13th Division (German Empire)
Encyclopedia
The 13th Division was a unit of the Prussia
n/German
Army
. It was formed in November 1816 in Münster
in Westphalia as a troop brigade and became the 13th Division on September 5, 1818. The division was subordinated in peacetime to the VII Army Corps (VII. Armeekorps). The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I. The division was recruited primarily in the Prussian Province of Westphalia
and two small principalities in the Westphalian region, Lippe-Detmold and Schaumburg-Lippe
.
(also called the Battle of the Düppeler Heights) and the Battle of Als
. The division then fought in the Austro-Prussian War
in 1866, where it was part of the Army of the Main (Main-Armee) and saw action in the engagements against Austria's south German allies, including the siege of the Bavarian fortress at Würzburg
. In the Franco-Prussian War
of 1870-71, the division fought in several battles and engagements, including the Battle of Borny-Colombey
, also called the Battle of Colombey-Nouilly, and the Gravelotte
, or Gravelotte-St. Privat, and the Siege of Metz
.
In World War I
, the division served on the Western Front
. It participated in the initial German drive through Belgium and France, culminating in the First Battle of the Marne
. After a period of trench warfare in various parts of the line, the division went to Verdun in 1916. Later that year, beginning in September, the division saw action in the later phases of the Battle of the Somme. During the 1918 German Spring Offensive
, the division fought in the Second Battle of the Somme
. The division bore the brunt of later Allied offensives, including the Meuse-Argonne Offensive
. Allied intelligence rated it a first class division.
, most divisional cavalry, including brigade headquarters, was withdrawn to form cavalry divisions or split up among divisions as reconnaissance units. Divisions received engineer companies and other support units from their higher headquarters. The 13th Division was again renamed the 13th Infantry Division. Its initial wartime organization was as follows:
- one infantry brigade with three infantry regiments rather than two infantry brigades of two regiments (a "square division
"). An artillery commander replaced the artillery brigade headquarters, the cavalry was further reduced, the engineer contingent was increased, and a divisional signals command was created. The 13th Infantry Division's order of battle on March 8, 1918 was as follows:
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n/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...
. It was formed in November 1816 in Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
in Westphalia as a troop brigade and became the 13th Division on September 5, 1818. The division was subordinated in peacetime to the VII Army Corps (VII. Armeekorps). The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I. The division was recruited primarily in the Prussian Province of Westphalia
Province of Westphalia
The Province of Westphalia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946.-History:Napoleon Bonaparte founded the Kingdom of Westphalia, which was a client state of the First French Empire from 1807 to 1813...
and two small principalities in the Westphalian region, Lippe-Detmold and Schaumburg-Lippe
Schaumburg-Lippe
Schaumburg-Lippe was until 1946 a small state in Germany, located in the present day state of Lower Saxony, with its capital at Bückeburg.- History :...
.
Combat chronicle
The 13th Division served in the Second Schleswig War against Denmark in 1864, seeing action in the war's major battles: the Battle of DybbølBattle of Dybbøl
The Battle of Dybbøl was the key battle of the Second War of Schleswig and occurred on the morning of 18 April 1864 following a siege lasting from 7 April. Denmark suffered a severe defeat against the German Confederation which decided the war...
(also called the Battle of the Düppeler Heights) and the Battle of Als
Battle of Als
The Battle of Als was fought on 29 June 1864 during the Second Schleswig War between Denmark and Prussia. It was the last major engagement of the war, as the Prussians under General Herwarth von Bittenfeld secured Als after a night attack masterminded by the Chief of Staff Leonhard Graf von...
. The division then fought in the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
in 1866, where it was part of the Army of the Main (Main-Armee) and saw action in the engagements against Austria's south German allies, including the siege of the Bavarian fortress at Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
. In the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
of 1870-71, the division fought in several battles and engagements, including the Battle of Borny-Colombey
Battle of Borny-Colombey
The Battle of Borny-Colombey was a minor battle of the Franco-Prussian War. It saw the escape route of the French army under François Bazaine blocked when they encountered the First Army under von Steinmetz...
, also called the Battle of Colombey-Nouilly, and the Gravelotte
Battle of Gravelotte
The Battle of Gravelotte was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War named after Gravelotte, a village in Lorraine between Metz and the former French–German frontier.-Terrain and armies:...
, or Gravelotte-St. Privat, and the Siege of Metz
Siege of Metz
The Siege of Metz lasting from 19 August – 27 October 1870 was fought during the Franco-Prussian War and ended in a decisive Prussian victory.-History:...
.
