The 32nd Division formally the 3rd Division No. 32 (3. Division Nr. 32) was a unit of the Saxon

Saxony

The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....

 Army, a component 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...

. The division was formed on April 1, 1887 and was headquartered in Bautzen

Bautzen

Bautzen is a hill-top town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and administrative centre of the eponymous district. It is located on the Spree River. As of 2008, its population is 41,161...

. The division was subordinated in peacetime to the XII (1st Royal Saxon) Army Corps

XII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps

The XII Army Corps was a Saxon corps of the Imperial German Army. It was formed on April 1, 1867 and was headquartered in Dresden, Saxony....

 (XII. (1. Königlich Sächsisches) Armeekorps). The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I. The division was recruited in the eastern part of the Kingdom of Saxony.

Combat chronicle

During World War I, the division fought 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...

, seeing action in the Allied Great Retreat

Great Retreat

The Great Retreat, also known as the Retreat from Mons, is the name given to the long, fighting retreat by Allied forces to the River Marne, on the Western Front early in World War I, after their holding action against the Imperial German Armies at the Battle of Mons on 23 August 1914...

 which culminated 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...

. It then spent the next several years in the trenches. In 1917, it 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 known as the Third Battle of Champagne (and to the Germans, as the Double Battle of Aisne-Champagne), and in the Battle of Passchendaele. In 1918, it fought against the Allied 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 the division third class in 1918.

Pre-World War I organization

The organization of the 32nd Division in 1914, shortly before the outbreak of World War I, was as follows:

• 5. Infanterie-Brigade Nr. 63 (63. Infanterie-Brigade)
  • 3. Infanterie-Regiment König Ludwig III von Bayern Nr. 102
  • 4. Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 103
  • 1. Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 12 (from 1.10.14)
• 6. Infanterie-Brigade Nr. 64 (64. Infanterie-Brigade)
  • 12. Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 177
  • 13. Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 178
  • 2. Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 13 (to 1.10.14)
• 3. Kavallerie-Brigade Nr. 32 (32. Kavallerie-Brigade)
  • 1. Husaren-Regiment ,,König Albert Nr. 18
  • 3. Husaren-Regiment Nr. 20
• 3. Feldartillerie-Brigade Nr. 32 (32. Feldartillerie-Brigade)
  • 2. Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 28
  • 5. Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 64

Order of battle on mobilization

On mobilization in August 1914 at the beginning of 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...

, 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 32nd Division was redesignated the 32nd Infantry Division. Its initial wartime organization was as follows:

• 5. Infanterie-Brigade Nr. 63 (63. Infanterie-Brigade)
  • 3. Infanterie-Regiment König Ludwig III von Bayern Nr. 102
  • 4. Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 103
• 6. Infanterie-Brigade Nr. 64 (64. Infanterie-Brigade)
  • 12. Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 177
  • 13. Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 178
• 1. Husaren-Regiment ,,König Albert Nr. 18
• 3. Feldartillerie-Brigade Nr. 32 (32. Feldartillerie-Brigade)
  • 2. Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 28
  • 5. Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 64
• 2.Kompanie/1. Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 12
• 3.Kompanie/1. Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 12

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 triangular

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...

 - 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 32nd Infantry Division's order of battle on January 1, 1918 was as follows:

• 5. Infanterie-Brigade Nr. 63 (63. Infanterie-Brigade)
  • 3. Infanterie-Regiment König Ludwig III von Bayern Nr. 102
  • 4. Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 103
  • 12. Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 177
• 4.Eskadron/3. Husaren-Regiment Nr. 20
• Artillerie-Kommandeur 32
  • 5. Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 64
  • Fußartillerie-Bataillon Nr. 80 (from April 3, 1918)
• Stab Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 140
  • 2.Kompanie/1. Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 12
  • 5.Kompanie/1. Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 12
  • 3.Reserve-Kompanie/1. Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 12
  • Minenwerfer-Kompanie Nr. 32
• Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 32