The 197th Division was created in August, 1916, on the Eastern Front by the union of the following regiments: (1) 273d Reserve Regiment, formed out of four battalions taken from the 362d Infantry (4th Ersatz Division); the 368th Infantry (10th Ersatz Division); the 130th Reserve (33d Reserve Division) which all came from France. (2) 7th Jaegers (13th Battalion of Jaegers), 25th and 26th Battalions of Reserve Jaegers, all Saxon, and also all coming from France. (3) The 32d Landwehr, which had been under orders of the 33d Division in the Argonne.
Galicia.
1. As part of the 2d Austrian Army (Boehm-Ermoli), the 197th Division occupied in August 1916 the Zborow sector (northwest of Tarnopol) where it met the offensive carried on by Broussilov. On August 10 the 7th Regiment of Jaegers had 35 officers and 1,039 men out of action (letter).
2. In September it was in line to the northeast of Zalosce and to the north of Zborow and later in the vicinity of Zloczow.
1917.
Galicia.
1. The 197th Division stayed in this same Zloczow sector until July, 1917. While there it met the Russian attack of July 1, which reduced the strength of the 1st Battalion of the 32d Landwehr to 160 men (letter).
2. The division participated in the German counteroffensive of July 19 and advanced by way of Zborow up to Husjatin (August), where it was relieved to go into reserve.
3. It went back into line at the beginning of September at Hlesczawa (region of Trembowla).
4. At the beginning of November the 32d Landwehr was replaced by the 28th Ersatz, taken from the Bavarian Ersatz Division, and originally from the 14th Corps District (Grand Duchy of Baden). This replacement of a mediocre regiment for a good one was the prelude of preparations for a transfer to the Western Front.