(4th Corps District—Prussian Saxony and part of Thuringe.)

1915.

The 113th division was organized near Sedan on March 26, 1915. Its three infantry regiments were taken from old divisions: the 48th from the 5th Division (3d Corps District-Brandenburg), the 36th from the 8th Division (4th Corps District-Prussian Saxony), and the 32d Reserve from the 22d Reserve Division (11th Corps District-Thuringe).

In March, 1917, the 48th was replaced by the 66th Regiment (old 7th Division from Prussian Saxony) taken from the 52d Division.

1. Detraining at Conflans on April 8, the division spent a few days in the Woevre.

CÔtes de Meuse.

2. It appeared along the CÔtes de Meuse (Calonne trench) on April 26, 1915.

3. From that date until January 14, 1916, it stayed around the CÔtes de Meuse and in Woevre-Calonne trench, Ailly wood, St. Mihiel, Eparges, and Bois Bouchot.

1916.

1. January and February, 1916, rested at Brainville and Conflans.

Verdun.

2. On February 24 the 113d Division was transferred to the Verdun front. It participated in the attacks of the 8th and 9th of March against the village of Douaumont and suffered considerable losses. In six weeks spent around Douaumont the losses are said to have been 30 officers and 2,000 men put out of action (letter).

Oise.

3. Relieved at the beginning of April it was put into line in a calm sector—region of Soissons, then in the region of the Oise (Tracy le Val, Puisaleine).

Somme.

4. In July, at the beginning of the Franco-British offensive, it detached some of its elements in the Somme (Peronne, July 1, then at Frise, Assevillers, and Belloy). The three rest battalions of the division formed in an emergency an assembled regiment (notebook).

5. After a new stay in the Soissons region (August and September) the whole division was again engaged in the Somme between Rancourt and the St. Pierre-Vaast wood. It suffered very heavy losses near Bouchavesnes (Oct. 1–10).

6. At rest from October 14 to 21 in Woevre.

CÔtes de Meuse.

7. At the end of October, the 113th Division took over the Bonzee-Ronvaux sector (CÔtes de Meuse).

1917.

1. The 113th Division stayed around the CÔtes de Meuse until the end of January, 1917.

Alsace.

2. At the beginning of February it went into Alsace and occupied a sector between the Thur and the Rhone-Rhine canal (March).

Chemin des Dames.

3. On April 21 it was hastily entrained at Mulhouse and transferred to the Aisne. It went into line on the 26th at Chemin des Dames and met the second French offensive in the Courtecon-Malval farm region (May 5).

St. Gobain Forest.

4. Relieved in the middle of May, it stayed at rest for six days in the vicinity of Assis sur Serre and thereafter in a sector in the St. Gobain forest (Deuillet-Fresnes).

5. On August 10 it was put at rest behind Laon.

6. It went back into line at the end of September in the Craonne sector. As a result of the French offensive it fell back to the east of Hurtebise where it was relieved about November 10.

7. It rested in the Laon region from the middle of November to January 20.

RECRUITING.

In 1917 the division took on a distinctly provincial aspect, its regiments receiving replacements from Prussian Saxony (the 36th Fusileers and the 66th Infantry) and in Thuringe (the 32d Reserve Regiment).

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The 113th Division was a good unit. It put up an energetic resistance on the Chemin des Dames on May 5, 1917. From that time up to the offensive of March, 1918, it had not been seriously engaged.

1918.

1. Having finished its training in the Sissonne region, the 113th Division relieved the 235th Division about the middle of January in the Juvincourt sector (east of Craonne), and was itself relieved by the 5th Reserve Division on the 21st of February. It trained for a week at Vervins, and then moved to Wassigny, where it underwent more training until the 16th of March, when it marched via Bohain and Fonsommes to Bellicourt.

St. Quentin.

2. On the 21st it attacked in the first line near Maissemy (northwest of St. Quentin). Although suffering very heavy losses, the division had succeeded in pushing on as far as St. Christ-Briost and Pargny (on the Somme) on the 24th. It was withdrawn shortly after (probably on the 26th).

Aisne.

3. On the 27th of May the division reenforced the Aisne front near Craonne and attacked in the first line. It was withdrawn about the 14th of June and went to rest near Conde sur Aisne (east of Soissons).

4. The division reenforced the front near Troissy (east of Dormans) on the 15th of July. It was caught in the confusion caused by the Allied counteroffensive, and was forced to retire. It was not identified after the 22d, and so it seems as though it was not in line after that date until prisoners were again taken on the 29th near Villers-Agron (southeast of Fere en Tardenois), which is in a line almost due north of where it had previously been engaged. Here it took over the part of the line previously held by the 2d Guard Division. It was withdrawn early in August and went to rest in the region southeast of Maubeuge.

Cambrai.

5. On the 10th of September the division reenforced the front near Metz en Couture (southwest of Cambrai). It was withdrawn from line near Villers-Plouich (southwest of Cambrai) after having lost over 1,600 prisoners about the 2d of October, and went to rest east of Denain.

6. On the 22d it came back into line near Douchy (south of Denain). Two days later it side-slipped toward the south. It was identified in line to the north of Le Quesnoy in November, but was withdrawn a day or two later. It did not return to line.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The 113th was rated as a second-class division. Although the division commander received Pour le Merite and the commander of the 36th Regiment was also decorated after the battle of the Somme, the division does not appear to have particularly distinguished itself there. On the whole, however, its conduct though not brilliant was dependable.