Verdun.
4. Relieved about the end of August from the Rheims front, it was sent, after a few days of rest, to the right bank of the Meuse. On September 24 it attacked east of Beaumont, in the Bois le Chaume, and suffered very heavy losses. It made another attack on October 10 in the same sector, which it held until October 12–13.
5. It was sent to rest (Briey area) in the second half of October. In November it appeared on the front east of Verdun, where it was speedily relieved.
RECRUITING.
The division is recruited from Westphalia. In the course of 1917, however, a great number of its replacements came from other districts than Westphalia (9th, 10th, 11th Corps Districts).
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 13th Reserve Division appears to be of mediocre quality.
It suffered heavy losses at Verdun. It showed very little brilliance there. During the French attack of October 24, 1916, it offered little resistance to the hostile troops.
On the Rheims front (January to May, 1917) it did not take part in any operation. Quite a large number of men who were captured in the course of raids in this sector surrendered with little resistance.
However, the 13th Reserve Division did not furnish a single prisoner or deserter during its second stay southeast of Rheims (from June 15 to the beginning of September), and on the Verdun front it showed itself quite active (September to October).