XXIII Reserve Corps (German Empire)

XXIII Reserve Corps XXIII. Reserve-Korps
Flag of the Staff of a Generalkommando (1871–1918)
Active	October 1914 - 12 August 1918
Country	German Empire
Type	Corps
Size	Approximately 32,000 (on formation)
Engagements	World War I Western Front First Battle of Ypres

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

Formation

XXIII Reserve Corps was formed in October 1914. ^[1] It was part of the first wave of new Corps formed at the outset of World War I consisting of XXII - XXVII Reserve Corps of 43rd - 54th Reserve Divisions (plus 6th Bavarian Reserve Division). The personnel was predominantly made up of kriegsfreiwillige (wartime volunteers) who did not wait to be called up. ^[2] It was dissolved on 12 August 1918. ^[3]

Structure on formation

On formation in October 1914, XXIII Reserve Corps consisted of two divisions. ^[4] but was weaker than an Active Corps

• Reserve Infantry Regiments consisted of three battalions but only had a machine gun platoon (of 2 machine guns) rather than a machine gun company (of 6 machine guns) ^[5]
• Reserve Jäger Battalions did not have a machine gun company on formation, though some were provided with a machine gun platoon ^[6]
• Reserve Cavalry Detachments were much smaller than the Reserve Cavalry Regiments formed on mobilisation ^[7]
• Reserve Field Artillery Regiments consisted of three abteilungen (2 gun and 1 howitzer) of three batteries each, but each battery had just 4 guns (rather than 6 of the Active and the Reserve Regiments formed on mobilisation) ^[8]

In summary, XXIII Reserve Corps mobilised with 26 infantry battalions, 8 machine gun platoons (16 machine guns), 2 cavalry detachments, 18 field artillery batteries (72 guns) and 2 pioneer companies.

Corps	Division	Brigade	Units
XXIII Reserve Corps	45th Reserve Division [9]	89th Reserve Infantry Brigade	209th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			210th Reserve Infantry Regiment
		90th Reserve Infantry Brigade	211th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			212th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			17th Reserve Jäger Battalion [10]
			45th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
			45th Reserve Cavalry Detachment
			45th Reserve Pioneer Company
	46th Reserve Division [11]	91st Reserve Infantry Brigade	213th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			214th Reserve Infantry Regiment
		92nd Reserve Infantry Brigade	215th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			216th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			18th Reserve Jäger Battalion [12]
			46th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
			46th Reserve Cavalry Detachment
			46th Reserve Pioneer Company

Commanders

XXIII Reserve Corps had the following commanders during its existence: ^{[13] [14]}

From	Rank	Name
25 August 1914	General der Kavallerie	Georg von Kleist
19 December 1914	General der Infanterie	Hugo von Kathen
31 July 1918	Generalleutnant	Arthur von Gabain

See also

• Germany portal

References

1. Cron 2002 , p. 87
2. Cron 2002 , p. 97
3. Cron 2002 , pp. 88–89
4. AEF GHQ 1920 , pp. 465, 470
5. Busche 1998 , pp. 102–104
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 Reserve Cavalry Regiments consisted of three squadrons
8. Cron 2002 , p. 136
9. AEF GHQ 1920 , p. 464
10. Busche 1998 , p. 132 Without a machine gun platoon
11. AEF GHQ 1920 , p. 469
12. Busche 1998 , p. 132 Without a machine gun platoon
13. "German War History" . Retrieved 22 December 2012.
14. "Armee-Reserve-Korps". The Prussian Machine. Archived from the original on 11 April 2012. 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.
• Busche, Hartwig (1998). Formationsgeschichte der Deutschen Infanterie im Ersten Weltkrieg (1914 bis 1918) (in German). Institut für Preußische Historiographie.
• 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.