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Guards Corps (German Empire)

December 30, 2022

For the Haganah Guard Corps, see Guard Corps (Haganah). For the Prussian military unit known as the Prussian Guard, see Gardes du Corps (Prussia).

The Guards Corps/GK (German: Gardekorps) was a corps level command of the Prussian and then the Imperial German Armies from the 19th century to World War I.

Guards Corps
Gardekorps
Flag of the Staff of a Generalkommando (1871–1918)
Country Prussia /  German Empire
TypeArtillery
Cavalry
Infantry
Pioneer
SizeApproximately 44,000 (on mobilisation in 1914)
Garrison/HQBerlin
EngagementsAustro-Prussian War
Battle of Königgrätz

Franco-Prussian War

Battle of Gravelotte
Battle of Sedan (1870)
Siege of Paris
Battle of Le Bourget

World War I

Battle of the Frontiers
First Battle of the Marne
First Battle of Ypres
Insignia
AbbreviationGK

The Corps was headquartered in Berlin, with its units garrisoned in the city and nearby towns (Potsdam, Jüterbog, Döberitz). Unlike all other Corps of the Imperial German Army, the Guards Corps did not recruit from a specific area, but from throughout Prussia and the "Imperial Lands" of Alsace-Lorraine.

The Corps served in the Austro-Prussian War. During the Franco-Prussian War it was assigned to the 2nd Army.

In peacetime the Corps was assigned to the II Army Inspectorate but joined the 2nd Army at the start of the First World War.[1] It was still in existence at the end of the war[2] in the 4th Army, Heeresgruppe Kronprinz Rupprecht, on the Western Front.[3] The Corps was disbanded with the demobilisation of the German Army after World War I.

Austro-Prussian War

The Guards Corps fought in the Austro-Prussian War against Austria in 1866, including the Battle of Königgrätz.

Franco-Prussian War

The Corps served in the Franco-Prussian War against France in 1870–1871 as part of 2nd Army. It saw action in the Battle of Gravelotte, Battle of Sedan and the Siege of Paris (including the Battle of Le Bourget), among other actions.

Peacetime organisation

The 25 peacetime Corps of the German Army (Guards, I–XXI, I–III Bavarian) had a reasonably standardised organisation. Each consisted of two divisions with usually two infantry brigades, one field artillery brigade and a cavalry brigade each.[4] Each brigade normally consisted of two regiments of the appropriate type, so each Corps normally commanded eight infantry, four field artillery and four cavalry regiments. There were exceptions to this rule:

V, VI, VII, IX and XIV Corps each had a fifth infantry brigade (so 10 infantry regiments)
II, XIII, XVIII and XXI Corps had a ninth infantry regiment
I, VI and XVI Corps had a 3rd cavalry brigade (so six cavalry regiments)

Each Corps also directly controlled a number of other units. This could include one or more

Foot Artillery Regiment
Jäger Battalion
Pioneer Battalion
Train Battalion

The Guards Corps was considerably above this norm, with 11 infantry regiments (in five brigades) and 8 cavalry regiments (in four brigades). In addition to the normal two infantry divisions (1st Guards Infantry and 2nd Guards Infantry Divisions), the Guards Corps also commanded the Guards Cavalry Division, the only peacetime cavalry division in the German Army. It also incorporated an exceptional number of "Corps Troops" units, in particular school and demonstration (Lehr) units.

World War I

Organisation on mobilisation

On mobilization on 2 August 1914 the Corps was extensively restructured. The Guards Cavalry Division (less the 4th Guards Cavalry Brigade) was assigned to the I Cavalry Corps (Höhere Kavallerie-Kommando 1);[7] the 4th Guards Cavalry Brigade was broken up and its regiments assigned to the divisions as reconnaissance units. The Lehr Infantry Battalion was expanded to form the Lehr Infantry Regiment.[8] It formed 6th Guards Infantry Brigade (with the Guards Füsilier Regiment) and together with the 5th Guards Infantry Brigade formed the 3rd Guards Division of the Guards Reserve Corps. Divisions received engineer companies and other support units from the Corps headquarters.

In summary, the Guards Corps mobilised with 26 infantry battalions, 10 machine gun companies (60 machine guns), eight cavalry squadrons, 24 field artillery batteries (144 guns), four heavy artillery batteries (16 guns), three pioneer companies and an aviation detachment.

Combat chronicle

On mobilisation, the Guards Corps was assigned to the 2nd Army as part of the right wing of the forces that invaded France and Belgium as part of the Schlieffen Plan offensive in August 1914.

