HISTORY.
1914.
Belgium.
1. Detrained on the 11th and 12th of August in “Prussian Wallonia,” at Weismes and neighboring stations. Entered Belgium August 13, via Stavelot; crossed the Meuse at Huy on the 18th. The 23d it fought at Fosse and St. Gerard, after having crossed the Sambre at Jemmapes. Fought at Fournaux on the 24th. Was engaged, August 29, between Guise and Vervins (le Sourd, Leme).
Marne.
2. It fought next on the Marne (St. Gond marsh).
3. It was in Artois near Hebuterne the end of September.
Flanders.
4. In November the 1st Bde. was in Flanders (Gheluvelt); the 2d Bde. remained at Hebuterne. From the beginning of the campaign until January 19, 1915, the 3d Ft. Gd. Regt. suffered casualties of 49 officers and 2,707 men.
1915.
Champagne.
1. The beginning of January the 1st Bde. went from Gheluvelt to Champagne.
2. The beginning of February the 2d Bde. rejoined the 1st.
3. In March the division went to Alsace, where the whole Guard Corps was brought together again.
Russia.
4. In April the division went to Russia (Galicia), detraining at Bochnia the 22d.
5. It fought at Tarnow and Krasnoslaw, skirted Brest-Litowsk, and pushed on to Krobin. The losses of the 3d Ft. Gd. Regt. in Russia (May 15-Aug. 31) were 17 officers and 2,116 men. The 1st Ft. Gd. Regt. lost 53 officers and 3,005 men.
France.
6. Brought back by stages to Warsaw; entrained about the 15th of September for the western front. Itinerary: Thorn, Posen, Frankfort-on-the-Oder, Berlin, Cassel, Giessen, Coblentz, Treves, Luxemburg, Namur, Charleroi.
Artois.
7. Reassembled at Charleroi, the division was alerted September 25, and engaged on the Artois front (Folie). Losses of the 1st Ft. Gd. Regt. in the fighting of the end of September amounted to 1,522.
8. Relieved October 20, it took over the Lassigny-Beuvraignes sector.
1916.
1. The division remained in the calm Lassigny sector until July 20, 1916.
2. After some days rest in the neighborhood of Nesles, the division went by stages to the Peronne region, where it was put in reserve.
Somme.
3. August 15 it relieved, in the course of the battle of the Somme, what was left of the 1st Bavarian Reserve Division.
4. The division lost heavily (5,000 men, only 300 of whom were prisoners) during the attacks of the 19th and 20th of August and at the time of the costly defense of Clery (Sept. 3), and therefore it was relieved.
5. Reassembled in the Catelet region, and having received reenforcements, it went back into line south of the Somme, in the Biaches-Barleux sector. Its losses there were considerably less.
1917.
1. The division was withdrawn from the Biaches-Barleux sector the end of January.
2. It reformed, went through a course of training, and then proceeded to the Guiscard region. During February, 1917, it received 500 reenforcements (1917 class, recuperated men). In March its depot was empty (all the men having been sent to the division).
3. The beginning of April the division reassembled in the Sissonne region.
Chemin des Dames.
4. As early as April 12, before the French attack on the Aisne front, it was alerted. April 17 it was engaged in the Ailles-Hurtebise sector. There it went through the attack of May 5. (Losses, 2,500 to 3,000 men for the whole division, only 141 prisoners.)
5. Relieved a few days later, it took over a sector in the Argonne (Grand Courte-Chaussee), where it remained the month of June.
Russia.
6. On July 4 it left for Russia. (Itinerary: Namur, Liège, Aix-la-Chapelle, Duesseldorf, Minden, Hanover, Berlin, Frankfort-on-the-Oder, Posen, Lodz, Brest-Litowsk, Kovel, Lemberg, Ozidow; it detrained July 9.)
7. The division participated in the counterattack against the Russians, and later in the attack of Riga.
France.
8. It was brought back to France in the middle of October. (Entrained at Riga Oct. 16. Itinerary: Koenigsberg, Posen, Halle, Cassel, Coblentz, Sedan, Novion-Porcien; detrained near Rethel, Oct. 21.)
9. The division took over the Marquise sector in Champagne the end of October.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 1st Guard Division may be considered one of the very best German divisions. Excellent conduct under fire.
It displayed on the Aisne as well as on the Somme energy and determination while on the defensive.
Among its heavy losses there was an exceedingly small number of prisoners.
Again on the Aisne (April-May, 1917), it displayed remarkable military qualities.
It received important reenforcements of the younger classes (15–16–17), 30 per cent from the class of 1917.
Its normal value was reduced temporarily on account of the arrival of elements which had never been under fire (June, 1917).
Prisoners taken in the Argonne (June, 1917) seemed less keen for fighting.
1918.
France.
1. The division remained in line until the 21st of January.
2. It was withdrawn at that date and put through a course of training in open warfare until March 1, when it entered line east of Reims (relieving 203d Division), remaining in until the 15th in order to become familiar with the terrain.
Somme.
3. It remained in close support north of Montdidier, and finally entered line March 28 near Hangest-en-Santerre, fighting until April 5, and giving a good account of itself.
Chimay.
4. The division went through another course of training in the Chimay area until May 27.
Aisne.
5. The division entered line in the Grivesnes sector. It fought very well in this the Aisne offensive, immediately after which its commander, Prince Eitel Friedrich, was promoted from colonel to major general, but suffered exceedingly heavy losses. It was withdrawn June 7, going to rest in the Charleroi region, where it remained until July 16.
Marne.
6. It entered line on that date east of Dormans, and despite stubborn resistance by the French succeeded in making some headway. July 22–23 it moved slightly to the west, relieving the 6th Bavarian Reserve Division near Passy-sur-Marne. It moved back, giving ground to the Allied counter offensive, and was finally withdrawn from line north of Fere-en-Tardenois August 5.
Crecy-au-Mont.
7. The division rested then until August 25 in the vicinity of Rethel, and then came into line near Crecy-au-Mont and fought until September 6.
Argonne.
8. September 20 the division moved eastward and relieved the 53d Reserve Division in the Varennes sector, where it was when (Sept. 26) it was swamped by the opening of the American Meuse-Argonne offensive. It did not resist as strongly as it might have, and so the 5th Guard Division moved to its support. Withdrawn on the 29th, it, in turn, returned October 3 to support the 5th Guard. It was finally withdrawn on the 8th after it had most of its battalions reduced to one company. It left 1,788 prisoners in our hands; its total losses probably being about 4,000.
Champagne.
The division was identified in line farther to the west October 14 at Olizy, and near Chestres on the 21st. It remained in line in this region contesting the French advance until the Armistice.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
Throughout the war the division was rated as one of the very best German shock divisions. During the last year it fought a great deal and, until the last stages, very well. It suffered severe losses, and finally, due to the lack of effectives, it was found impossible to refill its depleted ranks; its morale deteriorated and it did not fight well.