(73d Fusileers, 164th Regiment: 10th Corps District—Hanover. 76th Regiment: 9th Corps District—Hanseatic cities.)

1915.

The 111th Division was formed near Brussels on March 26, 1915, by obtaining the 73d Fusileers from the 19th Division, the 164th Infantry from the 20th Division, and the 76th Regiment from the 17th Division.

Cotes de Meuse.

1. About the middle of April, 1915, the 111th Division was in line along the Cotes de Meuse (Calonne, Hattonchatel trench) after having detrained on April 11 at Mars la Tour.

Artois.

2. In August it was transferred to Artois (Monchy au Bois sector).

1916.

1. The 111th Division stayed on the Artois front until August, 1916.

Somme.

2. About August 21 it was relieved and sent to the north of the Somme. Engaged near Guillemont and Guinchy, it suffered serious losses (Aug. 25-Sept. 6).

Cotes de Meuse.

3. After a few days’ rest in the Cambrai region it was put into line near Cotes de Meuse (Bois de Chevaliers, Sept. 15) and stayed there until October 26. It was brought up to strength by the addition of 2,000 replacements.

Somme.

4. At the end of October it was brought back to the Somme. At first it was at rest in the region of Bohain and then took over a sector between Bouchavesnes and the St. Pierre-Vaast wood.

1917.

1. In January, 1917, it was south of the Somme near Barleux, from which position it was relieved a short time before it fell back on the Hindenberg Line.

Hindenburg Line.

2. It occupied the Bellicourt sector (north of St. Quentin) from May 10 to about June 24. On May 7 and 15 it received 600 replacements (classes of 1917 and 1918) to make up the losses sustained on April 27 at Arleux en Gohelle.

3. The division was then put at rest for a month in the vicinity of Cambrai.

Ypres.

4. It entrained on July 25 and 26 and was transported to Flanders, where it was engaged on the 27th and 28th to the north of Ypres(Boesinghe-Steenstraat). It met the artillery preparation and the attack of July 31, which caused it considerable losses. It was relieved the very night of the attack and was temporarily reorganized at Bohain.

Lorraine.

5. Sent to Lorraine, it took the Regnieville sector (west of Pont À Mousson) about August 20; rested and reorganized.

Flanders.

6. It left this sector on October 14 to return to Flanders (Poelcappelle). It detrained on the 16th at Alost and was engaged from the 22d to the 26th and relieved November 4.

Artois.

7. From the end of November to January 8, 1918, it held the Monchy le Preuxen-Vis en Artois sector (southeast of Arras). The division received the remaining necessary replacements; the 73d Fusileers received, on December 24, 400 men between the ages of 20 and 35, taken from the Russian front (especially from the 15th Landwehr Division).

RECRUITING.

The 76th Infantry was a Hanseatic unit while the 73d Fusileers was a Hanoverian organization. As men from the 9th Corps District quite frequently served in regiments from the 10th Corps District and reciprocally, in case of necessity, the regiments of a division drew without distinction from either source, it was to be expected that the 111th Division was termed as “regiments of Lower Saxony.”

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The 111th Division, which was considered a good unit, was sorely tried in Flanders by the Franco-British attack of July 31, 1917. Many men left their formations either when going into line or under bombardment. The division stayed but four days in line and had to be relieved without having been able to counterattack. The 111th Division was composed of young men, part of whom had experience in very active sectors.

1918.

Battle of Picardy.

1. The division was relieved by the 234th Division at Arleux about the 1st of March. It remained in rear of the front until March 21 when it returned to its former sector to attack east of St. Leger. It had been resting at Auberchicourt, which place it left on the 17th and marched via Palluel to Villers lez Cagnicourt, arriving there on March 20.

The division was in the first wave of the attack and advanced via Ecoust, then south to Vaulx-Vraucourt on the 22d, Mory (24th). It passed into second line about this time and reentered line north of Hamelincourt on April 1 to relieve the 26th Division. After a week it side-slipped south and relieved the 239th Division northeast of Ayette, which sector it held until April 20. It was relieved by the 234th Division.

2. On May 6 the division relieved the 5th Bavarian Division north of Bucquoy. It continued to hold this sector until August 17, when it was relieved by the 4th Bavarian Division.

Third Battle of the Somme.

3. The division taken from the comparatively quiet Bucquoy sector was used to reenforce the battle front at Favreuil on August 25. It was only engaged four days in this sector. Withdrawn on the 29th, it moved northward and on September 2 reenforced the front east of Hendecourt. It fought then for three days before it was withdrawn. In these two brief periods in line the division suffered very heavy casualties besides losing 500 prisoners.

Lens.

4. The division rested in the Tourcoing area until it reentered line south of Acheville on the night of September 24–25 in relief of the 207th Division. It was engaged here until October 11, when the 49th Reserve Division relieved it east of Lens.

5. The division rested in the Douchy-Haspres area in support until October 18, when it moved to Artres and came into line on the night of October 20–21 at Monchaux sur Ecaillon. Until November 7 the division was constantly in line. It was near Vendegies until October 24, and later at Arties (28th), Farmars (29th), Jenlain (Nov. 2), Sebourg (4th), west of Risin (5th), and near St. Amand (5th). It was out of line at the armistice.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as second class. It was used as an assault division on the Somme in March, but thereafter served as an intervention division in the Somme area. The division showed considerable power of resistance.