1st Cavalry Division (German Empire)

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1st Cavalry Division
1. Kavallerie-Division
Stab einer Division.svg
Flag of the Staff of a Division (1871–1918)
Active2 August 1914–1919
Disbanded1919
CountryFlag of the German Empire.svg  German Empire
BranchWar Ensign of Germany 1903-1918.svg  Imperial German Army
TypeCavalry
SizeApproximately 5,000 (on mobilisation)
Engagements World War I
Battle of Stallupönen
Battle of Gumbinnen
Battle of Tannenberg
First Battle of the Masurian Lakes

The 1st Cavalry Division (German : 1. Kavallerie-Division) was a unit of the Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed on the mobilization of the German Army in August 1914. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.

Contents

Combat chronicle

Initially, it was the sole cavalry division on the Eastern Front, where it was assigned to the 8th Army. It remained in the East throughout the war. From 6 January 1915 to 22 August 1917, the division was involved in coastal defence duties in northern Courland. It was transferred to Ukraine in March 1918, [1] where it remained until 29 January 1919. From 16 January 1918, it contained just one brigade of 3 regiments.[ citation needed ]

Battle Calendar

The Division was formed as part of the mobilization at the beginning of World War I and was used exclusively on the Eastern Front. Here it remained as a German Police Force after the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. It was first used in Livonia and Estonia and then came to Ukraine, where it remained until 16 March 1919.

1914

1915

1916

1917

1918

1919

Order of Battle on mobilisation

On formation, in August 1914, the component units of the division were: [2]

BrigadeFromRegiment
1st Cavalry Brigade I Corps District 3rd (East Prussian) Cuirassiers "Count Wrangel"
1st (Lithuanian) Dragoons "Prince Albrecht of Prussia"
2nd Cavalry Brigade I Corps District 12th (Lithuanian) Uhlans
9th Mounted Rifles
41st Cavalry Brigade XX Corps District 5th (West Prussian) Cuirassiers "Duke Frederick Eugene of Württemberg"
4th (1st Pomeranian) Uhlans "von Schmidt"

See: Table of Organisation and Equipment

Late World War I organization

In the course of the War, the Division saw a number of changes to its assigned Brigades.

Allied Intelligence did not rate the Division's fighting value. [4] Its late war organisation was: [5]

See also

References

  1. Ellis & Cox 1993 , p. 126
  2. Cron 2002 , p. 324
  3. "1. (kgl. sächs.) Kavallerie-Brigade Nr. 23". Militär/Formationsgeschichte/Deutschland/Erster Weltkrieg. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  4. AEF GHQ 1920 , p. 47
  5. War Office 1918 , p. 225
  6. 1917 was changed into a field artillery abteilung; Cron 2002 , p. 139

Bibliography