The 37th 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 between March 25 and April 1, 1899 in Allenstein (now Olsztyn, Poland). The division was initially 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). In 1912, it was transferred to the newly formed XX Army Corps

XX Corps (German Empire)

The XX Army Corps was a unit of the German Army that was stationed in Allenstein . At the beginning of World War I, the corps was transferred to the Eastern Front...

 (XX. 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...

. It was mainly recruited in the Prussian province 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...

.

Pre-World War I organization

The organization of the 37th Division in 1914, shortly before the outbreak of World War I, was as follows:

• 73.Infanterie-Brigade
  • 2. Masurisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 147
  • 2. Ermländisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 151
• 75.Infanterie-Brigade
  • 1. Masurisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 146
  • 1. Ermländisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 150
• 37. Kavallerie-Brigade
  • Dragoner-Regiment König Albert von Sachsen (Ostpreußisches) Nr. 10
  • Dragoner-Regiment von Wedel (Pommersches) Nr. 11
• 37.Feldartillerie-Brigade
  • 1. Masurisches Feld-Artillerie-Regiment Nr. 73
  • 2. Masurisches Feld-Artillerie-Regiment Nr. 82
• Landwehr-Inspektion Allenstein

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 37th Division was renamed the 37th Infantry Division. Its initial wartime organization was as follows:

• 73.Infanterie-Brigade
  • 2. Masurisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 147
  • 2. Ermländisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 151
  • Jäger-Bataillon Graf Yorck von Wartenburg (Ostpreußisches) Nr. 1 (to 05.IX.1914)
• 75.Infanterie-Brigade
  • 1. Masurisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 146
  • 1. Ermländisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 150
• Dragoner-Regiment von Wedel (Pommersches) Nr. 11
• 37.Feldartillerie-Brigade
  • 1. Masurisches Feld-Artillerie-Regiment Nr. 73
  • 2. Masurisches Feld-Artillerie-Regiment Nr. 82
• 1./Masurisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 26

Combat chronicle

The 37th Infantry Division began World War I 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...

. It participated in the battles of 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 1st Masurian Lakes. In 1915, it saw action in the Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive

Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive

The Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive during World War I started as a minor German offensive to relieve Russian pressure on the Austro-Hungarians to their south on the Eastern Front, but resulted in the total collapse of the Russian lines and their retreat far into Russia...

. The division was transferred to 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 December 1916. It occupied the trenchlines in 1917, and in 1918 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...

, seeing action in the Third Battle of the Aisne

Third Battle of the Aisne

The Third Battle of the Aisne was a battle of the German Spring Offensive during World War I that focused on capturing the Chemin des Dames Ridge before the American Expeditionary Force could arrive completely in France. It was one of a series of desperate offensives, known as the Kaiserschlacht,...

. In the subsequent Allied counteroffensives, the division fought in the Meuse-Argonne

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 a first class shock division.

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 37th Infantry Division's order of battle on February 20, 1918 was as follows:

• 73.Infanterie-Brigade
  • 2. Masurisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 147
  • 1. Ermländisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 150
  • 2. Ermländisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 151
  • Maschinengewehr-Scharfschützen-Abteilung Nr. 57
• 3.Eskadron/Jäger-Regiment zu Pferde Nr. 10
• Artillerie-Kommandeur 37:
  • 1. Masurisches Feld-Artillerie-Regiment Nr. 73
  • II.Bataillon/Lothringisches Fußartillerie-Regiment Nr. 16
• Stab Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 134
  • 3.Kompanie/Masurisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 26
  • Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 250
  • Minenwerfer-Kompanie Nr. 37
• Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 37