From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 13th Division (German Empire)
13th Division (German Empire)
13th Division (13. Division); in 1870-71 and from August 2,
(13. Division); of Colombey-Nouilly, and the Gravelotte, or Gravelotte-
1914, 13th Infantry Division ( 13. Infanterie-Division)
(13. Infanterie-Division) St. Privat, and the Siege of Metz.[4]
In World War I, the division served on the Western
Active 1818-1919
Front. It participated in the initial German drive through
Country Prussia/Germany Belgium and France, culminating in the First Battle of
the Marne. After a period of trench warfare in various
Branch Army
parts of the line, the division went to Verdun in 1916.
Type Infantry (in peacetime included cavalry) Later that year, beginning in September, the division saw
Size Approx. 15,000 action in the later phases of the Battle of the Somme.
During the 1918 German Spring Offensive, the division
Part of VII. Army Corps (VII. Armeekorps) fought in the Second Battle of the Somme. The division
Garrison/HQ Münster in Westphalia bore the brunt of later Allied offensives, including the
Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Allied intelligence rated it a
Engagements Second Schleswig War: Dybbøl, Als
first class division.[5][6]
Austro-Prussian War: Main River campaign
Franco-Prussian War: Colombey,
Gravelotte, Metz
World War I: 1st Marne, Verdun, Somme
Order of battle in the Franco-
(1916), Spring Offensive, Somme (1918),
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
Prussian War
During wartime, the 13th Division, like other regular Ger-
Commanders
man divisions, was redesignated an infantry division. The
Notable Friedrich Graf von Wrangel, August Karl organization of the 13th Infantry Division in 1870 at the
commanders von Goeben, Friedrich Bertram Sixt von beginning of the Franco-Prussian War was as follows: [7]
Armin, Hermann von François
• 25. Infanterie Brigade
• Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 13
The 13th Division (13. Division) was a unit of the Pruss-
• Füsilier-Regiment Nr. 73
ian/German Army.[1] It was formed in November 1816 in
• 26. Infanterie Brigade
Münster in Westphalia as a troop brigade and became the
• Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 15
13th Division on September 5, 1818.[2] The division was
• Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 55
subordinated in peacetime to the VII Army Corps (VII.
• Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 7
Armeekorps).[3] The division was disbanded in 1919 dur-
• Husaren-Regiment Nr. 8
ing the demobilization of the German Army after World
War I. The division was recruited primarily in the Pruss-
ian Province of Westphalia and two small principalities Pre-World War I organization
in the Westphalian region, Lippe-Detmold and German divisions underwent various organizational
Schaumburg-Lippe. changes after the Franco-Prussian War. The organization
of the 13th Division in 1914, shortly before the outbreak
Combat chronicle of World War I, was as follows:[8]
• 25. Infanterie Brigade
The 13th Division served in the Second Schleswig War
• Infanterie-Regiment Herwath von Bittenfeld (1.
against Denmark in 1864, seeing action in the war’s major
Westfälisches) Nr. 13
battles: the Battle of Dybbøl (also called the Battle of
• 7. Lothringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 158
the Düppeler Heights) and the Battle of Als. The division
• 26. Infanterie Brigade
then fought in the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, where it
• Infanterie-Regiment Prinz Friedrich der
was part of the Army of the Main (Main-Armee) and saw
Niederlande (2. Westfälisches) Nr. 15
action in the engagements against Austria’s south Ger-
• Infanterie-Regiment Graf Bülow von Dennewitz
man allies, including the siege of the Bavarian fortress at
(6. Westfälisches) Nr. 55
Würzburg. In the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, the di-
• 13. Kavallerie-Brigade
vision fought in several battles and engagements, includ-
• Kürassier-Regiment von Driesen (Westfälisches)
ing the Battle of Borny-Colombey, also called the Battle
Nr. 4
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 13th Division (German Empire)
• Husaren-Regiment Kaiser Nikolaus II. von • 3.Eskadron/Ulanen-Regiment Hennigs von
Rußland (1. Westfälisches) Nr. 8 Treffenfeld (Altmärkisches) Nr. 16
• 13. Feldartillerie-Brigade • Artillerie-Kommandeur 13:
• 2. Westfälisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 22 • Mindensches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 58
