The 48th Reserve Division (48. Reserve-Division) was a unit of the Imperial GermanArmy in World War I. The division was formed in September 1914 and organized over the next month, arriving in the line in October.[1] 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 part of XXIV Reserve Corps. It was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
The 48th Reserve Division was relatively mixed, but mostly came from the XI and XVIII Army Corps areas. The 221st and 222nd Reserve Infantry Regiments were raised in the Grand Duchy of Hesse. The 223rd Reserve Infantry Regiment was raised in the Prussian Province of Hesse-Nassau, with one battalion each from the former Electorate of Hesse, Duchy of Nassau, and city of Frankfurt am Main. The 224th Reserve Infantry Regiment was from the Thuringian states and the Prussian Province of Saxony. After the 224th Reserve Infantry Regiment was transferred to the 215th Infantry Division, the 48th Reserve Division became an even more predominantly Hessian formation.
Combat chronicleedit
The 48th Reserve Division initially fought on the Western Front, entering the line in October between the Meuse and Moselle. It then moved to the Flanders and Artois regions in the drive northwards known as the Race to the Sea. It fought at Lille in late October and at Ypres into November. At the end of November, the division was transferred to the Eastern Front. It fought in a number of engagements, including the winter 1914 Battle of Łódź, and then participated in the pursuit of the Russians from Carpathia and Austrian Galicia known as the Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive after the major battle at Gorlice and Tarnów. The division remained in positional warfare and various engagements on the Eastern Front thereafter, and faced part of the Brusilov Offensive in 1916. From October 1916 to April 1917, the division was attached to the Austro-Hungarian 3rd Army, and was then attached to the Austro-Hungarian 2nd Army. In May 1917, the division returned to the Western Front, and occupied the line near Verdun, facing the French offensive there in August and September. The division was in the trenches in Lorraine from the end of September to the beginning of December 1917, and then in Upper Alsace until mid-February 1918. It then went into army reserve until April, when it went into the line in the Flanders and Artois regions. It remained in the fighting in the northern part of the Western Front until the end of the war. In 1917, Allied intelligence rated the division as a mediocre division. In 1918 it was rated second class.[1][2]
Order of battle on formationedit
The 48th Reserve Division was initially organized as a square division, with essentially the same organization as the reserve divisions formed on mobilization. The order of battle of the 48th Reserve Division on January 6, 1915, was as follows:[3]
95. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 221
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 222
96. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 223
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 224
Reserve-Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 20
Reserve-Kavallerie-Abteilung Nr. 48
Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 48
Reserve-Fußartillerie-Batterie 24
Reserve-Fußartillerie-Batterie 25
Reserve-Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 48
Order of battle on March 31, 1918edit
The 48th Reserve Division was triangularized in April 1917. Over the course of the war, other changes took place, including the formation of artillery and signals commands and a pioneer battalion. The order of battle on March 31, 1918, was as follows:[4]
96. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 221
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 222
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 223
5. Eskadron/Garde-Dragoner-Regiment Königin Viktoria von Groß Britannien u. Irland Nr. 1
Artillerie-Kommandeur 48
Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 48
I. Bataillon/Fußartillerie-Regiment Nr. 23
Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 348
Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 448
Referencesedit
48. Reserve-Division (Chronik 1914/1918) - Der erste Weltkrieg
Hermann Cron et al., Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee (Berlin, 1935)
Hermann Cron, Geschichte des deutschen Heeres im Weltkriege 1914-1918 (Berlin, 1937)
Günter Wegner, Stellenbesetzung der deutschen Heere 1815-1939. (Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück, 1993), Bd. 1
Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-One Divisions of the German Army which Participated in the War (1914-1918), compiled from records of Intelligence section of the General Staff, American Expeditionary Forces, at General Headquarters, Chaumont, France 1919 (1920)
^Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-One Divisions of the German Army which Participated in the War (1914-1918), compiled from records of Intelligence section of the General Staff, American Expeditionary Forces, at General Headquarters, Chaumont, France 1919 (1920), pp. 479-482.
^Hermann Cron et al., Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee (Berlin, 1935).
