243rd (Württemberg) Infantry Division

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243rd (Württemberg) Infantry Division

active April 1, 1917 to January 1919
Country Kingdom of Württemberg Kingdom of Württemberg
Armed forces Württemberg Army
Type Infantry division
structure See: Outline
Location See garrisons
First World War Western front
Aisne-Champagne double battle
Great battle in France
Commanders
Please refer: List of commanders

The 243rd (Württembergische) Infantry Division was a major unit of the Württemberg Army in the First World War .

history

When the First World War broke out in August 1914, the 8th Replacement Division was set up as the Prussian Association. The formation phase came to an end with the concentration of all troops on the evening of August 17, 1914 in Saarbrücken.

On January 13, 1917, the Supreme Army Command (OHL) ordered a Württ. Pioneer staff to be set up, to which the pioneer companies No. 253 and 306, the mine thrower company No. 162 and the Württ. Searchlight platoon No. 248, as well as two others heavy fortress floodlights, a section engineer with construction departments, conveyor rail, road construction, water pipe commands, sawmills and heavy current construction and operating commands were subordinated.

By order of the Württemberg War Ministry on February 7, 1917, the division was renamed the 8th (Württ.) Replacement Division and by order of March 22, 1917, it was given its final designation 243. (Württemberg) Infantry Division on April 1, 1917 Division.

Garrisons

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

Battle calendar

The 243rd (Württ). Infantry Division in front of Verdun 1917

The division was used exclusively on the western front.

Participated in the Battle of Lorraine from 20 to 22 August 1914 and in the Battle of Nancy - Épinal from 22 August to 14 September . From 13 September 1914 fights in the Priesterwald and fights near Remenauville, Regnièville , Féy , including battles on the Delmer Ridge from 17 to 27 September . From September 18, fights between Meuse and Moselle , including battles at Mort-Mare from October 21 to 23, battles near Norrey from November 1 to 2, and battles in the Priesterwald from December 7 to 10.

Fighting in the Priest Forest until May 6, 1915, including battles on the Croix des Carmes from January 17 to 25, battles on the Croix des Carmes from February 16 to 17, battles in the Priest Forest from March 30 to April 15 and from January 31 March to April 7th, battles at Regniéville-Fey. Fights at Remenauville, Regnièville, Fey, with Fey on July 4th. Until February 20, 1916 fighting between Meuse and Moselle.

From February 21st to August 25th 1916 fighting between Meuse and Moselle, with fighting in the Priesterwald from March 2nd to October 6th. From August 26th to October 6th, trench warfare between Meuse and Moselle. Until October 6th, fighting at Remenauville, Regnièville, Fey. From October 12th to November 18th, Battle of the Somme . From November 23, 1916 to February 23, 1917 fighting in the priest forest, near Regniéville and Fey; Trench warfare between the Meuse and the Moselle.

Retreat fighting of the 243rd (Württ.) Infantry Division in November 1918

Until March 1, 1917 trench warfare at Remeanuville, Regniéville and Fey en Haye. Trench warfare near Reims until August 26th . From August 27 to October 9, defensive battle near Verdun , then until March 18, 1918, positional battles in front of Verdun

From March 23rd to April 6th, 1918 Great Battle in France , from March 23rd to March 26th, pursuit battles in the summer area and from March 31st to April 5th, fighting to force the Avre crossing at Moreuil . From April 7th to August 7th 1918 fights on the Ancre , Somme and Avre, including the battle of Villers-Bretonneux , Luce and Avre from April 24th to 26th . From 8 to 20 August 1918 defensive battle between Somme and Avre, including from 8 to 9 August tank battle between Ancre and Avre and from 10 to 12 August battle on the Roman road. From August 22nd to September 2nd the Battle of Albert - Péronne . From September 3rd to 7th fighting in front of the Siegfried Front. Trench warfare in Lorraine and the Vosges from 9 September to 6 October . Defensive battle in Flanders from October 6th to 13th . From October 13th to November 4th fighting in front of and in the Hermann position. From November 5 to 11, fighting in retreat in front of the Antwerp - Meuse position. From November 12th evacuation of the occupied area and march home.

organization

Association membership

The division was after the establishment of the XXI. Army Corps and was part of the 6th Army . Towards the end of 1914 it switched to the XIV Army Corps and was placed under the Strantz Army Department in mid-December .

The division stayed there for more than 21 months until it was transferred to Group D ( von Garnier ) of the 1st Army on the Somme in early October 1916 . In mid-November she returned to her old positions in Army Division C.

In April 1917 she was placed under General Quast at the Aisnefront of the Aisne Group (General Command Guard Corps ) and thus became part of the 1st Army again. At the end of August 1917, the division switched to the 5th Army . Initially used as the Army Group Reserve of the Maas Group West (General Command VII Army Corps ), it was assigned to the Maas Group East (General Command XI Army Corps) at the beginning of September. In mid-October she resigned to the Maas Group West.