 
2nd Ox and Bucks defeating the Prussian Guard at Nonne Bosschen. Painting by William Barnes Wollen (1857–1936)

Soon into the war, at the First Battle of the Marne, the Prussian Guards were bitterly defeated in an attempt to take French positions.

In early July 1915 it participated in the "Battle of the Guards" near Krasnostav, acting against parts of the Russian Guard corps.[12][13][14] It participated in the Battle of Lublin-Kholm in July 1915[15]

In 1917, the corps was stationed on the Aisne River as part of 1st Army, and played an important role in the German defense against the French offensive in that sector.

It was still in existence at the end of the war[2] in the 4th Army, Heeresgruppe Kronprinz Rupprecht, on the Western Front.[3]

Commanders

The Guards Corps had the following commanders during its existence:[16][17]

From Rank Name
20 September 1814 General der Infanterie Duke Charles of Mecklenburg
30 March 1838 Generalleutnant Prince Wilhelm of Prussia
23 May 1848 Generalleutnant Karl von Prittwitz
2 June 1853 General der Kavallerie Karl von der Gröben
3 June 1858 General der Kavallerie Prince August of Württemberg
30 August 1882 General der Kavallerie Wilhelm von Brandenburg
21 August 1884 General der Infanterie Alexander von Pape
19 September 1888 General der Infanterie Oskar von Meerscheidt-Hüllessem
6 May 1893 General der Infanterie Hugo von Winterfeld
18 August 1897 General der Infanterie Max von Bock und Polach
27 January 1902 General der Infanterie Gustav von Kessel
29 May 1909 General der Infanterie Alfred von Loewenfeld
1 March 1913 General der Infanterie Karl von Plettenberg
6 February 1917 General der Infanterie Ferdinand von Quast
9 September 1917 General der Kavallerie Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten
2 November 1917 Generalleutnant Alfred von Böckmann

See also

Citations

  1. ^ Cron 2002, p. 393
  2. ^ a b Cron 2002, pp. 88–89
  3. ^ a b Ellis & Cox 1993, pp. 186–187
  4. ^ Haythornthwaite 1996, pp. 193–194
  5. ^ War Office 1918, p. 239
  6. ^ Had a third (Horse Artillery) Abteilung of three batteries of 4 guns.
  7. ^ Cron 2002, p. 299
  8. ^ Busche 1998, p. 4 Lehr (meaning "teach" or "training") is usually left untranslated.
  9. ^ Cron 2002, p. 306
  10. ^ a b With a machine gun company.
  11. ^ 4 heavy artillery batteries (16 heavy field howitzers)
  12. ^ corps
  13. ^ http://btgv.ru/history/great-war/%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%87%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9-%D1%80%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%B6/1915/battle-guards-2/
  14. ^ http://btgv.ru/history/great-war/%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%87%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9-%D1%80%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%B6/1915/battle-guards-3/
  15. ^ http://btgv.ru/history/great-war/%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%87%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9-%D1%80%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%B6/1915/lublin-kholmskaya-battle-of-1915-part-2-the-struggle-for-the-initiative/
  16. ^ German War History Accessed: 20 June 2012
  17. ^ The Prussian Machine Accessed: 20 June 2012

General bibliography

  • Busche, Hartwig (1998). Formationsgeschichte der Deutschen Infanterie im Ersten Weltkrieg (1914 bis 1918) (in German). Institut für Preußische Historiographie.
  • Cron, Hermann (2002) [1937]. Imperial German Army 1914–18: Organisation, Structure, Orders-of-Battle. Helion & Co. ISBN 1-874622-70-1.
  • Ellis, John; Cox, Michael (1993). The World War I Databook. Aurum Press Ltd. ISBN 1-85410-766-6.
  • Haythornthwaite, Philip J. (1996). The World War One Source Book. Arms and Armour. ISBN 1-85409-351-7.
  • The German Forces in the Field; 7th Revision, 11th November 1918; Compiled by the General Staff, War Office. Imperial War Museum, London and The Battery Press, Inc (1995). 1918. ISBN 1-870423-95-X.
  • 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. The London Stamp Exchange Ltd (1989). 1920. ISBN 0-948130-87-3.
  • Wegner, Günter (1993). Stellenbesetzung der deutschen Heere 1815–1939, Bd. 1. Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück.