48th, reserve, division, german, empire, 48th, reserve, division, reserve, division, unit, imperial, german, army, world, division, formed, september, 1914, organized, over, next, month, arriving, line, october, part, first, wave, divisions, formed, outset, wo. The 48th Reserve Division 48 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 1 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 part of XXIV Reserve Corps It was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I 48th Reserve Division 48 Reserve Division Active1914 1919CountryGerman EmpireBranchGerman ArmyTypeInfantrySize 15 000EngagementsWorld War I Race to the Sea Battle of Lodz 1914 Gorlice Tarnow Offensive Brusilov Offensive Contents 1 Recruitment 2 Combat chronicle 3 Order of battle on formation 4 Order of battle on March 31 1918 5 References 6 NotesRecruitment editThe 48th Reserve Division was relatively mixed but mostly came from the XI and XVIII Army Corps areas The 221st and 222nd Reserve Infantry Regiments were raised in the Grand Duchy of Hesse The 223rd Reserve Infantry Regiment was raised in the Prussian Province of Hesse Nassau with one battalion each from the former Electorate of Hesse Duchy of Nassau and city of Frankfurt am Main The 224th Reserve Infantry Regiment was from the Thuringian states and the Prussian Province of Saxony After the 224th Reserve Infantry Regiment was transferred to the 215th Infantry Division the 48th Reserve Division became an even more predominantly Hessian formation Combat chronicle editThe 48th Reserve Division initially fought on the Western Front entering the line in October between the Meuse and Moselle It then moved to the Flanders and Artois regions in the drive northwards known as the Race to the Sea It fought at Lille in late October and at Ypres into November At the end of November the division was transferred to the Eastern Front It fought in a number of engagements including the winter 1914 Battle of Lodz and then participated in the pursuit of the Russians from Carpathia and Austrian Galicia known as the Gorlice Tarnow Offensive after the major battle at Gorlice and Tarnow The division remained in positional warfare and various engagements on the Eastern Front thereafter and faced part of the Brusilov Offensive in 1916 From October 1916 to April 1917 the division was attached to the Austro Hungarian 3rd Army and was then attached to the Austro Hungarian 2nd Army In May 1917 the division returned to the Western Front and occupied the line near Verdun facing the French offensive there in August and September The division was in the trenches in Lorraine from the end of September to the beginning of December 1917 and then in Upper Alsace until mid February 1918 It then went into army reserve until April when it went into the line in the Flanders and Artois regions It remained in the fighting in the northern part of the Western Front until the end of the war In 1917 Allied intelligence rated the division as a mediocre division In 1918 it was rated second class 1 2 Order of battle on formation editThe 48th Reserve Division was initially organized as a square division with essentially the same organization as the reserve divisions formed on mobilization The order of battle of the 48th Reserve Division on January 6 1915 was as follows 3 95 Reserve Infanterie Brigade Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr 221 Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr 222 96 Reserve Infanterie Brigade Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr 223 Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr 224 Reserve Jager Bataillon Nr 20 Reserve Kavallerie Abteilung Nr 48 Reserve Feldartillerie Regiment Nr 48 Reserve Fussartillerie Batterie 24 Reserve Fussartillerie Batterie 25 Reserve Pionier Kompanie Nr 48Order of battle on March 31 1918 editThe 48th Reserve Division was triangularized in April 1917 Over the course of the war other changes took place including the formation of artillery and signals commands and a pioneer battalion The order of battle on March 31 1918 was as follows 4 96 Reserve Infanterie Brigade Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr 221 Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr 222 Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr 223 5 Eskadron Garde Dragoner Regiment Konigin Viktoria von Gross Britannien u Irland Nr 1 Artillerie Kommandeur 48 Reserve Feldartillerie Regiment Nr 48 I Bataillon Fussartillerie Regiment Nr 23 Pionier Bataillon Nr 348 Divisions Nachrichten Kommandeur 448References edit48 Reserve Division Chronik 1914 1918 Der erste Weltkrieg Hermann Cron et al Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee Berlin 1935 Hermann Cron Geschichte des deutschen Heeres im Weltkriege 1914 1918 Berlin 1937 Gunter Wegner Stellenbesetzung der deutschen Heere 1815 1939 Biblio Verlag Osnabruck 1993 Bd 1 Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty One Divisions of the German Army which Participated in the War 1914 1918 compiled from records of Intelligence section of the General Staff American Expeditionary Forces at General Headquarters Chaumont France 1919 1920 Notes edit a b 48 Reserve Division Chronik 1914 1918 Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty One Divisions of the German Army which Participated in the War 1914 1918 compiled from records of Intelligence section of the General Staff American Expeditionary Forces at General Headquarters Chaumont France 1919 1920 pp 479 482 Hermann Cron et al Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee Berlin 1935 Cron et al Ruhmeshalle Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 48th Reserve Division German Empire amp oldid 1188165667, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
