HISTORY.
(9th Corps District—Hanseatic Cities and Grand Duchies of Mecklenburg.)
1914.
Yser.
1. The 46th Reserve Division (belonging to the 23d Reserve Corps with the 45th Division), formed between August and October, 1914, was trained at the Lockstedt Camp, and entrained for Belgium on October 12. It went into action in the battle of the Yser between Dixmude and Bixschoote on October 21, 1914.
Flanders.
2. After these battles, which lasted until about November 15, and in the course of which it suffered heavy losses, the division remained in Flanders and occupied the area of Bixschoote. On November 21 only 1 officer remained in the 3d Battalion of the 214th Reserve Infantry Regiment (letter); the 11th Company, which started with 253 men, had only 90 left.
1915.
Flanders.
1. Between April 22 and April 27, 1915, the 46th Reserve Division, which was still holding the front north of Ypres, took part in the battles launched around Lizerne, Het-Sas, Steenstraat.
2. During the rest of the year 1915 and until March, 1916, the 46th Reserve Division (as well as the 45th Reserve Division) held the lines between Dixmude and Ypres, without any important action, with periods of rest in the vicinity of Bruges and Thourout.
1916.
St. Eloi-Wytschaete.
1. Relieved north of Ypres at the end of February, 1916, the 46th Reserve Division was transferred to Werwicq, from which place on March 14 it went to the sector of St. Eloi, near Messines.
2. The division lost very heavily in this sector, at the beginning of April. After a short period of rest it took over the same line from May to September.
Somme.
3. At the beginning of September it left the area south of Ypres to go to the Somme. It went into action on September 8 between Vermandovillers and the Chaulnes railroad and suffered rather heavy losses, especially during the French attack of September 17; the 2d Battalion of the 214th Reserve Infantry Regiment was almost completely destroyed (letter).
4. Sent behind the front for a short time, about October 8, in the vicinity of Ham, it came back into line on October 17–20 minus the 213th Reserve Infantry Regiment, which was transferred to the 207th Division, a new organization. It supported the attacks of the 21st, between Ablaincourt and Chaulnes wood, where certain of its units lost very heavily. After launching a counterattack on the 22d the division was relieved on October 24–25.
Champagne.
5. In November and December the reorganized division took over the sector east of Rheims.
1917.
1. In January, 1917, the 46th Reserve Division was at rest in Lorraine. On January 28 it entrained at Lorquin and was transferred to the Oise, by way of Sarreburg, Thionville, Luxemburg, Namur, Maubeuge, St. Quentin, Tergnier, Chauny.
Moulin sous Touvent.
2. On January 30 it went into the sector of Moulin sous Touvent-Autreches, which it left about March 18 to retire to Barisis, Folembray, and the lower Coucy wood.
Forêt de St. Gobain.
3. Established in the St. Gobain sector in April and May, it was relieved on May 20 and sent to rest in the area of Marle and Vervins. It was reorganized there (the 216th Reserve Infantry Regiment received 500 men from the depot of the 76th Reserve Infantry Regiment at Hamburg).
Chemin des Dames.
4. On June 13 the division went into line on the Chemin des Dames, took part in the German attack of June 22 at the Épine de Chevregny-Royère Farm, and in the attack of July 8 on the front Panthéon-Froidmont. In these two actions it had heavy losses. It made up for these in part by men taken from the 94th Division in Russia.
5. Withdrawn from the Laon front on July 24, the division was sent to rest and to be reorganized in the area of Montmédy.
6. On August 12 it was transferred to Spincourt and placed in reserve on the right bank of the Meuse during the French attack of August 20.
Verdun.
7. Engaged on August 22 at the Fosse wood-Chaume wood, it lost heavily by the attack of August 26 and by its counterattack upon Beaumont.
8. Relieved at once, it was reorganized and sent to rest in the vicinity of Sedan-Longuyon from August 26 to the end of September.
Meuse.
9. The 46th Reserve Division reappeared from October 3 to November 10 in the sector of Fosse wood-Chaume wood, where some elements launched an attack on November 9 and suffered heavy losses.
10. The division was at rest in the vicinity of Longwy from November 10 to December 15.
Lorraine.
11. About December 17 it took over the sector west of Nomeny (Cheminot-Eply) in Lorraine. It was still there at the beginning of April, 1918.
RECRUITING.
Composed at the beginning of equal contingents from the 9th and 10th Corps Districts (Schleswig-Holstein, Hanseatic cities, and Mecklenburg; Hanover, Brunswick, Oldenburg), the division, since its reduction to three regiments, is filled up from the Hanseatic cities and the Grand Duchies of Mecklenburg. It has ceased, therefore, to be Prussian, a thing which has a certain practical interest in its designation in communiques, etc., and has not been able to develop any regional sentiment or cohesion. It is to be noted that the reinforcements of 1917 have been rather mixed (Poles, men from the 2d, 3d, and 5th Corps Districts), partly because of their being taken from the Russian front, and, during its recent stay in Lorraine, from the neighboring depot of the 99th Infantry Regiment.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 46th Reserve Division may be considered a good division.
The attack of July 8, 1917, was carried out energetically. The assault troops attacked with “extraordinary fury.”
The division fought bravely at Verdun in August, 1917.
Weakened by battles and by an epidemic of dysentery (October-November), it was sent to Lorraine for rest and reorganization.
The division received intensive training and it would seem that in spite of new, untrained recruits it will quickly regain its value.
1918.
Noyon.
1. The division was relieved about April 25 in Lorraine and transferred to the Montdidier area, where it was at rest until June 10. On that day it reenforced the Montdidier-Noyon battle front northeast of Gournay. In the course of the attacks the division suffered considerable losses. About July 2 it was relieved. It rested in rear of the Noyon front.
Soissons.
2. On July 20 the division reenforced the battle front near Buzancy, south of Soissons. It lasted but one week and was then withdrawn.
3. The effectives of the division was very low, due to the failure to receive drafts. Early in August the division was disbanded. The 214th Reserve Regiment was transferred to the 4th Division, the 216th Reserve Regiment to the 18th Reserve Division, and the 215th Reserve Regiment was turned into the 4th Ersatz Division. The divisional commander, Maj. Gen. Wasielewski, was retired.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as second class. Although it was not heavily engaged in 1918, its effective strength was allowed to dwindle to a very low level and dissolution followed.