The 4th Ersatz Division (4. Ersatz-Division) was a unit of the GermanArmy, in World War I.[1] The division was formed on mobilization of the German Army in August 1914.[2] The division was disbanded in 1919, during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
The 4th Ersatz Division was formed on mobilization from 13 brigade replacement battalions (Brigade-Ersatz-Bataillone). Each brigade replacement battalion was numbered after its parent infantry brigade, and was formed with two companies taken from the replacement battalion of each of the brigade's two infantry regiments. Thus, collectively, the 13 brigade replacement battalions represented troop contributions from 26 different infantry regiments. The four battalions of the 9th Mixed Ersatz Brigade were from the Prussian Province of Brandenburg, as were the brigade's artillery, cavalry and pioneer formations. Two battalions of the 13th Mixed Ersatz Brigade were from the Prussian Province of Saxony, one was a mixed battalion from Prussian Saxony and the Duchy of Anhalt, and one was a mixed battalion from Prussian Saxony and the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg. The brigade's artillery, cavalry and pioneer formations were primarily from Prussian Saxony. The five battalions of the 33rd Mixed Ersatz Brigade, from the IX Army Corps area in northern Germany, were even more mixed: the 33rd Brigade Replacement Battalion was from the Hanseatic Cities of Bremen and Hamburg; the 34th from the Grand Duchies of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz; the 35th and 36th from Schleswig-Holstein; and the 81st from Schleswig-Holstein and the Hanseatic City of Lübeck. The brigade's artillery, cavalry and pioneer formations were mainly from Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Hamburg.[3]
Combat chronicleedit
The 4th Ersatz Division initially fought on the Western Front in World War I. It fought in the Battle of the Frontiers, seeing action in Lorraine and against the French defensive line from Nancy to Epinal. At the end of September 1914, the division was transferred from Lorraine to Belgium, where it participated in the Siege of Antwerp. After Antwerp fell, the division occupied the city and participated in follow-on fighting in Belgian Flanders. It fought in the Battle of the Yser and then went into the line on the Yser until November 1916. During this period, the division fought in the Second Battle of Ypres in April/May 1915 and in the Battle of the Somme in October 1916. It was in the trenchlines in the Somme region from December 1916 to February 1917. After fighting before the German Siegfried position, the division participated in the Battle of Arras. In late May 1917, the division was transferred to the Eastern Front. In July, it resisted the Russian Kerensky Offensive, and then participated in follow-on fighting in eastern Galicia. In December 1917, the division returned to the Western Front. It was in the trenchlines in Flanders and the Artois until April 1918, when it fought in the Battle of Armentières, part of the Battle of the Lys, also known as the German Lys Offensive or the Fourth Battle of Ypres. The division later fought in the Second Battle of the Marne. Allied intelligence considered the division a fairly good division in 1917, but rated it third class in 1918, noting that it had not distinguished itself in the battles of 1918.[2][4]
Order of battle on mobilizationedit
The order of battle of the 4th Ersatz Division on mobilization was as follows:[5]
9. gemischte Ersatz-Brigade
Brigade-Ersatz-Bataillon Nr. 9
Brigade-Ersatz-Bataillon Nr. 10
Brigade-Ersatz-Bataillon Nr. 11
Brigade-Ersatz-Bataillon Nr. 12
Kavallerie-Ersatz-Abteilung/III. Armeekorps
Feldartillerie-Ersatz-Abteilung Nr. 18 (Ersatz-Abteilung/Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 18)
Feldartillerie-Ersatz-Abteilung Nr. 39 (Ersatz-Abteilung/Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 39)
2. Ersatz-Kompanie/Brandenburgisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 3
13. gemischte Ersatz-Brigade
Brigade-Ersatz-Bataillon Nr. 13
Brigade-Ersatz-Bataillon Nr. 14
Brigade-Ersatz-Bataillon Nr. 15
Brigade-Ersatz-Bataillon Nr. 16
Kavallerie-Ersatz-Abteilung/IV. Armeekorps
Feldartillerie-Ersatz-Abteilung Nr. 40 (Ersatz-Abteilung/Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 40)
Feldartillerie-Ersatz-Abteilung Nr. 75 (Ersatz-Abteilung/Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 75)
1. Ersatz-Kompanie/Magdeburgisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 4
Feldartillerie-Ersatz-Abteilung Nr. 45 (Ersatz-Abteilung/Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 45)
Feldartillerie-Ersatz-Abteilung Nr. 60 (Ersatz-Abteilung/Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 60)
1. Ersatz-Kompanie/Schleswig-Holsteinsiches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 9
Order of battle on 15 July 1915edit
The division was restructured in the summer of 1915. The 33rd Ersatz Brigade was dissolved in July 1915. The other mixed Ersatz brigades were converted to Ersatz infantry brigades as cavalry, artillery, and pioneer Ersatz units were grouped and reorganized. The brigade replacement battalions were grouped into infantry regiments. The order of battle on 15 July 1915 was as follows:[5]
9. Ersatz-Infanterie-Brigade
Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 359
Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 360
13. Ersatz-Infanterie-Brigade
Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 361
Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 362
Kavallerie-Ersatz-Eskadron Nr. 4
4. Ersatz-Feldartillerie-Brigade
Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 90
Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 91
Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 303
Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 304
Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 305
Order of battle on 1 March 1918edit
The division underwent more structural changes as the war progressed. The 4th Ersatz Division was triangularized in September 1916. The 359th Infantry regiment was transferred to the newly formed 206th Infantry Division in August 1916. Over the course of the war, cavalry was reduced, pioneers were increased to a full battalion, and an artillery command and a divisional signals command were created. The division's order of battle on 1 March 1918 was as follows:[5]
13. Ersatz-Infanterie-Brigade
Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 360
Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 361
Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 362
3. Eskadron/Magdeburgisches Husaren-Regiment Nr. 10
Artillerie-Kommandeur 139
Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 90
Fußartillerie-Bataillon Nr. 119 (from 17 August 1918)
Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 504
Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 304
Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 305
Minenwerfer-Kompanie Nr. 161
Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 554
Referencesedit
Militaerpass.net - 4. Ersatz-Division order of battle and 1914-1918 overview
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)
Notesedit
^From the late 1800s, the Prussian Army was effectively the German Army as, during the period of German unification (1866–1871), the states of the German Empire entered into conventions with Prussia regarding their armies. Only the Bavarian Army remained fully autonomous and came under Prussian control only during wartime.
