4th Royal Bavarian Division
Encyclopedia
The 4th Royal Bavarian Division was a unit of the Royal Bavarian Army which served alongside the Prussian Army as part of the Imperial German Army
. The division was formed on November 27, 1815 as an Infantry Division of the Würzburg
General Command (Infanterie-Division des Generalkommandos Würzburg). It was called the 4th Army Division between 1822 and 1848, again between 1851 and 1859, and again from 1869 to 1872. It was called the 4th Infantry Division from 1848 to 1851 (as well as during wartime) and was named the Würzburg
General Command from 1859 to 1869. From April 1, 1872 until mobilization for World War I
, it was the 4th Division. In Bavarian sources, it was not generally referred to as a "Royal Bavarian" division, as this was considered self-evident, but outside Bavaria, this designation was used for it, and other Bavarian units, to distinguish them from similarly numbered Prussian units. The division was headquartered in Würzburg
. The division was part of the II Royal Bavarian Army Corps.
of 1866, seeing action at Roßdorf and Roßbrunn. In the Franco-Prussian War
of 1870-71, the division fought alongside the Prussians. It saw action in battles of Weissenburg, Wörth
and Sedan
, and in the Siege of Paris
.
During World War I, the division served on the Western Front
. It fought in the Battle of the Frontiers
against French forces in the early stages, and then participated in the Race to the Sea
, fighting along the Somme and in Flanders, including the First Battle of Ypres. It remained in the trenchlines in Flanders and the Artois, and fought in the Second Battle of Artois
and the Battle of Loos
in 1915. In 1916, the division fought in the Battle of the Somme. In 1917, the division fought in Flanders, including in the Battle of Messines
and the Battle of Passchendaele. For most of 1918, the division remained in Flanders, fighting at Armentières, Kemmel, Hébuterne, and Monchy-Bapaume. Late in the year, the division went to the Champagne region, where it faced the Allied Meuse-Argonne Offensive
. After more fighting along the Aisne and the Aire, the division was withdrawn from the line, and spent the last week of the war on border defense in southern Bavaria and Tyrol. Allied intelligence rated the division as first class and of the highest quality.
- one infantry brigade with three infantry regiments rather than two infantry brigades of two regiments (a "square division
"). The 4th Bavarian Infantry Division was triangularized in March 1915, sending the 8th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment to the newly-formed 10th Bavarian Infantry Division
. An artillery commander replaced the artillery brigade headquarters, the cavalry was further reduced, and the engineer contingent was increased. Divisional signals commanders were established to better control communications, a major problem in coordinating infantry and artillery operations during World War I. The division's order of battle on April 1, 1918 was as follows:
German Army (German Empire)
The German Army was the name given the combined land forces of the German Empire, also known as the National Army , Imperial Army or Imperial German Army. The term "Deutsches Heer" is also used for the modern German Army, the land component of the German Bundeswehr...
. The division was formed on November 27, 1815 as an Infantry Division of the Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
General Command (Infanterie-Division des Generalkommandos Würzburg). It was called the 4th Army Division between 1822 and 1848, again between 1851 and 1859, and again from 1869 to 1872. It was called the 4th Infantry Division from 1848 to 1851 (as well as during wartime) and was named the Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
General Command from 1859 to 1869. From April 1, 1872 until mobilization for World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, it was the 4th Division. In Bavarian sources, it was not generally referred to as a "Royal Bavarian" division, as this was considered self-evident, but outside Bavaria, this designation was used for it, and other Bavarian units, to distinguish them from similarly numbered Prussian units. The division was headquartered in Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
. The division was part of the II Royal Bavarian Army Corps.
Combat chronicle
The division fought against Prussia and its allies in the Austro-Prussian WarAustro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
of 1866, seeing action at Roßdorf and Roßbrunn. In the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
of 1870-71, the division fought alongside the Prussians. It saw action in battles of Weissenburg, Wörth
Battle of Beaumont
The Battle of Beaumont on August 30, 1870 was won by Prussia during the Franco-Prussian War.It was fought between Fifth French Corps d'Armee under General Pierre Louis Charles de Failly, and the IV and XII Army Corps under Prince George of Saxony The Battle of Beaumont on August 30, 1870 was won...
and Sedan
Battle of Sedan
The Battle of Sedan was fought during the Franco-Prussian War on 1 September 1870. It resulted in the capture of Emperor Napoleon III and large numbers of his troops and for all intents and purposes decided the war in favour of Prussia and its allies, though fighting continued under a new French...
