The 235th Division was formed in January, 1917, in the camps of the Warta and of Neuhammer, with elements from the 5th and 6th Corps District. Its regiments were made up mostly of men from the 1918 class (50 per cent) and the remainder from returned sick and wounded and men withdrawn from the front (initial strength, 230 to 235 men per company).
1. After six weeks of intensive training, the 235th Division was concentrated at Posen and sent to the Western Front on February 20, by way of Dresden-Aschaffenburg-Frankfort-Aix la Chappelle-Namur. It passed a new period of training in the Sissonne Camp, and on March 15 was sent to the St. Quentin area.
St. Quentin.
2. At the beginning of April it went into line in the Itancourt sector. Its losses were enormous, principally from the attack of April 13, which necessitated replacements of 2,216 men during the following weeks.
3. Relieved at the beginning of July, it was sent to rest east of St. Quentin (Fontaine Notre Dame).
Ypres.
4. On July 25 it entrained at Guise for Belgium. Concentrated in the vicinity of Iseghem-Roulers, it went to the Ypres front on July 28–31, east of Wieltje, received the artillery preparation and the British attack of the 31st, which caused it very heavy losses. The 454th Infantry Regiment had very heavy losses (4th Company was reduced to 31 men) and was filled up hastily from the resources of the large depot at Beverloo (about 60 men per company).
5. The 235th Division was withdrawn from the front on August 1 and spent a week at rest in Flanders.
6. In the course of August it was transferred to Laonnois, in the vicinity of Montcornet.