The 4th Cavalry Division (4. Kavallerie-Division) was a unit of the 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...

 in 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 formed on mobilization of the German Army in August 1914. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.

Combat chronicle

Initially assigned to II Cavalry Corps preceding 1st and 2nd Armies on the Western Front until November 1914. Transfered to Russia until March 1918. Returned to the Western Front, in Alsace until the end of the war. Dismounted in October 1916 and restructured to form 4th Cavalry Schützen

Schützen (military)

Schützen is a German plural noun used to designate a type of military unit of infantrymen, originally armed with a rifled musket and used in a light-infantry or skirmishing role - and hence similar to the Jäger...

 Division.

A more detailed combat chronicle can be found at the German language version of this article.

Order of Battle on mobilisation

On formation, in August 1914, the component units of the division were:

• 3rd Cavalry Brigade (from II Army Corps
  II Corps (German Empire)
  The II Army Corps was a unit of the Imperial German Army that was stationed in Stettin. At the outbreak of World War I, the corps served on the Western Front.In 1914, the component units of the corps were:*3rd Division*4th Division...
  
   District)
  • 2nd (Pomeranian) Cuirassiers “Queen”
  • 9th (2nd Pomeranian) Uhlans
• 17th Cavalry Brigade (from IX Corps District)
  • 17th (1st Grand Ducal Mecklenburgian) Dragoons
  • 18th (2nd Grand Ducal Mecklenburgian) Dragoons
• 18th Cavalry Brigade (from IX Army Corps District)
  • 15th (Hannover) Hussars "Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands"
  • 16th (Schleswig-Holstein) Hussars "Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria, King of Hungary"
    16th (Schleswig-Holstein) Hussars "Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria, King of Hungary"
    The 16th Hussars “Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria, King of Hungary” were a cavalry regiment of the Royal Prussian Army. The regiment was formed in 1866. It fought in the Franco-Prussian war and World War I. In 1872 it was named after Emperor Francis Joseph I, who became its colonel-in-chief....
    
    
• Horse Artillery Abteilung
  Abteilung
  Abteilung is a German language word often used when referring to German or Swiss military formations...
  
   of the 3rd (General-Feldzeugmeister) (1st Brandenburg) Field Artillery Regiment
• 2nd Guards Machine Gun Detachment
• Pioneer Detachment
• Signals Detachment
  • Heavy Wireless Station 18
  • Heavy Wireless Station 19
  • Light Wireless Station 10
  • Light Wireless Station 12
• Cavalry Motorised Vehicle Column 4

See: Table of Organisation and Equipment

TOE, German Cavalry Division, August 1914

This is a brief outline of the Table of Organisation and Equipment of the 11 German Cavalry Divisions that were established at the outbreak of the first World War.-Table of Organisation and Equipment:*Division Staff**"weaker than an infantry division"...

4th Cavalry Schützen Division

The 4th Cavalry Division was extensively reorganised in the course of the war, culminating in conversion to a Cavalry Schützen Division, that is to say, dismounted cavalry. Here, the cavalry brigades were renamed Cavalry Schützen Commands and performed a similar role to that of an infantry regiment command. Likewise, the cavalry regiments became Cavalry Schützen Regiments and alloted the role of an infantry battalion and their squadrons acted as infantry companies. However, these units were much weaker than normal infantry formations (for example, a Schützen squadron had a strength of just 4 officers and 109 NCOs and other ranks, considerably less than that of an infantry company).

• 3rd Cavalry Brigade became independent on 30th November 1914
• 17th Cavalry Brigade became independent on 1st February 1917
• 18th Cavalry Brigade transfered to 1st Cavalry Division
  1st Cavalry Division (German Empire)
  The 1st Cavalry 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 division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.-Combat chronicle:Initially, it was the sole cavalry...
  
   on 12th December 1916
• 28th Cavalry Brigade joined from 6th Cavalry Division
  6th Cavalry Division (German Empire)
  The 6th Cavalry 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...
  
   on 1st February 1917. Transfered to 7th Cavalry Division
  7th Cavalry Division (German Empire)
  The 7th Cavalry 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...
  
   on 17th May 1918
• 39th Cavalry Brigade joined from 8th Cavalry Division
  8th Cavalry Division (German Empire)
  The 8th Cavalry 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 division was dissolved in April 1918...
  
   on 6th April 1918
• 45th Cavalry Brigade (previously independent) joined on 1st February 1917. Transfered to 6th Cavalry Division
  6th Cavalry Division (German Empire)
  The 6th Cavalry 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...
  
   on 1st May 1918

Late World War I organization

Allied Intelligence rated this division as 4th Class (of 4 classes). It's late war organisation made it more akin to a Landwehr Division and was:

• 39th Cavalry Brigade
  • • Saxon Reserve Uhlans (Schützen)
    • 9th Reserve Uhlans (Schützen)
    • 87th Cavalry (Schützen)
  • 38th Landwehr Infantry Regiment
  • 40th Landwehr Infantry Regiment
• 2nd Guards Machine Gun Detachment
• 6th Machine Gun Detachment
• Artillery Command
  • Horse Artillery Abteilung
    Abteilung
    Abteilung is a German language word often used when referring to German or Swiss military formations...
    
     of the 8th (von Holtzendorff) (1st Rhenish) Field Artillery Regiment
  • Horse Artillery Abteilung
    Abteilung
    Abteilung is a German language word often used when referring to German or Swiss military formations...
    
     of the 10th (von Scharnhorst) (1st Hannover) Field Artillery Regiment
  • 1400th Light Ammunition Column
  • 1405th Light Ammunition Column
• Pioneer Battalion
  • 4th Cavalry Pioneer Detachment
  • 145th Light Searchlight Section
• Signal Command
  • 934th Telephone Detachment
• Medical and Veterinary
  • 21st? Ambulance Company
  • 573rd Ambulance Company
  • 191st Field Hospital
  • Vet. Hospital
• Attached
  • Landsturm Infantry Battalion 1 Torgau (IV/15)