XXV Reserve Corps (German Empire)

XXV Reserve Corps XXV. Reserve-Korps
Flag of the Staff of a Generalkommando (1871–1918)
Active	October 1914 - post November 1918
Country	German Empire
Branch	Imperial German Army
Type	Corps
Size	Approximately 32,000 (on formation)
Engagements	World War I
Insignia
Abbreviation	XXV RK

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

Formation

XXV Reserve Corps was formed in October 1914. ^[1] It was part of the first wave of new reserve units formed at the outset of World War I; consisting of XXII to XXVII Reserve Corps and 43rd to 54th Reserve Divisions (plus the 6th Bavarian Reserve Division). The personnel was predominantly made up of Kriegsfreiwillige (wartime volunteers) who enlisted instead of being conscripted. ^[2] It was still in existence at the end of the war ^[3] in the 3rd Army, part of the Army Group German Crown Prince on the Western Front. ^[4]

Structure on formation

On formation in October 1914, XXV Reserve Corps consisted of two divisions, ^[5] thus weaker than a regular Army 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). ^[6]
• Reserve Jäger battalions did not have a machine gun company on formation, though some were provided with a machine gun platoon. ^[7]
• Reserve Cavalry detachments were much smaller than the Reserve Cavalry regiments formed on mobilisation. ^[8]
• 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 like the regular or older reserve regiments). ^[9]

In summary, XXV Reserve Corps mobilised with 26 infantry battalions, 10 machine gun platoons (20 machine guns), 2 cavalry detachments, 18 field artillery batteries (72 guns) and 2 pioneer companies.

Corps	Division	Brigade	Units
XXV Reserve Corps	49th Reserve Division [10]	97th Reserve Infantry Brigade	225th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			226th Reserve Infantry Regiment
		98th Reserve Infantry Brigade	227th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			228th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			21st Reserve Jäger Battalion [11]
			49th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
			49th Reserve Cavalry Detachment
			49th Reserve Pioneer Company
	50th Reserve Division [12]	99th Reserve Infantry Brigade	229th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			230th Reserve Infantry Regiment
		100th Reserve Infantry Brigade	231st Reserve Infantry Regiment
			232nd Reserve Infantry Regiment
			22nd Reserve Jäger Battalion [13]
			50th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
			50th Reserve Cavalry Detachment
			50th Reserve Pioneer Company

Commanders

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

From	Rank	Name
25 August 1914	General der Infanterie	Reinhard von Scheffer-Boyadel
3 September 1916	Generalleutnant	Karl Suren
18 November 1916	Generalleutnant	Manfred von Richthofen
8 March 1917	Generalleutnant	Konstanz von Heineccius
23 November 1917	General der Infanterie	Horst Edler von der Planitz
20 December 1917	Generalleutnant	Wilhelm Groener
25 February 1918	General der Infanterie	Arnold von Winckler

See also

• Germany portal

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

References

1. Cron 2002 , p. 87
2. Cron 2002 , p. 97
3. Cron 2002 , pp. 88–89
4. Ellis & Cox 1993 , pp. 186–187
5. AEF GHQ 1920 , pp. 486, 494
6. Busche 1998 , pp. 106–108
7. Cron 2002 , p. 116 Regular Jäger battalions had a machine gun company with the exceptions of the 1st and 2nd Bavarian Jäger Battalions.
8. Cron 2002 , p. 128 Reserve Cavalry Regiments consisted of three squadrons.
9. Cron 2002 , p. 136
10. AEF GHQ 1920 , p. 485
11. Busche 1998 , p. 133 With a machine gun platoon
12. AEF GHQ 1920 , p. 493
13. Busche 1998 , p. 133 With a machine gun platoon
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.

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.