December 30, 2022
guards, corps, german, empire, haganah, guard, corps, guard, corps, haganah, prussian, military, unit, known, prussian, guard, gardes, corps, prussia, this, article, uses, bare, urls, which, uninformative, vulnerable, link, please, consider, converting, them, . For the Haganah Guard Corps see Guard Corps Haganah For the Prussian military unit known as the Prussian Guard see Gardes du Corps Prussia This article uses bare URLs which are uninformative and vulnerable to link rot Please consider converting them to full citations to ensure the article remains verifiable and maintains a consistent citation style Several templates and tools are available to assist in formatting such as Reflinks documentation reFill documentation and Citation bot documentation September 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Guards Corps GK German Gardekorps was a corps level command of the Prussian and then the Imperial German Armies from the 19th century to World War I Guards CorpsGardekorpsFlag of the Staff of a Generalkommando 1871 1918 Country Prussia German EmpireTypeArtilleryCavalryInfantryPioneerSizeApproximately 44 000 on mobilisation in 1914 Garrison HQBerlinEngagementsAustro Prussian War Battle of KoniggratzFranco Prussian War Battle of Gravelotte Battle of Sedan 1870 Siege of Paris Battle of Le BourgetWorld War I Battle of the Frontiers First Battle of the Marne First Battle of YpresInsigniaAbbreviationGK The Corps was headquartered in Berlin with its units garrisoned in the city and nearby towns Potsdam Juterbog Doberitz Unlike all other Corps of the Imperial German Army the Guards Corps did not recruit from a specific area but from throughout Prussia and the Imperial Lands of Alsace Lorraine The Corps served in the Austro Prussian War During the Franco Prussian War it was assigned to the 2nd Army In peacetime the Corps was assigned to the II Army Inspectorate but joined the 2nd Army at the start of the First World War 1 It was still in existence at the end of the war 2 in the 4th Army Heeresgruppe Kronprinz Rupprecht on the Western Front 3 The Corps was disbanded with the demobilisation of the German Army after World War I Contents 1 Austro Prussian War 2 Franco Prussian War 3 Peacetime organisation 4 World War I 4 1 Organisation on mobilisation 4 2 Combat chronicle 5 Commanders 6 See also 7 Citations 8 General bibliographyAustro Prussian War EditThe Guards Corps fought in the Austro Prussian War against Austria in 1866 including the Battle of Koniggratz Franco Prussian War EditThe Corps served in the Franco Prussian War against France in 1870 1871 as part of 2nd Army It saw action in the Battle of Gravelotte Battle of Sedan and the Siege of Paris including the Battle of Le Bourget among other actions Peacetime organisation EditThe 25 peacetime Corps of the German Army Guards I XXI I III Bavarian had a reasonably standardised organisation Each consisted of two divisions with usually two infantry brigades one field artillery brigade and a cavalry brigade each 4 Each brigade normally consisted of two regiments of the appropriate type so each Corps normally commanded eight infantry four field artillery and four cavalry regiments There were exceptions to this rule V VI VII IX and XIV Corps each had a fifth infantry brigade so 10 infantry regiments II XIII XVIII and XXI Corps had a ninth infantry regiment I VI and XVI Corps had a 3rd cavalry brigade so six cavalry regiments Each Corps also directly controlled a number of other units This could include one or more Foot Artillery Regiment Jager Battalion Pioneer Battalion Train BattalionThe Guards Corps was considerably above this norm with 11 infantry regiments in five brigades and 8 cavalry regiments in four brigades In addition to the normal two infantry divisions 1st Guards Infantry and 2nd Guards Infantry Divisions the Guards Corps also commanded the Guards Cavalry Division the only peacetime cavalry division in the German Army It also incorporated an exceptional number of Corps Troops units in particular school and demonstration Lehr units Peacetime organization of the Corps 5 Corps Division Brigade Units GarrisonGuards Corps Guards Cavalry Division 1st Guards Cavalry