HISTORY.
(360th and 361st: Fourth District—Prussian Saxony. 362d: Ninth District—Schleswig—Holstein.)
1914.
The 4th Ersatz Division was organized in August, 1914, by grouping together brigade Ersatz Battalions coming from the Third, Fourth, and Ninth districts (Brandenburg Prussian-Saxony, Mecklenburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Hansa towns).
Lorraine.
1. Detrained August 18 at Teterchen (Lorraine) and at the battle of the 20th the division was in the rear of the 2d Bavarian Corps. It fought on the 22d along the Marne-Rhine Canal between Einville and Dombasle, retreated on the 23d, suffered heavy losses on the 25th at Mazerulles, and engaged only a few units of its 9th Brigade in the attack on Nancy in September.
2. On September 15 the division went to rest west of Delme. On the 23d it entrained at Rening (Sarralbee-Benestroff line), passed through Metz, Luxemburg, Arlon, Marche, Liége, Louvain and detrained September 25, 1915, at Brussels.
Belgium.
3. From there it went to Bruges (Oct. 14), then Ostend (Oct. 16). On the 17th by the road along the coast it marched from Ostend to Nieuport (Oct. 30). It then went into the line in front of the Belgians on the right bank of the Yser (November).
1915.
Dixmude.
1. Remained in the sector north of Dixmude during the whole of 1915.
2. At the end of July, 1915, the brigade Ersatz Battalions of the division were grouped into regiments. The 4th Ersatz Division was made up of the 359th, 360th, 361st and 362d Infantry. With the 37th Landwehr Brigade and the 2d Reserve Ersatz Brigade (Basedow Division) it constituted the Werder Corps (December).
1916.
1. The division was kept in the region of Dixmude until April, 1916.
2. After April a part of the division was sent east of Ypres between the Ypres-Roulers Railway and the Comines Canal. Some of the units of the division remained in line near Dixmude.
Somme.
3. About September 27 the division left Belgium for the Somme, where it was engaged during the first two weeks of October near Le Sars.
4. On October 15 it returned to Belgium and went back to the sector east of Ypres in November.
5. Sent to rest about November 30 and sent back to the Somme south of Bapaume, about the middle of December.
1917.
1. Remained south of Bapaume (Le Transloy-Gueudecourt) until the end of February, 1917.
2. About the middle of March it relieved the 14th Bavarian Division in the same sector at the beginning of the retirement of the German troops, withdrew to the east of Bertincourt, via Neuville-Bourjonval, Metz en Courtuere, and fought on the Trescault-Havricourt line (April).
Artois.
3. Relieved about April 26 or 28 and sent north of the Scarpe about May 10. Engaged near Roeux until about May 18 and suffered heavy losses (more than 800 prisoners).
4. At the end of May it was sent to the Eastern Front. The 361st Infantry entrained May 26 at Vitry en Artois, via Paderborn-Halle-Leipzig-Dresden-Breslau-Lemburg.
Galicia.
5. Until July the division remained in reserve in Galicia with the Bothmer army.
6. In July it held the sector south of Brzezany. Took part in the offensive against the Russians, and in September was near Radautz, where it remained until December. Due to some of its forces being transferred to other organizations more than to its losses, the companies of the 362d Infantry from August to October, had fallen from 120 men to 70 (examinations of Russians).
France.
7. Relieved December 4 and entrained the 16th for the Western Front, via Lemberg-Cracow-Breslau-Berlin-Hanover-Aix la Chapelle-Brussels-Courtrai-Tournai. Detrained the 26th.
RECRUITING.
360th Infantry: Brandenburg and Prussia Saxony. 361st and 362d Infantry: Prussia Saxony, Hanover, Schleswig-Holstein and Hansa towns.
VALUE.
A fairly good division.
1918.
La Bassee.
1. The first entry into line of the division was on January 18 in the sector south of the La Bassee Canal, relieving the 6th Bavarian Division.
Battle of the Lys.
2. On the 5th of April the division crossed north of the canal and attacked in the Gorre-Givenchy-Festubert region. Seven hundred prisoners were lost on April 9, besides heavy casualties. The division was relieved on April 20–21.
Woevre.
3. The division was moved to the region south of Metz for a rest. About May 18 it took up a sector south of Les Esparges, which it held until about June 13.
4. After resting near Conflans until June 25, it entrained in the Woevre and moved by Sedan-Charleville to the region east of Laon, arriving on June 28. It proceeded to the line by the road through Fismes.
Aisnes-Marne.
5. The division was engaged at Bussiares, Torcy, and Hautevisnes between June 30 and July 18. It met the attack of July 18 and was thrown back toward Oulchy le Chateau. On the 24th it was relieved.
6. The division rested at Perthes for a week and then moved to Novy. It entrained at Amagne on August 12 and traveled to Ostrecourt, where it remained for two weeks. On August 28 it occupied the Dricourt-Queant line astride the Arras-Cambria road.
Second Battle of Picardy.
7. Engaged on the 29th, the division came in for some heavy fighting. It was thrown back on Dury (Sept. 2) and after losing 1,650 prisoners was relieved on September 5.
8. The division rested until the middle of September. The 214th Reserve Regiment coming from the dissolved 46th Reserve Division, replaced the 361st Regiment.
9. The division was engaged near the La Bassee Canal from September 16 to October 1. It rested until the 16th, when it was reengaged southwest of Lille. In the retreat it fell back by Wavrin, Seclin, Cysoing, Ere, Mons and Blaugies. The last identification was at Boussu on November 9.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as a third-class division. At no time in 1918 did it distinguish itself, especially not in the Lys battle. Before the July 18 attack, the infantry effectives of the division numbered about 3,200. In October the battalions were reduced to three companies.