(60th Regiment: 21st Corps District—Lower Alsace. 7th Reserve Regiment; 5th Corps District—Posen. 56 Reserve Regiment; 7th Corps District—Westphalia.)

1915.

The 121st Division was formed in the Falkenhausen Army in Lorraine in April, 1915. Its three regiments came from divisions which had been in existence for some time. The 60th came from the 31st Division (21st Corps), the 7th Reserve from the 9th Reserve Division (5th Reserve Corps), and the 56th Reserve from the 13th Reserve Division (7th Reserve Corps). These regiments were brought together in the region of St. Avold-Faulquemont at the beginning of April and on the 9th reached Thiaucourt, Euvezin, and the Mort Mare wood (notebooks).

Haye.

1. The 121st Division next appeared in the Bois de PrÊtre sector at the beginning of May, 1915.

2. It stayed there until the end of February, 1916.

1916.

1. The division left the Bois de PrÊtre on March 1, 1916, and rested in the vicinity of Metz.

Verdun.

2. On March 15 it came to the Verdun front (north of Vaux). On April 1 it attacked and took the village of Vaux; it again attacked on April 11 and made progress between Vaux and Douaumont, paying dearly for the advance.

3. Relieved from the Verdun front on April 20, it was put at rest near St. Avold until May 15. It had lost 58 per cent of its infantry strength in front of Verdun. From March 18 to May 30 the 6th Company of the 7th Reserve Regiment received no less than 192 replacements.

Somme.

4. Transferred to PÉronne by way of Sedan, Charleville, Hirson, and Bohain, the 121st Division went into line on the left bank of the Somme on May 18.

5. On July 1, while in this sector, it was surprised by the French offensive and suffered heavy losses (numerous prisoners).

6. Relieved on July 4, it was put at rest and reorganized.

Russia.

7. On July 18 it entrained for the Eastern Front. (Itinerary: Aix la Chapelle-Cologne-Thorn, Warsaw, and Brest-Litowsk.)

Kovel.

8. Taking over the Kovel sector on July 26, it launched counterattacks, in which it was sorely tried.

1917.

Narotch Lake.

1. At the beginning of January, 1917, the 121st Division left the Kovel sector to go into the region of Narotch Lake and stayed in the latter place until May 17.

France.

2. On May 20 it entrained for France. (Itinerary: Vilna-Insterberg-Allenstein-Bromberg-Landsberg-Berlin-Stendal-Minden-Duesseldorf-Aix la Chapelle-Verviere-LiÉge-Brussels-Audenarde.) It detrained at Elsegem on May 25.

CambrÉsis.

3. Transferred to Cambrai on June 10, it took over the Moruvres-Avrincourt sector, which it occupied from June 12 to the beginning of August.

4. It was thereafter brought to the Ypres front to the south of the railway running from Ypres to Roulers (Aug. 19). Artillery fire caused it to lose heavily; the British attack of September 20, of which it bore the brunt, increased its losses. Before the battle of the 20th the 12th Company of the 56th Reserve Regiment was reduced to 65 men, of whom 40 were men of the class of 1918. The 9th Company was entirely destroyed or captured.

5. Relieved in the night of the 21st of September the division was sent to rest (region of Mars la Tour) and reorganized (more than 2,000 men coming from the 605th and 614th Landstrum, Batallion X 12, and the 109th Landwehr). These replacements were very heterogeneous—soldiers from Westphalia, Hanover, Baden, Magdeberg (men previously wounded and convalescents).

Cotes de Meuse.

6. At the beginning of October the 121st Division took over a sector near Cotes de Meuse (les Éparges, Ravin de Malochis). It stayed there until about April 10, 1918.

RECRUITING.

The name “7th Brandenberger” for the 60th Infantry was only of historic interest. The regiment recruited almost entirely in Westphalia. The 56th Reserve Regiment was also recruited in Westphalia, and there were numerous soldiers from there in the 7th Reserve Regiment to counterbalance the numerous Poles in the 5th Corps District; hence the make-up of the division was for the most part Westphalian.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The 121st Division fought very well in its last battle in Flanders (September, 1917) and was put to a good test.

In March, 1918, the number of men in the ranks who had taken part in these attacks was about 35 or 40 per cent, and the replacements used after the battle of Flanders were generally of inferior military value.

1918.

1. The division was relieved on the Woevre about April 11. It entrained on April 24 at Conflans and traveled via Sedan-Charleville-Hirson-Valenciennes to Pont a Marcq, where it detrained on April 26, after a journey of about 20 hours. It came into line in the Dranoutre sector on May 2 in relief of the 10th Erzsatz Division.

Locre.

2. It held the Locre sector until May 21, when it was relieved by the 16th Bavarian Division. On June 19 it returned to its former sector at Dranoutre and held it until July 7.

3. The division rested in the Tourcoing area until July 31, when it entrained and traveled via Courtrai-Valenciennes-St. Quentin to Laon, where it detrained on the following day. Here it rested until 5 p. m. on August 8, when it was alarmed and marched to the La Fere area (19 miles), arriving on the next day about 11 a. m. On the same day at 8 p. m. the division was again alarmed and was moved in motor busses via Chauny-Noyon-Roye to the Damery area, where it arrived on the 10th of August about 10 a. m. and was immediately engaged.

Battle of the Somme.

4. The division fell back by Parvillers-Damery-Fresnoy-Cremery-Sept Fours-Nesle to the east bank of the Somme Canal. It was relieved on the night of September 1–2 by the 25th Reserve Division. The division lost 800 prisoners in this fighting.

5. It rested in early September in the Maretz area (southeast of Cambrai). On September 18 it was hurried to the line and counterattacked at Bonyon that evening. Until October 1 it was engaged at Hargicourt, Villeret, and Le Catelet. After only four days of rest the division again came into line on October 5 in the Gouy area. It was withdrawn to be reorganized on October 9.

6. After resting near Maubeuge the division returned to line west of Catillon on the night of October 18–19. It fought for about seven days between that place and Ors. On November 6 it was engaged at Maroilles and was in line near Limont-Fontaine on the day of the armistice.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as third class. It was an average division. In the final campaign it showed no particular power of resistance and lost abnormally in prisoners.