HISTORY.
(10th Corps District—Hanover and Brunswick.)
1914.
1. The 50th Reserve Division (belonging to the 1st series of divisions created between August and October, 1914), formed a part of the 25th Reserve Corps with the 49th Reserve Division. It received its training, at the time of its formation, in the Alten-Grabow Camp in the 4th Corps District.
Poland.
2. In the middle of October the 50th Reserve Division and the 49th Reserve Division belonged to the 8th Army (Von Hindenburg) and took part in the second German offensive in Poland (battles between the Vistula and the Warta in October, Lodz in November, on the Bzura-Rawka front in December).
Since November the 25th Reserve Corps has belonged to the 9th Army.
1915.
1. Engaged in the operations along the Bzura (region of Bolimow) during the winter and spring of 1915, the 50th Reserve Division took part in the summer offensive of Von Hindenburg and pursued the Russians to the vicinity of Baranovitchi. In June it transferred the 232d Reserve Infantry Regiment to the 107th Division, a new formation.
2. In September the 25th Reserve Corps was dissolved—the 49th Reserve Division remained in Russia, the 50th Reserved Division was transferred to the Western Front. The division entrained at Kovno on October 7. (Itinerary: Koenigsberg-Marienburg-Stettin-Hamburg-Bremen-Osnabrueck-Muenster-Aix la Chapelle-Namur-Givet.) It detrained at Rethel October 13–14.
France-Champagne.
3. On October 16 the 50th Reserve Division was sent to Champagne. It cooperated in the gas attack of October 27 in the vicinity of Rheims and remained in line until December 19.
Artois.
4. Entraining at Witry les Rheims for Douai on December 21, it took over the sector Roclincourt, east of Neuville-St. Vaast.
1916.
1. Having lost heavily at Neuville-St. Vaast, the 50th Reserve Division was withdrawn from this sector in March, 1916, and south of Armentières (Grenier wood), from April to September. It rested in this calm sector.
Somme.
2. About December 16 the division was relieved and went into action on the Somme (Martinpuich-Flers), from September 20 to 28. It suffered very heavily there.
3. From October 6 to November 11 it occupied the sector south of the canal of La Bassée (northeast of Vermelles).
4. The division returned to the Somme, on both banks of the Ancre (near Miraumont, Grandcourt), about November 20, and remained in this active sector until December 22.
5. At the end of December it went to rest in the vicinity of Valenciennes.
1917.
1. In January, 1917, the elements of the 50th Reserve Division were in reserve at Achiet le Petit.
Somme.
2. At the end of January the 50th Reserve Division came back into line north of the Ancre (Beaumont-Hamel); it lost heavily there (200 prisoners) on February 11.
3. Withdrawn from the Somme front at the beginning of March, it went into line east of Transloy (south of Bapaume) on March 13. It withdrew to the Hindenburg Line, near Metz en Couture (southwest of Cambrai), and remained there from the end of March to April 18.
Artois.
4. After a rest in the vicinity of Douai until the middle of May, the division took over the sector of Oppy-Gavrelle, northeast of Arras, where it did not take part in any important action (May 18 to June 10).
Flanders.
5. Transferred to the Ypres front about June 11, in anticipation of the British attack, it was kept in reserve in the vicinity of Roulers until July 24.
6. On July 31 the 50th Reserve Division went into action in St. Julien and suffered heavy losses while fighting for the possession of the village (Aug. 1–2).
7. Relieved on August 10 it was sent to rest in the vicinity of Mons and went back into line on September 20, was engaged on the 26th in the vicinity of Gheluvelt, and left the Ypres front on October 3, after serious losses—the 1st Company of the 231st Reserve Infantry Regiment was reduced to 15 men after September 21, the 6th Company to 28. (British Summary of Information, Oct. 24.)
Lille.
8. At the end of October it took over a sector in the vicinity of Lille (Fromelles) (until the middle of December).
Cambrai.
9. It then occupied the lines before Cambrai south of Marcoing and Masnières (Dec. 21-Jan. 31, 1918).
RECRUITING.
At the beginning the 50th Reserve Division was composed of drafts from Silesia and Prussian Saxony, but after the end of 1915 it received most of its replacements from the 10th Corps District. The 229th Reserve Infantry Regiment is from Brunswick; the two others from Hanover. In certain documents we find the division designated as “troops from lower Saxony.”
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 50th Reserve Division took part in a great number of battles.
Its morale was shaken by the heavy losses which it suffered; it has improved very much.
The division fought comparatively well at Ypres.
1918.
1. The 50th Reserve Division was withdrawn from line south of Marcoing on the 31st of January, the neighboring divisions extending their fronts, and went to the area east of Cambrai, where it received training in open warfare.
Picardy.
2. On the 13th of March the division marched from Cagnoncles via Carnières and Cattenières to Esnes, and on the 17th proceeded to Villers Outreaux. On the 20th it came into line southwest of Cambrai and took part in the attack of the 21st. The division suffered very heavy losses and was relieved by the 9th Reserve Division on the 22d, going to rest at Liéramont (northeast of Peronne).
3. On the 23d the division followed up the advance behind the 9th Reserve Division via St. Pierre-Vaast wood (24th), Rancourt-Combles (25th), Montauban (26th), Fricourt (27th), and on the following day went into line southwest of Albert, carrying out an unsuccessful attack. In another attack against the ridge west of Dernancourt on April 5 the division was beaten back with heavy losses. It was relieved on the 9th and went to rest at Maricourt.
4. During the night of April 17–18 it relieved the 18th Division near Morlancourt (south of Albert). It was relieved by the 199th Division early in May and went to rest and refit in the Solesmes area.
5. On the 24th of May it traveled by rail to Montauban (south of Albert), marched via Maricourt to Carnoy the following day, and came into line during the night of May 27th–28th south of Albert. It was relieved by the 54th Reserve Division on June 28 and went to rest near Cambrai.
Soissons.
6. On the 19th of July the division entrained at Le Cateau and traveled via St. Quentin to Chauny, where it was loaded on trucks and sent to the Forêt de Pinon. On the 28th it relieved the 20th Division near Buzancy (south of Soissons). Here it was gradually forced to retire toward the northeast, was finally withdrawn to the north of Braine about the 20th of August, and went to the region between Laval and Laon.
7. The presence of elements of the 231st Reserve Regiment was reported the 4th of September west of Vauxaillon, and on the 6th to the south of Neuville sous Margival, the rest of the regiment being in the Urcel-Laval region.
8. On September 14 the whole division went back into line east of Soissons near the Mennejean Farm. This was surrounded by the French on the 15th. The following day Sancy fell to them, too. The same day the plateau to the east and northeast of the Mennejean Farm was captured. On the 18th the division lost still more ground and prisoners; it was withdrawn on the 21st and went to rest near St. Pierre a Arnes (south of Machault).
Rheims.
9. On the 2d of October the division came back into line northeast of Rheims, near Bétheny, and went through very heavy fighting. It was still in line on November 11.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
On October 11 the following was written: “The division did fairly well in its recent encounters, the men, though lacking in enthusiasm, seeming possessed by a dogged determination to do what they conceived to be their duty. The morale, which was good, has been very much lowered by recent losses.” That this statement is erroneous seems to be proved by the fact that the German communiqués of October 22, November 1 and 2, say that the division “had shown particular merit in the recent fighting, retook their position in counterattack and repulsed hostile attacks,” “bore the brunt of the fighting * * * without showing signs of weariness,” and “again maintained their positions against heavy attacks.” Therefore, although the division suffered heavy losses, especially in the spring, it is still to be considered as second class.