The 38th Landwehr is rated as a fourth-class division. It could be and was used only to hold a quiet sector. Most of the men were nearly 40 years of age, and so it was found necessary to have a divisional “Stosstrupp” for purposes of patrolling.
On November 1 the Franco-American forces in Belgium started an offensive in conjunction with the British 2d Army farther to the south. On the same day, according to the Belgium communique, “The Belgian Army carried out successful minor operations along the drainage canal,” and the German communique said, “The 57th (13th Reserve Division) and the 79th Reserve (38th Landwehr Division) Infantry Regiments distinguished themselves in the course of this fighting.”
39th Division.
COMPOSITION.
| 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brigade. | Regiment. | Brigade. | Regiment. | Brigade. | Regiment. | Brigade. | Regiment. | Brigade. | Regiment. | |
| Infantry. | 61. | 126. | 61. | 126. | 61. | 126. | 61. | 126. | 61. | 126. |
| 132. | 132. | 132. | 132. | 132. | ||||||
| 82. | 171. | 82. | 171. | 172. | 172. | 172. | ||||
| 172. | 172. | |||||||||
| 8 Jag. Btn. | ||||||||||
| 14 Jag. Btn. | ||||||||||
| Cavalry. | 14 Drag. Rgt. | H. Res. Hus. Rgt. (2 Sqns.). | 1 and 2 Sqns. 8 Res. Hus. Rgt. | 5 Sqn. 9 Drag. Rgt. | ||||||
| Artillery. | 39 Brig.: | 39 Brig.: | 39 Brig.: | 39 Artillery Command: | 39 Art. Command: | |||||
| 66 Rgt. | 66 Rgt. | 66 Rgt. | 80 Rgt. | 80 F. A. Rgt. | ||||||
| 80 Rgt. | 80 Rgt. | 80 Rgt. | 406 Ft. A. Btn. | |||||||
| 869 Light Am. Col. | ||||||||||
| 1324 Light Am. Col. | ||||||||||
| 1325 Light Am. Col. | ||||||||||
| Engineers and Liaisons. | 2 and 3 Field Cos. 1 Pion. Btn. No. 15. | 2 and 3 Field Cos. 1 Pion. Btn. No. 15. | 2 and 3 Cos. 1 Pion. Btn. No. 15. Btn. No. 15. | 131 Pion. Btn. | 136 Pion. Btn.: | |||||
| 39 Pont. Engs. | 39 T. M. Co. | 2 and 3 Cos. 15 Pions. | 2 Co. 15 Pions. | |||||||
| 39 Tel. Detch. | 39 Pont. Engs. | 39 T. M. Co. | 3 Co. 15 Pions. | |||||||
| 39 Tel. Detch. | Tel. Detch. | 39 T. M. Co. | ||||||||
| 58 Searchlight Section. | ||||||||||
| 39 Signal Command: | ||||||||||
| 39 Tel. Detch. | ||||||||||
| 84 Wireless Detch. | ||||||||||
| Medical and Veterinary. | 38 Ambulance Co. | 38 Ambulance Co. | ||||||||
| 270, 271, 272 Field Hospitals. | 270 Field Hospital. | |||||||||
| Vet. Hospital. | 272 Field Hospital. | |||||||||
| 39 Vet. Hospital. | ||||||||||
| Transports. | Light Mun. Col. | 572 M. T. Col. | ||||||||
HISTORY.
(15th Corps District—Alsace.)
1914.
Alsace and the Vosges.
1. Upon mobilization, the 39th Division and the 30th Division formed the 5th Army Corps (Strassburg).