(6th Corps District—Silesia.)

1915.

The 117th Division was created by the 7th Army near Liart about April 7, 1915. Its three regiments were obtained from the 6th Corps and the 6th Reserve Corps—the 157th Infantry from the 12th Division, the 11th Reserve Regiment from the 11th Reserve Division, and the 22d Reserve Regiment from the 12th Reserve Division.

1. In April, 1915, the 117th Division was in Champagne (region of ChÂtelet).

Artois-Notre Dame de Lorette.

2. Transferred to Artois, it was engaged to the north of Souchez and at Notre Dame de Lorette (May and June). In this fighting it was hard hit, 107 officers and 5,255 men out of action, of whom 44 officers and 2,161 men belong to the 11th Infantry. (Casualty List.)

3. The division was re-formed at the end of June in the region of Lille.

Lens.

4. Toward the middle of July it went back into line to the northwest of Lens (from Vermelles to the Grenay-Lens railway). It suffered very heavy losses in the attacks occurring at the end of September and the beginning of October (Loos)—109 officers and 6,463 men out of action. (Casualty List.)

5. Taken away from the Artois front in the middle of October, it was put at rest in the vicinity of Roubaix-Tourcoing.

Flanders.

6. At the end of October it took over the Messines sector.

1916.

1. The 117th Division occupied the Messines front until the beginning of March, 1916.

2. Rest at Courtrai; instruction and training at the Beverloo Camp (March-April and May).

Ypres.

3. At the beginning of June the division went into line to the east of Ypres (near the road from Ypres to Menin, and until July 20).

Somme.

4. On July 23 it went to the Somme (Pozieres); it was engaged from the end of July to the middle of August.

5. On August 17 the division entrained for the Eastern Front.

Bukovina.

6. It was identified in the Carpathian Mountains as part of the 3d Austro-Hungarian Army (region of Jablonica, October).

1917.

Carpathian Mountains.

1. The 117th Division remained here (Jablonica, Worochta, Koeroesmezoe, Jacobeni sectors) until the middle of May, 1917.

Roumania.

2. At the end of May it was transferred via Maramaros-Sziget to the Roumanian front (Putna valley, region of Ocna, June-September). At rest in Transylvania in September and was there reequipped for mountain warfare.

Italy.

3. Sent to Italy at the beginning of October, it was on the 24th behind Tolmino as an army reserve. In December it was on the left bank of the Piave.

Silesian division, with recruits coming especially from Upper Silesia (mining district and mountainous districts), it was used on several occasions as mountain troops (Carpathians, Italy).

On the Carpathian, Roumanian, and Italian fronts (August, 1916-March, 1918).

1918.

Lorraine.

1. The division rested in the vicinity of Vahl-Ebersing until April 6, when it entrained at St. Avold and moved to Lille. It went into billets near there on the 7th and came into line near Neuve Eglise on April 13.

Battle of the Lys.

2. It was engaged in the Bailleul, Kemmel, and La Clyette area until the 1st of May. After a few days in support, the division reentered west of Dranoutre on May 4 and held that sector until mid-May.

3. The division rested near La Madeleine. Its units were very much weakened. The 11th Reserve Regiment was disbanded about May 16 and transferred its effectives to the other two regiments of the division. It was replaced by the 11th Grenadier Regiment, which was brought from the Macedonian front about May 21. The division remained at rest until about June 3, when it was again reported in line near Voormezeele.

Battle of the Somme.

4. The division held that sector without event until June 25, when it was withdrawn and sent to rest near Ghent. On August 4 it was moved by rail to Peronne, where it went into the Vrely-Hangest wood sector until August 18. In the British attack south of the Somme on August 8 the division lost about 2,700 prisoners.

On August 27 it reenforced the battle front at Maricourt for a couple of days. It was withdrawn about September 1.

Argonne.

5. The division rested and was reconstituted in rear of the Argonne front in early September. The 22d Reserve Regiment suffered so heavily on the Somme that it was dissolved and its men divided between the other two regiments. The 450th Regiment from the dissolved 233d Division replaced the 22d Reserve Regiment in the division.

6. About September 12, the division relieved the 37th Division in line near Avocourt. It was swamped in the first drive of the American Army on September 26. Elements kept up the fight until September 29, when they were withdrawn after having been pressed back to about Cierges. Its defense was not particularly vigorous, but was better than that of the divisions on either side. Its total losses were estimated at 3,200, including 1,861 prisoners.

Meuse.

7. On November 2 the division returned to line just west of the Meuse. While resting at Juvigny the division received replacements. In the retreat it crossed to the east bank of the Meuse and was in line on the day of the armistice.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as second-class. Up to the middle of June the division seems to have been a holding rather than an attacking one. After the Somme battle in August its effectives were feeble and morale low. It had many older men, returned wounded, and convalescents, and a large number of Poles and Alsatians.