The 33rd Division was a unit of the Prussia

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 on April 1, 1871 as the 30th Division and became the 33rd Division on April 1, 1890, and was headquartered in Metz

Metz

Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...

 (now in France). The division was subordinated in peacetime to the XVI Army Corps

XVI Corps (German Empire)

The XVI. Armeekorps was a major formation of the German Army before the World War I.-World War I:The XVI Corps, which was a major formation of the Imperial German Army, had its headquarters in the fortress of Metz. This formation fought at the beginning of World War I, with the 7th Army...

 (XVI. Armeekorps). The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after 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 recruited heavily in densely-populated Westphalia, as its primary recruiting and garrison area was Lorraine

Lorraine (province)

The Duchy of Upper Lorraine was an historical duchy roughly corresponding with the present-day northeastern Lorraine region of France, including parts of modern Luxembourg and Germany. The main cities were Metz, Verdun, and the historic capital Nancy....

, whose German population was insufficient to support the division.

Combat chronicle

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...

 in World War I. It participated in the initial German offensive and 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...

. In 1916, it fought in the Battle of Verdun

Battle of Verdun

The Battle of Verdun was one of the major battles during the First World War on the Western Front. It was fought between the German and French armies, from 21 February – 18 December 1916, on hilly terrain north of the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France...

. In 1917, it participated 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). In 1918, the division fought 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...

, including the First Battle of the Somme, 1918, also known as the Second Battle of the Somme (after the 1916 battle), and the Battle of St. Quentin. It then fought in the subsequent Allied counteroffensives, including the Battle of Champagne-Marne and 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 the division as first class and the XVI Army Corps as one of the best in the German Army.

Pre-World War I organization

The organization of the 33rd Division in 1914, shortly before the outbreak of World War I, was as follows:

• 66. Infanterie-Brigade
  • Metzer Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 98
  • 1. Lothringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 130
• 67. Infanterie-Brigade
  • 3. Lothringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 135
  • 5. Lothringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 144
• 33. Kavallerie-Brigade
  • Dragoner-Regiment König Karl von Rümanien (1. Hannoversches) Nr. 9
  • Schleswig-Holsteinisches Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 13
• 33. Feldartillerie-Brigade
  • 1. Lothringisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 33
  • 2. Lothringisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 34
• Landwehr-Inspektion Metz

Order of battle on mobilization

On mobilization in August 1914 at the beginning of World War I, 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 33rd Division was redesignated the 33rd Infantry Division. Its initial wartime organization was as follows:

• 66. Infanterie-Brigade
  • Metzer Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 98
  • 1. Lothringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 130
• 67. Infanterie-Brigade
  • 3. Lothringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 135
  • 5. Lothringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 144
• Jäger-Regiment zu Pferde Nr. 12
• 33. Feldartillerie-Brigade
  • 1. Lothringisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 33
  • 2. Lothringisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 34
• 1.Kompanie/1. Lothringisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 16

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 33rd Infantry Division's order of battle on March 10, 1918 was as follows:

• 66. Infanterie-Brigade
  • Metzer Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 98
  • 1. Lothringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 130
  • 3. Lothringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 135
  • Maschinengewehr-Scharfschützen-Abteilung Nr. 43
• 4.Eskadron/Jäger-Regiment zu Pferde Nr. 12
• Artillerie-Kommandeur 33:
  • Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 283
  • Fußartillerie-Bataillon Nr. 76
• Stab 1. Lothringisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 16:
  • 5.Kompanie/1. Lothringisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 16
  • 1.Reserve-Kompanie/1. Lothringisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 16
  • Minenwerfer-Kompanie Nr. 33
• Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 33