IV Reserve Corps (German Empire)

IV Reserve Corps IV. 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	IV RK

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

Formation

IV 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 General der Artillerie Hans von Gronau, who was recalled from retirement. ^[2] From 24 July 1916 to 19 December 1917, the Corps was known as Karpathenkorps (Carpathian Corps). ^[3] The Corps was still in existence at the end of the war ^[4] as part of the 2nd Army, HeeresgruppeKronprinz Rupprecht on the Western Front. ^[5]

Structure on formation

On formation in August 1914, IV 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 ^[6]

Reserve Jäger Battalions did not have a machine gun company on formation ^[7]

Reserve Cavalry Regiments consisted of just three squadrons ^[8]

Reserve Field Artillery Regiments usually consisted of two abteilungen of three batteries each ^[9]

Corps Troops generally consisted of a Telephone Detachment and four sections of munition columns and trains ^[10]

In summary, IV Reserve Corps mobilised with 25 infantry battalions, 4 machine gun companies (24 machine guns), 6 cavalry squadrons, 12 field artillery batteries (72 guns) and 3 pioneer companies.

22nd Reserve Division was formed by units drawn from the XI Corps District. ^[11]

Corps	Division	Brigade	Units
IV Reserve Corps [12]	7th Reserve Division	13th Reserve Infantry Brigade	27th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			36th Reserve Infantry Regiment [13]
		14th Reserve Infantry Brigade	66th Reserve Infantry Regiment [14]
			72nd Reserve Infantry Regiment
			4th Reserve Jäger Battalion
			1st Reserve Schwere Reiter Regiment
			7th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
			4th Company, 4th Pioneer Battalion
			7th Reserve Divisional Pontoon Train
			4th Reserve Medical Company
	22nd Reserve Division	43rd Reserve Infantry Brigade	71st Reserve Infantry Regiment [15]
			94th Reserve Infantry Regiment [16]
			11th Reserve Jäger Battalion
		44th Reserve Infantry Brigade	32nd Reserve Infantry Regiment [17]
			82nd Reserve Infantry Regiment
			1st Reserve Jäger zu Pferde Regiment
			22nd Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
			1st Reserve Company, 4th Pioneer Battalion
			2nd Reserve Company, 4th Pioneer Battalion
			2nd Reserve Divisional Pontoon Train
			11th Reserve Medical Company
	Corps Troops		4th Reserve Telephone Detachment
			Munition Trains and Columns corresponding to the III Reserve Corps

Combat chronicle

On mobilisation, IV Reserve Corps was assigned to the 1st Army, which was on the right wing of the forces that invaded France and Belgium as part of the Schlieffen Plan offensive in August 1914.

Commanders

IV Reserve Corps had the following commanders during its existence: ^{[18] [19]}

From	Rank	Name
2 August 1914	General der Artillerie	Hans von Gronau
11 September 1915	Generalleutnant	Arnold von Winckler
7 August 1916	Generalleutnant	Richard von Conta [20]
18 August 1918	General der Infanterie

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 2013-12-02 at the Wayback Machine Accessed: 29 February 2012
3. "German War History" . Retrieved 22 December 2012.
4. Cron 2002 , pp. 88–89
5. Ellis & Cox 1993 , pp. 186–187
6. Cron 2002 , p. 111 About a third of Reserve Infantry Regiments formed in August 1914 lacked a machine gun company
7. Cron 2002 , p. 116 Active Jäger Battalions had a machine gun company with the exceptions of the 1st and 2nd Bavarian Jäger Battalions
8. Cron 2002 , p. 128 Most active cavalry regiments had four squadrons, some were raised to six squadrons
9. Cron 2002 , p. 134 Active Divisions had a Field Artillery Brigade of two regiments
10. 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
11. War Office 1918 , p. 48
12. Cron 2002 , p. 308
13. Without a machine gun company
14. Without a machine gun company
15. Without a machine gun company
16. Just two battalions
17. Without a machine gun company
18. "German War History" . Retrieved 22 December 2012.
19. "Armee-Reserve-Korps". The Prussian Machine. Archived from the original on 11 April 2012. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
20. Promoted "Richard von Conta". The Prussian Machine. 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.