^Hermann Cron et al., Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee (Berlin, 1935); Hartwig Busche, Formationsgeschichte der deutschen Infanterie im Weltkrieg 1914/1918 (1998).
^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. 96-98.
ersatz, division, german, empire, ersatz, division, ersatz, division, unit, german, army, world, division, formed, mobilization, german, army, august, 1914, division, disbanded, 1919, during, demobilization, german, army, after, world, ersatz, division, ersatz. The 4th Ersatz Division 4 Ersatz Division was a unit of the German Army in World War I 1 The division was formed on mobilization of the German Army in August 1914 2 The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I 4th Ersatz Division 4 Ersatz Division Active1914 1918CountryGermanyBranchArmyTypeInfantrySizeApprox 15 000EngagementsWorld War I Battle of the Frontiers Siege of Antwerp Battle of the Yser Second Battle of Ypres Battle of the Somme Battle of Arras 1917 Kerensky Offensive Battle of the Lys Second Battle of the Marne Contents 1 Formation and recruitment 2 Combat chronicle 3 Order of battle on mobilization 4 Order of battle on 15 July 1915 5 Order of battle on 1 March 1918 6 References 7 NotesFormation and recruitment editThe 4th Ersatz Division was formed on mobilization from 13 brigade replacement battalions Brigade Ersatz Bataillone Each brigade replacement battalion was numbered after its parent infantry brigade and was formed with two companies taken from the replacement battalion of each of the brigade s two infantry regiments Thus collectively the 13 brigade replacement battalions represented troop contributions from 26 different infantry regiments The four battalions of the 9th Mixed Ersatz Brigade were from the Prussian Province of Brandenburg as were the brigade s artillery cavalry and pioneer formations Two battalions of the 13th Mixed Ersatz Brigade were from the Prussian Province of Saxony one was a mixed battalion from Prussian Saxony and the Duchy of Anhalt and one was a mixed battalion from Prussian Saxony and the Duchy of Saxe Altenburg The brigade s artillery cavalry and pioneer formations were primarily from Prussian Saxony The five battalions of the 33rd Mixed Ersatz Brigade from the IX Army Corps area in northern Germany were even more mixed the 33rd Brigade Replacement Battalion was from the Hanseatic Cities of Bremen and Hamburg the 34th from the Grand Duchies of Mecklenburg Schwerin and Mecklenburg Strelitz the 35th and 36th from Schleswig Holstein and the 81st from Schleswig Holstein and the Hanseatic City of Lubeck The brigade s artillery cavalry and pioneer formations were mainly from Schleswig Holstein Mecklenburg Schwerin and Hamburg 3 Combat chronicle editThe 4th Ersatz Division initially fought on the Western Front in World War I It fought in the Battle of the Frontiers seeing action in Lorraine and against the French defensive line from Nancy to Epinal At the end of September 1914 the division was transferred from Lorraine to Belgium where it participated in the Siege of Antwerp After Antwerp fell the division occupied the city and participated in follow on fighting in Belgian Flanders It fought in the Battle of the Yser and then went into the line on the Yser until November 1916 During this period the division fought in the Second Battle of Ypres in April May 1915 and in the Battle of the Somme in October 1916 It was in the trenchlines in the Somme region from December 1916 to February 1917 After fighting before the German Siegfried position the division participated in the Battle of Arras In late May 1917 the division was transferred to the Eastern Front In July it resisted the Russian Kerensky Offensive and then participated in follow on fighting in eastern Galicia In December 1917 the division returned to the Western Front It was in the trenchlines in Flanders and the Artois until April 1918 when it fought in the Battle of Armentieres part of the Battle of the Lys also known as the German Lys Offensive or the Fourth Battle of Ypres The division later fought in the Second Battle of the Marne Allied intelligence considered the division a fairly good division in 