In the Great Battle of France , she took part as a corps reserve of the XIV. Army Corps , but was already under the command of the III. Army Corps of the 18th Army . Then used at General Command No. 51 of the 2nd Army , after a brief change of position to the XIV. Army Corps at the end of April as an OHL reserve to the XXIII. Subordinate to Reserve Corps . From mid-May the division was used again in the area of ​​the 2nd Army, this time in the command area of ​​the XIII. (Royal Württemberg) Army Corps . She then moved to General Command No. 54 until the end of August . At the end of August it was assigned to the XI. Army Corps , later the General Command No. 51, which covers the section of the XI. Army Corps had taken over. At the beginning of September she was subordinate to the IV Reserve Corps , which had taken over the section of General Command No. 51. In September, the Division moved to Alsace to X. Army Corps of Army Division B . However, she only stayed there very briefly. Already at the end of September the transport to Flanders to the Army Group "Crown Prince Rupprecht" took place , initially as Army Group Reserve and intervention division for the X Reserve Corps . In mid-October the Union left Flanders again and was subordinated to General Command No. 51 in the Hermann position south of Le Cateau. With that he returned to the 2nd Army. Used as an army reserve in the Aulnoye area from November 2, the division was involved in fierce retreat battles until the armistice.

structure

Division of war in August 1914

Division of War of March 24, 1918

The last division commander Lieutenant General zD Friedrich von Schippert.

Commanders

Rank Surname date
Lieutenant General Friedrich von Hausmann 0August 2 to September 1, 1914
Lieutenant General Hermann Kosch 0September 2, 1914 to April 5, 1915
Lieutenant General Friedrich von Hausmann 0April 6 to April 21, 1915
Major general Karl von Stumpff April 22, 1915 to January 1, 1917
Lieutenant General Hans von Leyser 0January 2 to February 2, 1917
Lieutenant General z. D. Friedrich von Schippert 0February 9, 1917 to January 1919

Others

Combat value

In 1917, the Allies assessed the division's units as good. At the turn of the year 1917/18, after the heavy fighting in front of Verdun, their fighting strength sank and they were judged to be mediocre. Due to the further heavy losses in the course of 1918, the combat strength of the division fell again noticeably and the Allies now rated it as third class. Thus at the end of October 1918 the combat strength of regiments No. 122 was 390 men, No. 478 was 429 men and No. 479 was 364 men. All in all, however, she was recognized for a commendable commitment to the mostly highly competitive sections of the front.

See also

References

swell

literature

  • Fritz von Graevenitz : The development of the württemb. Heerwesens and the German top leadership in the world war in their meaning for the Württ. Armed forces. (Württemberg's Army in World War I, issue 1 and 2. [double volume]), Bergers Literarisches Büro und Verlagsanstalt, Stuttgart 1921.
  • Otto von Moser : The Wuerttembergians in the World War. 2nd expanded edition, Chr.Belser AG, Stuttgart 1928.
  • Hall of Fame of our Old Army. Published on the basis of official material from the Reichsarchiv , Militär-Verlag, Berlin 1927, pp. 76, 173.
  • Ludwig Uhland: The 51st Württ. Replacement Infantry Brigade in World Wars 1914–17. (Part I), The 243rd Infantry Division in World Wars 1917-18. (Part II) (Württemberg's Army in World War I, No. 10), Stuttgart 1926.
  • United States Army, American Expeditionary Forces General Staff, G-2: Histories of two hundred and fifty-one divisions of the German Army which participated in the war (1914-1918) , Chaumont, France, 1919 (1920).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ See Uhland 1926, p. 43
  2. ↑ Hall of Fame. P. 347.
  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 , pp. 162, 199.
  4. ↑ Uhland 1926, p. 91.

Remarks

  1. ^ The brigade was disbanded on February 1, 1917.
  2. Jump up ↑ On July 15, 1915, the battalion became the 1st Battalion of Infantry Regiment No. 363.
  3. Jump up ↑ On July 15, 1915, the battalion became 2nd Battalion of Infantry Regiment No. 363.
  4. ↑ The battalion was on July 15, 1915 for III. Battalion of Infantry Regiment No. 363.
  5. ↑ On July 15, 1915, the battalion became the 1st Battalion of Infantry Regiment No. 364.
  6. ↑ On July 15, 1915, the battalion became 2nd Battalion of Infantry Regiment No. 364.
  7. ↑ The battalion was on July 15, 1915 for III. Battalion of the 364 Infantry Regiment.
  8. ↑ In July 1915, the division was used to set up Division I of Field Artillery Regiment No. 95.
  9. ↑ On July 22, 1915, the division was called in to establish the II. Division of Field Artillery Regiment No. 44.
  10. ^ The brigade was disbanded on July 9, 1915.
  11. ↑ On July 15, 1915, the battalion became the 1st battalion of Infantry Regiment No. 365.
  12. Jump up ↑ On July 15, 1915, the battalion became 2nd Battalion of Infantry Regiment No. 365.
  13. ↑ The battalion had six companies and on July 15, 1915 became III. Battalion of the 365 Infantry Regiment.
  14. ↑ The department was used at the end of April 1916 to set up the I. Department of the Landwehr Field Artillery Regiment No. 13.