HISTORY.
(10th Corps District.—Hanover; Grand Duchy of Oldenburg; Duchy of Brunswick.)
1914.
Belgium-Marne.
1. The 19th Reserve Division, constituting at the outbreak of the war, with the 2d Reserve Guard Division, the 10th Reserve Corps, was a part of the 2d Army (Von Buelow). It entrained near Cologne August 10–12, was concentrated at the Elsenhorn Camp and entered Belgium on the 15th by way of Spa. Going down the left bank of the Meuse near Liége, it crossed the Sambre west of Charleroi on the 22d; went into action on the 23d at Nalinnes; entered France on the 26th at Avesnes, and fought on the 29th and 30th between St. Quentin and Ribemont. Continuing on its way through Braine, it crossed the Marne at Dormans and took part in the battle of the Marne between Vauchamps and Montmirail (Sept. 6 to 7).
2. It retired on the 7th by way of Orbais, Vertus, Epernay, Rilly la Montagne (Sept. 10), Rheims (Sept. 12).
Champagne.
3. It fought, in the middle of September, north of Rheims and established itself on the front Brimont-Courcy-Bétheny (October-December).
1915.
1. The division occupied the sector north of Rheims until the beginning of February, 1915.
Perthes.
2. About February 2, elements of the division were transferred to the Somme Py and went into action in the Perthes les Hurlus area, where they took part in serious battles.
3. The division remained in Champagne (Souain-Perthes) until the month of April.
Alsace.
4. About the end of April it was sent to Alsace (valley of the Fecht). At this time, the 10th Reserve Corps was broken up because of the employment of its two divisions on two separate fronts (19th Reserve Division, Vosges, 2d Reserve Guard Division, in the north). These two divisions are now independent. The 19th Reserve Division suffered very heavily in Alsace (valley of the Fecht) and lost 154 officers and 5,033 men (Official List of Casualties), of whom 60 officers and 1,964 men belong to the 74th Reserve Infantry Regiment.
Champagne.
5. On September 30 the 37th Reserve Brigade entrained to reenforce the units engaged in the Tahure sector (Champagne), where it went into action on October 8.
Alsace.
6. The 37th Reserve Brigade rejoined the 39th Reserve Brigade in Alsace at the beginning of November. At this time the entire division was concentrated in the vicinity of Mulhouse.
7. In December elements of the 19th Reserve Division took part in the struggle for the possession of Hartmannswillerkopf (Dec. 21–29).
1916.
1. The 19th Reserve Division remained in the Meuse area until March, 1916.
Verdun.
2. About March 15 the division entrained and was transferred to Verdun. It went into action in the sector Douaumont-Haudremont-Thiaumont (Apr. 17 to June 21). Its regiments made successive attacks and suffered heavily (attacks of Apr. 17, 24, May 7, and June 21). At the end of April and during the month of May, elements of the division were sent to rest in the vicinity of Montmédy.
Argonne.
3. At the beginning of July the 19th Reserve Division was withdrawn from the Verdun front and went into the Argonne (La Harazee). It had lost 79 per cent of its infantry at Verdun. From April 25 to July 19 the 4th Company of the 74th Infantry Regiment had received no less than 195 men as replacements; the 9th Company of the 73d Infantry Regiment, 211 men.
Somme.
4. On October 10 it was transferred to the Somme (sector of Gueudecourt les Boeufs) and took part in limited actions which caused serious losses.
Côtes de Meuse.
5. Relieved on October 26–28, it went into line on the Côtes de Meuse (Les Éparges) on October 31.
1917.
Chemin des Dames.
1. On February 18, 1917, the 19th Reserve Division left the Éparges sector for the front south of Laon. Concentrated in the region of Arrancy-Ste. Croix, it went into line about March 1, on the crest of the Chemin des Dames (Ailles-Hurtebise). It underwent the French attack of April 16, which caused it to suffer severely (900 prisoners).
On April 20 elements of the Division launched a counterattack (Poteau d’Ailles). The 19th Reserves Division remained in line until April 21.
Russia.
2. After two weeks’ rest in the vicinity of Sissonne, the division was transferred to Russia. It entrained at La Capelle on May 7. Itinerary: Charleroi-Namur-Liége-Aix le Chapelle-Dusseldorf-Hanover-Berlin-Bromberg-Koenigsberg-Shavli-Mitau; detraining at Gross-Ekkau on May 11, it was called on July 23 to help the exhausted 226th Division between Smorgoni and Krevo.
Riga.
3. At the end of August or the beginning of September the division took part in the operations which began at the taking of Riga and of Duenamuende (September).
France.
4. On September 11 the division entrained near Uxkull for the Western Front. Itinerary: Mitau-Shavli-Koenigsberg-Posen-Cottbus-Leipzig-Gotha-Mayence-Kreuznach-Luxemburg-Sedan-Hirson. It detrained at Vervins on September 17.
Flanders.
5. Transferred to Flanders (Sept. 20–24) it occupied the Polygon wood sector east of Ypres (Sept. 28). It underwent the British attack of October 4, when it lost very heavily. It was relieved immediately. (On Sept. 29 the 12th Company of the 92d Reserve Infantry Regiment had only 3 officers and 86 men.)
Meuse.
6. After a rest near Sedan, in the course of which it was reorganized with mixed replacements from Beverloo and the recruit depot of the 228th Division, the division went northwest of Verdun in October (Malancourt sector).
7. Sent to rest in the Stenay area on December 22, the 19th Reserve Division occupied the Chaume wood sector on January 15, 1918. It was still there at the beginning of March.
RECRUITING.
The 19th Reserve Division is recruited from the 10th Corps District (Hanover, Oldenburg, Brunswick). There are few elements foreign to the district.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
During the French offensive on the Chemin des Dames on April 16 the 19th Reserve Division gave the impression of having energetic and intelligent leadership. The attitude of the men was generally good.
The division suffered enormous losses on the Aisne.
The quality of the replacements received and its stay on the Russian front have diminished the value of this division, which was a good combat unit.
The presence of a certain number of Poles and Alsatians must be noted who are inclined to desertion (67 deserters from the 73d Reserve Infantry Regiment on Sept. 28, 1917). (November, 1917.)
1918.
1. About April 6 the division was relieved and moved to Belgium, entering line at Dixmude on April 17.
Battle of the Lys.
2. On the 25th the division moved south and reenforced the battle front at Vierstraat. It fought in the Ypres area until May 1, when it was relieved, after losing about 40 per cent of its effectives.
Champagne.
3. The division appeared in Champagne on May 10, taking over the sector west of the Suippe from the 232d Division. About June 1 a battalion of the 78th Reserve Regiment was detached and took part in the attack on Rheims. Afterwards it returned and the complete division was in its sector on June 15. The division was withdrawn from Champagne just before the July offensive.
4. It was reengaged in Champagne on July 27 south of Le Mont sans Nom. It continued in this sector until the 1st of September.
5. The division moved directly from line in Champagne to line south of Concy le Chateau, where it was engaged until October 14. Withdrawn from the Selle front, elements of the division were immediately engaged on the Oise at Mont d’Origny (Oct. 17), but the bulk of the division was not identified until October 24, south of Catillon. Until the armistice the division fought in the vicinity of Catillon (Nov. 4), Fesmy (5th), Prisches (6th), Lemont Fontaine (8th).
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as first class. In 1918, except for the Lys offensive in April, the division was engaged only on the defensive.