6. At the beginning of the French attack at the end of October an emergency call was sent the 23d for some of the units of the division which were at rest in the region of Crepy en Laonnois and during the night of the 23d–24th they went into line to cover the retreat of the divisions in line.
Forest of St. Gobain.
The greater part of the division remained in line in the forest of St. Gobain during this attack. The division was relieved about the middle of December; and on December 15 it was behind the St. Quentin front. At the end of January 18 the division relieved the 211th division in the sector of Ailles.
RECRUITING.
The 10th Division differs from the 9th in that its normal recruiting district (Province of Posen) is composed mostly of Poles. There are, therefore, a large number of Poles in its ranks, but it is evident that they are trying to mix them with Prussians, who are less liable to desert. The 47th Infantry on December 15, 1916, before Verdun contained men from the ninth and tenth districts. The 398th Infantry, whose companies were taken from various divisions, for example the 9th, the 10th and the 103d, obtained from the 103d Division Hessian and Thuringian units. There is the same variety in the 6th Grenadiers, which contained at the end of 1912 besides the original drafts from the district, men from the ninth and tenth districts, as well as from the eighteenth district, the latter belonging to the trained Landsturm (2d Bav.).
VALUE.
Until the attack of Verdun, the 10th division always had the reputation of being a good division composed of good units. At the time of the attack of the French December 10, 1915, however, the division which was in the sector north of Verdun did not seem to defend itself as stubbornly as might be expected. It should, however, be noted that 15 per cent of the forces were at that time weakened by sickness. During the German attack of May 18, 1917, the 47th Infantry clearly gave the impression that it was quite inferior to the two other regiments of the division. (The presence of Poles in the 47th should be noted.) August 31, 1917 at the Chemin des Dames, the units of the 10th division resisted well and counterattacked with vigor September 1.
1918.
1. The division was relieved in the Ailles on February 20 and went to rest and train for a month. It was at Montcornet, later near Saint Richaumont, Voulpaix, and La Vallee-aux-Bleds. It marched toward the St. Quentin front on March 20, by Origny-St. Benoite and Itancourt.