2nd Division (German Empire)
Encyclopedia
The 2nd Division was a unit of the Prussia
n/German
Army
. It was formed in Danzig (now Gdańsk
, Poland
) in March 1816 as a Troop Brigade (Truppen-Brigade). It became the 2nd Division on September 5, 1818. In 1890, the headquarters of the division was relocated to Königsberg
(now Kaliningrad
, Russia
), then the capital of East Prussia
. In 1899, the headquarters was moved to Insterburg (now Chernyakhovsk
, Russia), further inland and closer to the border with the Russian Empire
. From the latter's formation in 1820, the division was subordinated in peacetime to the I Army Corps
(I. Armeekorps). The 2nd Division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
The 2nd Division and its regiments fought in the Austro-Prussian War
against Austria
in 1866, including the Battle of Königgrätz
. The division then fought in the Franco-Prussian War
against France
in 1870-71. Its regiments saw action in the Battle of Noiseville
, the Battle of Gravelotte
, the Siege of Metz
, the Battle of Amiens
, the Battle of Hallue
, and the Battle of St. Quentin
, among other actions.
In World War I, the division served primarily on the Eastern Front
, seeing action at the battles of Gumbinnen
and Tannenberg
, and the 1st and 2nd Battles of the Masurian Lakes
. After Russia's defeat in the war, the division saw service on the Western Front
in 1918, and ended the war occupying positions around Antwerp and along the Maas in Belgium.
, most divisional cavalry, including brigade headquarters, was withdrawn to form cavalry divisions or split up among divisions as reconnaissance units.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 2nd Division was again renamed the 2nd Infantry Division. Its initial wartime organization (major units) 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 2nd Infantry Division's order of battle on April 12, 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 Danzig (now Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
) in March 1816 as a Troop Brigade (Truppen-Brigade). It became the 2nd Division on September 5, 1818. In 1890, the headquarters of the division was relocated to Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
(now Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
), then the capital of East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
. In 1899, the headquarters was moved to Insterburg (now Chernyakhovsk
Chernyakhovsk
Chernyakhovsk is a town and the administrative center of Chernyakhovsky District of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Instruch and the Angrapa Rivers, forming the Pregolya...
, Russia), further inland and closer to the border with the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. From the latter's formation in 1820, the division was subordinated in peacetime to the I Army Corps
I Corps (German Empire)
The I Corps was a formation of the Imperial German Army. The headquarters of the corps were located in Königsberg. At the beginning of World War I, the corps was attached to the 8th Army and transferred to the Eastern Front....
(I. Armeekorps). The 2nd Division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
The 2nd Division and its regiments 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...
against Austria
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
in 1866, including the Battle of Königgrätz
Battle of Königgrätz
The Battle of Königgrätz , also known as the Battle of Sadowa, Sadová, or Hradec Králové, was the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War, in which the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Austrian Empire...
. The division then fought 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...
against France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1870-71. Its regiments saw action in the Battle of Noiseville
Battle of Noiseville
The Battle of Noisseville on August 31, 1870 was fought during the Franco-Prussian War and ended in a Prussian victory.Traveling from Metz, the French forces under Marshal François Achille Bazaine attempted to break through the investing line of the Prussian forces under Prince Frederick Charles...
, the Battle of 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:...
, 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:...
, the Battle of Amiens
Battle of Amiens (1870)
Battle of Amiens on November 27, 1870 was fought during the Franco-Prussian War, ending in a Prussian victory.The French under General Faure fought the Prussians under Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel in Amiens, France. Having already capitulated at Metz, the French were compelled to leave the city of...
, the Battle of Hallue
Battle of Hallue
The Battle of Hallue was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War on December 23 and 24, 1870.The battle was fought between 40,000 French under General Louis Faidherbe and 22,500 Prussian troops under Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel. The French lost heavily in the village lying in front of their position....
, and the Battle of St. Quentin
Battle of St. Quentin (1871)
The Battle of St. Quentin was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War in which Prussian forces defeated French attempts to relieve the besieged city of Paris....
, among other actions.
In World War I, the division served primarily 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...
, seeing action at the battles of Gumbinnen
Battle of Gumbinnen
The Battle of Gumbinnen, initiated by forces of the German Empire on August 20, 1914, was the first major German offensive on the Eastern Front during the First World War...
and Tannenberg
Battle of Tannenberg (1914)
The Battle of Tannenberg was an engagement between the Russian Empire and the German Empire in the first days of World War I. It was fought by the Russian First and Second Armies against the German Eighth Army between 23 August and 30 August 1914. The battle resulted in the almost complete...
, and the 1st and 2nd Battles of the Masurian Lakes
Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes
The Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes, also known as the Winter Battle of the Masurian Lakes, was the northern part of the Central Powers' offensive on the Eastern Front in the winter of 1915...
. After Russia's defeat in the war, the division saw service 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...
in 1918, and ended the war occupying positions around Antwerp and along the Maas in Belgium.
