Landwehr Corps

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Landwehr Corps
Landwehrkorps
Stab eines Generalkommandos.svg
Flag of the Staff of a Generalkommando (1871–1918)
Active 2 August 1914 - post November 1918
Country  German Empire
Type Corps
Size Approximately 38,000 (on formation)
Engagements World War I

The Landwehr Corps (German: Landwehrkorps) was a corps level command of the German Army in World War I.

Formation

The Landwehr Corps was formed on the outbreak of war in August 1914[1] as part of the mobilisation of the Army. It was initially commanded by General der Infanterie Remus von Woyrsch, who had been recalled from retirement.[2] It was still in existence at the end of the war.

Structure on formation

On formation, in August 1914, the Landwehr Corps consisted of two divisions, which were made up of 3rd line units. The Senior Landwehr Commander 3 was formed with units drawn from V Corps District (Province of Posen and Lower Silesia) and Senior Landwehr Commander 4 was formed with units drawn from VI Corps District (Province of Silesia, particularly Upper Silesia). It mobilised with 34 infantry battalions (considerably above the norm), just four machine gun platoons (eight machine guns), nine cavalry squadrons, four field artillery batteries (24 guns) and two pioneer companies.

Corps Division Brigade Units
Landwehr Corps[3] Senior Landwehr Commander 3
(3rd Landwehr Division)		 17th Landwehr Infantry Brigade 6th Landwehr Infantry Regiment
7th Landwehr Infantry Regiment
18th Landwehr Infantry Brigade 37th Landwehr Infantry Regiment
46th Landwehr Infantry Regiment
17th Ersatz Infantry Brigade[4] 17th Brigade Ersatz Battalion[5]
18th Brigade Ersatz Battalion[6]
19th Brigade Ersatz Battalion[7]
20th Brigade Ersatz Battalion[8]
77th Brigade Ersatz Battalion[9]
1st Landwehr Cavalry Regiment[10]
1st Landwehr Battery of V Corps[11]
2nd Landwehr Battery of V Corps[12]
Reserve Company, 5th Pioneer Battalion[13]
1st Landwehr Divisional Pontoon Train
Reserve Telephone Section
Senior Landwehr Commander 4
(4th Landwehr Division)		 22nd Landwehr Infantry Brigade 11th Landwehr Infantry Regiment
51st Landwehr Infantry Regiment
23rd Landwehr Infantry Brigade 22nd Landwehr Infantry Regiment
23rd Landwehr Infantry Regiment
21st Ersatz Infantry Brigade[14] 21st Brigade Ersatz Battalion[15]
22nd Brigade Ersatz Battalion[16]
23rd Brigade Ersatz Battalion[17]
24th Brigade Ersatz Battalion[18]
78th Brigade Ersatz Battalion[19]
2nd Landwehr Cavalry Regiment[20]
Ersatz Cavalry Regiment[21]
1st Landwehr Battery of VI Corps[22]
2nd Landwehr Battery of VI Corps[23]
Reserve Company, 6th Pioneer Battalion[24]
2nd Landwehr Divisional Pontoon Train
Reserve Telephone Section
Corps Troops Landwehr Munitions Column Section[25]
Four Landwehr Telephone Columns
Two LoC[26] Motor Vehicle Columns
Two Landwehr Bakery Columns
Two Magazine Supply Parks[27]

Combat chronicle

On mobilisation, the Landwehr Corps was assigned to the 8th Army on the Eastern Front. Whilst the 8th Army was concentrated in East Prussia, the Landwehr Corps was detached to Upper Silesia. On 4 September 1914, it came under the command of 1st Austro-Hungarian Army.[28] Due to losses suffered by the 4th Landwehr Division in the Battle of Tarnawka (7–9 September 1914), the 11th and 51st Landwehr Infantry Regiments were reduced to a single battalion each; the 22nd and 23rd Landwehr Infantry Regiments were reduced to two battalions each.

On 14 September 1914, the Brigade Ersatz Battalions of the 21st Ersatz Infantry Brigade were dissolved and their manpower used to replace combat losses in the following battalions:

21st Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into II Battalion, 51st Landwehr Infantry Regiment
22nd Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into II Battalion, 11th Landwehr Infantry Regiment
23rd Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into II Battalion, 51st Landwehr Infantry Regiment
24th Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into II Battalion, 11th Landwehr Infantry Regiment
78th Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into II Battalion, 78th Landwehr Infantry Regiment

On 25 September 1914, the Brigade Ersatz Battalions of the 17th Ersatz Infantry Brigade were likewise dissolved:

17th Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into III Battalion, 23rd Landwehr Infantry Regiment
18th Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into III Battalion, 51st Landwehr Infantry Regiment
19th Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into III Battalion, 22nd Landwehr Infantry Regiment
20th Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into III Battalion, 22nd Landwehr Infantry Regiment
77th Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into III Battalion, 11th Landwehr Infantry Regiment[29]

