48. Reserve-Division 1914–1918

The 48th Reserve Division was assembled between August and October 1914 and, together with the 47th Reserve Division, formed the 24th Reserve Corps.

Western Front 1914

The division was concentrated near Metz in mid October 1914 and then transferred to Artois. Soon after the fighting near Ypres it was transferred to the Eastern Front in late November.

Eastern Front 1914–1917

It became part of the Xth Army in Poland in December 1914 and was in action near the Rawka until it was sent to Galicia and assigned to von Linsingen's army in late January 1915. The division crossed the Dniester in late June, fought at Tarnopol in September and took part in the German autumn offensive. It remained near the Stripa from September 1915 and was still there when Brussilov launched his offensive against the Central Powers in June 1916.

In autumn 1916, the division was sent to Romania and was engaged near Kalush until the end of March 1917. After six weeks in reserve, the division was transferred to the Western Front in May 1917.

Western Front 1917–1918

After a period of rest, the 48th Reserve Division was deployed in Verdun, providing some men as reinforcements and relief on Hill 304 and Morthomme when the French attacked in mid July and again in August. The division remained in the Verdun area until it was transferred slightly to the south at the end of 1917. After a spell in Upper Elsace, the division was withdrawn for a period of rest and kept in reserve until it was involved in fighting near Armentières in mid April 1918.

In August and September the 48th Reserve Division was involved in fighting in the Arras and Bapaume sectors until it was moved south to reinforce the front near Cambrai in early October. It was then involved in fighting withdrawals against British forces until the armistice.

The 48th Reserve Division was rated as second class by allied intelligence at the end of the war.

Composition

48th Reserve Division was formed in Oberhofen with a reserve Jäger battalion (mainly Westphalian), two infantry brigades, each consisting of two reserve infantry regiments, a reserve artillery regiment and support elements. Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 224, formed of men mainly recruited in Thuringia, was transferred to 215. Infanterie-Division while it was being reorganised in early 1917. After this, the division consisted of elements that were largely of Hessian origin.

Infantry

Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 221 was raised in Darmstadt (regimental staff and 1st battalion from the replacement battalion of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 115), Worms (2nd battalion from the replacement battalion of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 118) and Offenbach (3rd battalion from the replacement battalion of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 168).

Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 222 was raised in Gießen (regimental staff and 1st battalion from the replacement battalion of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 116) and Mainz (2nd battalion from the replacement battalion of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 88, 3rd battalion from the replacement battalion of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 117).

Reserve-Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 20 was raised by Westphalian Jäger-Bataillon Nr.7, based in Bückeburg in the VII. Korps district.

Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 223 was raised in Frankfurt am Main (regimental staff and 1st battalion from the replacement battalion of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 81), Wiesbaden (2nd battalion from the replacement battalion of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 80) and Mainz( 3rd battalion from the replacement battalion of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 87).

Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 224 was raised in Erfurt (regimental staff and 1st battalion from the replacement battalion of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 71, 2nd battalion from the replacement battalion of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 96) and Weimar (3rd battalion from the replacement battalion of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 94).

Artillery

Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 48 was raised in August and mobilised in September 1914 with a staff and three detachments, each with a light ammunition column (later to become leichte Munitions-Kolonne 578 and subsequently 1057, 588 and subsequently 1066, and 589 and subsequently 1067, respectively) by Stellvertretendes General-Kommando X. Korps. The I. and II. Abteilung were raised by the replacement detachments of Field Artillery Regiments 10, 46 and 62, the III. Abteilung was raised by the replacement detachment of Field Artillery Regiment 58.

At the beginning of February 1917, light ammunition columns 587, 588 and 589 left the regiment to become part of Staffelstab 318 as army-level troops. Further light ammunition columns were assigned to the regiment in February 1918: leichte Munitions-Kolonne Nr. 752 (I. Abteilung), 954 (II. Abteilung) and 358 (subsequently 1382) (III. Abteilung). Replacements were supplied by Ersatz-Feldartillerie-Regiment Altengrabow.

Pionier and support units

The engineer elements were organised under a battalion staff in 1917 and a searchlight section was added in 1918. Minenwerfer-Kompagnie 248 was raised in 1915. The signals command was establised in early 1918. Reserve-Kavallerie-Abteilung Nr. 48 was the divisional reconnaissance element until early 1917, when it was replaced by 5. Eskadron 1. Garde-Dragoner-Regiment. 48th Reserve Division also had an ambulance company from an early date and later 1 and then 2 two field hospitals attached to it in 1917 and 1918, respectively.