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 served on 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 initial German drive through Belgium and France, culminating in the First Battle of the Marne
First Battle of the Marne
The Battle of the Marne was a First World War battle fought between 5 and 12 September 1914. It resulted in an Allied victory against the German Army under Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke the Younger. The battle effectively ended the month long German offensive that opened the war and had...
. After a period of trench warfare in various parts of the line, the division went to Verdun in 1916. Later that year, beginning in September, the division saw action in the later phases of the Battle of the Somme. During the 1918 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...
, the division fought in the Second Battle of the Somme
Second Battle of the Somme (1918)
During the First World War, the Second Battle of the Somme of 1918 was fought on the Western Front from the end of the summer, in the basin of the Somme River...
. The division bore the brunt of later Allied offensives, including the Meuse-Argonne Offensive
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, or Maas-Argonne Offensive, also called the Battle of the Argonne Forest, was a part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire western front.-Overview:...
. Allied intelligence rated it a first class division.
Order of battle in the Franco-Prussian War
During wartime, the 13th Division, like other regular German divisions, was redesignated an infantry division. The organization of the 13th Infantry Division in 1870 at the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War was as follows:- 25. Infanterie Brigade
- Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 13
- Füsilier-Regiment Nr. 73
- 26. Infanterie Brigade
- Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 15
- Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 55
- Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 7
- Husaren-Regiment Nr. 8
Pre-World War I organization
German divisions underwent various organizational changes after the Franco-Prussian War. The organization of the 13th Division in 1914, shortly before the outbreak of World War I, was as follows:- 25. Infanterie Brigade
- Infanterie-Regiment Herwath von Bittenfeld (1. Westfälisches) Nr. 13
- 7. Lothringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 158
- 26. Infanterie Brigade
- Infanterie-Regiment Prinz Friedrich der Niederlande (2. Westfälisches) Nr. 15
- Infanterie-Regiment Graf Bülow von Dennewitz (6. Westfälisches) Nr. 55
- 13. Kavallerie-Brigade
- Kürassier-Regiment von Driesen (Westfälisches) Nr. 4
- Husaren-Regiment Kaiser Nikolaus II. von Rußland (1. Westfälisches) Nr. 8
- 13. Feldartillerie-Brigade
- 2. Westfälisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 22
- Mindensches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 58
- Landwehr-Inspektion Dortmund
Order of battle on mobilization
On mobilization in August 1914 at the beginning of World War IWorld 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...
, most divisional cavalry, including brigade headquarters, was withdrawn to form cavalry divisions or split up among divisions as reconnaissance units. Divisions received engineer companies and other support units from their higher headquarters. The 13th Division was again renamed the 13th Infantry Division. Its initial wartime organization was as follows:
- 25. Infanterie-Brigade:
- Infanterie-Regiment Herwarth von Bittenfeld (1. Westfälisches) Nr. 13
- 7. Lothringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 158
- 26.Infanterie-Brigade:
- Infanterie-Regiment Prinz Friedrich der Niederlande (2. Westfälisches) Nr. 15
- Infanterie-Regiment Graf Bülow von Dennewitz (6. Westfälisches) Nr. 55
- Westfälisches Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 7
- Stab u. 3.Eskadron/Ulanen-Regiment Hennigs von Treffenfeld (Altmärkisches) Nr. 16
- 13. Feldartillerie-Brigade:
- 2. Westfälisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 22
- Mindensches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 58
- 1. Kompanie/Westfälisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 7
Late World War I organization
Divisions underwent many changes during the war, with regiments moving from division to division, and some being destroyed and rebuilt. During the war, most divisions became triangularTriangular 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...
- one infantry brigade with three infantry regiments rather than two infantry brigades of two regiments (a "square division
Square division
A square division is a designation given to the way military divisions are organized. In a square organization, the division's main body is composed of four regimental elements. Since a regiment could be split into separate battalions for tactical purposes, the natural division within a division...
"). An artillery commander replaced the artillery brigade headquarters, the cavalry was further reduced, the engineer contingent was increased, and a divisional signals command was created. The 13th Infantry Division's order of battle on March 8, 1918 was as follows:
- 26. Infanterie-Brigade:
- Infanterie-Regiment Herwarth von Bittenfeld (1. Westfälisches) Nr. 13
- Infanterie-Regiment Prinz Friedrich der Niederlande (2. Westfälisches) Nr. 15
- Infanterie-Regiment Graf Bülow von Dennewitz (6. Westfälisches) Nr. 55
- Maschinengewehr-Scharfschützen-Abteilung Nr. 22
- 3.Eskadron/Ulanen-Regiment Hennigs von Treffenfeld (Altmärkisches) Nr. 16
- Artillerie-Kommandeur 13:
- Mindensches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 58
- Fußartillerie-Bataillon Nr. 157
- Westfälisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 7
- Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 13