242nd (Württemberg) Infantry Division

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242nd (Württemberg) Infantry Division

active January 16, 1917 to May 8, 1919
Country Kingdom of Württemberg Kingdom of Württemberg
Armed forces Württemberg Army
Type Infantry division
structure See: Outline
First World War Western front
Aisne-Champagne double battle
Great battle in France
Commanders
Please refer: List of commanders

The 242nd (Württemberg) Infantry Division was a major unit of the Württemberg Army from 1917 to 1919 .

history

At the beginning of 1917, by order of the Supreme Army Command in the area of ​​the Deputy General Command XIII. (Königlich Württembergisches) Army Corps, the 242nd ( Württemberg) Infantry Division set up. By order of the Württemberg War Ministry , the division met on January 16, 1917 at the Münsingen military training area and was put into service.

The units of the new unit were partly old, battle-tested formations that already had two years of war experience, partly they were only newly formed. Thus, from the war using performance teams and recruits born in the year 1898 almost all württembergischer replacement battalions, the two infantry regiments no. 475 and 476 set. Together with the active 9th Württ. Infantry Regiment No. 127 of the 27th Division (2. Kgl. Württ.) They formed the 242nd (Württ.) Infantry Brigade. The infantry regiment No. 127, like the newly established Württemberg field artillery regiment No. 281, only joined the division in Lorraine, the first place of deployment.

The mine throwing company No. 442, the two pioneer companies No. 475 and No. 476 as well as the double telephone train initially remained with their replacement troops in Ulm or on the military training area in Münsingen.

The division staff was reorganized, the staff of the 242nd (Württ.) Infantry Brigade was formed from that of the previous 54th (Württ.) Infantry Brigade. The staff of the artillery commander was set up on February 9 and that of the engineer commander on February 21, 1917.

At the end of February and beginning of March, the remaining units that were still missing joined the division association. These were the 2nd squadron of the Reserve Dragoon Regiment in Sontheim, the horse hospital No. 275 in Ludwigsburg, the division motor vehicle column No. 652 in Stuttgart and the field post expedition in Münsingen.

On the afternoon of March 8, 1917, King Wilhelm said goodbye to the division from home.

Garrisons

Set up as a war formation, the division had no peace garrison.

Battle calendar

The division was put together on January 16, 1917 and used exclusively on the Western Front. After the end of the war, the association marched back home, where demobilization and subsequent dissolution took place.

1917

  • March 10-30 - Reserve of the OHL
  • March 30th to April 30th - Trench warfare in Lorraine
  • 0May 3rd to 27th - Aisne-Champagne double battle
  • May 28th to August 21st - Trench warfare near Reims
  • August 22nd to September 13th - defensive battle near Verdun
  • from September 13th - trench warfare near Reims

1918

  • until January 19th - trench warfare near Reims
  • January 20th to March 22nd - Trench warfare near Reims
  • March 25th to April 6th - Great Battle of France
  • 0April 7th to May 2nd - fighting on the Avre and near Montdidier and Noyon
  • 0May 5th to October 9th - Trench warfare near Reims
  • October 10th to 12th - fighting in front of the Hunding and Brunhilde fronts
  • October 13th to 19th - Trench warfare on the Aisne
  • October 20-23 - Battle of Vouziers
  • October 24th to 31st - Fights on the Aisne and Aire
  • 0November 1st to 4th - Fights between Aisne and Meuse
  • 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

organization

Association membership

After its establishment, the division was available to the Supreme Army Command and was assigned to the General Command z. b. V. No. 65 of Army Division A , ( Army Group Duke Albrecht ) south-east of Metz .

From the end of April 1917 she was subordinated to the 1st Army as an intervention division with the Reims Group (General Command VII Reserve Corps ), and from mid-May 1917 with the Prosnes Group (General Command III Army Corps ). After returning to the “Reims” group on June 1, 1917, the association switched to the Maasgruppe Ost (General Command of the 5th Reserve Corps ) of the 5th Army . Returned to the 1st Army in mid-September 1917 as Army Group Reserve , the division was assigned to the “Brimot” group (General Command X. Reserve Corps , from October 30th, XV Army Corps ) on September 26, 1917 .

From January 31, 1918 she worked again with the group "Reims" (General Command VII. Reserve Corps), then from the end of February 1918 as a reserve and intervention division of the Supreme Army Command, alternating with the groups "Reims" (General Command VII. Reserve Corps) and "Prosnes" (from February 10th General Command XXIV Reserve Corps ). After eleven months of service with the 1st Army, a change of position as a reserve to the XVII took place in March 1918 . Army Corps in the area of ​​the 18th Army . Only a short time later, the division returned to the 1st Army (Group "Reims", VII. Reserve Corps) as an intervention division at the beginning of May 1918 and remained there until the end of the war.

structure

Division of war in May 1917

Division of War of May 2, 1918

Commanders

Rank Surname date
Major general Gotthold Alexander von Erpf January 16, 1917 to May 8, 1919

Others

In December 1917, the Allies rated the division's combat value as good and viewed it as a morally sound attack division . In 1918 it was still rated as decent, although the discipline had loosened after the heavy losses in September fights.

See also

References

swell

literature

  • Hellmut Gnamm: The 242nd Infantry Division in World War 1914–1918. (Württemberg's Army in World War I, Issue 9), Bergisches Literarisches Büro and Publishing House, Stuttgart 1922.
  • Fritz von Graevenitz: The development of the württemb. Army. The importance of the German top leadership in the World War for Württ. Armed forces. (Württemberg's Army in World War I, Issues 1 and 2 [double volume]), Bergers Literarisches Büro und Verlagsanstalt, Stuttgart 1921.
  • Hall of Fame of our Old Army. Published on the basis of official material from the Reichsarchiv , Militär-Verlag, Berlin 1927, pp. 76, 173.
  • Otto von Moser : The Wuerttembergians in the World War. 2nd expanded edition, Chr.Belser AG, Stuttgart 1928.
  • 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. 739-740.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Gnamm 1922, p. 87 f.
  2. ↑ Gnamm 1922, p. 86; Moser (first edition) 1927, p. 122.
  3. ↑ 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. 162.

Remarks

  1. ↑ Was disbanded on April 30, 1917 to replenish the infantry regimental mortar companies.
  2. ↑ Was from August 1914 to the end of 1916 at the XIII. Army Corps or 27th (2. Kgl. Württ.) Division, then as an army force in the 1st Army and from April 1917 on with the 242nd (Württemberg) Infantry Division.
  3. ↑ Was previously as Reserve Hospital No. 11 from August 1914 to April 1917 with the 26. (Württ.) Reserve Division.
  4. ↑ Erpf had been entrusted with the installation since January 2, 1917. The commissioning of the division and with it the assumption of command did not take place until January 16, 1917.