| 77th Reserve Division (77. Reserve-Division) | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1914-1918 |
| Country | Germany |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Approx. 12,500 |
| Engagements | World War I: Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes, Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive, Battle of Riga, German spring offensive, First Battle of the Somme (1918), Battle of Saint-Mihiel |
The 77th Reserve Division (77. Reserve-Division) was a unit of the Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed at the end of December 1914 and organized over the next month, arriving in the line in early February 1915. [1] It was part of the second large wave of new divisions formed at the outset of World War I, which were numbered the 75th through 82nd Reserve Divisions. [2] The division was initially part of XXXIX Reserve Corps. The division was disbanded in September 1918 and its assets were distributed to other units. When originally formed, the division had two reserve infantry regiments from the Province of Westphalia (255th and 256th) and one from the Rhine Province (257th). The two Westphalian regiments were replaced late in the war by the 332nd Infantry Regiment, a garrison regiment from Posen with two Rhineland battalions and one Posen battalion (with a number of Poles as well as Germans), and the 419th Infantry Regiment, a thoroughly mixed unit made of companies taken from different regiments.
The 77th Reserve Division initially fought on the Eastern Front, seeing its first action in the Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes. It later fought in the Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive, including in the Siege of Kaunas and the battles of the Nemunas, Grodno, and Vilnius. The division remained in the Courland region near Daugavpils throughout 1916 and until September 1, 1917. It then fought in the Battle of Riga and afterwards remained in positional warfare north of the Daugava River. After the armistice on the Eastern Front, the division briefly served in Livonia and Estonia, and then was transferred to the Western Front. It fought in the 1918 German spring offensive, seeing action in the First Battle of the Somme (1918), also called the Second Battle of the Somme (to distinguish it from the 1916 battle). After more fighting in the Somme region, the division went to the Woëvre region, between the Meuse and Moselle Rivers. The division was hit hard by the American attack on St. Mihiel, losing a large number of prisoners, and was dissolved shortly thereafter, with the remnants being distributed to other units. Allied intelligence rated the division as third class. [1] [3]
This source:Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-One Divisions of the German Army which Participated in the War (1914-1918), is not very reliable since the German Divisional and Regimental Histories depict another more detailled vieuw of their experiences and training and I have noticed that the intelligence gathwered in those days was not as reliable as you would think.
The 77th Reserve Division, like the other divisions of its wave and unlike earlier German divisions, was organized from the outset as a triangular division. The order of battle of the division on December 29, 1914, was as follows: [4]
The most significant wartime structural change in the divisions of this wave was the reduction from two field artillery regiments to one. 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 10, 1918, was as follows: [5]
The 36th Division was a unit of the Prussian/German Army. It was formed on April 1, 1890, and was headquartered in Danzig. The division was subordinated in peacetime to the XVII Army Corps. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I. The division was recruited primarily in West Prussia.
The 5th Reserve Division was a unit of the German Army, in World War I. The division was formed on 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. The division was a reserve division of the III Reserve Corps and was raised in the Prussian Province of Brandenburg.
The 9th Reserve 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 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I. The division was a reserve division of the V Reserve Corps and was raised primarily in the Province of Posen and the Province of West Prussia.
The 26th Reserve 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 as part of the XIV Reserve Corps. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I. The division was raised in the Kingdom of Württemberg.
The 21st Reserve Division was a unit of the Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed on mobilization of the German Army in August 1914 as part of XVIII Reserve Corps. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I. The division was raised primarily in the Prussian Province of Hesse-Nassau, but one battalion of the 88th Reserve Infantry Regiment came from the Grand Duchy of Hesse and some other troops of the division came from Westphalia and the Rhine Province.
The 10th Reserve Division was a unit of the Prussian Army, part of Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed on mobilization of the German Army in August 1914 as part of V Reserve Corps. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I. The division was formed with a regular infantry brigade from the Province of West Prussia and a reserve infantry brigade from West Prussia and the Province of Posen.
The 44th Reserve Division was a unit of the Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed in August 1914 and organized over the next two months. 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 disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I. The division was part of the XXII Reserve Corps and was recruited primarily in the Prussian Province of Brandenburg, but the 208th Reserve Infantry Regiment was raised in the Province of Hanover and the Duchy of Brunswick.
The 52nd 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. 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 XXVI Reserve Corps. It was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I. The division was primarily recruited in the Grand Duchy of Baden and in the Prussian Rhine Province.
The 75th Reserve Division was a unit of the Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed at the end of December 1914 and organized over the next month, arriving in the line in early February 1915. It was part of the second large wave of new divisions formed at the outset of World War I, which were numbered the 75th through 82nd Reserve Divisions. The division was initially part of XXXVIII Reserve Corps. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I. The division was primarily raised in the XIV Corps area and the XI Corps area.
