HISTORY.
1914.
Belgium.
1. At the beginning of the war the 1st Guard Reserve Division forming, together with the 3d Guard Division, the Guard Reserve Corps swept into Belgium—as part of the 2d Army under von Buelow—the 16th of August, crossed the Meuse at Ardenne (massacres) the 20th, and pushed on as far as Namur. On the 29th the two divisions (Guard Reserve Corps) were brought back to Aix-la-Chapelle, and left for east Prussia September 1.
Poland.
2. The beginning of October the Guard Reserve Corps, attached to the Southern Army Group, took part in the invasion of the southern part of Poland, fought at Opatow (Oct. 4), and suffered severe losses at Lodz while retreating from the Russian armies.
3. During the winter of 1914–15 it fought on the Bzura.
1915.
Poland.
1. In February, 1915, the Guard Reserve Corps was split up. The 1st Guard Reserve Division was sent to the north of the Vistula, in the Mlawa-Prasnysz region. By the 6th of March the 1st Guard Reserve Infantry Regiment had already had its thirty-ninth engagement there (letter).
2. In March the 93d Reserve Regiment was attached to the 4th Guard Division (new). During the summer of 1915 the 1st Guard Reserve Division was engaged in the operations to the north of the Vistula (von Gallwitz’s army).
Smorgoni.
3. The pursuit of the Russians brought the division as far as the neighborhood of Smogorni-Vishnev, where it took part in violent fighting and where it was relieved the middle of September.
France.
4. During the early days of October it entrained at Grodno for the western front. (Itinerary: Warsaw, Posen, Berlin, Hanover, Aix-la-Chapelle, Liège, Cambrai.)
Cambrai.
5. It went into rest cantonments on the banks of the Scheldt between Marcoing and Bouchain (November-December).
1916.
1. The 1st Guard Reserve Division and the 4th Guard Division then formed the reconstituted Guard Reserve Corps.
2. During January and February, 1916, the division was employed on defensive works in the Wytschaete-Messines sector; it also held a sector in that region. At the same time it underwent a course of training in the neighborhood of Cambrai.
Artois.
3. The beginning of May the division took over the sector south of Neuville-St. Vaast.
Somme.
4. At the end of July it was engaged on the Somme (Belloy-Barleux).
5. After August 19 it spent some days at rest near Cambrai, and came back into line until September 8 between the Mouquet Farm and Martinpuich. It suffered local attacks, in which it was constantly pushed back with heavy losses.
Flanders.
6. After a rest in the neighborhood of Cambrai it was sent to a calm sector to the north of Ypres, near the Ypres-Pilkem road.
Somme.
7. November 5 the division returned to the Somme (Warlencourt) where it spent the winter of 1916–17.
1917.
Somme.
1. In March, 1917, the 1st Guard Reserve Division commenced the withdrawal movement on the Hindenburg Line, leaving prisoners in rear-guard actions (PysGrevillers region). It was withdrawn from the front about March 20 to go to rest near Tournai.
2. The 1st Guard Reserve Division and the 4th Guard Division then became independent divisions.
Artois.
3. April 25 the division took over the Oppy-Gavrelle sector and fought off the British attacks.
4. Relieved the beginning of May, it was sent to rest at Templeuve, and was later employed in the construction of defensive works near Cambrai (May).
Flanders.
5. The 1st of June it was carried to Tourcoing, and from there to Warneton, June 8 it went into line to the east of Messines, where it relieved the 3d Bavarian Division, very much worn out the day before. It was itself withdrawn as early as the 12th.
Artois.
6. The division then went back to Artois and held the Moeuvres-Pronville front (June 21–22 to Aug. 16) taking part in no important action.
Lens.
7. After some days rest at Douai, it became reengaged August 21, on the Lens front, in a series of very heavy conflicts following the attack of August 15. The 64th Reserve Infantry Regiment was particularly exhausted. Gas attacks caused it to suffer equally heavy losses in September and December.
8. The division remained in this sector until the end of 1917. In November it sent some elements to reinforce the Cambrai front against the British attack.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The division was recruited in all provinces of Prussia, like the rest of the Guard. Despite their numbers, the 64th and 93d Reserve Infantry Regiments do not come (to any considerable extent) from the 3d and 4th Corps Districts. The 93d Reserve Infantry Regiments came from what was, before its dissolution, a “guard landwehr battalion (Magdeburg)” (seal of pay book).
The 1st Guard Reserve Division is not above the average German division in value. The Alsatians in its ranks were withdrawn and sent to Russia in 1916, but there are still numerous Poles, who do not constitute an element of strength. It seems much less to be feared than most of the Prussian organizations that do not have the “Litze” (braiding), less, too, than the Wurttemburgers of the 13th Corps District and the better Bavarian troops. (British document, February, 1918.)
1918.
Lens.
1. The 1st Guard Reserve Division was relieved in the Lens sector by the 220th Division the first of the year and was withdrawn, remaining at rest in this region until it relieved the 220th Division, February 4.
Carvin.
2. The division was relieved by the 220th Division February 20 and went to the Carvin area, where it went through a course of training in open warfare so as to become the assault division of the Souchez Group.
Somme.
3. The opening day of the March 21 offensive the division was identified at Lagnicourt (northeast of Bapaume). It was very probably “leap-frogged” by some other division the next day, but it reappeared the 27th near Bucquoy, in a straight line with the advance taken as a whole. It suffered exceedingly heavy losses, finally having to utilize its pioneers as Infantry.
La Bassée.
4. April 20 the division was withdrawn from the Somme front and marched to Givenchy (just north of the La Bassée Canal) the next day, where it relieved the 4th Ersatz Division. It fought there until about May 21, giving a good account of itself, considering its weakened condition, and as a result its brigade commander was promoted a lieutenant general, and the division commander received Pour le Mérite.
Grammont.
5. The division moved to the Grammont area, where it underwent a course of training with artillery and aeroplanes in preparation for a coming offensive.
La Bassée.
6. It relieved the 38th Division at Festubert, north of the La Bassée Canal July 5; it was relieved July 14 by the 18th Reserve Division.
7. The division rested in the Fauquissart area, and then relieved the 12th Reserve Division north of Hinges the night of August 2–3. It was relieved about August 26 by extension of front of the neighboring divisions.
Cambrai.
8. The 2d of September the division reinforced the front north of the Arras-Cambrai Road. About the 10th it side-slipped south, for it was identified southwest of Moeuvres. It remained here, suffering heavy casualties (450 prisoners), and was relieved by the 7th Cavalry Division during the night of September 22–23.
9. It remained in this region, however, and was thrown back into line in attempt to stem the British advance, being identified at Bourlon September 28; withdrawn about October 5.
10. The division returned October 16–17, relieving the 30th Division east of Neuvilly, and was withdrawn about the 20th.
11. November 4 it was identified north of Landrecies. It took part in the general retirement, being identified south of Berlaimont November 5, and east of Maubeuge on the 9th.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The 1st Guard Reserve Division was rated as in the first of four classes. During 1918 it did not fight brilliantly, but it was always to be depended upon. It was called upon to fight much in heavy engagements, and suffered very severe losses.