50th Reserve Division (German Empire)
Encyclopedia
The 50th Reserve Division (50. Reserve-Division) was a unit of the Imperial German
Army
in World War I
. The division was formed in September 1914 and organized over the next month, arriving in the line in October. It was part of the first wave of new divisions formed at the outset of World War I, which were numbered the 43rd through 54th Reserve Divisions. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
. The 230th Reserve Infantry Regiment was raised throughout Silesia. The 231st Reserve Infantry Regiment was raised in Thuringia, mainly in the duchy of Saxe-Altenburg
and the Prussian Province of Saxony
. The 232nd Reserve Infantry Regiment was raised in Prussian Saxony and the Duchy of Anhalt. The 232nd Reserve Infantry Regiment was transferred to the 107th Infantry Division
in June 1915, and new replacements for the other regiments tended to come from the Prussian Province of Hanover
and the Duchy of Brunswick
, with the 229th being described in Allied intelligence documents as becoming a Brunswick regiment.
, entering the line in mid-October. It fought in the Battle of Łódź in November–December 1914 and then spent most of the period until mid-1915 fighting along the Rawka
and Bzura
Rivers. In July and August 1915 it fought in the Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive
and then participated in the follow-on battles and engagements until reaching the Berezina River
at the end of September. The division was then transferred to the Western Front
. It fought in the Second Battle of Champagne
in October and November 1915 and remained in the line in the Champagne until late December, when it went to Flanders and the Artois, where it remained into 1916. It saw action in the Battle of the Somme later that year, and remained in the Somme until April 1917. In 1917, it fought in the Battle of Arras
and the Battle of Passchendaele, and saw action at Cambrai. In 1918, it fought in the German Spring Offensive
and the Second Battle of the Marne
. It resisted the various Allied counteroffensives, including the Hundred Days Offensive
, and was fighting in the Champagne and on the Meuse when World War I ended. In 1918, Allied intelligence rated the division as second class, and noted its tough fighting in numerous battles.
, with essentially the same organization as the reserve divisions formed on mobilization. The order of battle of the 50th Reserve Division on September 10, 1914 was as follows:
in June 1915. Over the course of the war, other changes took place, including the formation of artillery and signals commands and the enlargement of combat engineer support to a full pioneer battalion. The order of battle on February 27, 1918 was as follows:
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 in September 1914 and organized over the next month, arriving in the line in October. It was part of the first wave of new divisions formed at the outset of World War I, which were numbered the 43rd through 54th Reserve Divisions. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
Recruitment
The division was relatively mixed in composition. The 229th Reserve Infantry Regiment was raised in Lower SilesiaLower Silesia
Lower Silesia ; is the northwestern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Upper Silesia is to the southeast.Throughout its history Lower Silesia has been under the control of the medieval Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy from 1526...
. The 230th Reserve Infantry Regiment was raised throughout Silesia. The 231st Reserve Infantry Regiment was raised in Thuringia, mainly in the duchy of Saxe-Altenburg
Saxe-Altenburg
Saxe-Altenburg was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the Wettin dynasty in present-day Thuringia.-History:The duchy originated from the medieval Burgraviate of Altenburg in the Imperial Pleissnerland , a possession of the Wettin Margraves of Meissen since 1243...
and the Prussian Province of Saxony
Province of Saxony
The Province of Saxony was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and later the Free State of Prussia from 1816 until 1945. Its capital was Magdeburg.-History:The province was created in 1816 out of the following territories:...
. The 232nd Reserve Infantry Regiment was raised in Prussian Saxony and the Duchy of Anhalt. The 232nd Reserve Infantry Regiment was transferred to the 107th Infantry Division
107th Infantry Division (German Empire)
The 107th Infantry Division was a unit of the Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed on June 1, 1915 and organized over the next few weeks. It was part of a wave of new infantry divisions formed in 1915...
in June 1915, and new replacements for the other regiments tended to come from the Prussian Province of Hanover
Province of Hanover
The Province of Hanover was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1868 to 1946.During the Austro-Prussian War, the Kingdom of Hanover had attempted to maintain a neutral position, along with some other member states of the German Confederation...
and the Duchy of Brunswick
Duchy of Brunswick
Brunswick was a historical state in Germany. Originally the territory of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel in the Holy Roman Empire, it was established as an independent duchy by the Congress of Vienna in 1815...
