HISTORY.
(81st Landwehr Regiment: 18th Corps District—Grand Duchy of Hesse and Hesse—Nassau. 93d Landwehr Regiment: 4th Corps District—Prussian Saxony. 382d Landwehr Regiment: 7th Corps District—Westphalia.)
1916.
Lorraine.
1. The 44th Landwehr Division was formed in April, 1917, by the grouping of the 44th Landwehr Brigade (93d and 382d Landwehr Regiments) and the 81st Landwehr Regiment. The latter regiment had been successively attached to the 39th Reserve Division (area of St. Dié until the spring of 1916), to the Bavarian Ersatz Division (near Verdun until the end of 1916) and finally to the 54th Division (Flirey).
2. The 44th Landwehr Brigade, called the Rosenberg Brigade until July, 1916, united in December, 1915, on the left bank of the Moselle, the 1st Landwehr Ersatz Regiment, afterwards the 382d Landwehr Regiment (formerly attached to the Norroy Brigade) and the 93d Landwehr, former Von Gundlach Regiment of the Graudenz Corps, formed from two of the six surplus Landwehr battalions of the 4th Corps District and of the 38th Landwehr Brigade Ersatz Battalion (Hanover), identified Jeandelize in June, 1915. It was attached to the 8th Ersatz Division at the beginning of 1916.
3. The 44th Landwehr Brigade held the Moselle front on the left bank of the river until it was transformed into the 44th Landwehr Division.
1917.
Bois le Prêtre.
1. The formation of the 44th Landwehr Division in April, 1917, had no effect upon the position of the elements which entered into its composition. They continued to hold the left bank of the Moselle (Bois le Prêtre) until October, 1917.
2. In this sector the 44th Landwehr Division gave signs of its presence only by a few unimportant raids.
Upper Alsace.
3. On October 13, 1917, the 44th Landwehr Division was relieved from Bois le Prêtre, entrained on the 16th at Arnaville, Pagny, Bayonville, and was transferred to Alsace, detraining at Sierentz and Bartenheim. During the night of the 18th–19th it went into line on both banks of the Rhône-Rhine Canal.
On November 7 the division suffered some losses at Schoenholz.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
Composed for the most part of elderly men accustomed to holding calm sectors, the 44th Landwehr Division is the antithesis of an attack division. However, it knows how to organize and maintain a position and there is reason to believe that it would do well on the defensive.
Each of its regiments possesses an assault troop.
1918.
1. The division held the Altkirch sector throughout 1918 until the armistice. The sector remained absolutely quiet.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as fourth class.