HISTORY.
(18th Corps District—Hesse—Nassau and the south of Westphalia.)
1914.
1. At the outbreak of the war the 21st Reserve Division formed, with the 25th Reserve Division, the 18th Reserve Corps. It belonged to the 4th Army (Prince Albrecht of Wurttemberg). Detraining near Saarburg (Rhine Province) on August 10–12, it passed to the north of Luxemburg and entered Belgian Luxemburg, by Martelange.
Ardennes.
2. After fighting at Neufchateau on August 22, the 21st Reserve Division reached Carignan on the 25th, fought at Mouzon on the 28th, crossed the Meuse at that point, and from there, by Grandpré, skirting the Argonne to the west, it arrived at the Marne-Rhine Canal on September 6.
Argonne-Champagne.
3. At the battle of the Marne it went into action on the Saulx in the vicinity of Mognéville (Sept. 7–10, south of Revigny). It effected its retreat by way of the Givry en Argonne, Ste. Menehould, Vienne la Ville, and stopped on the heights to the south of Cernay en Dormois on September 14.
4. The 21st Reserve Division established its positions in the sector of Ville sur Tourbe and remained there until June, 1916.
1915.
Champagne.
1. From January to December, 1915, the division was in the sector of Ville sur Tourbe north of Massiges à L’Aisne.
2. In September the division took part in the Champagne battle.
1916.
1. The 21st Reserve Division continued to occupy the Massiges sector from January to June, 1916.
Verdun.
2. After a rest in the Briey area from the end of June until July 15, the division was sent to Verdun (sector of Fumin wood) where it went into action from July 15–25 to the beginning of September. During this period it suffered heavy losses, which made it necessary to give men as replacements on August 12, taken from the 83d Landwehr Regiment and the 36th Reserve Infantry Regiment, taken in haste from the Argonne; at the end of August it received conscripts of the 1917 class who had only been called up in May, many of whom came from depots in Baden.
Champagne.
3. At the beginning of September, the 21st Reserve Division came back into its own sector of Ville sur Tourbe. A short time afterwards it gave the 81st Reserve Infantry Regiment to the 222d Division a new formation.
4. In the middle of October it was sent to rest in the Rethel area.
Verdun.
5. On August 26 and 27 it was concentrated in the vicinity of Senon-Foameix. It occupied the sector of Hardaumont until December 7. After a few days’ rest it was brought back into line at Verdun (Bezonvaux, on Dec. 16).
1917.
1. The division left the Verdun front on January 11, 1917, very much exhausted.
Lorraine.
2. On February 24, 1917, it took over the sector Letricourt-Moncel in Lorraine.
Aisne.
3. After a few days’ rest at Morhange it entrained on April 14 for the Aisne. Detraining between Hirson and Vervins, it was concentrated in the vicinity of Prouvais-Amifontaine. On April 18 and 19, after the French advance of April 16 in the vicinity of Juvincourt, it took up its position between the Miette and the Aisne as a reenforcement division, and then to replace units in the line. It attacked on May 18, near the Mauchamp Farm, and suffered heavy losses.
4. Relieved between the 27th and 30th of May, it was sent to rest and reorganized (June replacements; mostly men of the 1918 class).
Champagne.
5. It then occupied a sector in Champagne southwest of Nauroy from July 19–20 to October 22.
Cambrai.
6. After a rest in the vicinity of Cambrai in November, it went into action at the end of November, east of Cambrai (southeast of Bourlon). It remained in line south of the Bapaume-Cambrai road until the end of December.
RECRUITING.
The division is recruited in Hesse-Nassau and the extreme southern part of Westphalia. It received few outside elements except under exceptional circumstances (e. g., on Aug. 12, 1916, at Verdun).
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 21st Reserve Division is a good division. (October, 1917.)
On the Aisne front (April to May, 1917) the 21st Reserve Division held a difficult sector. The unsuccessful counterattacks which it launched there diminished its offensive value. Nevertheless, on the whole, it gave a good account of itself.
In Champagne (August to October, 1917) its activity was limited to a few assaults carried out energetically.
1918.
1. In the March offensive the division advanced from la Vacquerie to Beaumont Hamel, which it reached on March 27. Here the line stabilized and it held this sector throughout April, May, and June. It was relieved by the 16th Reserve Division on the night of July 3–4.
Battle of the Somme.
2. The division rested in the Bapaume area until it returned to line northwest of Hamelincourt on August 6–7, relieving the 5th Bavarian Division. It met the British attack in the region and was driven back through Croisilles, Cherisy, and St. Leger until its withdrawal on August 30. Nine hundred prisoners were lost in the engagement.
3. The division rested in the Tournai area until September 18, when it reenforced the front south of Villers-Guislain. About this time the 81st Reserve Regiment was broken up and distributed among the regiments of the 21st Reserve Division. The division fought at Gouzeaucourt (28th), Gonnelieu (30th), Banteux (30th), Gouy (Oct. 3), Beaurevoir (5th), Villers Outreaux (8th), Clary (9th), Le Cateau (11th). After losing 1,550 prisoners the division was withdrawn on October 17. According to a divisional order of October 1, the strength was so low as to warrant the reduction in half of the normal allotment of kitchen and supply wagons.
4. The division returned from close reserve on October 23 northeast of Haussy. In the closing days it fought at Vendegies (24th), Ruesnes (24th), Orsinval (Nov. 2), southwest of Wargnies le Grand (4th), east of Villers Pol and in the Gommegnies sector (5th). The division withdrew on November 8.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as second class. During 1918 its service was entirely in the area north and south of the Somme, where it saw a great deal of heavy fighting.