The 76th Reserve Division was a unit of the Prussian Army, part of Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed at the end of December 1914 and organized over the next month, arriving in the line in early February 1915. It was part of the second large wave of new divisions formed at the outset of World War I, which were numbered the 75th through 82nd Reserve Divisions. The division was initially part of XXXVIII Reserve Corps. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I. The division was primarily raised in the XVIII and XI Corps areas and was relatively mixed. The 254th Reserve Infantry Regiment was from the Grand Duchy of Hesse. The 253rd Reserve Infantry Regiment included troops from the Grand Duchy of Hesse and Hesse-Nassau. The 252nd Infantry Regiment was raised in the Thuringian states.
The 78th Reserve Division was a unit of the Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed at the end of December 1914 and organized over the next month, arriving in the line in early February 1915. It was part of the second large wave of new divisions formed at the outset of World War I, which were numbered the 75th through 82nd Reserve Divisions. The division was initially part of XXXIX Reserve Corps. The division was disbanded in September 1918 and its assets distributed to other units. The division was relatively mixed. The 258th Reserve Infantry Regiment was from the Prussian Rhine Province, the 259th Reserve Infantry Regiment was from the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, and the 260th Reserve Infantry Regiment was mainly from the Prussian Province of Hanover, with troops from the Duchy of Brunswick as well.
The 79th Reserve Division was a unit of the Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed at the end of December 1914 and organized over the next month, arriving in the line in early February 1915. It was part of the second large wave of new divisions formed at the outset of World War I, which were numbered the 75th through 82nd Reserve Divisions. The division was initially part of XXXX Reserve Corps. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I. Two regiments of the division were raised through Prussian Guard recruit depots throughout the kingdom, while the third was raised in Prussian Saxony.
The 80th Reserve Division was a unit of the Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed at the end of December 1914 and organized over the next month, arriving in the line in early February 1915. It was part of the second large wave of new divisions formed at the outset of World War I, which were numbered the 75th through 82nd Reserve Divisions. The division was initially part of XXXX Reserve Corps. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I. The division was mixed in recruitment. The 264th Reserve Infantry Regiment was from Thuringia, and was described as a Saxe-Altenburg regiment. The 265th Reserve Infantry Regiment was from the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The 266th was also formed in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, but reportedly included recruits from Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Pomerania and other areas. The 34th Reserve Infantry Regiment, which replaced the 265th in 1915, was from West Prussia.
The 81st Reserve Division was a unit of the Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed at the end of December 1914 and organized over the next month, arriving in the line in early February 1915. It was part of the second large wave of new divisions formed at the outset of World War I, which were numbered the 75th through 82nd Reserve Divisions. The division was initially part of XXXXI Reserve Corps. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I. The division was recruited in various Prussian provinces: Brandenburg, Pomerania, and West Prussia.
The 82nd Reserve Division was a unit of the Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed at the end of December 1914 and organized over the next month, arriving in the line in early February 1915. It was part of the second large wave of new divisions formed at the outset of World War I, which were numbered the 75th through 82nd Reserve Divisions. The division was initially part of XXXXI Reserve Corps. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I. The division was recruited in various Prussian provinces, primarily Brandenburg and Silesia.
The 8th Bavarian Reserve Division was a unit of the Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed at the end of December 1914 and organized over the next month, arriving in the line in late January 1915. It was part of the second large wave of new divisions formed at the outset of World War I. The division was disbanded in 1919, during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I. The division was recruited in the Kingdom of Bavaria and was considered to be skilled in mountain warfare.
The 58th Infantry Division was a unit of the Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed on March 6, 1915, and organized over the next two months. It was part of a wave of new infantry divisions formed in the spring of 1915 and was originally formed from troops from the Kingdom of Saxony and the Kingdom of Württemberg, but became a fully Saxon division by 1916. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
The 121st Infantry Division was a formation of the Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed on March 25, 1915, and organized over the next several weeks. It was part of a wave of new infantry divisions formed in the spring of 1915. The division was disbanded in 1919, during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
The 10th Bavarian Infantry Division was a unit of the Royal Bavarian Army, part of the Imperial German Army, in World War I. The division was formed on March 3, 1915, and organized over the next few weeks. It was part of a wave of new infantry divisions formed in the spring of 1915. The division was disbanded in August 1918 and its assets distributed to other units.
The 86th Infantry Division was a formation of the Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed in November 1914 as the Wernitz Division, named after its commander General Theodor von Wernitz, and became the 86th Infantry Division in August 1915. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.