Brigade Gardes du Corps PotsdamGuards Cuirassiers Berlin2nd Guards Cavalry Brigade 1st Guards Uhlans Potsdam3rd Guards Uhlans Potsdam3rd Guards Cavalry Brigade 1st Guards Dragoons Queen of Great Britain and Ireland Berlin2nd Guards Dragoons Empress Alexandra of Russia Berlin4th Guards Cavalry Brigade Life Guards Hussars Potsdam2nd Guards Uhlans Berlin1st Guards Infantry Division 1st Guards Infantry Brigade 1st Foot Guards Potsdam3rd Foot Guards BerlinGuards Jager Battalion Potsdam2nd Guards Infantry Brigade 2nd Foot Guards Berlin4th Foot Guards BerlinGuards Fusiliers Berlin1st Guards Field Artillery Brigade 1st Guards Field Artillery 6 Berlin3rd Guards Field Artillery Berlin Beeskow2nd Guards Infantry Division 3rd Guards Infantry Brigade 1st Emperor Alexander Guards Grenadiers Berlin3rd Queen Elizabeth Guards Grenadiers CharlottenburgGuards Schutzen Battalion Gross Lichterfelde4th Guards Infantry Brigade 2nd Emperor Francis Guards Grenadiers Berlin4th Queen Augusta Guards Grenadiers Berlin5th Guards Infantry Brigade 5th Foot Guards Spandau5th Guards Grenadiers Spandau2nd Guards Field Artillery Brigade 2nd Guards Field Artillery Potsdam4th Guards Field Artillery PotsdamCorps Troops Lehr Infantry Battalion Potsdam1st Guards Machine Gun Abteilung Potsdam2nd Guards Machine Gun Abteilung BerlinGuards Foot Artillery SpandauLehr Regiment of the Field Artillery Firing School JuterbogLehr Regiment of the Foot Artillery Firing School JuterbogGuards Pioneer Battalion BerlinGuards Train Battalion Berlin1st Railway Regiment Berlin4th Railway Regiment BerlinOperating Abteilung of the Railway Troops Berlin1st Telegraph Battalion Berlin Treptow War Telegraph School Spandau Ruheleben 1st Airship Battalion Berlin Tegel 2nd Airship Battalion Berlin Hannover Dresden1st Flying Battalion Doberitz GrossenhainMotorised Battalion BerlinTesting Abteilung of the Transport Technical Examination Board 1st Co Berlin 2nd Co JuterbogWorld War I EditOrganisation on mobilisation Edit On mobilization on 2 August 1914 the Corps was extensively restructured The Guards Cavalry Division less the 4th Guards Cavalry Brigade was assigned to the I Cavalry Corps Hohere Kavallerie Kommando 1 7 the 4th Guards Cavalry Brigade was broken up and its regiments assigned to the divisions as reconnaissance units The Lehr Infantry Battalion was expanded to form the Lehr Infantry Regiment 8 It formed 6th Guards Infantry Brigade with the Guards Fusilier Regiment and together with the 5th Guards Infantry Brigade formed the 3rd Guards Division of the Guards Reserve Corps Divisions received engineer companies and other support units from the Corps headquarters In summary the Guards Corps mobilised with 26 infantry battalions 10 machine gun companies 60 machine guns eight cavalry squadrons 24 field artillery batteries 144 guns four heavy artillery batteries 16 guns three pioneer companies and an aviation detachment Initial wartime organization of the Corps 9 Corps Division Brigade UnitsGuards Corps 1st Guards Division 1st Guard Infantry Brigade 1st Foot Guards Regiment3rd Foot Guards RegimentGuards Jager Battalion 10 2nd Guard Infantry Brigade 2nd Foot Guards Regiment4th Foot Guards Regiment1st Guard Field Artillery Brigade 1st Guards Field Artillery Regiment3rd Guards Field Artillery RegimentLeib Guards Hussar Regiment1st Company Guards Pioneer Battalion1st Guards Divisional Pontoon Train1st Medical Company3rd Medical Company2nd Guards Division 3rd Guard Infantry Brigade 1st Guards Grenadier Regiment3rd Guards Grernadier RegimentGuards Schutzen Battalion 10 4th Guard Infantry Brigade 2nd Guards Grenadier Regiment4th Guards Grenadier Regiment2nd Guard Field Artillery Brigade 2nd Guards Field Artillery Regiment4th Guards Field Artillery Regiment2nd Guards Uhlan Regiment2nd Company Guards Pioneer Battalion3rd Company Guards Pioneer Battalion2nd Guards Divisional Pontoon Train2nd Medical CompanyCorps Troops I Battalion 1st Guards Foot Artillery Regiment 11 1st Aviation DetachmentGuards Corps Pontoon TrainGuards Telephone DetachmentGuards Pioneer Searchlight SectionMunition Trains and Columns corresponding to II CorpsCombat chronicle Edit On mobilisation the Guards Corps was assigned to the 2nd Army