HISTORY.
(12th Landwehr Regiment: 3d Corps District—Brandenburg. 53d and 55th Landwehr Regiments: 7th Corps District—Westphalia.)
1915.
Oise.
1. The 15th Landwehr Division (Sack Division) was formed about the month of March, 1915, from two independent Landwehr brigades (the 10th and 27th) which had been holding, since September, 1914, the sectors of the Oise south of Noyon.
2. The 10th Brigade, entering Belgium on August 19, was at Tirlemont on September 1 and had been sent rapidly to the Oise at the beginning of the retreat from the Marne. It had gone into action at Blerancourt, Bellefontaine, Cuts, on September 15 and 16. The 27th Brigade, coming from Aix la Chapelle August 17, had advanced by way of Louvain, Douai, Cambrai, Bepaume, and Amiens and had likewise been in action on September 15 and 16 at Rivecourt and Nampcel.
3. After its formation the 15th Landwehr Division continued to occupy the Oise sector of Thiescourt (Ribecourt) until 1917.
1916.
1. The division held the Oise sector of Thiescourt (southwest of Noyon).
1917.
1. The Oise sector of Thiescourt was held by the division until 1917.
In the middle of March, 1917, the 15th Landwehr Division took part in the withdrawal of the German troops and retired southeast of St. Quentin by way of Salency, Chauny, and La Fere.
Galicia.
2. Relieved at the end of March, it was transferred to the Eastern Front. Itinerary: Charleroi-Luxemburg-Treves * * * Breslau-Cracow-Lemberg. (Some elements of the division had already left before the withdrawal to the Hindenburg line and had entrained at Noyon.)
3. In Galicia the 15th Landwehr Division occupied the sector west of Brody until the beginning of 1918.
Almost immediately after its arrival the 52d Landwehr Regiment was withdrawn from the division (April, 1917).
Like the other Landwehr divisions on the Eastern Front, the 15th Landwehr Division at the end of 1917 had given its best elements to divisions operating in France (especially to the 111th Division).
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The division is purely a sector division.
1918.
Ukraine.
1. Early in March the 15th Landwehr Division marched toward Rovno; from there it was transported to Kiev.
2. On May 11 the division was south of Ekaterinoslav; the 12th Landwehr Regiment at Sebastopol and the 53d Landwehr Regiment likewise being in the Crimea.
Caucasus.
3. Toward the end of May elements of the division were identified in the Kertch region, the 12th Landwehr Regiment, however, being on the Vardar front. The division was still here the latter part of September. During this time all of the younger men were sent to the Western Front.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as fourth class.