The 6th Cavalry Division (6. 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 IV Cavalry Corps preceding 4th and 5th Armies on the Western Front until October 1914, transfered to Russia until October 1916, and to Romania until February 1917. Returned to the Western Front and in Alsace until July 1918, Flanders until August 1918, Artois to October 1918 and back to Flanders until the end of the war. Dismounted on 5th May 1918 and restructured to form 6th 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:

• 28th Cavalry Brigade (from XIV Army Corps
  XIV Corps (German Empire)
  The XIV Army Corps was a corps of the Imperial German Army. It was, effectively, also the army of the Grand Duchy of Baden, which had been integrated in 1871 into the Prussian Army command structure, as had the armies of most German states. Both divisions and the bulk of the corps' support units...
  
   District)
  • 20th (1st Baden) Life-Dragoons
  • 21st (2nd Baden) Dragoons
• 33rd Cavalry Brigade (from XVI 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...
  
   District)
  • 9th (1st Hannover) Dragoons "King Charles I of Rumania"
  • 13th (Schleswig-Holstein) Dragoons
• 45th Cavalry Brigade (from 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...
  
   District)
  • 13th (1st Kurhessian) Hussars "King Umberto of Italy"
  • 13th Jäger zu Pferde
    13th Mounted Rifles
    The 13th Mounted Rifles were a light cavalry regiment of the Royal Prussian Army. The regiment was formed 1 October 1913 in Metz....
    
    
• 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
• 6th Machine Gun Detachment
• Pioneer Detachment
• Signals Detachment
  • Heavy Wireless Station 4
  • Light Wireless Station 9
  • Light Wireless Station 11
• Cavalry Motorised Vehicle Column 6

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"...

6th Cavalry Schützen Division

The 6th 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).

• 28th Cavalry Brigade transfered to 4th Cavalry Division
  4th Cavalry Division (German Empire)
  The 4th 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
• 33rd Cavalry Brigade became independent on 14th September 1916
• 45th Cavalry Brigade became independent on 14th October 1916. Rejoined from 4th Cavalry Division
  4th Cavalry Division (German Empire)
  The 4th 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 and renamed 45th Cavalry Schützen Command on 6th May 1918
• 3rd Cavalry Brigade joined from 4th Cavalry Division
  4th Cavalry Division (German Empire)
  The 4th 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 October 1916 and renamed 3rd Cavalry Schützen Command on 6th May 1918
• 5th Cavalry Brigade (formerly independent) joined on 19th October 1916 and renamed 5th Cavalry Schützen Command on 11th May 1918
• 8th Cavalry Brigade joined from 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 18th October 1916 and became independent on 6th October 1917

Late World War I organization

Allied Intelligence rated this division as 4th Class (of 4 classes). It's late war organisation was:

• 170th Landwehr Brigade
  • 3rd Cavalry Schützen Command
    • 2nd (Pomeranian) Cuirassiers “Queen”
    • 12th (Thuringian) Hussars
    • 3rd (1st Brandenburg) Uhlans "Emperor Alexander II of Russia"
  • 5th Cavalry Schützen Command
    • 7th (Magdeburg) Cuirassiers von Seydlitz”
      7th (Magdeburg) Cuirassiers von Seydlitz”
      The 7th Cuirassiers “von Seydlitz” were a heavy cavalry regiment of the Royal Prussian Army. The regiment was formed in 1815. The regiment fought in the War of the Sixth Coalition, the Austro-Prussian War, the Franco-Prussian War and World War I. The regiment was disbanded in 1919....
      
      
    • 2nd (1st Brandenburg) Dragoons
    • 9th (2nd Pomeranian) Uhlans
  • 45th Cavalry Schützen Command
    • 13th (1st Kurhessian) Hussars "King Umberto of Italy"
    • 12th Jäger zu Pferde
      12th Mounted Rifles
      The 12th Mounted Rifles were a light cavalry regiment of the Royal Prussian Army. The regiment was formed 1 October 1913 in Metz....
      
      
    • 7th Reserve Dragoons
• 5th Squadron, 13th (1st Hannover) King’s Uhlans (mounted cavalry)
• 133rd Artillery Command
  • 4th Abteilung, 3rd (General-Feldzeugmeister) (1st Brandenburg) Field Artillery Regiment
  • 3rd and 4th Abteilungen, 11th (1st Kurhessian) Field Artillery Regiment
  • 915th Light Ammunition Column
• Pioneer Battalion
  • 5th Reserve Comany, II Pioneer Battalion No. 12
  • 1st Reserve Comany, II Pioneer Battalion No. 21
• 94th Signal Command
  • 94th Telephone Detachment
  • 184th Wireless Detachment
• Medical and Veterinary
  • 256th Ambulance Company
  • 106th Field Hospital
  • 86th Reserve Field Hospital
  • 261st Vet. Hospital
• Train
  • 674th Motor Transport Column
• Heavy Artillery
  • 108th Foot Artillery Battalion