, with the 229th being described in Allied intelligence documents as becoming a Brunswick regiment.
Combat chronicle
The 50th Reserve Division initially fought on the Eastern FrontEastern 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...
, entering the line in mid-October. It fought in the Battle of Łódź in November–December 1914 and then spent most of the period until mid-1915 fighting along the Rawka
Rawka River
The Rawka River is a river in central Poland, a tributary of the Bzura river , with a length of 97 kilometres and the basin area of 1,192 km2....
and Bzura
Bzura
Bzura is a river in central Poland, a tributary of the Vistula river , with a length of 166 kilometres and the basin area of 7,788 km2.-Towns and townships:*Zgierz*Aleksandrów Łódzki*Ozorków*Łęczyca*Łowicz*Sochaczew...
Rivers. In July and August 1915 it fought 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...
and then participated in the follow-on battles and engagements until reaching the Berezina River
Berezina River
The Berezina is a river in Belarus and a tributary of the Dnieper River.The Berezina Preserve by the river is in the UNESCO list of Biosphere Preserves.-Historical significance:...
at the end of September. The division was then 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...
. It fought in the Second Battle of Champagne
Second Battle of Champagne
The Second Battle of Champagne was a French offensive against the invading German army beginning on 25 September 1915, part of World War I.-September 25 - October 6:...
in October and November 1915 and remained in the line in the Champagne until late December, when it went to Flanders and the Artois, where it remained into 1916. It saw action in the Battle of the Somme later that year, and remained in the Somme until April 1917. In 1917, it fought in the Battle of Arras
Battle of Arras (1917)
The Battle of Arras was a British offensive during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British, Canadian, New Zealand, Newfoundland, and Australian troops attacked German trenches near the French city of Arras on the Western Front....
and the Battle of Passchendaele, and saw action at Cambrai. In 1918, it 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...
and the Second Battle of the Marne
Second Battle of the Marne
The Second Battle of the Marne , or Battle of Reims was the last major German Spring Offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. The German attack failed when an Allied counterattack led by France overwhelmed the Germans, inflicting severe casualties...
. It resisted the various Allied counteroffensives, including the Hundred Days Offensive
Hundred Days Offensive
The Hundred Days Offensive was the final period of the First World War, during which the Allies launched a series of offensives against the Central Powers on the Western Front from 8 August to 11 November 1918, beginning with the Battle of Amiens. The offensive forced the German armies to retreat...
, and was fighting in the Champagne and on the Meuse when World War I ended. In 1918, Allied intelligence rated the division as second class, and noted its tough fighting in numerous battles.
Order of battle on formation
The 50th Reserve Division was initially organized as a square divisionSquare 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...
, with essentially the same organization as the reserve divisions formed on mobilization. The order of battle of the 50th Reserve Division on September 10, 1914 was as follows:
- 99.Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade
- Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 229
- Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 230
- Reserve-Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 22
- 100.Reserve-Infanterie -Brigade
- Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 231
- Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 232
- Reserve-Kavallerie-Abteilung Nr. 50
- Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 50
- Reserve-Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 50
Order of battle on February 27, 1918
The 50th Reserve Division was triangularizedTriangular 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...
in June 1915. Over the course of the war, other changes took place, including the formation of artillery and signals commands and the enlargement of combat engineer support to a full pioneer battalion. The order of battle on February 27, 1918 was as follows:
- 99.Reserve-Infanterie -Brigade
- Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 229
- Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 230
- Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 231
- Maschinengewehr-Scharfschützen-Abteilung Nr. 60
- Reserve-Kavallerie-Abteilung Nr. 50
- Artillerie-Kommandeur 68
- Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 50
- Fußartillerie-Bataillon Nr. 81
- Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 350
- Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 450