HISTORY.
(Fourth District—Prussian Saxony.)
1914.
1. At the beginning of the war the 7th Reserve Division was part of the 4th Reserve Corps.
Belgium.
2. It detrained August 10 to 12, 1914, near Dusseldorf, and was part of the 1st Army (Von Kluck). Reached Brussels via Tongres (Aug. 19) and Louvain, and advanced toward Paris through Enghien, Ath, Conde, Amiens (Aug. 30–31), Clermont, Creil, and Senlis (Sept. 4).
Marne.
3. At the battle of the Marne it was engaged northwest of Crouy sur Ourcq (Puisieux, Neufmoutiers, Monthyon) and suffered heavy losses, September 6 and 7.
4. From September 8 to 11 it withdrew through Villers Cotterets, Coeuvres, Port Fontenoy. It fought for a long time in the region of Nouvron.
Aisne.
5. After the front was stabilized it held the lines between the Soissons-Laon Road to southwest of Nouvron.
6. November 12 it had considerable losses at the attack of the Plateau of Nouvron.
1915.
1. The division held the Nouvron sector until September, 1915.
2. In January, 1915, some of the units of the division were engaged in the fights around Soissons, January 12 and 13.
3. In June several battalions were sent toward Quennevieres as reinforcements at the beginning of the French attack.
Champagne.
4. Relieved about September 22 to 25, the division was sent to Champagne at the beginning of October. Suffered heavy losses in the region of Tahure October 30.
1916.
1. Withdrawn at the end of January, 1916, from the sector of Tahure. It was sent to rest north of Rethel. It went back into line only for a short time toward the end of February north of Prosnes (the 36th Reserve Regiment alone appeared in this sector).
2. About May 10 the division was sent to the camp of Sissonne.
Verdun.
3. It was sent to the Verdun front and took part in the attack of June 1 on Thiaumont-Damploup in the sector of Bois de la Caillette. Suffered very heavy losses June 2 and 3 and at the attack of Bois de Vaux Chapitre on June 21. Total of losses before Verdun, 8,200 men. On June 16 the companies of the 36th Reserve were reduced to an average of 30 men (prisoners’ statements). From June 1 to 5 the 10th Company of the 72d Reserves received no less than 138 replacements.
Argonne.
4. The division was withdrawn from the Verdun front about July 1. Sent to the Argonne and occupied the sector north of Ville sur Tourbe (between Main de Massiges and the Aisne) until the end of August. It was reorganized in this region.
Somme.
5. After a rest in the vicinity of Longwy it was sent to the Somme and fought in the region of Gueudecourt September 23 to October 11.
Argonne.
6. About October 14 the division took over its old sector north of Ville sur Tourbe, south of Cernay en Dormois.
1917.
Meuse.
1. Withdrawn from the Argonne front about January 8, 1917, and sent, February 5, before Verdun (region of Louvemont, north of Chambrettes), where it was kept until the beginning of April.
2. The division next held the sector of Cernay les Reims at the end of April to May 25.
Champagne.
3. About May 30 and 31 it was sent into line before Teton (region of Moronvilliers) until the middle of August.
4. After a rest in the vicinity of Aussonce the division went into line at the beginning of September in the region of Nauroy, sector of Mont Haut-Cornillet. Relieved January, 1918, and sent to rest north of Rethel.
RECRUITING.
Prussian Saxony and part of Thuringia.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
At Tahure in October, 1915, and at Verdun the division obtained only mediocre results in spite of heavy losses. “This division seems to be rather a sector division than a shock unit.”
1918.
Rethel.
1. On January 14 the division was relieved by the 14th Bavarian Division and sent to Wassigny (north of Rethel) to rest and train. On March 14 it started by night marches toward St. Quentin, bivouacking in the woods by day and avoiding all villages. The itinerary followed was Dezy le Gros-Bucy les Pierrepont-Marle-Origny et Mesnil-St. Laurent, where it arrived March 21.
Battle of Picardy.
2. From the 22d to the 28th the division was in army reserve. It followed the general advance through Itancourt, Essigny, Grand Serancourt, St. Simon, Golancourt, Muirancourt, and Candor. On March 29 it relieved the 1st Bavarian Division west of Lassigny, where it attacked on the day following. It suffered such heavy losses that it was hastily relieved on the night of March 31-April 1.
Aisne.
3. It came into line near Reims on April 26 relieving the 25th Reserve Division between the Miettl and the Aisne. It took part in the offensive of May 27. About June 1 the division was relieved in the sector east of Ville en Tardenois.
Champagne.
4. The division moved to Champagne and relieved the Guard Cavalry Division on July 6. It passed into the second line on July 14 to permit a fresh division to pass through for the attack. It returned to line on the 20th, relieving the 1st Division near St. Hilaire. During July the 66th Reserve Regiment is known to have received drafts, raising the company strength to 100.
Soissons.
5. Between August 4 and 20 the exact date is not known, the division was moved from line in Champagne to the front west of Chavigny, where it was engaged on August 24. It took part in heavy fighting in that region until its relief about August 31.
6. The division arrived at Fourmies from Laon on September 8, where it rested and trained until September 17. It entrained at Trelon and moved to Grandpre, from where it marched to the front by way of St. Juvin and Brieulles.
Meuse-Argonne.
7. The division was in line on the day of the American attack September 26, holding the sector immediately west of the Meuse. It was swamped on the opening attack without offering any considerable resistance. It was withdrawn on the 28th, but on October 9 elements were returned to fill a gap in the former sector of the 1st A. H. division. The last elements were finally withdrawn about October 25. The losses of the division in the Argonne are estimated at 3,500, including 2,260 prisoners.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as a second-class division. Its efforts in 1918 were generally unsuccessful in spite of heavy losses. By the time of the armistice it had been almost annihilated.