HISTORY.
(First Bavarian District—Southwest of Bavaria, Bavarian Swabia.)
1914.
Lorraine.
1. At the beginning of August the 2d Bavarian Division which, with the 1st Bavarian Division, formed the 1st Bavarian Corps, was a part of the army of the Crown Prince of Bavaria (6th Army). The 3d Brigade, covering troops, detrained at Reding near Saarburg, the 3d of August. On the 9th the division was at its full strength. It proceeded to the frontier, reached Badonviller, and retired as far as Gosselming (west of Saarburg) the 17th of August, gave battle there on the 20th, and recrossed the frontier. It advanced as far as Xaffévillers (Sept. 7), whence it retired to Morhange (Sept. 10). On September 15 the division entrained at Metz. It detrained near Namur, gained Peronne by stages, and was engaged at Foucaucourt the 24th.
Somme.
2. Together with the 1st Bavarian Corps it was attached to the 2d Army (Von Bülow), operating on the Somme in the district of Peronne. It took part in the fiercely contested battles which took place there but a short time after the stabilization of the front and suffered serious losses. At the beginning of the campaign, October 30, the 12th Infantry had 50 officers and 1,910 men who were unable to take part in action (lists of losses).
3. The division was maintained in this district up to the month of October, 1915, first to the south of the Somme, later, at the beginning of November, 1914, between Dompierre and Maricourt.
1915.
Artois.
1. In April, 1915, the division was reduced to three regiments through the cession of the 3d Infantry to the 11th Bavarian Division. Between the 10th and 15th of October, 1915, the 2d Bavarian Division was placed on the Artois front in the Neuville-Souchez sector.
2. About the 20th of December it was in the line at Bailleul-Sire-Berthoult between the western part of the Lille road and the Arras road.
3. It remained there until the beginning of May, 1916.
1916.
Verdun.
1. At this date it was relieved and transported to Verdun. It participated in the violent battles which took place there in May and June in the vicinity of Douaumont and suffered serious losses (50 per cent of its personnel). It was reconstituted in June in the district of Merke-Romagne-sur-les-Cotes (reinforcement of from 50 to 100 men per company), and went back to the line near Thiaumont. It suffered serious losses in the attack of June 23 (the companies of the 12th Bavarian Regiment were reduced to about 40 men).
Lorraine.
2. The 2d Bavarian Division was withdrawn from this zone of combat about the 15th of July and was sent to the Apremont-St. Mihiel sector, where it was reconstituted. It received numerous reinforcements (convalescents and class 16 men). During this period, which extends up to October 15, it did not take part in any serious operation.
Somme.
3. At the end of October it was transported to the Somme (Sailly-Saillisel sector), where it was again put to a severe test.
4. After staying a month in the Somme district it reoccupied the lines in the St. Mihiel sector at the beginning of December.
1917.
Californie Plateau.
1. The 2d Bavarian Division was withdrawn from the St. Mihiel sector between the 2d and 5th of May, 1917, and entrained at Mars-la-Tour on the 6th, whence it was transported via Conflans to Montcornet, where, during the night of the 8th, it gained the sector situated to the east of Hurtebise.
2. From the 9th on the 2d Bavarian Division engaged some of its elements on the salient northeast of Californie Plateau (May 9 and 10).
3. The division occupied this sector up to the end of May and participated in serious engagements notably those of the 13th and 22d of May to the northwest of the plateau. It was put to a very severe test. (The 9th Company of the 20th Battalion was reduced to 45 men.)
Argonne.
4. The 2d Bavarian Division was relieved at the beginning of June and sent to rest for 15 days at Camp Sissonne; later it was transported to the Argonne, where it occupied the Grande Courte-Chausse sector. During this rest it received two reinforcements—700 to 800 men June 28 and 300 men in July.
5. At the end of August it changed sectors and went into the line toward Bois d’Avocourt (Bois de Cheppy).
Meuse.
6. The division was withdrawn from this sector at the end of October and remained in repose in the vicinity of Stenay up to the middle of November, whence it was directed to the sector west of the Bois-le-Chaume. The 12th Bavarian Regiment, which had been sent in reserve to the southeast of Altkirch about the 10th of November to ward off an expected French attack in Alsace, rejoined the division December 6.
7. The 2d Bavarian Division remained in this sector (southeast of Beaumont) up to January, 1918, and then went to rest in the district of Longwy.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 2d Bavarian Division participated on the 9th and 10th of May, 1917, in violent but unsuccessful counterattacks on the salient northeast of the Californie Plateau. It appears that the Bavarians were always placed in the most dangerous positions and that they were sacrificed by the Prussians.
In spite of this condition the 2d Bavarian Division still showed itself as a good division (July, 1917).
1918.
Meuse.
1. The division remained in line north of the Bois des Fosses until relieved by the 19th Reserve Division, January 14. It went then to the Longwy region, where it was put through a stiff course of training in open warfare.
Amiens.
2. March 23 it entrained at Audun-le-Roman, and traveled via Longwy-Sedan-Charleville-Hirson-Anor-Avesnes-Le Cateau-Bertry-Caudry to Cambrai, where it detrained March 24–25. At first the division marched in the direction of Bapaumes, but was diverted in a southerly direction on the way and passed through Le Transloy-Sailly-Saillisel-Péronne-Villers-Carbonnel-Estrees-Foucaucourt and billeted at Beaucourt-en-Santerre on the night of March 30–31. April 2 it attacked at Morisel, and two days later to the southwest of Morisel. It fought then until the 15th, when it side-slipped to the north, relieving the 54th Division, its place being taken by the 15th Division. It was relieved about May 4 by the 21st Division.
3. It moved to the area southeast of Ghent, and there was reconstituted and trained. June 2, it relieved the 14th Bavarian Division in the Morisel sector. It was relieved the middle of the month by the extension of fronts of the neighboring divisions.
Champagne.
4. It rested in rear of the front in Champagne for about a month and then entered line in the Navarin sector (north of Souain), being identified by prisoners, July 15. It was withdrawn on the 20th.
Vesle.
5. August 4 the division relieved the 22d Division at Jonchery (on the Vesle, east of Fismes). It remained in line, taking part in the general retirement, until the armistice.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The 2d Bavarian is one of the very best German shock divisions. It was called upon to do a great deal of heavy fighting, and always acquitted itself well. It suffered severe losses in consequence, but these were made good as long as the German High Command had replacements at its disposal.