The 243rd Infantry Division (243. Infanterie-Division) was a division of the Imperial 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...

 during 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 established on April 1, 1917 by the renaming of the 8th Ersatz Division

8th Ersatz Division (German Empire)

The 8th Ersatz 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 8th Ersatz Division had been officially redesignated a Royal Württemberg infantry division two months earlier and the 243rd Infantry Division retained the ties to that kingdom.

The division fought in the Second Battle of the Aisne

Second Battle of the Aisne

The Second Battle of the Aisne , was the massive main assault of the French military's Nivelle Offensive or Chemin des Dames Offensive in 1917 during World War I....

, also called the Third Battle of Champagne, in the Spring of 1917. It spent the rest 0f 1917 and the first part of 1918 in positional warfare near Reims

Reims

Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....

 and in fighting around Verdun

Verdun

Verdun is a city in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is the slightly smaller city of Bar-le-Duc.- History :...

. In 1918, the division 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...

, in the Somme region. The division was on the defensive thereafter, including during the Allied Hundred Days Offensive

Hundred Days Offensive

The Hundred Days Offensive was the final period of the First World War, during which the Allies launched a series of offensives against the Central Powers on the Western Front from 8 August to 11 November 1918, beginning with the Battle of Amiens. The offensive forced the German armies to retreat...

. The division was demobilized in 1919. In 1917, Allied intelligence rated the division a good division, but of mediocre combat value, and by 1918 it was rated a third class division.

Organization

The organization of the division on March 24, 1918 was as follows:

• 247. Infanterie-Brigade:
  • Füsilier-Regiment Kaiser Franz Josef von Österreich, König von Ungarn (4. Württembergisches) Nr. 122
  • Württembergisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 478 (former Ersatz-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 51)
  • Württembergisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 479 (former Ersatz-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 52)
  • Maschinengewehr-Scharfschützen-Abteilung Nr. 77
• 3.Eskadron/Ulanen-Regiment König Karl (1. Württembergisches) Nr. 19
• Artillerie-Kommandeur 135:
  • Württembergisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 238
  • Fußartillerie-Bataillon Nr. 82
• Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 243
• Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 243