Royal Bavarian Cavalry Division

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The Cavalry Division was a large unit of the Bavarian Army and was formed at the beginning of the First World War .

structure

Organization of war during mobilization in 1914

Division of War of May 8, 1918

  • 1st Cavalry Brigade
    • 1st Heavy Rider Regiment "Prince Karl of Bavaria"
    • 2nd Heavy Rider Regiment "Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este"
  • 4th Cavalry Brigade
    • 1st Uhlan Regiment "Kaiser Wilhelm II., King of Prussia"
    • 2nd Uhlan Regiment "King"
  • 5th Cavalry Brigade
    • 1st Chevaulegers Regiment "Emperor Nicholas of Russia"
    • 6th Chevaulegers Regiment "Prince Albrecht of Prussia"
    • Cavalry cycling department
    • 1st and 2nd cycling company
    • 1st Hunter Battalion "König"
    • 1st MG department
    • Riding Department / 5. Field artillery regiment “King Alfons XIII. from Spain"
    • Cavalry Engineer Division 1 and 2

history

Western front

The formation of the division was quickly completed after the mobilization . Besides the three cavalry brigades were as Division troops hunters , cyclists , machine gun troops , mounted artillery and pioneers assumed. On August 4, 1914, Lieutenant General Otto von Stetten took command of the division.

The division's deployment area was southeast of Metz , where it was combined with the Prussian 7th Cavalry Division and 8th Cavalry Division (Royal Saxon) under the Army Cavalry of the Higher Cavalry Commander . With parts of the Prussian XXI. Army Corps deployed to protect the right flank of the I. Army Corps , the division was baptized by fire on August 11, 1914 in the battle of Lagarde . The division's Uhlans overran the French artillery positions in a bold attack, but were repulsed by French infantry with heavy losses during the storming of Lagarde. The hunters of the division troops and parts of the 2nd Lorraine Infantry Regiment No. 131 were able to take the village. 1,500 prisoners, eight artillery pieces and six machine guns as well as a flag fell into the hands of the attackers.

After the Battle of Lorraine , the division was used as a reserve during the French counterattack before Nancy - Épinal . In October 1914, the division fought under the cavalry corps " Hollen " (HKK 4) in the border area of ​​northern France and Belgium and was already able to advance on Hazebrouck when it was withdrawn because of incoming British troops. During the Battle of Ypres from October 30 to November 24, 1914, Lieutenant General Karl von Wenninger took over the division on November 5, 1914, as Lieutenant General Stetten was given command of the II Army Corps in the 6th Army . After the fighting near Ypres , the division came to the Belgian hinterland to relax, then to the area around the fortress of Metz .

Eastern Front

On March 6, 1915, Lieutenant General Philipp von Hellingrath took over the division. The cavalry division, which had meanwhile been transferred to the Eastern Front , started a diversionary attack in the direction of Schaulen and Libau from Tilsit on April 26, 1915 . In doing so, it advanced as far as the Vilna- Chaulen railway line without flank protection , blew up the tracks and, as ordered, returned to the Dubysa near Kelme on May 11, 1915 . There she stood in fierce defensive battles against Russian patrol detachments for the next two months and created the conditions for General von Hindenburg's planned major attack on Kovno and Vilna. The division, deployed on the southern flank of the Nyemen Army , dashed forward over 100 km from July 22 to July 27, 1915, but was caught by two Russian cavalry divisions near Subotsch and thrown back. In August she advanced on a daring ride to Wilkomir and inflicted heavy losses on the attacking Russian forces. When attacking Minsk via Vilna , the division on the right wing of the Nyemen Army was supposed to throw the enemy north of the Vilkomir- Daugavpils road , but in September 1915 received orders to advance in a south-eastward direction in the rear of the enemy. The Russian troops had already evaded and started a counterattack on the Wilija with strong infantry forces . On September 25, 1915, the division sealed a break-in at the Prussian 4th Cavalry Division near Dolhinow . It was then taken back to the area of ​​Widsy south of Daugavpils, where it remained buried in its positions until 1916. At Stochod near Toboly , the division had to fend off heavy attacks by Russian troops during the Brusilov offensive in August and September 1916.

After Lieutenant General Hellingrath took over the War Ministry , Major General Moritz von und zu Egloffstein was entrusted with the leadership of the division on December 14, 1916. Meanwhile moved to Galicia, the division took part in the attack on Tarnopol from July 19 to August 5, 1917 . At Stanislau , together with the 8th Reserve Division , they prevented a breakthrough by Russian forces at the beginning of the battle. From July 23, 1917, the division took to the pursuit to the eastern border of Galicia. The Russian resistance was broken. After the peace of Brest-Litovsk , the division advanced to Nikolayev and on to the Crimea in 1918 . In June the staff with the 5th Cavalry Brigade was transferred to West Volhynia and remained there until the withdrawal in early 1919.

Commanders

Rank Surname date
Lieutenant General Otto von Stetten 0August 4 to November 5, 1914
Lieutenant General Karl von Wenninger 0November 5, 1914 to March 6, 1915 (substitute)
Lieutenant General Philipp von Hellingrath 0March 6, 1915 to December 14, 1916
Lieutenant General Moritz von and zu Egloffstein December 14, 1916 until the end of the war

literature