5. Landwehr-Division 1914-1918
The division was raised as Division Waldow by order of Generalleutnant von Waldow on 23 October 1914 from the war garrison of Fortress Metz. The division was renamed 5. Landwehr-Division in January 1915.
When the war of movement ended at the end of 1914, the army of the German Crown Prince was tasked with tightening the encirclement to the north and east of Verdun. 5. Landwehr-Division was used to close the eastern edge of the encirclement in the northern Woëvre plain between the River Orne and the Combres height, which became known for the bitter fighting that took place there. The division remained in this position until August 1916.
From then on, it was deployed in St. Mihiel in the southern Woëvre plain and finally fought in the so-called Michelstellung.
5. Landwehr-Division remained near Verdun for the entire war and was involved in much of the fighting for the cornerstone of the French front. In early 1915, Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 17 was sent to Russia to form part of 85. Landwehr-Division. During the spring battle between the rivers Meuse and Moselle in 1915, the division formed a thin defensive line holding a sector of some 18 kilometers and repulsed all of the French attacks against the heavily shelled, mud-filled trenches.
During the Verdun offensive from February 1916, the division took part in the attacks on Ville-en-Woëvre, Champlon, Manheulles and, together with Grenadier-Regiment 6, the fortified village of Fresnes. The division also participated in a number of Stosstrupp attacks, many in the Bois-Brûlé sector. The division was commended by the Kaiser for its participation in the fighting withdrawal to the Michelstellung, part of what the allies referred to as the Hindenburg Line, in September 1918. The division remained in line in the St. Mihiel salient until the armistice.
Kriegsgliederung/order of battle 25 October 1914
14. Landwehr-Infanterie-Brigade |
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| Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 17 | Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 36 | Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 66 |
| Reserve-Festungs-Maschinengewehr-Abteilung 1 | Reserve-Festungs-Maschinengewehr-Abteilung 3 | Festungs-Maschinengewehr-Abteilung 14 |
30. Landwehr-Infanterie-Brigade |
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| Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 25 | Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 65 | |
| Reserve-Festungs-Maschinengewehr-Abteilung 6 | Festungs-Maschinengewehr-Trupp 10 | Festungs-Maschinengewehr-Trupp 17 |
| ½ 2. Eskadron Reserve-Husaren-Regiment Nr. 2 | ||
| Landwehr-Fussartillerie-Bataillon 8 mit 1 Batterie 15-cm-Kanonen, 1 Batterie 10-cm-Kanonen, 4 Batterien 9-cm-Kanonen | Ersatz-Bataillon bayerisches Fussartillerie-Regiment Nr. 2 mit 4 Batterien 10-cm-Kanonen | |
| 1. mobile Landwehr-Pionier-Kompagnie XVI. Armee-Korps | 1. mobile Landwehr-Pionier-Kompagnie XI. Armee-Korps | |
Kriegsgliederung/order of battle 4 January 1918
30. Landwehr-Infanterie-Brigade |
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| Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 25 | Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 36 | Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 65 |
| 2. Eskadron Ulanen-Regiment Hennigs von Treffenfeld (Altmärkisches) Nr. 16 | ||
| Landwehr-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 256 | ||
Stab Pionier-Bataillon 405 |
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| 1. Landwehr-Pionier-Kompagnie XI | 1. Landwehr-Pionier-Kompagnie XVI | Minenwerfer-Kompagnie 305 |
Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 505 |
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Commanders
5. Landwehr-Division 1914-1918
- From October 1914 Generalleutnant Adolf von Waldow
- From January 1915 Generalleutnant Carl Auler
- From March to April 1916 Fritz von Unger
- From August 1918 Generalleutnant Alfred von Lewinski
- From October 1918 Generalmajor Friedrich Spennemann
Calendar of battles and engagements
| 5. Landwehr-Division (Westfront) | |
| 22.10.1914-20.02.1916 | Kämpfe zwischen Maas und Mosel |
| 22.10.1914-20.02.1916 | Kämpfe bei Pareid-Marchéville |
| 12.11.1914 | Gefecht bei Pintheville und Riaville |
| 18.03.1915 | Gefecht bei Marchéville |
| 27.03.1915 | Gefecht bei Marchéville |
| 05.04.-16.04.1915 | Kämpfe bei Marchéville |
| 21.02.-31.07.1916 | Kämpfe zwischen Maas und Mosel |
| 26.02.1916 | Gefecht bei Ville-en-Woëvre |
| 27.02.-24.04.1916 | Kämpfe bei Champlon |
| 27.02.-31.07.1916 | Kämpfe bei Fresnes |
| 28.02.1916 | Fresnes und Champlon |
| 29.02.-25.03.1916 | Kämpfe bei Manheulles |
| 07.03.1916 | Erstürmung von Fresnes |
| 24.04.-30.07.1916 | Kämpfe bei Manheulles |
| 15.07.-31.07.1916 | Kämpfe bei Champlon |
| 03.08.1916-23.02.1917 | Kämpfe auf den Maashöhen im Bois-Brûlé und bei Apremont |
| 10.08.1916-23.02.1917 | Kämpfe am Montsec und Le Mont |
| 24.02.-18.06.1917 | Stellungskämpfe vor verdun: im Walde von Apremont und im Bois-Brûlé, am Mont und Montsec |
| 12.04.-14.04.1918 | Erstürmung der feindlichen Stellungen im Bois-Brûlé |
| 19.06.-11.09.1918 | Stellungskämpfe zwischen Maas und Mosel, im Walde von Ailly und Apremont |
| 12.09.-14.09.1918 | Ausweichkämpfe im Mihiel-Bogen |
| 15.09.-11.11.1918 | Stellungskämpfe in der Woëvre-Ebene |
| 12.11.-14.12.1918 | Rückmarsch durch Lothringen, die Rheinprovinz und die Pfalz während des Waffenstillstandes |
Sources
- Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee, 5th edition, Berlin
- Die Schlachten und Gefechte des Grossen Krieges 1914-1918, compiled by the Grosser Generalstab, Berlin 1919
- Histories of 251 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
- Die 5. Preussische Landwehr-Division im Weltkriege 1914-1918, von General der Infanterie a.D. Carl Auler, Chr. Belser AG, Stuttgart 1923
Copyright © 2006 David Gregory