58th Division (5th Royal Saxon)

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The 58th Division (5th Royal Saxon) was a major unit of the Saxon Army during the First World War . Initially set up as a Saxon-Württemberg division, the unit became a purely Saxon association after the Württemberg formations were exchanged in early 1917.

history

Lieutenant General Georg von Gersdorff

The division was formed on March 1, 1915, initially deployed on the western front , but after a short time detached again and relocated to the eastern front. She stayed there until October 1915 and then returned to the Western Front. In mid-April 1917, the division was again transferred to the Eastern Front for almost six months, before the division then fought in the west until the armistice . After the end of the war, the division returned home, where it was demobilized in January 1919 and then disbanded.

Battle calendar

1915

  • March 5th to May 9th --- Reserve of the OHL
  • May 9th to June 21st --- Battle of La Bassée and Arras
  • June 21 to July 13 --- Trench warfare on the Yser
  • July 12th to 20th --- Reserve of the OHL
  • July 20 to 24 --- Transport to the East
  • July 25 to August 26 --- Narew - Bobr -Schlacht
  • July 26th to August 3rd --- First Narew crossing at the Szkwa estuary
  • August 11th to 15th --- Fights on the Slina section
  • August 16-25 --- Second Narew crossing at Tykozin, Zoltki and Kruschewo
    • August 24th to 26th --- Fights near Bialystok, Knyszyn and the Berezina section
  • September 1st to 8th --- Battle of Nyemen
  • September 9th to October 2nd --- Battle of Vilna
  • October 3rd to 13th --- Position battles between Smorgon and Lake Naroch
  • October 13-21 --- Transport to the West
  • from October 21st --- Trench warfare in Lorraine

1916

  • until March 11th --- Trench warfare in Lorraine
  • March 12th to April 6th --- Battle of Verdun
  • April 9th ​​to September 12th --- Position battles in Champagne
  • September 13th to 26th --- Battle of the Somme
  • September 28 to October 22 --- Trench warfare on the Yser
  • October 22nd to November 20th --- Battle of the Somme
  • November 20 to December 17 --- 1st Army Reserve
  • from December 18th --- Position battles in front of Verdun

1917

  • until March 20th --- Position battles in front of Verdun
  • March 21 to April 5 --- Trench warfare in Champagne
  • April 6 to 23 --- Aisne-Champagne double battle
  • April 23-29 --- Transport to the East
  • April 29th to May 17th --- Upper East Reserve
  • May 17th to September 17th --- Position battles between Krewo-Smorgon-Natotsch-See and Tveretsch
  • September 18 to October 6 --- Trench warfare between Niemen -Beresina-Krewo-Smorgon-Naroch and Tweretsch
  • October 6-10 --- Transport to the West
  • October 10th to 13th --- Reserve of the Army Group "Crown Prince Rupprecht"
  • October 13th to December 3rd --- Autumn battle in Flanders
  • from December 4th --- Trench warfare in Flanders

1918

  • until April 9th ​​--- position battles in Flanders
  • April 10-15 --- Trench warfare in Flanders
  • April 16-29 --- Fights in the Wytschaete Arch
  • April 30th to August 24th --- Trench warfare in Flanders
  • August 24th to September 2nd --- Battle of Monchy-Bapaume
  • September 3 to 26 --- Fighting in front of the Siegfried Front
  • September 27th to October 8th --- Defensive battle between Cambrai and St. Quentin
  • October 9th to November 4th --- Fights in front of and in the Hermann position
  • November 5th to 11th --- fighting in retreat in front of the Antwerp - Meuse position
  • from November 12th --- evacuation of the occupied territory and march home

structure

Division of War of March 6, 1915

Division of War of August 22, 1918

  • 116th Infantry Brigade
    • Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 103
    • Infantry Regiment "King Georg" (7th Royal Saxon) No. 106
    • Infantry Regiment "Prince Johann Georg" (8th Royal Saxon) No. 107
    • 4th Squadron / 2nd Royal Saxon Uhlan Regiment No. 18
  • Artillery Commander No. 57
    • Field Artillery Regiment No. 115
    • Foot Artillery Battalion No. 97
  • Engineer Battalion No. 142
  • Divisional News Commander # 58

Commanders

Rank Surname date
Major General / Lieutenant General Georg von Gersdorff March 5, 1915 to April 14, 1917
Major general Woldemar Vitzthum von Eckstädt April 15, 1917 to January 1919

literature

  • Hall of Fame of our Old Army. Published on the basis of official material from the Reich Archives . Military Publishing House. Berlin 1927. pp. 71, 147.