, and in the Siege of Paris
Siege of Paris
The Siege of Paris, lasting from September 19, 1870 – January 28, 1871, and the consequent capture of the city by Prussian forces led to French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and the establishment of the German Empire as well as the Paris Commune....
.
During World War I, the division served on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
. It fought in the Battle of the Frontiers
Battle of the Frontiers
The Battle of the Frontiers was a series of battles fought along the eastern frontier of France and in southern Belgium shortly after the outbreak of World War I. The battles represented a collision between the military strategies of the French Plan XVII and the German Schlieffen Plan...
against French forces in the early stages, and then participated in the Race to the Sea
Race to the Sea
The Race to the Sea is a name given to the period early in the First World War when the two sides were still engaged in mobile warfare on the Western Front. With the German advance stalled at the First Battle of the Marne, the opponents continually attempted to outflank each other through...
, fighting along the Somme and in Flanders, including the First Battle of Ypres. It remained in the trenchlines in Flanders and the Artois, and fought in the Second Battle of Artois
Second Battle of Artois
The Second Battle of Artois, of which the British contribution was the Battle of Aubers Ridge, was a battle on the Western Front of the First World War, it was fought at the same time as the Second Battle of Ypres. Even though the French under General Philippe Pétain gained some initial victories,...
and the Battle of Loos
Battle of Loos
The Battle of Loos was one of the major British offensives mounted on the Western Front in 1915 during World War I. It marked the first time the British used poison gas during the war, and is also famous for the fact that it witnessed the first large-scale use of 'new' or Kitchener's Army...
in 1915. In 1916, the division fought in the Battle of the Somme. In 1917, the division fought in Flanders, including in the Battle of Messines
Battle of Messines
The Battle of Messines was a battle of the Western front of the First World War. It began on 7 June 1917 when the British Second Army under the command of General Herbert Plumer launched an offensive near the village of Mesen in West Flanders, Belgium...
and the Battle of Passchendaele. For most of 1918, the division remained in Flanders, fighting at Armentières, Kemmel, Hébuterne, and Monchy-Bapaume. Late in the year, the division went to the Champagne region, where it faced the Allied Meuse-Argonne Offensive
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, or Maas-Argonne Offensive, also called the Battle of the Argonne Forest, was a part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire western front.-Overview:...
. After more fighting along the Aisne and the Aire, the division was withdrawn from the line, and spent the last week of the war on border defense in southern Bavaria and Tyrol. Allied intelligence rated the division as first class and of the highest quality.
Order of battle in the Franco-Prussian War
The order of battle at the outset of the Franco-Prussian War was as follows:- 7. bayerische Infanterie-Brigade
- Kgl. Bayerisches 5. Infanterie-Regiment
- Kgl. Bayerisches 9. Infanterie-Regiment
- Kgl. Bayerisches 6. Jäger-Bataillon
- Kgl. Bayerisches 10. Jäger-Bataillon
- 8. bayerische Infanterie-Brigade
- Kgl. Bayerisches 4. Infanterie-Regiment
- Kgl. Bayerisches 8. Infanterie-Regiment
- Kgl. Bayerisches 5. Jäger-Bataillon
- 4. bayerische Kavallerie-Brigade
- Kgl. Bayerisches 2. Chevaulegers-Regiment
- Kgl. Bayerisches 5. Chevaulegers-Regiment
Pre-World War I peacetime organization
In 1914, the peacetime organization of the 4th Royal Bavarian Division was as follows:- 7. bayerische Infanterie-Brigade
- Kgl. Bayerisches 5. Infanterie-Regiment Großherzog Ernst Ludwig von Hessen
- Kgl. Bayerisches 9. Infanterie-Regiment Wrede
- 8. bayerische Infanterie-Brigade
- Kgl. Bayerisches 4. Infanterie-Regiment König Wilhelm von Württemberg
- Kgl. Bayerisches 8. Infanterie-Regiment Großherzog Friedrich II. von Baden
- 4. bayerische Kavallerie-Brigade
- Kgl. Bayerisches 1. Ulanen-Regiment Kaiser Wilhelm II., König von Preußen