Kriegsgliederung/order of battle 6 January 1915

95. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade

Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 221 Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 222 Reserve-Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 20

96. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade

Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 223 Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 224  
Reserve-Kavallerie-Abteilung Nr. 48
Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 48 Reserve-Fußartillerie-Batterie Nr. 24 Reserve-Fußartillerie-Batterie Nr. 25
Reserve-Pionier-Kompagnie 48

Kriegsgliederung/order of battle 31 March 1918

96. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade

Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 221 Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 222 Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 223
5. Eskadron 1. Garde-Dragoner-Regiment

Artillerie-Kommandeur 48

Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 48 I. Bataillon Fußartillerie-Regiment Nr. 23  

Stab Pionier-Bataillon 348

Reserve-Pionier-Kompagnie 48 1. Reserve-Kompagnie Pionier-Bataillon 26 Minenwerfer-Kompagnie 248

Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 448

Commanders

48. Reserve-Division 1914–1918

Calendar of battles and engagements

  48. Reserve-Division (Westfront)
26.10–22.11.1914 Stellungskämpfe im Artois
30.10–22.11.1914 Schlacht bei Ypern
23.11–27.11.1914 Transport nach dem Osten
  48. Reserve-Division (Ostfront)
30.11–04.12.1914 Schlacht bei Lask-Pabianice
30.11.1914 Nachtgefecht bei Rogozno-Ruda
03.12.1914 Karczmy
05.12–15.12.1914 Schlacht bei Lodz
05.12.1914 Laszczyny-Rydzyny
18.12.1914–07.01.1915 Schlacht an der Rawka-Bzura
19.12–20.12.1914 Wale
08.01–22.01.1915 Transport nach Ungarn
25.01–26.01.1915 Erstürmung des Kliwa
30.01–06.02.1915 Gefechte bei Wolosianka
07.02–09.02.1915 Gefecht bei Slawsko
12.02.1915 Erstürmung des Olzanowec
13.02–13.05.1915 Kämpfe am Czyrak
28.03–13.05.1915 Stellungskampf bei Seneczow-Bajtina; am großen und kleinen Czyrak
11.05–17.05.1915 Verfolgung in den Karpathen
18.05–03.06.1915 Gefechte bei Dolina
25.05–28.05.1915 Turza-Mala
04.06–09.06.1915 Verfolgung in Galizien
04.06–05.06.1915 Holyn
06.06.1915 Kalusz
08.06.1915 Stanislau
10.06–22.06.1915 Schlacht bei Zydaczow
13.06–14.06.1915 Rogozno (-Dabrowa-Wald)
23.06–27.06.1915 Übergang über den Dnjestr
23.06–27.06.1915 Chodorow, Gosleszow, Bartniki
27.06–29.06.1915 Schlacht an der Gnila-Lipa
30.06–06.07.1915 Verfolgung zwischen Gnila-Lipa und Zlota-Lipa
07.07–26.08.1915 Stellungskämpfe an der Zlota-Lipa
27.08.1915 Durchbruchsschlacht an der Zlota-Lipa
28.08–05.09.1915 Verfolgung gegen den Sereth
06.09–16.09.1915 Schlacht bei Tarnopol
14.09–16.09.1915 Durchbruch bei Burkanow
17.09–05.11.1915 Herbstkämpfe in Ostgalzien
26.09–30.09.1915 Kämpfe an der Strypa und zwischen Wosuszka und Sereth
07.10–14.10.1915 Kämpfe an der Strypa zwischen Wosuszka und Sereth
30.10–05.11.1915 Schlacht bei Siemikowcze
06.11.1915–10.08.1916 Stellungskämpfe an der Strypa zwischen Wosuszka und Sereth
04.06–10.06.1916 Schlacht zwischen Wosuszka u. Sereth
11.06–15.06.1916 Schlacht an der Strypa bei Kurdwaniew-Bobrilince-Gnilowony
07.08–10.08.1916 Schlacht bei Zalocze (Teile)
08.08–10.08.1916 Schlacht bei Nizniow-Monasterzyska (Teile)
11.08–14.08.1916 Rückzugsgefechte zwischen Strypa und Zlota-Lipa
20.08–13.10.1916 Stellungskämpfe an der Bystrzyca
15.08–22.08.1916 Stellungskämpfe an der Zlota-Lipa, am Ceniowka-Abschnitt und bei Zborow
31.08.1916 Stanislau
14.10.1916–31.03.1917 Stellungskämpfe im Verbande der k.u.k. 3.Armee bei Kalusz
01.04–18.04.1917 Reserve der Heeresgruppe Böhm-Ermolli bei der k.u.k. 3.Armee
18.04–18.05.1917 Reserve der k.u.k. 2. Armee
18.05–23.05.1917 Transport nach dem Westen
  48. Reserve-Division (Westfront)
09.07–11.08.1917 Stellungskämpfe vor Verdun
17.07–18.07.1917 Kämpfe an Straße Haucourt-Esnes (Teile)
12.08–28.09.1917 Abwehrschlacht bei Verdun
09.10–02.12.1917 Stellungskämpfe in Lothringen
14.01–18.02.1918 Stellungskampf im Oberelsaß
18.02–03.04.1918 Reserve der O.H.L. bei der Armeeabteilung B.
13.04–31.05.1918 Stellungskämpfe in Flandern und Artois
13.04–18.04.1918 Schlacht bei Armentières
03.07–20.08.1918 Kämpfe zwischen Arras und Albert
21.08–02.09.1918 Schlacht bei Monchy-Bapaume
03.09–26.09.1918 Kämpfe vor der Siegfriedfront
27.09–08.10.1918 Abwehrschlacht zwischen Cambrai und St. Quentin
09.10–04.11.1918 Kämpfe vor und in der Hermannstellung
24.10–04.11.1918 Schlacht um Valenciennes
05.11–11.11.1918 Rückzugskämpfe vor der Antwerpen-Maas-Stellung
12.11–13.12.1918 Räumung des besetzten Gebietes und Marsch in die Heimat

Sources

Copyright © 2005-2008 David Gregory