(136th and 171st Regiments: 15th Corps District—Alsace. 40th Reserve Regiment: 14th Corps District—Grand Duchy of Baden.)

1915.

Formed in April, 1915, near Tournai, the 115th Division received the 136th and 171st from the 30th and 39th Divisions (15th Corps), respectively, and the 40th Reserve Regiment from the 28th Reserve Division (14th Reserve Corps).

1. In April, 1915, the 115th Division was in reserve in the Tournai-Courtrai region.

Artois.

2. In May it was sent as a reenforcement to the north of Arras and fought at Notre Dame de Lorette and Neuville St. Vaast and was sorely tried. The infantry losses amounted to 128 officers and 5,208 men out of action (Casualty List), of which 47 officers and 2,258 men belonged to the 171st Regiment.

Aisne.

3. Relieved about June 15, the 115th Division took over the Missy sur Aisne sector (east of Soissons), which it occupied until the last days of July.

Russia.

4. At the end of July it was transferred to the Eastern Front, and for a time in August operated on the Narew.

5. It took part in the summer offensive. It was before Kovno on August 19, in the region of Vileiki at the end of September, and near Narotch Lake at the beginning of October.

1916.

Postavy-Narotch Lake.

1. The 115th Division occupied the Postavy-Narotch Lake sector until the beginning of August, 1916.

Galicia.

2. About August 2 the division was transferred to Galicia. It was engaged to the west of Zalosce (south of Brody), August to September.

Volhynia.

3. In October it was in line in Volhynia to the west of Loutsk (Sviniouki). The 171st was kept to the southwest of Brody with the Melior detachment.

Roumania.

4. In the middle of December the 115th Division was transferred from Volhynia to Roumania, where, together with the 109th Division, it made up the 54th Corps, which operated between Buzeu and the Danube.

1917.

Roumania.

1. In January, 1917, the 115th Division took a position on the Roumanian front to the south of Namoloasa and stayed in this sector until the middle of August.

2. It was then in line to the north of Focsani, in the Panciu-Marasesti region (August-December).

RECRUITING.

The Grand Duchy of Baden and the Rhenish countries supplied the greater part of the recruits.

1918.

1. The division was relieved on the Roumanian front on February 1 by an Austrian division and rested in the Braila area during February and March. On April 8 it entrained and traveled via Budapest-Vienna-Prague-Dresden-Coblenz-Cologne-Aachen-Liege-Brussels to Lille, when it detrained about April 18. About the 21st the division reentrained and was railed to Antwerp, where it went through a course of intensive training.

Battle of the Marne.

The division left Antwerp on May 21 and traveled via Brussels-Mons-Maubeuge-Le Cateau-Bohain, detraining north of St. Quentin on May 22. Four days later it continued its journey by rail to Versigny, southeast of La Fere, and was billeted in the Crepy area until May 29. On the following day it left and marched via Chaillevoois-Vailly (May 31)-Ambrief (June 1)-Villers-Helon (2d) and relieved the 37th Division near Longpont on the Aisne battle front on the night of June 2–3. It withstood the Allied counterthrust at Corcy in July, suffering heavy losses. It was relieved on the night of July 19–20.

Verdun.

2. The division was moved to Brieulles and in the first days of August relieved the 22d Reserve Division in the sector Malancourt-Forges. In this vicinity it remained until September 19, when it was relieved by the 7th Reserve Division.

Meuse-Argonne.

3. On the second day of the American attack the division returned to bolster up the line in the Gesnes area. The division now included the 173d Regiment, which came from the 223d Division (dissolved) to supplant the 40th Reserve Regiment (disbanded). The division took part in the several captures and recaptures of Gesnes. It fought hard and suffered heavy losses before its relief on October 12 by the 3d Guard Division. Two days later it came back to support the 3d Guard Division and was engaged in the fighting around Romagne until October 18. On November 1 the division again came into line near Remonville and fought until the armistice.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as third class. It was badly hit on July 18 by the French attack and later in the Argonne. It showed good qualities in the Meuse fighting and was mentioned in the official German communiquÉ.