VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The division was rated as second class. Its efforts in the Somme offensive were unsuccessful. Thereafter the effectives were used up and the division dissolved.
56th Division.
COMPOSITION.
| 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brigade. | Regiment. | Brigade. | Regiment. | Brigade. | Regiment. | Brigade. | Regiment. | |
| Infantry. | 112. | 35 Fus. | 112. | 35 Fus. | 112. | 88. | 112. | 88. |
| 88. | 88. | 118. | 118. | |||||
| 118. | 118. | 186. | 186. | |||||
| Cavalry. | (?) | 17 Hus. Rgt. (Sqn.). | 4 Sqn. 17 Hus. Rgt. | 4 Sqn. 17 Hus. Rgt. | ||||
| Artillery. | 56 Brig.: | 56 Brig.: | 56 Art. Command: | 56 Art. Command: | ||||
| 111 F. A. Rgt. (6 Btries.). | 111 F. A. Rgt. | 112 F. A. Rgt. (9 Btries.). | 112 F. A. Rgt. | |||||
| 112 F. A. Rgt. (6 Btries.). | 112 F. A. Rgt. | 56 Ft. A. Btn. | ||||||
| 855 Light Am. Col. | ||||||||
| 858 Light Am. Col. | ||||||||
| 893 Light Am. Col. | ||||||||
| Engineers and Liaisons. | 111 Pion. Co. | 111 Pion. Co. | Pion. Btn.: | 139 Pion Btn.: | ||||
| 112 Pion. Co. | 112 Pion. Co. | 111 Pion. Co. | 111 Pion. Co. | |||||
| 6 Field Co. 23 Pions. | 112 Pion. Co. | 112 Pion. Co. | ||||||
| 2 Res. Co. 23 Pions. | 56 T. M. Co. | 56 T. M. Co. | ||||||
| 56 T. M. Co. | 111 Searchlight Section. | 186 Searchlight Section. | ||||||
| 56 Pont. Engrs. | 56 Tel. Detch. | 56 Signal Command: | ||||||
| 56 Tel. Detch. | 56 Tel. Detch. | |||||||
| 165 Wireless Detch. | ||||||||
| Medical and Veterinary. | 56 Ambulance Co. | 56 Ambulance Co. | ||||||
| 349 Field Hospital. | 349 Field Hospital. | |||||||
| 351 Field Hospital. | 56 Vet. Hospital. | |||||||
| Vet. Hospital. | ||||||||
| Transports. | M. T. Col. | |||||||
| Odd units. | 56 Cyclist Co. | 56 Cyclist Co. | ||||||
HISTORY.
(18th Corps District—Grand Duchy of Hesse and Hesse Nassau.)
1915.
The 56th Division was formed in March, 1915, of surplus regiments—the 35th Fusileer Regiment from the 6th Division (3d Corps District, Brandenburg), the 88th and 118th Infantry Regiments from the 21st and 25th Divisions (18th Corps District, Hesse Nassau and the Grand Duchy of Hesse). In May, 1917, the 35th Fusileer Regiment was replaced by the 186th Infantry Regiment (from the 25th Landwehr Division) recruited from Hesse.