as part of the right wing of the forces that invaded France and Belgium as part of the Schlieffen Plan offensive in August 1914 2nd Ox and Bucks defeating the Prussian Guard at Nonne Bosschen Painting by William Barnes Wollen 1857 1936 Soon into the war at the First Battle of the Marne the Prussian Guards were bitterly defeated in an attempt to take French positions In early July 1915 it participated in the Battle of the Guards near Krasnostav acting against parts of the Russian Guard corps 12 13 14 It participated in the Battle of Lublin Kholm in July 1915 15 In 1917 the corps was stationed on the Aisne River as part of 1st Army and played an important role in the German defense against the French offensive in that sector It was still in existence at the end of the war 2 in the 4th Army Heeresgruppe Kronprinz Rupprecht on the Western Front 3 Commanders EditThe Guards Corps had the following commanders during its existence 16 17 From Rank Name20 September 1814 General der Infanterie Duke Charles of Mecklenburg30 March 1838 Generalleutnant Prince Wilhelm of Prussia23 May 1848 Generalleutnant Karl von Prittwitz2 June 1853 General der Kavallerie Karl von der Groben3 June 1858 General der Kavallerie Prince August of Wurttemberg30 August 1882 General der Kavallerie Wilhelm von Brandenburg21 August 1884 General der Infanterie Alexander von Pape19 September 1888 General der Infanterie Oskar von Meerscheidt Hullessem6 May 1893 General der Infanterie Hugo von Winterfeld18 August 1897 General der Infanterie Max von Bock und Polach27 January 1902 General der Infanterie Gustav von Kessel29 May 1909 General der Infanterie Alfred von Loewenfeld1 March 1913 General der Infanterie Karl von Plettenberg6 February 1917 General der Infanterie Ferdinand von Quast9 September 1917 General der Kavallerie Graf zu Dohna Schlobitten2 November 1917 Generalleutnant Alfred von BockmannSee also Edit Germany portal World War I portalFranco Prussian War order of battle German Army order of battle 1914 German Army order of battle Western Front 1918 List of Imperial German infantry regiments List of Imperial German artillery regiments List of Imperial German cavalry regimentsCitations Edit Cron 2002 p 393 a b Cron 2002 pp 88 89 a b Ellis amp Cox 1993 pp 186 187 Haythornthwaite 1996 pp 193 194 War Office 1918 p 239 Had a third Horse Artillery Abteilung of three batteries of 4 guns Cron 2002 p 299 Busche 1998 p 4 Lehr meaning teach or training is usually left untranslated Cron 2002 p 306 a b With a machine gun company 4 heavy artillery batteries 16 heavy field howitzers corps http btgv ru history great war D0 B2 D0 BE D1 81 D1 82 D0 BE D1 87 D0 BD D1 8B D0 B9 D1 80 D1 83 D0 B1 D0 B5 D0 B6 1915 battle guards 2 http btgv ru history great war D0 B2 D0 BE D1 81 D1 82 D0 BE D1 87 D0 BD D1 8B D0 B9 D1 80 D1 83 D0 B1 D0 B5 D0 B6 1915 battle guards 3 http btgv ru history great war D0 B2 D0 BE D1 81 D1 82 D0 BE D1 87 D0 BD D1 8B D0 B9 D1 80 D1 83 D0 B1 D0 B5 D0 B6 1915 lublin kholmskaya battle of 1915 part 2 the struggle for the initiative German War History Accessed 20 June 2012 The Prussian Machine Accessed 20 June 2012General bibliography EditBusche Hartwig 1998 Formationsgeschichte der Deutschen Infanterie im Ersten Weltkrieg 1914 bis 1918 in German Institut fur Preussische Historiographie Cron Hermann 2002 1937 Imperial German Army 1914 18 Organisation Structure Orders of Battle Helion amp Co ISBN 1 874622 70 1 Ellis John Cox Michael 1993 The World War I Databook Aurum Press Ltd ISBN 1 85410 766 6 Haythornthwaite Philip J 1996 The World War One Source Book Arms and Armour ISBN 1 85409 351 7 The German Forces in the Field 7th Revision 11th November 1918 Compiled by the General Staff War Office Imperial War Museum London and The Battery Press Inc 1995 1918 ISBN 1 870423 95 X 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 The London Stamp Exchange Ltd 1989 1920 ISBN 0 948130 87 3 Wegner Gunter 1993 Stellenbesetzung der deutschen Heere 1815 1939 Bd 1 Biblio Verlag Osnabruck Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Guards Corps German Empire amp oldid 1115617436, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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