1917 but rated it third class in 1918 noting that it had not distinguished itself in the battles of 1918 2 4 Order of battle on mobilization editThe order of battle of the 4th Ersatz Division on mobilization was as follows 5 9 gemischte Ersatz Brigade Brigade Ersatz Bataillon Nr 9 Brigade Ersatz Bataillon Nr 10 Brigade Ersatz Bataillon Nr 11 Brigade Ersatz Bataillon Nr 12 Kavallerie Ersatz Abteilung III Armeekorps Feldartillerie Ersatz Abteilung Nr 18 Ersatz Abteilung Feldartillerie Regiment Nr 18 Feldartillerie Ersatz Abteilung Nr 39 Ersatz Abteilung Feldartillerie Regiment Nr 39 2 Ersatz Kompanie Brandenburgisches Pionier Bataillon Nr 3 13 gemischte Ersatz Brigade Brigade Ersatz Bataillon Nr 13 Brigade Ersatz Bataillon Nr 14 Brigade Ersatz Bataillon Nr 15 Brigade Ersatz Bataillon Nr 16 Kavallerie Ersatz Abteilung IV Armeekorps Feldartillerie Ersatz Abteilung Nr 40 Ersatz Abteilung Feldartillerie Regiment Nr 40 Feldartillerie Ersatz Abteilung Nr 75 Ersatz Abteilung Feldartillerie Regiment Nr 75 1 Ersatz Kompanie Magdeburgisches Pionier Bataillon Nr 4 33 gemischte Ersatz Brigade Brigade Ersatz Bataillon Nr 33 Brigade Ersatz Bataillon Nr 34 Brigade Ersatz Bataillon Nr 35 Brigade Ersatz Bataillon Nr 36 Brigade Ersatz Bataillon Nr 81 Kavallerie Ersatz Abteilung Wandsbeck IX Armeekorps Feldartillerie Ersatz Abteilung Nr 45 Ersatz Abteilung Feldartillerie Regiment Nr 45 Feldartillerie Ersatz Abteilung Nr 60 Ersatz Abteilung Feldartillerie Regiment Nr 60 1 Ersatz Kompanie Schleswig Holsteinsiches Pionier Bataillon Nr 9Order of battle on 15 July 1915 editThe division was restructured in the summer of 1915 The 33rd Ersatz Brigade was dissolved in July 1915 The other mixed Ersatz brigades were converted to Ersatz infantry brigades as cavalry artillery and pioneer Ersatz units were grouped and reorganized The brigade replacement battalions were grouped into infantry regiments The order of battle on 15 July 1915 was as follows 5 9 Ersatz Infanterie Brigade Infanterie Regiment Nr 359 Infanterie Regiment Nr 360 13 Ersatz Infanterie Brigade Infanterie Regiment Nr 361 Infanterie Regiment Nr 362 Kavallerie Ersatz Eskadron Nr 4 4 Ersatz Feldartillerie Brigade Feldartillerie Regiment Nr 90 Feldartillerie Regiment Nr 91 Pionier Kompanie Nr 303 Pionier Kompanie Nr 304 Pionier Kompanie Nr 305Order of battle on 1 March 1918 editThe division underwent more structural changes as the war progressed The 4th Ersatz Division was triangularized in September 1916 The 359th Infantry regiment was transferred to the newly formed 206th Infantry Division in August 1916 Over the course of the war cavalry was reduced pioneers were increased to a full battalion and an artillery command and a divisional signals command were created The division s order of battle on 1 March 1918 was as follows 5 13 Ersatz Infanterie Brigade Infanterie Regiment Nr 360 Infanterie Regiment Nr 361 Infanterie Regiment Nr 362 3 Eskadron Magdeburgisches Husaren Regiment Nr 10 Artillerie Kommandeur 139 Feldartillerie Regiment Nr 90 Fussartillerie Bataillon Nr 119 from 17 August 1918 Pionier Bataillon Nr 504 Pionier Kompanie Nr 304 Pionier Kompanie Nr 305 Minenwerfer Kompanie Nr 161 Divisions Nachrichten Kommandeur 554References edit4 Ersatz Division Chronik 1914 1918 Der erste Weltkrieg Militaerpass net 4 Ersatz Division order of battle and 1914 1918 overview 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 From the late 1800s the Prussian Army was effectively the German Army as during the period of German unification 1866 1871 the states of the German Empire entered into conventions with Prussia regarding their armies Only the Bavarian Army remained fully autonomous and came under Prussian control only during wartime a b 4 Ersatz Division Chronik 1914 1918 Hermann Cron et al Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee Berlin 1935 Hartwig Busche Formationsgeschichte der deutschen Infanterie im Weltkrieg 1914 1918 1998 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 96 98 a b c Cron et al Ruhmeshalle Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 4th Ersatz Division German Empire amp oldid 1188167885, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
