HISTORY.
1915.
The 4th Guard Division was formed on the Russian front in March, 1915.
Russia.
1. From March 14 to July 12 the 4th Guard Division was in line near Przasnysz. It belonged to Gallwitz’s army, which was operating north of the Vistula.
2. From July 13 to September 28 the division took part in many fights, notably on the Narew, and took part in the pursuit as far as the region of the marshes of Lithuania.
3. Withdrawn from the front and reached Kovno on foot, where it entrained for the Western Front on October 10 via Koenigsberg, Luebeck, Hamburg, Aix-la-Chapelle, Namur. Detrained at Douai and sent to rest.
France.
4. From November 14 to 26 it occupied a sector near Arras, then went to rest near Cambrai.
5. From December 15, 1915, to January 4, 1916, it built entrenchments in the region of Wytschaete-Messines.
1916.
1. During January and February, 1916, the 4th Guard Division continued its entrenching work in the sector Wytschaete-Messines and held the sector at the same time.
2. Until the end of April, 1917, the 4th Guard Division, together with the 1st Reserve Guard Division, formed the reserve corps of the guard. Both these divisions were put through a course of training with a view to active operations.
3. From May 9 to July 23 the division remained in line northeast of Neuville-St. Vaast.
Somme.
4. Engaged in the battle of the Somme July 25 (Estres sector), suffered heavy losses and was withdrawn August 19. Engaged again after a few days of rest and fought some severe local battles until September 10 (Thiepval sector).
5. After seven days of rest behind the Flanders front it held a quiet sector north of Ypres from September 17 to October 25.
6. From November 6 to 25 it was again sent to the Somme, where it was subjected to several heavy local attacks (Warlencourt sector).
1917.
1. Remained in the Warlencourt sector until March 17, 1917. It was relieved immediately after it had retired to the Hindenburg line.
Lens.
2. After three weeks’ rest in the region of Tournai it was sent by stages to the south of Lens, where it went back in the lines. It suffered considerable losses there. Withdrawn from the front July 11.
3. At rest in the region of Pont-a-Vendin and Meurchin. On August 15 the division was hurried up to the north of Lens. It attacked to regain the lost ground but in vain. Its losses were extremely heavy.
4. The division stayed in line until September 15.
Flanders.
5. At rest for a week behind the front. Entrained September 23 and 24 at Carvin for Flanders.
6. It was at first in the reserve of the army, but went into line September 27 east of Zonnebeke. After one of its regiments had attacked and was stopped by the British artillery fire (Oct. 22), the division obtained replacements and on October 4 renewed its attempt to retake the heights lost on September 26. Warned by a British attack, they became demoralized and fled in disorder toward Becelaere. The losses of the 4th Guard Division were so heavy that it had to be relieved on October 5 to 7.
7. Entrained for Guise and arrived there October 10. Went into line on the 14th in the sector of Itancourt, southeast of St. Quentin, and was still holding it in December. Its forces were much reduced by the attacks in Flanders and were reinforced by neighboring units (13th Landwehr Division).
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
Formerly an excellent combat unit, having that traditional esprit de corps which animated the regiments of the Prussian Guards. At the present time (November, 1917) it has lost a good part of its fighting value. It seems to have been much weakened by the battle of Ypres (October, 1917).
1918.
Guise.
1. The division rested during January near d’Origny Ste. Benoite (west of Guise).
Somme.
2. On February 4 the division came into line northwest of Bellenglise. It was relieved about the middle of February.
3. Upon relief, it marched via Bohain to St. Souplet, near Le Cateau. Here the division underwent a course of training in this area until March 18, when it marched via Bohain-Brancourt-Montbrehain-Ramicourt back to its old sector at Bellenglise, arriving in line March 20.
Battle of Picardy.
4. The division attacked in the first line and advanced by Hesbecourt March 21–26. Passing into support for eight days it was reengaged April 3–8 near Bouzencourt and le Hamel, suffering very heavy losses. Between the 8th and the 24th the division rested. It was in line again near Marcelcave from the 22d to the end of April, participating in the attack at Villers-Bretoneaux on the 24th. Heavy losses were again sustained.
5. Again the division went to rest at St. Souplet, near le Cateau. The 2d Battalion of the 427th Regiment, dissolved, arrived as a reinforcement for the division on May 27. The division was moved by rail to Flavy le Martel on night of June 1. It marched by nights to Canny sur Matz (by Golancourt, Guiscard, and Candor) and entered the line on the night of June 8–9.
Battle of the Oise.
6. The division attacked on the 9th between Roye sur Matz and Canny sur Matz. It penetrated by Marquelise to Antheuil. The French counterattack threw it back north of Antheuil on the 11th. The division stayed in line until the 19th.
Lorraine.
7. After resting at Bohain until June 29 the division was moved to Lorraine by Valenciennes-Brussels-Namur-Saarburg. Here it was rested and reconstituted.
8. The division returned by rail to Athies sur Laon on July 22. From there it marched to Mousey sur Aisne by stages and then in trucks to Mareuil en Dole on July 25.
Battle of the Marne, Vesle, Aisne.
9. The division was engaged July 27 southeast of Fere en Tardenois. It fell back toward Fismes on August 1–2, from where it was shifted into the Courlandon-Breuil sector, which it held from August 14 to the beginning of September. On the 5th it moved to the south of Glennes, remaining there until the 30th, when it fell back across the canal. The division was relieved on October 2, but turned back to line on the 5th to cover the retreat near Benu au Bac. On the 7th it went to rest for a week.
Ardennes.
10. Reengaged west of Chateau Porcien from October 14 to November 5. The 93d Regiment was mentioned in the German communique of November 2 as fighting especially well. In the retreat the division passed through Renneville and Rubigny, where it was last identified on November 11.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was always regarded as a first-class fighting division, although the losses on the Somme in March and the setback on the Oise in June lowered its value. Constant fighting impaired the morale and kept the effectives low, but the division was always to be included in the first-class divisions.