XVIII Reserve Corps (German Empire)

XVIII Reserve Corps XVIII. Reserve-Korps
Flag of the Staff of a Generalkommando (1871–1918)
Active	2 August 1914 - post November 1918
Country	German Empire
Type	Corps
Size	Approximately 38,000 (on formation)
Engagements	World War I Battle of the Frontiers
Insignia
Abbreviation	XVIII RK

The XVIII Reserve Corps (German : XVIII. Reserve-Korps / XVIII RK) was a corps level command of the German Army in World War I.

Formation

XVIII Reserve Corps was formed on the outbreak of the war in August 1914 ^[1] as part of the mobilisation of the Army. It was initially commanded by Generalleutnant Kuno von Steuben, formerly of the Prussian War Academy. ^[2] It was still in existence at the end of the war ^[3] in the 18th Army, Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz on the Western Front. ^[4]

Structure on formation

On formation in August 1914, XVIII Reserve Corps consisted of two divisions, made up of reserve units. In general, Reserve Corps and Reserve Divisions were weaker than their active counterparts

Reserve Infantry Regiments did not always have three battalions nor necessarily contain a machine gun company ^[5]

Reserve Jäger Battalions did not have a machine gun company on formation ^[6]

Reserve Cavalry Regiments consisted of just three squadrons ^[7]

Reserve Field Artillery Regiments usually consisted of two abteilungen of three batteries each ^[8]

Corps Troops generally consisted of a Telephone Detachment and four sections of munition columns and trains ^[9]

In summary, XVIII Reserve Corps mobilised with 24 infantry battalions, 5 machine gun companies (30 machine guns), 6 cavalry squadrons, 12 field artillery batteries (72 guns) and 3 pioneer companies. It included one active Infantry Regiment (168th).

Corps	Division	Brigade	Units
XVIII Reserve Corps [10]	21st Reserve Division	41st Reserve Infantry Brigade	80th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			87th Reserve Infantry Regiment [11]
		42nd Reserve Infantry Brigade	81st Reserve Infantry Regiment [12]
			88th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			7th Reserve Dragoon Regiment
			21st Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
			4th Company, 11th Pioneer Battalion
			21st Reserve Divisional Pontoon Train
			17th Reserve Medical Company
	25th Reserve Division	49th Reserve Infantry Brigade	116th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			118th Reserve Infantry Regiment [13]
		50th Reserve Infantry Brigade	168th Infantry Regiment
			83rd Reserve Infantry Regiment
			4th Reserve Dragoon Regiment
			25th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
			1st Reserve Company, 11th Pioneer Battalion
			2nd Reserve Company, 11th Pioneer Battalion
			25th Reserve Divisional Pontoon Train
			18th Reserve Medical Company
	Corps Troops		18th Reserve Telephone Detachment
			Munition Trains and Columns corresponding to the III Reserve Corps

Combat chronicle

On mobilisation, XVIII Reserve Corps was assigned to the 4th Army forming part of the centre of the forces for the Schlieffen Plan offensive in August 1914.

Commanders

XVIII Reserve Corps had the following commanders during its existence: ^{[14] [15]}

From	Rank	Name
2 August 1914	Generalleutnant	Kuno von Steuben [16]
19 August 1914	General der Infanterie
5 June 1917	Generalleutnant	Karl von Wenninger
11 September 1917	Generalleutnant	Ludwig Sieger

See also

• Germany portal

• German Army order of battle (1914)
• German Army order of battle, Western Front (1918)

References

1. Cron 2002 , p. 86
2. The Prussian Machine Archived 3 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine Accessed: 3 March 2012
3. Cron 2002 , pp. 88–89
4. Ellis & Cox 1993 , pp. 186–187
5. Cron 2002 , p. 111 About a third of Reserve Infantry Regiments formed in August 1914 lacked a machine gun company
6. Cron 2002 , p. 116 Active Jäger Battalions had a machine gun company with the exceptions of the 1st and 2nd Bavarian Jäger Battalions
7. Cron 2002 , p. 128 Most active cavalry regiments had four squadrons, some were raised to six squadrons
8. Cron 2002 , p. 134 Active Divisions had a Field Artillery Brigade of two regiments
9. Cron 2002 , p. 86 Active Corps Troops included a battalion of heavy howitzers (Foot Artillery), an Aviation Detachment, a Telephone Detachment, a Corps Pontoon Train, a searchlight section, 2 munition column sections, one Foot Artillery munitions column section and two Train sections
10. Cron 2002 , pp. 313–314
11. Without a machine gun company
12. Without a machine gun company
13. Without a machine gun company
14. "German War History" . Retrieved 22 December 2012.
15. "Armee-Reserve-Korps". The Prussian Machine. Archived from the original on 11 April 2012. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
16. Promoted "Kuno von Steuben". The Prussian Machine. Archived from the original on 3 October 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2012.

Bibliography

• Cron, Hermann (2002). Imperial German Army 1914-18: Organisation, Structure, Orders-of-Battle [first published: 1937]. 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.
• 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.
• 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.