd Army

1917

  • until January 13th - Reserve of the OHL in the 3rd Army
  • January 13th to April 5th - Trench warfare in Champagne
  • 0April 6th to May 27th - Aisne-Champagne double battle
  • May 28th to July 18th - Trench warfare near Reims
  • July 19 to September 9 - Trench warfare in Champagne
  • 0September 9th to October 9th - defensive battle near Verdun
  • from 9 September - trench warfare in front of Verdun
    • November 25th - Fighting at height 344 before Verdun

1918

  • until March 5th - trench warfare in front of Verdun
  • 0March 7-20 - Fighting in the Siegfriedstellung and preparation for the Great Battle in France
  • March 21 to April 6 - Great battle in France
    • March 21-22 - breakthrough between Gouzeaucourt and Vermand
    • March 23rd to 25th - summer transition
    • March 23-26 - Pursuit battles in the summer area
  • 0April 7th to June 1st - Fights on the Ancre , Somme and Avre
  • 0June 1-8 - fights on the Avre and near Montdidier and Noyon
  • 0June 9-13 - Battle of Noyon
  • 0June 9-15 - Fighting on the Avre and Matz
  • June 20th to August 1st - Trench warfare in Lorraine
  • 0August 1st to 3rd - Mobile defensive battle between Marne and Vesle
  • 04th to 8th August - Trench warfare near Reims
  • 0August 7th to September 3rd - trench warfare on the Vesle
  • 0September 3 to October 9 - fighting in front of the Siegfried Front
  • October 10-12 - Fighting on the Hunding and Brunhild fronts
  • October 13th to November 4th - fights in the dog position
  • 0November 5th to 11th - fighting in retreat in front of the Antwerp-Maas position
  • from November 12th - evacuation of the occupied territory and march home

Commanders

Rank Surname date
Lieutenant General Hugo Eberhard zu Münster-Meinhövel October 30, 1866 to August 9, 1867
Lieutenant General Emil von Schwartzkoppen August 10, 1867 to October 21, 1870
Major general Emil from Woyna October 22, 1870 to August 17, 1871 (in charge of the tour)
Lieutenant General Ludwig von Schlotheim August 18, 1871 to March 19, 1872
Lieutenant General Hermann von Tresckow March 20, 1872 to January 1873
Lieutenant General Otto von Strubberg January 23, 1873 to October 27, 1880
Lieutenant General Bernhard von Drigalski October 28, 1880 to September 3, 1884
Major general Albert von Rauch 0August 6 to September 3, 1884 (substitute)
Lieutenant General Albert von Rauch 0September 4, 1884 to August 1, 1888
Major general Hermann von Lettow-Vorbeck 0August 2 to September 18, 1888 (in charge of the tour)
Lieutenant General Hermann von Lettow-Vorbeck September 19, 1888 to January 26, 1892
Lieutenant General Hans von Lenke January 27, 1892 to May 19, 1896
Lieutenant General Franz von der Mülbe May 20, 1896 to April 17, 1898
Lieutenant General Gustav von Blumenthal April 18, 1898 to May 10, 1901
Lieutenant General Adolf von Rosenberg-Gruszinski May 11, 1901 to March 21, 1902
Lieutenant General Erich Lölhöffel from Löwensprung March 22, 1902 to April 21, 1905
Lieutenant General Moriz from Lyncker April 22, 1905 to December 16, 1908
Major general Arthur von Dietlein December 17, 1908 to April 19, 1909 (in charge of the tour)
Lieutenant General Arthur von Dietlein April 20, 1909 to January 4, 1911
Lieutenant General Magnus von Eberhardt 0January 5, 1911 to March 21, 1913
Lieutenant General Max Hofmann March 22, 1913 to July 20, 1915
Lieutenant General Max von Schmettau July 21, 1915 to July 30, 1916
Major General / Lieutenant General Walter von Hülsen July 30, 1916 to January 1919

literature

  • Hall of Fame of our Old Army. Published on the basis of official material from the Reichsarchiv , Militär-Verlag, Berlin 1927, pp. 66, 117.
  • Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-One Divisions of the German Army Which Participated in the War (1914-1918). United States War Office as War Department Document No. 905, Office of the Adjutant, 1920, pp. 295-298.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Geoffrey Wawro: The Franco-Prussian War. The German Conquest of France in 1870–1871. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-61743-7 . P. 157 f.
  2. ↑ Dermot Bradley (ed.), Günter Wegner: Occupation of the German Army 1815-1939. Volume 1: The higher command posts 1815–1939. Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1990, ISBN 3-7648-1780-1 , p. 116.