The Landwehr Corps joined the 9th Army on 24 September 1914.[30]

Commanders

The Landwehr Corps had the following commanders during its existence:[31]

From Rank Name
2 August 1914 General der Infanterie Remus von Woyrsch[32]
23 September 1916 General der Infanterie Günther Graf von Kirchbach[33]
23 April 1917 General der Infanterie Artur von Brietzke

From 3 November 1914, von Woyrsch was assigned to concurrently command Armee-Abteilung Woyrsch. A deputy, Generalleutnant Götz Freiherr von König,[34] took command of the Landwehr Corps on 3 December 1914.[35]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Cron 2002, p. 88
  2. ↑ The Prussian Machine Accessed: 23 March 2012
  3. ↑ Cron 2002, p. 325
  4. ↑ Cron 2002, p. 328 With 2 machine gun platoons (4 machine guns)
  5. ↑ Busche 1998, p. 76 Formed with two companies of 19th Infantry Regiment and two companies of 58th Infantry Regiment (17th Infantry Brigade, 9th Division, V Corps).
  6. ↑ Busche 1998, p. 76 Formed with two companies of 7th Grenadier Regiment and two companies of 154th Infantry Regiment (18th Infantry Brigade, 9th Division, V Corps).
  7. ↑ Busche 1998, p. 76 Formed with two companies of 6th Grenadier Regiment and two companies of 46th Infantry Regiment (19th Infantry Brigade, 10th Division, V Corps).
  8. ↑ Busche 1998, p. 76 Formed with two companies of 47th Infantry Regiment and two companies of 50th Infantry Regiment (20th Infantry Brigade, 10th Division, V Corps).
  9. ↑ Busche 1998, p. 78 Formed with two companies of 37th Fusilier Regiment and two companies of 155th Infantry Regiment (77th Infantry Brigade, 10th Division, V Corps).
  10. ↑ 1st, 2nd and 3rd Landwehr Cavalry squadrons of V Corps
  11. ↑ Robinson & Robinson 2009, p.248 says 1st Landsturm Bty, V Corps
  12. ↑ Robinson & Robinson 2009, p.248 says 2nd Landsturm Bty, V Corps
  13. ↑ Robinson & Robinson 2009, p.248 says Ersatz Co., 5 Pi Btn
  14. ↑ Cron 2002, p. 329 With two machine gun platoons (four machine guns)
  15. ↑ Busche 1998, p. 77 Formed with two companies of 10th Grenadier Regiment and two companies of 38th Fusilier Regiment (21st Infantry Brigade, 11th Division, VI Corps).
  16. ↑ Busche 1998, p. 77 Formed with two companies of 11th Grenadier Regiment and two companies of 51st Infantry Regiment (22nd Infantry Brigade, 11th Division, VI Corps).
  17. ↑ Busche 1998, p. 77 Formed with two companies of 22nd Infantry Regiment and two companies of 156th Infantry Regiment (23rd Infantry Brigade, 12th Division, VI Corps).
  18. ↑ Busche 1998, p. 77 Formed with two companies of 23rd Infantry Regiment and two companies of 62nd Infantry Regiment (24th Infantry Brigade, 12th Division, VI Corps).
  19. ↑ Busche 1998, p. 78 Formed with two companies of 63rd Infantry Regiment and two companies of 157th Infantry Regiment (78th Infantry Brigade, 12th Division, VI Corps).
  20. ↑ 1st, 2nd and 3rd Landwehr Cavalry squadrons of VI Corps
  21. ↑ Three squadrons
  22. ↑ Robinson & Robinson 2009, p.249 says 1st Landsturm Bty, VI Corps
  23. ↑ Robinson & Robinson 2009, p.249 says 2nd Landsturm Bty, VI Corps
  24. ↑ Robinson & Robinson 2009, p.249 says Ersatz Co., 6 Pi Btn
  25. ↑ 2 Infantry and 2 Artillery Munition Columns
  26. ↑ Lines of Communication
  27. ↑ supplied through four Lines of Communication Train Squadrons
  28. ↑ Cron 2002, p. 52
  29. ↑ Busche 1998, p. 131
  30. ↑ Cron 2002, p. 52
  31. ↑ German War History Accessed: 13 April 2012
  32. ↑ The Prussian Machine Accessed: 13 April 2012
  33. ↑ The Prussian Machine Accessed: 13 April 2012 Subsequently commander of Armee-Abteilung D
  34. ↑ The Prussian Machine Accessed: 13 April 2012
  35. ↑ Cron 2002, p. 400

Bibliography

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