Flanders.
6. It was relieved about September 4, sent to rest in the Verdun area, and transferred to Belgium on October 7, where it was in action and suffered heavily on the Ypres front (north of the Ypres-Menin road) until November 13.
7. The division was then sent to the rear (area of Bruges-Knocke).
8. It again went into line east of Ypres about December 18 (east of Passchendaele). In the middle of January, 1918, it was withdrawn from this sector and sent to the Bruges area.
RECRUITING.
The 15th Division is easily recruited from the populous districts of the Rhine Provinces. In case of heavy losses and urgent necessity for reenforcements, the need has been felt for having recourse to the rest of the Rhine country in the widest sense of the word, that is to say, Rhenish Hessia and the Grand Duchy of Baden, in return for reenforcements sent elsewhere. The frequence of the relation and the community of interests which unites these regions assures the 15th Division, under all circumstances, the advantages of regional homogeneity.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The 15th Division, in spite of the lack of success of its efforts, has given the impression of being a good division.
On June 2 and 3, 1917, the 69th Infantry Regiment and the 389th Infantry Regiment, attacked vigorously upon the casemates and Californie Plateaus. The 389th Infantry Regiment, especially, showed a great deal of dash in the course of these actions (July, 1917).
The division is composed, for the most part, of young and well trained elements; it has the experience gained from a very active sector (September, 1917).