88th Division (German Empire)

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The 88th Division was a major unit of the Prussian army within the German Army in the First World War .

history

The large association was created in August 1915 from the makeshift division "Menges". It initially consisted of Prussian units with the peace center of Breslau and of Saxon units. The division was deployed on the Eastern Front until the beginning of December 1917 and, after the armistice there, moved to the Western Front at the end of the month . As part of various reclassifications, the Saxon troops were surrendered in 1917, and since then the division has been a purely Prussian formation.

From January 1918 the division was refreshed and trained in Sedan in preparation for the German spring offensive . On March 21, she took part in the successful defensive battles at Holnon on the Aisne . In the fighting from March 27 to April 2, southeast of Amiens , she suffered heavy losses. On April 12th it was relieved by the 11th Division south of Rouvroy , and on April 25th by the 33rd Reserve Division in order to be refreshed again. From July 13th she started in the Tahure sector west of the previous location and suffered high losses in the subsequent unsuccessful offensive. a. through war gas . After renewed refreshment at Rethel on September 4th, the division was deployed north of Thiaucourt on September 23rd, to be replaced by the 224th Division (German Empire) on October 16th to 17th . From October 21 until the Armistice of Compiègne she was used at Cunel north of Montfaucon .

structure

Division of War of August 2, 1915

  • 175th Landwehr Infantry Brigade
    • Landwehr Infantry Regiment No. 349
    • Landwehr Infantry Regiment No. 350
  • 176th Infantry Brigade
    • Infantry Regiment No. 351
    • Infantry Regiment No. 352
  • 177th Infantry Brigade
    • Infantry Regiment No. 353
    • Infantry Regiment No. 354
  • Cavalry Regiment No. 88
  • Field Artillery Regiment No. 88
  • Field Artillery Regiment No. 223
  • Landwehr Foot Artillery Battalion No. 6
  • Landwehr Pioneer Battalion No. 6

Division of War of October 21, 1918

  • 176th Infantry Brigade
  • Artillery Commander No. 59
    • Field Artillery Regiment No. 88
    • Foot Artillery Battalion No. 123
  • Engineer Battalion No. 88
  • Division News Commander # 88

Commanders

Rank Surname date
Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Menges January 27, 1915 to March 2, 1916
General of the Infantry Hermann Clausius 0March 3, 1916 to September 18, 1916
Lieutenant General Alfred von Buddenbrock September 19, 1916 to December 11, 1917
Major general Wilhelm von Beczwarzowski December 12, 1917 to January 24, 1919

literature

  • Hall of Fame of our Old Army. Published on the basis of official material from the Reichsarchiv , Militär-Verlag, Berlin 1927, pp. 73, 153–154.
  • 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. 566-568.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Curt Jany (ed.), Hermann Cron: History of the Royal Prussian Army and the German Reichsheeres. Volume V: History of the German Army in the World War 1914–1918. P. 103.
  2. ↑ Dermot Bradley (ed.), Günter Wegner: Occupation of the German Army 1815-1939. Volume 1: The higher command posts 1815–1939. Biblio Publishing House. Osnabrück 1990. ISBN 3-7648-1780-1 . P. 141.