HISTORY.
(Second Bavarian District—Bavaria, Bavarian Palatinate.)
1914.
Lorraine.
1. At the time of the declaration of war the 3d Bavarian Division and the 4th Bavarian Division constituted the 2d Bavarian Army Corps. At the beginning of August, 1914, the 2d Bavarian Army Corps formed a part of the 6th Army (Crown Prince of Bavaria). It detrained at Faulquemont (Lorraine) on August 8, and the 3d Bavarian Division was to the north of Château-Salins on the 10th. It took part in the Battle of Morhange on the 20th, passed the frontier, pillaged Gerbeviller on its way, and advanced as far as the left bank of the Mortagne. Forced to turn back, it moved near Metz the 15th of September and entrained the 19th.
Somme-Flanders.
2. Similar to the 1st Bavarian Army Corps, the 2d Bavarian Army Corps was attached to the 2d Army and fought in the Peronne District (end of September); then it was transported to Flanders, where it rejoined the 6th Army.
3. From November, 1914, to October, 1915, the 2d Bavarian Army Corps occupied the front from the Ypres-Comines Canal as far as Douve. During this period it generally remained on the defensive.
1915.
1. In April, 1915, the 3d Bavarian Division ceded the 22d Infantry to the 11th Bavarian Division, formed at this time.
In June, 1915, the 3d Bavarian Division was sent as a reinforcement for a short time to the Arras sector.
Artois.
2. In the month of October the 2d Bavarian Army Corps (3d and 4th Bavarian Divisions) was transported to the Auchy-Loos sector and kept there until August, 1916.
1916.
1. In the Loos sector the 2d Bavarian Army Corps showed itself very active. It undertook mine works and executed them with great rapidity. At the end of April it attempted a gas attack; this latter had no success, however.
Somme.
2. The 3d Bavarian Division left the Loos sector with its Army Corps about August 25 and went into the Somme District. It occupied the Martinpuich-Bazentin-le-Petit sector up to the 15th of September and fought with characteristic stubbornness. Its total losses during this period reached 4,976 men (55 per cent).
3. The Division retired from the Somme September 27 and was sent to the Douve sector (from this river to the Armentières-Lille railroad). It remained there till the end of March, 1917.
1917.
Artois.
1. The 3d Bavarian Division was relieved from Armentieres March 20, 1917. It was transported to the Arras District, situated on the Scarpe front, on April 11. It suffered considerable loss in the two unfortunate counterattacks of Monchy-le-Preux and in the French counterattack of April 23.
2. The division was withdrawn from the front April 25 and sent to rest in the Roubaix zone until the beginning of June.
Flanders.
3. On June 5 the 3d Bavarian Division began to relieve the 40th Division in the Messines sector. The British attack took place on the 7th during this relief. The division lost the village and the summit of Messines. It suffered considerable loss and left 1,531 prisoners in the hands of the enemy. (The 17th Battalion was reduced to 800 men; the 23d suffered about equal losses; the 18th lost fewer men.)
Lorraine.
4. The 3d Bavarian Division was withdrawn from the Messines sector June 8, 1917, and taken to the Conflans area. After a short period of repose, during which it was partially reconstituted, it was put into the line in the sector of the Bezange forest (south of Château-Salins) July 18.
5. The 3d Bavarian Division received a reinforcement of 4,500 men—convalescents, exclusively—between June 8 and the end of August. (At the end of August the personnel averaged only 120 men who drew rations (80 combatants) per company in the 17th Battalion.) The losses sustained the 7th of June had not been made good by the 28th of August.
6. The division was sent into Lorraine for rest and reconstitution, remaining on the defensive, and pursuing the instruction of its detachments in the use of light minenwerfers and assault tactics.
Aisne.
7. It left Lorraine in the middle of October. On the 28th it occupied the Aisne front to the north of Braye-en-Laonnois (Trucy sector). The 17th Battalion was the only one to engage in the October battles which preceded the German retreat to the north of the Ailette.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 3d Bavarian Division is one of the best German units.
It always fought well, showing great energy in the offensive and preserving a great tenacity in the defensive.
Nevertheless, the fighting value of this division appears to have diminished during the course of the year 1917.
1918.
1. About January 1 the division was relieved and went into training in the region Fournes-Chimay, where it remained for four weeks.
St. Gobain.
2. The division relieved the 47th Reserve Division near Septvaux about February 1, and occupied the line until March 28.
3. Retired from the front on the 28th; the division was sent toward Chauny-La Fere, where it constituted the reserve division of the 8th Reserve Corps.
Noyon.
4. In April the division alternated between short periods in line and brief rests. North of Plemont it relieved the 7th Reserve Division about April 2, was relieved by the 1st Bavarian Division a few days later, and returned to line about April 11, relieving the 1st Bavarian Division. About this time the division received a draft of 900 men of the 1919 class.
5. The division was withdrawn from the Lassigny front about May 25.
Battle of the Oise.
6. The division participated in the Oise fighting of June, although it did not take a direct part in the opening attack. It supported the effort of the 3d Bavarian Reserve Division, lending some battalions, from which prisoners were taken. About the middle of June the division passed to the second line, rested two weeks, and returned to the Montdidier-Noyon front about June 30.
Lassigny.
7. The division remained in line throughout July and encountered the Allied attack of middle August. About August 21 it was withdrawn.
8. Between August 21 and October 7 the division was not satisfactorily identified. Elements were reported near Terguier in September, near Ypres, and in the region of St. Etienne-Arnes.
Woevre.
9. The division entered the Woevre line on October 7, near Manheulles, where it remained until the armistice.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was used during 1918 as a sector-holding division. It took no prominent part in the offensives of the year.