• Mindensches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 58 • Fußartillerie-Bataillon Nr. 157
• Landwehr-Inspektion Dortmund • Westfälisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 7
• Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 13
Order of battle on mobilization
On mobilization in August 1914 at the beginning of World
References
War I, most divisional cavalry, including brigade head- • 13. Infanterie-Division - Der erste Weltkrieg
quarters, was withdrawn to form cavalry divisions or • Claus von Bredow, bearb., Historische Rang- und
split up among divisions as reconnaissance units. Divi- Stammliste des deuschen Heeres (1905)
sions received engineer companies and other support • Hermann Cron et al., Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee
units from their higher headquarters. The 13th Division (Berlin, 1935)
was again renamed the 13th Infantry Division. Its initial • Hermann Cron, Geschichte des deutschen Heeres im
wartime organization was as follows:[9] Weltkriege 1914-1918 (Berlin, 1937)
• 25. Infanterie-Brigade: • Günter Wegner, Stellenbesetzung der deutschen Heere
• Infanterie-Regiment Herwarth von Bittenfeld (1. 1815-1939. (Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück, 1993), Bd. 1
Westfälisches) Nr. 13 • Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-One Divisions of the
• 7. Lothringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 158 German Army which Participated in the War (1914-1918),
• 26.Infanterie-Brigade: compiled from records of Intelligence section of the General
• Infanterie-Regiment Prinz Friedrich der Staff, American Expeditionary Forces, at General
Niederlande (2. Westfälisches) Nr. 15 Headquarters, Chaumont, France 1919 (1920)
• Infanterie-Regiment Graf Bülow von Dennewitz
(6. Westfälisches) Nr. 55
• Westfälisches Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 7
Notes
• Stab u. 3.Eskadron/Ulanen-Regiment Hennigs von [1] From the late 1800s, the Prussian Army was
Treffenfeld (Altmärkisches) Nr. 16 effectively the German Army, as during the period
• 13. Feldartillerie-Brigade: of German unification (1866-1871) the states of the
• 2. Westfälisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 22 German Empire entered into conventions with
• Mindensches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 58 Prussia regarding their armies and only the
• 1. Kompanie/Westfälisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 7 Bavarian Army remained fully autonomous.
[2] Günter Wegner, Stellenbesetzung der deutschen Heere
1815-1939. (Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück, 1993), Bd. 1,
Late World War I organization p.108-09; Claus von Bredow, bearb., Historische
Divisions underwent many changes during the war, with Rang- und Stammliste des deuschen Heeres (1905),
regiments moving from division to division, and some pp.458-459.
being destroyed and rebuilt. During the war, most divi- [3] Bredow, p. 457.
sions became triangular - one infantry brigade with three [4] Hermann Cron et al., Ruhmeshalle unserer alten
infantry regiments rather than two infantry brigades of Armee (Berlin, 1935); Wegner, p.459
two regiments (a "square division"). An artillery com- [5] 13. Infanterie-Division
mander replaced the artillery brigade headquarters, the [6] Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-One Divisions of the
cavalry was further reduced, the engineer contingent German Army which Participated in the War (1914-1918),
was increased, and a divisional signals command was cre- compiled from records of Intelligence section of the
ated. The 13th Infantry Division’s order of battle on General Staff, American Expeditionary Forces, at General
March 8, 1918 was as follows:[9] Headquarters, Chaumont, France 1919 (1920), pp.
• 26. Infanterie-Brigade: 225-228.
• Infanterie-Regiment Herwarth von Bittenfeld (1. [7] A. Niemann, Der französische Feldzug 1870-1871
Westfälisches) Nr. 13 (Verlag des Bibliographischen Instituts,
• Infanterie-Regiment Prinz Friedrich der Hildburghausen, 1871), p. 38.
Niederlande (2. Westfälisches) Nr. 15 [8] Rangliste der Königlich Preußischen Armee (1914), pp.
• Infanterie-Regiment Graf Bülow von Dennewitz 74-75.
(6. Westfälisches) Nr. 55 [9] ^ Cron et al., Ruhmeshalle
• Maschinengewehr-Scharfschützen-Abteilung Nr.
22
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 13th Division (German Empire)
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• Infantry divisions of Germany
• Military units and formations established in 1818
• Military units and formations disestablished in 1919
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