58th Infantry Division (German Empire)
Encyclopedia
The 58th Infantry Division (58. Infanterie-Division) was a unit of the Imperial German
Army
in World War I
. The division was formed on March 6, 1915 and organized over the next two months. It was part of a wave of new infantry divisions formed in the spring of 1915 and was originally formed from troops from the Kingdom of Saxony
and the Kingdom of Württemberg
, but became a fully Saxon division by 1916. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
, seeing action in the Second Battle of Artois
. In July 1915, it was transferred to the Eastern Front
, and participated in the Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive
. In October 1915, it returned to the Western Front and went into the trenchlines in Lorraine. In 1916, it fought in the Battle of Verdun
and the Battle of the Somme. In 1917, it fought in the Second Battle of the Aisne
, also called the Third Battle of Champagne. In late April 1917, the division went back to the Eastern Front, where it remained until October. After returning to the Western Front, it saw action in the late phases of the Battle of Passchendaele, also called the Third Battle of Ypres. The division remained in the Flanders region until August 1918, when it went to the Somme region, fighting at Monchy-Bapaume and later resisting the Allied offensive between Cambrai and St. Quentin. Allied intelligence rated the division as second class.
. The order of battle of the division on March 6, 1915 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 on March 6, 1915 and organized over the next two months. It was part of a wave of new infantry divisions formed in the spring of 1915 and was originally formed from troops from the Kingdom of Saxony
Kingdom of Saxony
The Kingdom of Saxony , lasting between 1806 and 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. From 1871 it was part of the German Empire. It became a Free state in the era of Weimar Republic in 1918 after the end of World War...
and the Kingdom of Württemberg
Kingdom of Württemberg
The Kingdom of Württemberg was a state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located in present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which came into existence in 1495...
, but became a fully Saxon division by 1916. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
Combat chronicle
The 58th Bavarian Reserve Division initially fought on the Western FrontWestern 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 Second Battle of Artois
Second Battle of Artois
The Second Battle of Artois, of which the British contribution was the Battle of Aubers Ridge, was a battle on the Western Front of the First World War, it was fought at the same time as the Second Battle of Ypres. Even though the French under General Philippe Pétain gained some initial victories,...
. In July 1915, it was transferred to 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...
, and participated 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...
. In October 1915, it returned to the Western Front and went into the trenchlines in Lorraine. 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...
and the Battle of the Somme. 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 called the Third Battle of Champagne. In late April 1917, the division went back to the Eastern Front, where it remained until October. After returning to the Western Front, it saw action in the late phases of the Battle of Passchendaele, also called the Third Battle of Ypres. The division remained in the Flanders region until August 1918, when it went to the Somme region, fighting at Monchy-Bapaume and later resisting the Allied offensive between Cambrai and St. Quentin. Allied intelligence rated the division as second class.
Order of battle on formation
The 58th Infantry Division was formed as a triangular divisionTriangular 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...
. The order of battle of the division on March 6, 1915 was as follows:
- 116.Infanterie-Brigade
- Königlich Sächsisches 7. Infanterie-Regiment König Georg Nr. 106
- Königlich Sächsisches 8. Infanterie-Regiment Prinz Johann Georg Nr. 107
- Königlich Württembergisches Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 120
- Radfahrer-Kompanie Nr. 58
- 4.Eskadron/Königlich Sächsisches 2. Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 18
- 58. Feldartillerie-Brigade
- Königlich Sächsisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 115
- Königlich Württembergisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 116
- Fußartillerie-Bataillon Nr. 58
- Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 115
- Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 116
Order of battle on January 1, 1918
The Württemberg elements of the division were transferred out and the division became fully Saxon by the end of 1916. Over the course of the war, other changes took place, including the formation of artillery and signals commands and the expansion of combat engineer support to a full pioneer battalion. The order of battle on January 1, 1918 was as follows:- 116.Infanterie-Brigade
- Königlich Sächsisches Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 103
- Königlich Sächsisches 7. Infanterie-Regiment König Georg Nr. 106
- Königlich Sächsisches 8. Infanterie-Regiment Prinz Johann Georg Nr. 107
- 4.Eskadron/Königlich Sächsisches 2. Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 18
- Königlich Sächsischer Artillerie-Kommandeur 57
- Königlich Sächsisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 115
- Fußartillerie-Bataillon Nr. 97 (from June 19, 1918)
- Königlich Sächsisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 375
- Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 115
- Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 116
- Minenwerfer-Kompanie Nr. 58
- Königlich Sächsischer Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 58