HISTORY.
(267th Regiment: 2d Corps District—Pomerania. 268th Regiment: 6th Corps District—Silesia. 269th Regiment: 3d Corps District—Brandenburg.)
1915.
The 81st Reserve Division was formed out of six field battalions of the 2d Corps District (Nos. 7–12) and three field battalions (Nos. 13–15) of the 3d Corps District. The first six were used to form the 267th and the 268th and the last named three were used to form the 269th Regiment. The division was instructed at the Warthe cantonment (5th Corps District) before being sent to the Western Front.
1. The 81st Reserve Division (with the 82d Reserve Division it constituted the 41st Reserve Corps), was transported to Belgium and detrained at Courtrai January 21, 1915.
Somme.
2. Sent to the Somme district, it was engaged to the north of Chaulnes (Jan. 27-Mar. 28).
3. At the end of March the division was sent toward the Eastern Front.
Galicia-Russia.
The division was found on the Galician front in May (Jaslo, May 9); took part in operations on the San, near Jaroslav (between San and the Jaroslav-Przeworsk railway on May 15) then on the Bug (region of Krylov in July). Going down the Bug by Vladova (August) it advanced up to the west of Logitchin and the Oginsky Canal (north of Pinsk) in September. The front becoming fixed, the division established itself in that region.
1916.
Pinsk.
1. The 81st Reserve Division stayed for more than two years in the Oginski-Iasälda Canal sector (Sept., 1915-Dec., 1917).
2. At the beginning of July, 1916, the 269th Regiment was identified between the Styr and the Stokhod, doubtlessly as a reserve for the units engaged against the Russian offensive.
1917.
Russia-France.
1. In December, 1917, the division was relieved from its sector to the north of Pinsk and transported to the Western Front. It entrained on December 20 at Ivanovo (Itinerary: Soldau-Bromberg-Schneide-Muehl-Berlin-Sarrebruck-Sedan-Cambrai), and detrained at Lille on December 26. After resting in the vicinity of Lille it went into line to the south of Fleurbaix (Jan. 24–25, 1918). It again occupied the same sector at the beginning of April.
RECRUITING.
The 267th and the 268th Regiments were originally Pomeranian and became quite heterogeneous like all regiments from this province. The 268th Regiment was in theory recruited in Silesia which contributes to a maintenance of the mixed character of its personnel. The 269th is a Brandenburg unit.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
On the Eastern Front from May, 1915, to the end of December, 1917.
1918.
Battle of the Lys.
1. The division was relieved on the night of April 8–9 by the 35th Division at Neuve Chapelle. It moved northward and on the 12th reenforced the battle front south of Meteren. In the attacks in this area the 268th and 269th Reserve Regiments suffered heavy losses. It was relieved by the 11th Reserve Division on April 28.
Meteren.
2. On May 18 the division returned to its former sector at Meteren. It held this sector until May 28, and again from June 6 to 12 and from June 18 to July 19.
Lorraine.
3. It entrained on the 22d at Roubaix and detrained at Haboudange on the 24th. The itinerary was Courtrai-Ghent-Louvain-Liege-Herbestal-Gerolstein-Treves-Sarreguemines. After several days of rest near Chateau Salins it relieved the 19th Division on the night of July 28–29. It held this quiet sector until October 5, when it was relieved by the 87th Division.
4. It entrained on the 6th and detrained at Guise about October 8. On the night of the 10th–11th it came into line near Seboncourt and was heavily engaged until October 20, when it was withdrawn east of Bohain. The division suffered heavy losses in this engagement.
5. On October 26 the division reenforced the line south of Guise and fought until the armistice. The last identification was south of Guise on November 3.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as third class. Its services in Flanders was of a mediocre character. In the St. Quentin area in October it put up a good resistance.