1870 organization
During wartime, the 2nd Division, like other German divisions, detached most of its cavalry and was redesignated an infantry division. The organization of the 2nd Infantry Division in 1870 at the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War was as follows:- 3rd Infantry Brigade (3. Infanterie-Brigade)
- 3rd East Prussian Grenadier Regiment No. 4 (3. Ostpreußisches Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 4)
- 7th East Prussian Infantry Regiment No. 44 (7. Ostpreußisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 44)
- 4th Infantry Brigade (4. Infanterie-Brigade)
- 4th East Prussian Grenadier Regiment No. 5 (4. Ostpreußisches Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 5)
- 8th East Prussian Infantry Regiment No. 45 (8. Ostpreußisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 45)
- 10th Dragoon Regiment (Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 10)
Pre-World War I organization
Many regiments were renamed and assigned to different divisions during the period from 1871 to 1914. In 1914, the peacetime organization of the 2nd Division was as follows:- 3rd Infantry Brigade (3. Infanterie-Brigade)
- 4th Grenadier Regiment "King Frederick the Great" (3rd East Prussian) (Grenadier-Regiment König Friedrich der Große (3. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 4)
- 44th Infantry Regiment "Graf Dönhoff" (7th East Prussian) (Infanterie-Regiment Graf Dönhoff (7. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 44)
- 4th Infantry Brigade (4. Infanterie-Brigade)
- 33rd Fusilier Regiment "Graf Roon" (East Prussian) (Füsilier-Regiment Graf Roon (Ostpreuß.) Nr. 33)
- 45th Infantry Regiment (8th East Prussian) (8. Ostpreuß. Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 45)
- 2nd Cavalry Brigade (2. Kavallerie-Brigade)
- 12th (Lithuanian) Uhlans (Litthauisches Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 12)
- 9th Mounted Rifles9th Mounted RiflesThe 9th Mounted Rifles were a light cavalry regiment of the Royal Prussian Army. The regiment was formed 1 October 1913 in Insterburg....
(Jäger-Regiment zu Pferde Nr. 9)
- 43rd Cavalry Brigade (43. Kavallerie-Brigade)
- 8th (East Prussian) Uhlans "Count zu Dohna" (Ulanen-Regiment Graf zu Dohna (Ostpreuß.) Nr. 8)
- 10th Mounted Rifles10th Mounted RiflesThe 10th Mounted Rifles were a light cavalry regiment of the Royal Prussian Army. The regiment was formed 1 October 1913 in Angerburg....
] (Jäger-Regiment zu Pferde Nr. 10)
- 2nd Field Artillery Brigade (2. Feldartillerie-Brigade)
- 1st Field Artillery Regiment "Prince August of Prussia" (1st Lithuanian) (Feldartillerie-Regiment Prinz August von Preußen (1. Litthau.) Nr. 1)
- 37th Field Artillery Regiment (2nd Lithuanian) (2. Litthau. Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 37)
August 1914 organization
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 2nd Division was again renamed the 2nd Infantry Division. Its initial wartime organization (major units) was as follows:
- 3rd Infantry Brigade (3. Infanterie-Brigade)
- 4th Grenadier Regiment "King Frederick the Great" (3rd East Prussian) (Grenadier-Regiment König Friedrich der Große (3. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 4)
- 44th Infantry Regiment "Graf Dönhoff" (7th East Prussian) (Infanterie-Regiment Graf Dönhoff (7. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 44)
- 4th Infantry Brigade (4. Infanterie-Brigade)
- 33rd Fusilier Regiment "Graf Roon" (East Prussian) (Füsilier-Regiment Graf Roon (Ostpreuß.) Nr. 33)
- 45th Infantry Regiment (8th East Prussian) (8. Ostpreuß. Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 45)
- 10th Light Regiment of Horse (Jäger-Regiment zu Pferde Nr. 10)
- 2nd Field Artillery Brigade (2. Feldartillerie-Brigade)
- 1st Field Artillery Regiment "Prince August of Prussia" (1st Lithuanian) (Feldartillerie-Regiment Prinz August von Preußen (1. Litthau.) Nr. 1)
- 37th Field Artillery Regiment (2nd Lithuanian) (2. Litthau. Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 37)
- 2nd Company, 1st Engineer Battalion "Prince Radziwill" (East Prussian) (2./Pionier-Bataillon Prinz Radziwill (Ostpreuß.) Nr. 1)
- 3rd Company, 1st Engineer Battalion "Prince Radziwill" (East Prussian) (3./Pionier-Bataillon Prinz Radziwill (Ostpreuß.) Nr. 1)
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 2nd Infantry Division's order of battle on April 12, 1918 was as follows:
- 3rd Infantry Brigade (3. Infanterie-Brigade)
- 4th Grenadier Regiment "King Frederick the Great" (3rd East Prussian) (Grenadier-Regiment König Friedrich der Große (3. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 4)
- 33rd Fusilier Regiment "Graf Roon" (East Prussian) (Füsilier-Regiment Graf Roon (Ostpreuß.) Nr. 33)
- 44th Infantry Regiment "Graf Dönhoff" (7th East Prussian) (Infanterie-Regiment Graf Dönhoff (7. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 44)
- 2nd Squadron, 10th Light Regiment of Horse (2. Eskadron/Jäger-Regiment zu Pferde Nr. 10)
- Artillery Commander No. 2 (Artillerie-Kommandeur 2)
- 1st Field Artillery Regiment "Prince August of Prussia" (1st Lithuanian) (Feldartillerie-Regiment Prinz August von Preußen (1. Litthau.) Nr. 1)
- 2nd Battalion, 11th Reserve Foot Artillery Regiment (II.Bataillon/Reserve-Fußartillerie-Regiment Nr. 11)
- Staff, 1st Engineer Battalion "Prince Radziwill" (East Prussian) (Stab Pionier-Bataillon Prinz Radziwill (Ostpreuß.) Nr. 1)
- 2nd Company, 1st Engineer Battalion "Prince Radziwill" (East Prussian) (2./Pionier-Bataillon Prinz Radziwill (Ostpreuß.) Nr. 1)
- 4th Company, 1st Engineer Battalion "Prince Radziwill" (East Prussian) (3./Pionier-Bataillon Prinz Radziwill (Ostpreuß.) Nr. 1)
- 2nd Mortar Company (Minenwerfer-Kompanie Nr. 2)
- Divisional Signals Commander No. 2 (Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 2)