5. July 17 it was identified near Passy sur Marne (west of Dormans). It was withdrawn August 6 and spent a fortnight refitting.
Bapaume.
6. August 23 it reinforced the front near Ervillers (northwest of Bapaume) having traveled via Cambrai, Bourlon, and Beugnâtre. The division was withdrawn early in September.
Ypres.
7. It relieved the 8th Division southwest of Messines during the night of September 17–18. Just before coming into line the 17th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment was dissolved and its men drafted to the other two regiments of the division. It was replaced by the 25th Bavarian Infantry Regiment from the 14th Bavarian Division which was dissolved at this time. Likewise, the 6th Bavarian Reserve Field Artillery Regiment was dissolved and replaced by the 19th Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment from the 10th Bavarian Division disbanded in July. The division remained in line until the armistice was signed, withdrawing through Wytschaete-Houthem-Comines-Marcke-Ooteghem and Krinstraat.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The 6th Bavarian Reserve is rated as a second-class division, which seems justified not only from opinions concerning its ability as a fighting unit coming from Allied sources, but also from the fact that, although it had a course of training in “breaking through” in February, it was never so used by the German High Command, serving rather as a “follow up” division. (Cf. May 27 offensive.) The division suffered heavy losses during its 1918 engagements; indeed, some prisoners captured the middle of September said that it was to be broken up. They were mistaken, but one of the infantry regiments and the artillery regiment were disbanded.
6th Bavarian Landwehr Division.
COMPOSITION.
| 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brigade. | Regiment. | Brigade. | Regiment. | Brigade. | Regiment. | Brigade. | Regiment. | Brigade. | Regiment. | |
| Infantry. | Von Frech. | 121 Ldw. | 1 Bav. Mixed Ldw. | 1 Bav. Ldw. | 1 Bav. Mixed Ldw. | 1 Bav. Ldw. | 2 Bav. Ldw. | 1 Bav. Ldw. | 2 Bav. Ldw. | 1 Bav. Ldw. |
| 1 Bav. Mixed Ldw. | 123 Ldw. | 2 Bav. Mixed Ldw. | 2 Bav. Ldw. | 2 Bav. Mixed Ldw. | 2 Bav. Ldw. | 2 Bav. Ldw. | 3 Bav. Ldw. | |||
| 2 Bav. Mixed Ldw. | 1 Bav. Ldw. | 3 Bav. Ldw. | 3 Bav. Ldw. | 12 Bav. Ldw. | 12 Bav. Ldw. | |||||
| 2 Bav. Ldw. | 12 Bav. Ldw. | 12 Bav. Ldw. | ||||||||
| 3 Bav. Ldw. | ||||||||||
| 12 Bav. Ldw. | ||||||||||
| Cavalry. | 1 Ldw. Sqn. of the 1 Bav. C. Dist. | 1 Ldw. Sqn. and 2 Ldw. Sqn. of 1 Bav. C. Dist. | 2d Sqn. 2 Bav. Light Cav. Rgt. | 2 Sqn. 2 Bav. Light Cav. Rgt. | ||||||
| 2d Sqn. 2 Bav. Light Cav. Rgt. | ||||||||||
| Artillery. | 6 Bav. Ldw. F. A. Rgt. | 23 Bav. Art. Command: | 6 Bav. Ldw. F. A. Rgt. (3 Abt., Staff, and 8 Btry.). | |||||||
| 2 Bav. Ldw. F. A. Abt. | 6 Bav. Ldw. F. A. Rgt. | |||||||||
| 10 Bav. Mountain Art. Btry. | ||||||||||
| Engineers and Liaisons. | 16 Bav. Res. Pion. Co. | 26 Bav. Pion. Btn.: | 26 Bav. Pion Btn.: | |||||||
| 250 Pion. Co. | 16 Bav. Res. Pion. Co. | 16 Bav. Res. Pion. Co. | ||||||||
| 14 C. Dist. 1 Ldw. Pion. Co. | 306 Bav. T. M. Co. | 26 Bav. Searchlight Section. | ||||||||
| 1 Bav. C. Dist. 1 Landst. Pion. Co. | 10 Bav. Res. Searchlight Section. | 506 Bav. Signal Command: | ||||||||
| 1 Bav. C. Dist. 2 Landst. Pion. Co. | 506 Bav. Tel. Detch. | 506 Bav. Tel. Detch. | ||||||||
| 192 Bav. Wireless Detch. | ||||||||||
| Medical and Veterinary. | 560 Ambulance Co. | 19 Bav. Ambulance Co. | ||||||||
| 19 Bav. Field Hospital. | 60 Bav. Field Hospital. | |||||||||
| 59 Bav. Field Hospital. | 59 Bav. Field Hospital. | |||||||||
| 36 Vet. Hospital. | ||||||||||
| Transports. | 47 Bav. M. T. Col. | 794 Bav. M. T. Col. | ||||||||
| 49 Bav. M. T. Col. | ||||||||||
| Attached. | Landshut Inf. Btn. (1 Bav. C. Dist. Btn. Landst. No. 7). | 3 and 5 Cos. (Wurtt) Ski Btns. | Neustadt Landst. Inf. Btn. (2 Bav. C. Dist. Btn. No. 4). | |||||||
| Nuremberg Inf. Btn. (3 Bav. C. Dist. Landst. Btn. No. 1). | Fribourg Landst. Inf. Btn. (14 C. Dist. 1 Btn. No. 7). | Bomberg Landst. Inf. Btn. (2 Bav. C. Dist. Btn. No. 10). | ||||||||
| 1 Cologne 2 Landst. Inf. Btn. (8 C. Dist. Btn. No. 14). | Ansbach Landst. Inf. Btn. (3 Bav. C. Dist. Btn. No. 2). | |||||||||
| 65 Labor Btn. | 1 Cologne 2 Landst. Inf. Btn. (8 C. Dist. Btn. No. 14). | |||||||||