8th Landwehr Division.
Reading edition
COMPOSITION.
1915 1916 1917 1918
Brigade. Regiment. Brigade. Regiment. Brigade. Regiment. Brigade. Regiment.
Infantry. 56 Ldw. 109 Ldw. 56 Ldw. 109 Ldw. 56 Ldw. 109 Ldw. 56 Ldw. 109 Ldw.
110 Ldw. 110 Ldw. 110 Ldw. 110 Ldw.
109 Landst. 109 Landst. 111 Ldw. 111 Ldw.
Cavalry. 2 Ldw. Sqn. 14 C. Dist. 2 Ldw. Sqn. 14 C. Dist. (dissolved late 1916). 1 Sqn. 5 Horse Jag. Rgt. 1 Sqn. 5 Horse Jag. Rgt.
3 Landst. Sqn. 14 C. Dist. (?)
Artillery. Landst. F. A. Abt. (14 C. Dist.). 8 Ldw. F. A. Regt. Art. Command: 8 Ldw. F. A. Rgt.
8 Ldw. F. A. Rgt. 803 Light Am. Col.
1416 Light Am. Col.
Engineers and Liaisons. 4 Co. 14 Pions. 4 Co. 14 Pions. 408 Pion. Btn.: 408 Pion. Btn.:
2 Res. Co. 14 Pions. 2 Res. Co. 14 Pions. 1 Res. Co. 14 Pions. 1 Res. Co. 14 Pions.
308 T. M. Co. 2 Res. Co. 14 Pions. 2 Res. Co. 14 Pions.
308 T. M. Co. 308 T. M. Co.
305 Searchlight Section. 216 Searchlight Section.
508 Tel. Detch. 508 Signal Command:
508 Tel. Detch.
177 Wireless Detch.
Medical and Veterinary. 559 Ambulance Co. 559 Ambulance Co.
321 (?) Field Hospital. 321 Field Hospital.
Vet. Hospital. 7 Field Hospital.
563 Vet. Hospital.
Transports. 777 M. T. Col. 777 M. T. Col.
Odd.
Attached. Fribourg Landst. Inf. Btn. (14 C. Dist. Btn. No. 7). 68 Labor Btn.
2 Heidelberg Landst. Inf. Btn. (14 C. Dist. Btn. No. 13). Pforzheim Landst. Inf. Btn. (14 C. Dist. Btn. No. 21).
161
HISTORY.
(Fourteenth District—Grand Duchy of Baden.)
1915.
The 8th Landwehr Division was formed February, 1915, from Baden troops, which entered Alsace at the beginning of the campaign (the 110th Landwehr detrained Aug. 11, 1914, at Neuenburg near Mullheim and the 109th Landwehr on the same date), and the 109th Landsturm organized at the beginning of 1915 from five Baden Landsturm battalions.
Alsace.
The division held the same sector between Altkirch and the Swiss Frontier from its formation until January, 1917.
1916.
1. In February, 1916, the 109th Landwehr and the 110th Landwehr, which had up to that time remained on the defensive, took part in the attacks between Seppois and Largitzen and against the Scoonholz, northwest of Altkirch. They executed many raids during 1916.
2. The 109th Landsturm, which was in line at one end of the front, was broken up in May, 1916, and replaced in the division by the 111th Landwehr, newly formed, consisting in reality of three Landsturm battalions already stationed in Alsace, of which two were part of the 109th Landsturm (XIV 23 and XIV 25).
Cotes de Meuse.
About January 23, 1917, the division was withdrawn from the Alsace front and sent to the Cotes de Meuse, where it took over the sector west of Fresnes en Woevre. April 15 the division moved toward the north and held the lines to the Etain-Verdun road.
RECRUITING.
Entirely from Baden.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
The division was a defense division (May, 1918). Each company had one shock-troop squad per platoon (prisoners’ statements Dec. 8, 1917).
Like the 2d and 7th Landwehr Divisions, but to a smaller degree, the 8th Landwehr Division had some of its men transferred to active units; thus, in November, 1917, it transferred some men to 121st Division, then near it.
1918.
The division continued in the Woevre sector during 1918. Through failure to identify it, it was considered as out of line September 21 and September 25.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
It was rated as a fourth-class division. Its losses apart from the St. Mihiel attack were negligible. In the attack it did fairly well, without heavy loss. The morale was fair.
162