The 50th Reserve Division (50. Reserve-Division) was a formation 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.[2] 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 initially part of XXV Reserve Corps. It was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
The division was relatively mixed in composition. The 229th Reserve Infantry Regiment was raised in Lower Silesia. The 230th Reserve Infantry Regiment was raised throughout Silesia. The 231st Reserve Infantry Regiment was raised in Thuringia, mainly in the duchy of Saxe-Altenburg and the Prussian Province of Saxony. The 232nd Reserve Infantry Regiment was raised in Prussian Saxony and the Duchy of Anhalt. The 232nd Reserve Infantry Regiment was transferred to the 107th Infantry Division in June 1915, and new replacements for the other regiments tended to come from the Prussian Province of Hanover and the Duchy of Brunswick, with the 229th being described in Allied intelligence documents as becoming a Brunswick regiment.
Combat chronicleedit
The 50th Reserve Division initially fought on the Eastern Front, entering the line in mid-October. It fought in the Battle of Łódź in November–December 1914 and then spent most of the period until mid-1915 fighting along the Rawka and Bzura rivers. In July and August 1915 it fought in the Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive and then participated in the follow-on battles and engagements until reaching the Berezina River at the end of September. The division was then transferred to the Western Front. It fought in the Second Battle of Champagne in October and November 1915 and remained in the line in the Champagne until late December, when it went to Flanders and the Artois, where it remained into 1916. It saw action in the Battle of the Somme later that year, and remained in the Somme until April 1917. In 1917, it fought in the Battle of Arras and the Battle of Passchendaele, and saw action at Cambrai. In 1918, it fought in the German spring offensive and the Second Battle of the Marne. It resisted the various Allied counter-offensives, including the Hundred Days Offensive, and was fighting in the Champagne and on the Meuse when World War I ended. In 1918, Allied intelligence rated the division as second class, and noted its tough fighting in numerous battles.[2][3]
Order of battle on formationedit
The 50th 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 50th Reserve Division on September 10, 1914, was as follows:[4]
99.Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 229
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 230
Reserve-Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 22
100. Reserve-Infanterie -Brigade
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 231
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 232
Reserve-Kavallerie-Abteilung Nr. 50
Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 50
Reserve-Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 50
Order of battle on February 27, 1918edit
The 50th Reserve Division was triangularized in June 1915. Over the course of the war, other changes took place, including the formation of artillery and signals commands and the enlargement of combat engineer support to a full pioneer battalion. The order of battle on February 27, 1918, was as follows:[5]
99.Reserve-Infanterie -Brigade
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 229
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 230
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 231
Maschinengewehr-Scharfschützen-Abteilung Nr. 60
Reserve-Kavallerie-Abteilung Nr. 50
Artillerie-Kommandeur 68
Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 50
Fußartillerie-Bataillon Nr. 81
Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 350
Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 450
Referencesedit
50. 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)
Notesedit
^This is an average strength over the division's history. Square divisions had a strength of approximately 17,500; triangular divisions had a strength of approximately 12,500
^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. 493–496.
^Hermann Cron et al., Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee (Berlin, 1935).
50th, reserve, division, german, empire, 50th, reserve, division, reserve, division, formation, imperial, german, army, world, division, formed, september, 1914, organized, over, next, month, arriving, line, october, part, first, wave, divisions, formed, outse. The 50th Reserve Division 50 Reserve Division was a formation 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 2 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 initially part of XXV Reserve Corps It was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I 50th Reserve Division 50 Reserve Division Active1914 1919CountryGermanyBranchArmyTypeInfantrySizeApprox 15 000 1 EngagementsWorld War I Battle of Lodz 1914 Gorlice Tarnow Offensive Second Battle of Champagne Battle of the Somme Battle of Arras 1917 Passchendaele German spring offensive Second Battle of the Marne Hundred Days Offensive Contents 1 Recruitment 2 Combat chronicle 3 Order of battle on formation 4 Order of battle on February 27 1918 5 References 6 NotesRecruitment editThe division was relatively mixed in composition The 229th Reserve Infantry Regiment was raised in Lower Silesia The 230th Reserve Infantry Regiment was raised throughout Silesia The 231st Reserve Infantry Regiment was raised in Thuringia mainly in the duchy of Saxe Altenburg and the Prussian Province of Saxony The 232nd Reserve Infantry Regiment was raised in Prussian Saxony and the Duchy of Anhalt The 232nd Reserve Infantry Regiment was transferred to the 107th Infantry Division in June 1915 and new replacements for the other regiments tended to come from the Prussian Province of Hanover and the Duchy of Brunswick with the 229th being described in Allied intelligence documents as becoming a Brunswick regiment Combat chronicle editThe 50th Reserve Division initially fought on the Eastern Front entering the line in mid October It fought in the Battle of Lodz in November December 1914 and then spent most of the period until mid 1915 fighting along the Rawka and Bzura rivers In July and August 1915 it fought in the Gorlice Tarnow Offensive and then participated in the follow on battles and engagements until reaching the Berezina River at the end of September The division was then transferred to the Western Front It fought in the Second Battle of Champagne in October and November 1915 and remained in the line in the Champagne until late December when it went to Flanders and the Artois where it remained into 1916 It saw action in the Battle of the Somme later that year and remained in the Somme until April 1917 In 1917 it fought in the Battle of Arras and the Battle of Passchendaele and saw action at Cambrai In 1918 it fought in the German spring offensive and the Second Battle of the Marne It resisted the various Allied counter offensives including the Hundred Days Offensive and was fighting in the Champagne and on the Meuse when World War I ended In 1918 Allied intelligence rated the division as second class and noted its tough fighting in numerous battles 2 3 Order of battle on formation editThe 50th 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 50th Reserve Division on September 10 1914 was as follows 4 99 Reserve Infanterie Brigade Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr 229 Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr 230 Reserve Jager Bataillon Nr 22 100 Reserve Infanterie Brigade Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr 231 Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr 232 Reserve Kavallerie Abteilung Nr 50 Reserve Feldartillerie Regiment Nr 50 Reserve Pionier Kompanie Nr 50Order of battle on February 27 1918 editThe 50th Reserve Division was triangularized in June 1915 Over the course of the war other changes took place including the formation of artillery and signals commands and the enlargement of combat engineer support to a full pioneer battalion The order of battle on February 27 1918 was as follows 5 99 Reserve Infanterie Brigade Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr 229 Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr 230 Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr 231 Maschinengewehr Scharfschutzen Abteilung Nr 60 Reserve Kavallerie Abteilung Nr 50 Artillerie Kommandeur 68 Reserve Feldartillerie Regiment Nr 50 Fussartillerie Bataillon Nr 81 Pionier Bataillon Nr 350 Divisions Nachrichten Kommandeur 450References edit50 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 This is an average strength over the division s history Square divisions had a strength of approximately 17 500 triangular divisions had a strength of approximately 12 500 a b 50 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 493 496 Hermann Cron et al Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee Berlin 1935 Cron et al Ruhmeshalle Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 50th Reserve Division German Empire amp oldid 1188165718, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
