HISTORY.
(258th Regiment: 8th Corps District—Rhenish Province. 259th Regiment: 10th Corps District—Grand Duchy of Oldenberg. 260th Regiment: 10th Corps District—Hanover.)
1915.
The 78th Reserve Division which, with the 77th Reserve Division, constituted the 39th Reserve Corps as one of the reserve divisions created during the winter of 1914–15. One of its regiments—the 258th—grew out of three field battalions of the 8th Corps Region (Nos. 40–42) and the 259th and the 260th out of six field battalions (Nos. 49–54) of the 10th Corps District. All three regiments were trained at the Alten-Grabow cantonment (4th Corps District).
Russia.
1. In action on the Russian front to the north of Grodno, near Simno, Kalvariia and Suwalki in March, 1915, it took part in the Courland raid (region of Chavli) in May. It was engaged in the operations on the Dubissa to the northeast of Rossieny from the end of May to the middle of July.
2. In July, with the Army of Niemen (Beulow) it took part in the offensive against Russia, occupied the region of Poneviej, to the west of Kupichki (August) arrived before Dvinsk in September and held a position near the Illukst (September-December).
1916.
Courland.
1. The 78th Reserve Division remained in the Illukst (region of Dvinsk) during the whole year 1916 and until the month of April, 1917.
1917.
Courland.
1. Relieved from the Illukst region on April 14, 1917, the division was transferred to the Western Front. It entrained on April 15 (itinerary: Kovno-Wirballen-Allenstein-Posen-Leipzig-Nuremberg-Karlsruhe-Friberg-Muelheim) and detrained near Mulhausen on the 19th.
France (Alsace).
2. On April 25 it went into line in the Burnhaupt sector to the north of the Rhône-Rhine Canal.
Aisne-Ailette.
3. Relieved on May 11, it was sent into the Aisne. For 10 weeks it occupied (May 23-Aug. 5) the sector south of the Ailette, where it did not participate in any action of importance. Beginning with June 19 it made a series of local attacks in which the 258th Regiment suffered some fairly big losses (especially on June 20, to the east of Vauxaillon).
Verdun.
4. Sent toward the Verdun front as a reserve at the time of the French offensive of August 20, it was engaged to the north of Caurières (southwest of the Ornes) on September 10. On September 13 it executed a counterattack and continued to occupy this difficult sector until the middle of October.
Lorraine.
5. Withdrawn from Verdun, the division immediately went into line along the banks of the Seille (between Cheminot and Abaucourt) on October 14. Its stay in Lorraine was devoid of any particular event.
Haye.
6. Toward the middle of December it was withdrawn from the Abaucourt sector and put at rest for instruction in the region of Chambley-Mars la Tour (Dec. 18 to Jan. 11, 1918), then sent to Seicheprey toward the middle of January. It was identified as still there on March 29.
RECRUITING.
One of the three regiments, the 258th, was Rhenish; the 259th was an “Oldenberger” Regiment, while the 260th was a Hanoverian and Brunswickian organization, terms found in documents, as well as the designation Lower Saxony, a more general term.
The neighboring corps districts (7th, Westphalia, and 9th, Schleswig-Holstein) were occasionally called upon for replacements.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 78th Reserve Division showed up well on the Eastern Front and on the French front.
After a hard stay opposite Verdun, the division seems to have gone through a moral crisis; relatively high number of desertions took place in the 258th, and especially in the 259th Regiment. The intention of the High Command in sending the division into Lorraine (October-December, 1917) is said to have been done with an idea of giving its chiefs an opportunity of getting their units well in hand again.
Nevertheless, the vigorous command and the fairly high number of effectives, taken for the greater part from the younger classes, make the 78th Reserve Division a combat division worthy of consideration. At Jonville at the end of December, 1917, the division took part in assault practice.
It is to be noted that a certain number of recruits were from Alsace and Lorraine.
1918.
Chateau Thierry.
1. The division was relieved in the Woevre about May 11 by the 8th Bavarian Reserve Division. It came into line on June 4 west of Dammard (Ourcq region). It was engaged until about July 20 and then withdrawn.
2. The division was disbanded at Montcornet on August 12. The 259th Reserve Regiment was broken up and one battalion of it sent to each regiment of the 2d Guard Division. The 260th Reserve Regiment was turned as a draft to the 20th Division.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. After about two weeks of heavy fighting on the Marne salient, the division was dissolved.