109th Infantry Division (German Empire)
Encyclopedia
The 109th Infantry Division (109. Infanterie-Division) was a unit of the Imperial German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...

 Army
German Army (German Empire)
The German Army was the name given the combined land forces of the German Empire, also known as the National Army , Imperial Army or Imperial German Army. The term "Deutsches Heer" is also used for the modern German Army, the land component of the German Bundeswehr...

 in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. The division was formed in November 1915. It was the last of a wave of new infantry divisions formed in 1915. The division was disbanded in August 1918 and its assets distributed to other units.

The division was formed primarily from the excess infantry regiments of existing divisions which were being triangularized
Triangular division
A triangular division is a designation given to the way divisions are organized. In a triangular organization, the division's main body is composed of three regimental maneuver elements. These regiments may be controlled by a brigade headquarters or directly subordinated to the division commander...

. The division's 2nd Grenadier Regiment came from the 42nd Infantry Division
42nd Division (German Empire)
The 42nd Division was a unit of the Prussian/German Army. It was formed on October 1, 1912, and was the last regular division created in the Imperial German Army. It was headquartered in Saarburg in Lothringen . The division was subordinated in peacetime to the XXI Army Corps...

. The 26th Reserve Infantry Regiment came from the 6th Reserve Division
6th Reserve Division (German Empire)
The 6th Reserve Division was a unit of the German Army, in World War I. The division was formed on mobilization of the German Army in August 1914. The division was disbanded in September 1918...

. The 376th Infantry Regiment was formerly the 2nd Ersatz Infantry Regiment "Königsberg" (Ersatz-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 2 "Königsberg").

Combat chronicle

The 109th Infantry Division initially served on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War I)
The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...

, serving in the Baltic region until late October 1916. It then went south to participate in the Romanian Campaign
Romanian Campaign (World War I)
The Romanian Campaign was part of the Balkan theatre of World War I, with Romania and Russia allied against the armies of the Central Powers. Fighting took place from August 1916 to December 1917, across most of present-day Romania, including Transylvania, which was part of the Austro-Hungarian...

. The division's 2nd Grenadiers were the first troops into Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....

 in December 1916. It then occupied the line on the Putna and Siret Rivers until the armistice on the Romanian Front in December 1917, after which the division remained in the occupation forces in the region. In March 1918, the division was sent to the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...

. It participated in the German Spring Offensive
Spring Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...

, fighting in the First Battle of the Somme (1918), also known as the Second Battle of the Somme (to distinguish it from the 1916 battle). It remained in the Somme region until it was dissolved on August 24, 1918. Allied intelligence rated the division as third class.

Order of battle on formation

The 109th Infantry Division was formed as a triangular division
Triangular division
A triangular division is a designation given to the way divisions are organized. In a triangular organization, the division's main body is composed of three regimental maneuver elements. These regiments may be controlled by a brigade headquarters or directly subordinated to the division commander...

. The order of battle of the division on November 12, 1915 was as follows:
  • 174. Infanterie-Brigade
    • Grenadier-Regiment König Friedrich Wilhelm IV (1. Pommersches) Nr. 2
    • Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 376
    • Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 26
  • Kavallerie-Regiment Nr. 89
  • Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 227
  • Landwehr-Fußartillerie-Bataillon Nr. 28
  • 1.Garde-Landwehr-Pionier-Kompanie

Late-war order of battle

The division underwent relatively few organizational changes over the course of the war. Cavalry was reduced, artillery and signals commands were formed, and combat engineer support was expanded to a full pioneer battalion. The order of battle on February 8, 1918 was as follows:
  • 174. Infanterie-Brigade
    • Grenadier-Regiment König Friedrich Wilhelm IV (1. Pommersches) Nr. 2
    • Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 376
    • Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 26
  • 5.Eskadron/Dragoner-Regiment König Albert von Sachsen (Ostpreußisches) Nr. 10
  • Artillerie-Kommandeur 109
    • Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 227
    • Fußartillerie-Bataillon Nr. 64 (from April 24, 1918)
  • Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 218
    • 1.Garde-Landwehr-Pionier-Kompanie
    • Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 388
    • Minenwerfer-Kompanie Nr. 109
  • Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 109
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