1914.

The 10th Division at mobilization belonged to the 5th Army Corps (Posen). Detrained August 10 and 11 near Sarrelouis and belonged to the 5th Army (Prussian Crown Prince). Entered Luxemburg the 18th, passed through Arlon the 20th, and left it on the evening of the 21st.

1. Took part in the combat of August 22, 1914 at Ethe, near Virton, next to the 9th Division. August 28 it was north of Thionville, expecting to leave for Russia. August 30 it continued its march in the Woevre, reached the Cotes de Meuse, and attacked the fort of Troyon September 7.

Les Eparges.

2. After the battle of the Marne it held the sector of the Cotes de Meuse east of Verdun (Les Eparges-Callone) which it held almost all the time until October 1916. Took part in the series of combats which took place in this sector between April and July, 1915.

1915.

1. At the time of our offensive of September and October, 1915, in Champagne, the 10th Division sent some of its units there, but they returned to Woevre about December 10, 1915, after four weeks’ rest in Lorraine.

Woevre.

2. After this and until the beginning of October, 1916, the Division held its sector of the Cotes de Meuse.

1916.

Verdun.

1. In October 1916 the division was relieved and took over the sector of Douaumon in November. It suffered heavy losses December 15, when the French defeated it severely, and had to be withdrawn from the front.

1917.

Cotes de Meuse.

1. Reorganized at the beginning of January, 1917, after a three weeks’ rest in the region of Mars la Tour, and took over again its former sector of the Cotes de Meuse at the beginning of March, remaining there until the end of April.

Aisne.

2. Entrained May 1 at Mars la Tour and sent via Conflans-Montmedy-Sedan-Charleville-Hirson to the region north of the Aisne, where it took over a sector northwest of Braye en Laonnois. It made an attack there May 18 but did not lose very heavily.

3. On June 20 it was relieved and sent to rest near Crecy sur Serre. Left this region about July 25 and spent six days at Gizy and vicinity.

Chemin des Dames.

4. On July 30 it went into line in the sector from Ailles to Hurtebise. Its regiment suffered a great deal from our artillery fire. During the attack of August 31 to September 1 the division suffered heavy losses.

5. About September 15 the division was relieved. On the 20th it took over the sector of St. Gobain.

6. At the beginning of the French attack at the end of October an emergency call was sent the 23d for some of the units of the division which were at rest in the region of Crepy en Laonnois and during the night of the 23d–24th they went into line to cover the retreat of the divisions in line.

The greater part of the division remained in line in the forest of St. Gobain during this attack. The division was relieved about the middle of December; and on December 15 it was behind the St. Quentin front. At the end of January 18 the division relieved the 211th division in the sector of Ailles.

RECRUITING.

The 10th Division differs from the 9th in that its normal recruiting district (Province of Posen) is composed mostly of Poles. There are, therefore, a large number of Poles in its ranks, but it is evident that they are trying to mix them with Prussians, who are less liable to desert. The 47th Infantry on December 15, 1916, before Verdun contained men from the ninth and tenth districts. The 398th Infantry, whose companies were taken from various divisions, for example the 9th, the 10th and the 103d, obtained from the 103d Division Hessian and Thuringian units. There is the same variety in the 6th Grenadiers, which contained at the end of 1912 besides the original drafts from the district, men from the ninth and tenth districts, as well as from the eighteenth district, the latter belonging to the trained Landsturm (2d Bav.).

VALUE.

Until the attack of Verdun, the 10th division always had the reputation of being a good division composed of good units. At the time of the attack of the French December 10, 1915, however, the division which was in the sector north of Verdun did not seem to defend itself as stubbornly as might be expected. It should, however, be noted that 15 per cent of the forces were at that time weakened by sickness. During the German attack of May 18, 1917, the 47th Infantry clearly gave the impression that it was quite inferior to the two other regiments of the division. (The presence of Poles in the 47th should be noted.) August 31, 1917 at the Chemin des Dames, the units of the 10th division resisted well and counterattacked with vigor September 1.

1918.

1. The division was relieved in the Ailles on February 20 and went to rest and train for a month. It was at Montcornet, later near Saint Richaumont, Voulpaix, and La Vallee-aux-Bleds. It marched toward the St. Quentin front on March 20, by Origny-St. Benoite and Itancourt.

Battle of Picardy.

2. It was in the second line on March 21 and 22, advancing through Urvillers and Essigny. It was engaged March 23 to 25, crossing the Crozat Canal to the west of Jussy, Cugny, and Guiscard. It rested on the 25th and 26th. The division was reengaged on March 27 to the 30th in the vicinity of Libermont, Ognolles, Beuvraignes (27th) Conchy les Pots (28th–31st). The losses were heavy on the 27th and 28th. The division passed into the second line on the 31st and then to reserve at Solente (east of Roye) until the 30th of April.

3. The division rested and trained from May 5 to 20 at Jeantes la Ville and Nampcelle la Cour (east of Vervins). It received a draft of 800 men on May 18.

4. The division marched toward the Aisne front through Montigny le Franc, Marchais, Montaigu, and Mauregny, May 25 and 26, by night.

Battle of the Aisne.

5. It attacked on the Chemin des Dames on May 27, near Ailles, its former sector. It was in the front line of the advance through Paissy, Oeuilly, Barbonval, Blanzy, Bazoches (27th), Mareuil en Dole, (28th), south of Fere en Tardenois, (29th), south of Beuvardes (30th), south of Bouresches. It retired from the front about June 8.

6. The division was at rest near Sissonne after the middle of June to July 7. It marched to the front via Eppes, Brenelle, Foret de Fere, July 7 to 11. It crossed the Marne on the morning of the 15th, by pontoons, having passed through the sector of the 10th Ldw. Div. The division’s objective was a line 8 klms. south of the river, which was to have been reached by 11 a. m. The advance was completely checked by the American Division (3d) south of the Marne. The division lost 400 prisoners and many casualties.

7. The division was taken out within a few days and rested at Arcy-St. Restitute. It was engaged near Vierzy on the 26th and was thrown back on the Vesle by August 1, when it was relieved.

The Woevre.

8. The division was taken to Athies-sous-Laon, where it entrained on August 5 for Mars-la-Tour. The itinerary included Hirson, Charleville, Sedan. It camped at Sponville until the night of August 18–19. It relieved the 277th Division in the sector Richecourt, Lahayville, St. Baussant. The division had absorbed the 255th Division, dissolved on August 7, and its losses in men and material had been made up. The division sustained the American attack of September 12 and was thrown back north of Thiaucourt on Jaulny, Rembercourt. The division lost heavily in casualties and prisoners. Practically the entire 3d Battalion of the 398th Regiment was captured on the first day. It was taken out on September 20.

Moselle.

9. The division was reassembled at Loringen, near Metz. From the dissolved 77th Reserve Division the 257th Reserve Regiment was turned into the 6th Gren. Regiment (10th Division), the 419th into the 398th Regiment, and the 332d into the 47th Regiment. Other drafts from Germany were received to reconstitute the division. On the 5th of October the division entered the sector east of the Moselle (Nomeny), where it remained until October 28.

Meuse-Argonne.

10. The division returned to Metz and moved by rail for Pelte, via Metz-Longuyon-Montmedy. It went into position on November 3 northwest of Stenay. The last identification was on the Meuse on November 11.

VALUE.

The division was rated as a first-class division. It behaved creditably in the Somme and Aisne offensives. It was completely defeated on the Marne, from which it never recovered. The inferior qualities of the drafts received in August and September lowered the fighting value of the division.