- Kgl. Bayerisches 2. Ulanen-Regiment König
- 4. bayerische Feldartillerie-Brigade
- Kgl. Bayerisches 2. Feldartillerie-Regiment Horn
- Kgl. Bayerisches 11. Feldartillerie-Regiment
- Kgl. Bayerische 2. Train-Abteilung
Order of battle on mobilization
On mobilization in August 1914 at the beginning of World War I, most divisional cavalry, including brigade headquarters, was withdrawn to form cavalry divisions or split up among divisions as reconnaissance units. Divisions received engineer companies and other support units from their higher headquarters. The 4th Bavarian Division was renamed the 4th Bavarian Infantry Division. Its regular 8th Bavarian Infantry Brigade was sent to the Main Reserve at Fortress Metz and replaced by a reserve formation, the 5th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Brigade with two reserve infantry regiments. The division's initial wartime organization (major units) was as follows:- 7. bayerische Infanterie-Brigade
- Kgl. Bayerisches 5. Infanterie-Regiment Großherzog Ernst Ludwig von Hessen
- Kgl. Bayerisches 9. Infanterie-Regiment Wrede
- Kgl. Bayerisches 2. Jäger-Bataillon
- 5. bayerische Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade
- Kgl. Bayerisches Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 5
- Kgl. Bayerisches Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 8
- Kgl. Bayerisches 5. Chevaulegers-Regiment Erzherzog Friedrich von Österreich
- 4. bayerische Feldartillerie-Brigade
- Kgl. Bayerisches 2. Feldartillerie-Regiment Horn
- Kgl. Bayerisches 11. Feldartillerie-Regiment
- 2.Kompanie/Kgl. Bayerisches 2. Pionier-Bataillon
Late World War I organization
Divisions underwent many changes during the war, with regiments moving from division to division, and some being destroyed and rebuilt. During the war, most divisions became triangularTriangular division
A triangular division is a designation given to the way divisions are organized. In a triangular organization, the division's main body is composed of three regimental maneuver elements. These regiments may be controlled by a brigade headquarters or directly subordinated to the division commander...
- one infantry brigade with three infantry regiments rather than two infantry brigades of two regiments (a "square division
Square division
A square division is a designation given to the way military divisions are organized. In a square organization, the division's main body is composed of four regimental elements. Since a regiment could be split into separate battalions for tactical purposes, the natural division within a division...
"). The 4th Bavarian Infantry Division was triangularized in March 1915, sending the 8th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment to the newly-formed 10th Bavarian Infantry Division
10th Bavarian Infantry Division (German Empire)
The 10th Bavarian Infantry Division was a unit of the Royal Bavarian Army, part of the Imperial German Army, in World War I. The division was formed on March 3, 1915 and organized over the next few weeks. It was part of a wave of new infantry divisions formed in the spring of 1915...
. An artillery commander replaced the artillery brigade headquarters, the cavalry was further reduced, and the engineer contingent was increased. Divisional signals commanders were established to better control communications, a major problem in coordinating infantry and artillery operations during World War I. The division's order of battle on April 1, 1918 was as follows:
- 7. bayerische Infanterie-Brigade
- Kgl. Bayerisches 5. Infanterie-Regiment Großherzog Ernst Ludwig von Hessen
- Kgl. Bayerisches 9. Infanterie-Regiment Wrede
- Kgl. Bayerisches Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 5
- 5.Eskadron/Kgl. Bayerisches 3. Chevaulegers-Regiment Herzog Karl Theodor
- Kgl. Bayerischer Artillerie-Kommandeur 4
- Kgl. Bayerisches 2. Feldartillerie-Regiment Horn
- II.Bataillon/Kgl. Bayerisches 4. Fußartillerie-Regiment
- Kgl. Bayerisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 8
- Kgl. Bayerische Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 6
- Kgl. Bayerische Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 9
- Kgl. Bayerische Minenwerfer-Kompanie Nr. 4
- Kgl. Bayerischer Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 4