HISTORY.
(264th Regiment; 4th Corps District—Prussian Saxony and part of Thuringia. 266th Regiment, 9th Corps District—Grand Duchies of Mecklenberg. 34th Regiment, 2d Corps District—Pomerania.)
1915.
Eastern Prussia.
1. Organized during the winter of 1914–15, this division and the 79th Reserve Division formed the 40th Reserve Corps. The 80th Reserve Division was formed out of three field battalions of the 4th Corps District (Nos. 22–24) and six field battalions (Nos. 43–48) of the 9th Corps District. After training at the Lockstedt cantonment it was sent to Eastern Prussia at the beginning of February, 1915. There it took part in the battle of the Lakes of Masura from the 7th to the 17th.
Poland.
2. From the end of February to the beginning of March it was actively engaged in the region of the fortress of Ossoviec and took part in combats along the Polish frontier before the Russian retreat in Eastern Prussia. In March it was brought back to the frontier of Eastern Prussia and fought in the zone of the Suvalki government until July. It exchanged the 265th Regiment for the 34th Regiment.
Smorgoni.
3. At the time of the Summer offensive the division participated in the taking of Kovno (Aug. 18), fought on the Niémen (Aug. 19, Sept. 8th) and entered Vilna. It occupied the new front in the region of Smorgoni and held this sector until March, 1916.
1916.
Narotch Lake.
1. In March, 1916, the division opposed the Russian offensive on the Narotch Lake front and occupied this sector until the month of December.
France.
2. On December 23 it entrained for the Western Front. (Itinerary: Lyntuny (northeast of Vilna)-Vilna-Kovno-Koenigsberg-Danzig-Stettin-Hamberg-Hanover-Cologne-Aix la Chapelle-Liège-Mons.) It detrained at Douai on the 29th and 30th of December and was put at rest at Waziers (northeast of Douai) until the middle of January, 1917.
1917.
Artois.
1. January 18, 1917, it went into line before Neuve Chapelle (north of the canal of la Bassée).
2. Relieved at about the beginning of March, it took over a sector to the south of Lens (Mar. 14). Obliged to fall back to the Méricourt-Avion line after the capture of the heights of Vimy by the British troops (Apr. 9), it suffered serious losses in the course of that operation.
Flanders.
3. On May 16 it was relieved from the Lens front and sent to rest in the region of Trent until May 29.
4. From May 29 to June 22 it held the Boesinghe-Wieltje sector, where it took part in no engagements.
Meuse.
5. After resting, in July, in the region of Sedan-Montmédy, the 80th Reserve Division was brought (July 20) as a reserve to the left bank of the Meuse, and at the beginning of August to the right bank (region of Juvigny-Jametz-Etraye).
Verdun.
6. On August 14 it drew near the front and on August 20 reenforced, near Hill 344, the units strained by the French attack. On the 23d it sustained very heavy losses and gave up the counter attack.
Champagne.
7. At the beginning of September the division entrained for Champagne. It occupied the Tahure sector the first half of September.
Argonne.
8. At the beginning of October it took over the Boureuilles-Vauquois sector, which it left on January 23, 1918, going to the Semide cantonment for training.
RECRUITING.
The 264th Regiment was recruited in the 4th Corps District and is sometimes called an Altenberg regiment. The 266th Regiment is a Mecklenberg unit. The 34th Regiment is Pomeranian in theory with a fairly heterogeneous make-up like the greater number of the units from Pomerania.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 80th Reserve Division, which seems to have had a high morale while opposite the English front, did not come up to expectations on August 20, 1917, while opposite Verdun. It proved incapable of counter attacking. It is reported that there were desertions and mutiny among the men which resulted in the relieving of the general commanding the brigade and of the commanding officer of the 264th Regiment.
The 34th Regiment was completely exhausted during the attacks of August 20.
In Argonne the losses of this division were very slight. At the Semide cantonment (Jan. 23 to Feb. 20, 1918) the division went through various maneuvers connected with open warfare.
1918.
1. The division was relieved in the Vauquois sector by the 237th Division from Russia about March 18. It rested and trained until March 27, when it traveled by St. Quentin-Ham-Roye to the vicinity of Moreuil.
Picardy.
2. It reenforced the battle front north of Sauvillers on April 3, but was withdrawn on the 7th and rested at Ribemont. Losses were heavy during the brief engagement of the division.
Champagne.
3. The division relieved the 14th Bavarian Division on April 21–22 in the sector Cornillet-Mont Blond. It remained there until the July 15 offensive, but did not take part in that action. On July 27 it returned to line near Moronvilliers and held that sector until August 22.
Ailette-Aisne.
4. It marched to Paris and went into line there. Two days later it was hastily relieved and marched to Chavignon. It entered line on the night of September 2–3 northwest of Crouy. It was withdrawn on September 21.
Champagne.
5. The division returned to Champagne and relieved the 213th Division on September 27 at Loivre. It was engaged near Orainville, Aumenancourt, Pont Givart until October 11. It was again in line on October 17 at Nanteuil sur Aisne. It continued in line until the end of hostilities. The last identification was near Wasigny on November 7.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. In general, it was used to hold less important defensive sectors.