The 9th Landwehr Division (9. Landwehr-Division) was a unit of the Imperial 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 in January 1915 as the Mühlenfels Division (Division Mühlenfels), named after its commander, and became the 9th Landwehr Division on February 14, 1915. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.

Combat chronicle

The 9th Landwehr Division served on 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...

, holding a sector in the Argonne Forest. From September to November 1915, it saw action 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:...

. From July to September 1916, it was involved 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...

. It was peripherally involved in 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...

 in July 1918. Late in 1918, it faced the Allied Meuse-Argonne Offensive

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 as fourth class; it was considered primarily a sector holding division and not an offensive formation but "on the defensive it showed some fighting ability.

Order of battle on formation

The 9th Landwehr Division was formed as 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...

 from previously independent Landwehr

Landwehr

Landwehr, or Landeswehr, is a German language term used in referring to certain national armies, or militias found in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Europe. In different context it refers to large scale, low strength fortifications...

 brigades. The order of battle of the division on February 15, 1915 was as follows:

• 49. Landwehr-Infanterie-Brigade
  • Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 56
  • Großherzoglich Hessisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 118
  • Maschinengewehr-Zug Nr. 77
  • Maschinengewehr-Zug Nr. 97
• 43. Landwehr-Infanterie-Brigade (from March 4, 1915, 76.Landwehr-Infanterie-Brigade)
  • Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 79
  • Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 83
  • Maschinengewehr-Zug Nr. 62
  • Maschinengewehr-Zug Nr. 81
• Landwehr-Kavallerie-Regiment Nr. 9
• 4. Lothringisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 70 (until June 3, 1916)
• II. Abteilung/Feldartillerie-Regiment von Puecker (1. Schlesisches) Nr. 6 (until June 3, 1916)
• 8. Batterie/Fußartillerie-Regiment von Dieskau (Niederschlesisches) Nr. 6 (until June 3, 1916)
• Landwehr-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 9 (from June 3, 1916)
• 1. Kompanie/Schlesisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 6

Late-war order of battle

The division underwent a number of organizational changes over the course of the war. It was triangularized

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...

in February 1917. Cavalry was reduced, artillery and signals commands were formed, and combat engineer support was expanded to a full battalion. The order of battle on August 10, 1918 was as follows:

• 76. Landwehr-Infanterie-Brigade
  • Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 83
  • Großherzoglich Hessisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 116
  • Großherzoglich Hessisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 118
• 1. Eskadron/Dragoner-Regiment von Bredow (1. Schlesisches) Nr. 4
• Artillerie-Kommandeur 150
  • Landwehr-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 9
• Stab Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 409
  • 1. Landwehr-Pionier-Kompanie/XVIII. Armeekorps
  • 2. Landwehr-Pionier-Kompanie/X. Armeekorps
  • Minenwerfer-Kompanie Nr. 309
• Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 509