1914.

France.

1. The 12th Division, forming with the 11th Division the 6th Army Corps (Breslau), formed a part of the 5th Army (German Crown Prince) at the beginning of the war, took part in the battle of August 22 at Rossignol les Bulles, entered France August 24, passed the Meuse above Mouzon on August 28, and took part in the battle on September 7 at Laheycourt and Villotte near Louppy.

Champagne.

2. After the battle of the Marne it was engaged (Sept. 21) at Berru and at Nogent l’Abbesse (east of Rheims). It remained on the Rheims front until the middle of June, 1915.

1915.

Artois.

1. In April the 12th Division gave the 157th Infantry Regiment to the 117th Division, a new formation.

2. Toward the middle of June, 1915, the 6th Army Corps was relieved on the Rheims front and transferred to Artois. The 12th Division then occupied a sector to the south of Souchez, from which it was relieved toward the end of September. In the Souchez sector it took part in some very heavy engagements (1st to the 16th of July).

3. After a rather short rest period in the region of Cambrai, the division took its position in the sector which crosses the Somme (during the first half of October).

1916.

Somme.

1. On the 1st of July, 1916, the 12th Division received the entire weight of the English attack north of the Somme (sectors Contalmaison-Hardecourt) and suffered very heavily (losses 61.5 per cent).

2. It was relieved on July 12 and reorganized in the vicinity of Cambrai.

3. About the 20th of July the 12th Division again took part in the battle of the Somme (in the sector northeast of PoziÈres), where it suffered heavy losses.

4. About the 9th of August it was relieved, and on the 21st went into the calm sector of Monchy aux Bois (south of Arras), which it held until October 16.

Ancre.

5. The 12th Division then held (Oct. 25 to Nov. 19) the sector north of the Ancre (Beaumont-Hamel) and suffered heavy losses (Nov. 14).

6. It was transferred to Champagne and took over the sector of Prunay on December 12.

Russia.

7. At the end of December it was relieved from this quiet sector and entrained on December 28, at Warmeriville for the Russian front by the route Aix la Chapelle-Cologne-Hanover-Luneburg-Hamburg-Stettin-KÖnigsberg-Tilsit-Chavli-Ponieviej. It detrained southwest of Illuxt on January 2, 1917.

1917.

1. On the Russian front the 12th Division did not take part in any important battles. (Sector in the region of Dwinsk.)

France.

2. Relieved about the end of May, 1917, it returned to the Western Front. Itinerary Jelowka (May 27) -Insterburg-Posen-Leipzig-Weimar-Cologne-Saarbrucken. Detrained at Metz June 3 and reentrained on the 9th at Ars sur Moselle for Mouscron, by way of Metz-Luxemburg-Namur-Tournai, and detrained at Gheluwe.

3. It remained in reserve first on the Wytschaete-Messines front, and then (Aug. 1) relieved the 22d Reserve Division in the sector east of Klein-Zillebeke after the Franco-British attack. In this sector the division did not engage in battle but suffered greatly from artillery bombardments.

Italy.

4. It was relieved on August 20 and transferred to Alsace for reorganization and rest. It remained in the region west of Bale until the end of September. It was then sent to the Italian front, to the 14th German Army, where it was engaged in the Tolmino sector on October 25, and relieved on the Piave about the 8th of December.

France.

5. The 12th Division was brought back from Italy to the French front about December 25. At the beginning of January, 1918, it was in the neighborhood of Zabern.

RECRUITING.

The 12th Division is recruited from Upper Silesia, a great mining and industrial center, which suffices to insure its own full recruiting and even helps out other districts less populated or temporarily below strength. The sending of these men outside of the district has the advantage of reducing, in its own regiments, the Polish element, which dominates in Upper Silesia.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The 12th Division fought well at the Somme.

It appears to have been reorganized during its stay at Zabern (January, 1918). It has always been considered a good division.

1918.

Lorraine.

1. On January 24 the 12th division entered the Domevre sector, relieving the 233d Division. It was relieved on February 20 and went to rest and train in Alsace. On March 18 it entrained at Froeschweiler and moved to Ath, from where it marched to the Gory-Belloune area, south of Douai (a march of 40 miles).

Battle of Picardy.

2. On the 23d the division moved to Drury and up the Cambrai-Arras road to Vis en Artois, coming into line on the night of March 23–24. It attacked on the 24th, but was held up by the British artillery fire. It remained in line until April 1, making little progress in spite of heavy and costly fighting.

Battle of the Lys.

3. The division rested in the suburbs of Douai until mid-April. It was engaged northeast of Merris on the 17th. It appears to have received replacements in the interim. The division passed into the second line on May 18, after suffering especially heavy losses. In recognition of the service of the 12th Division, south of Arras and in the Lys battle, Gen. Lequis, the division commander, received the Order of Merit in May.

4. The division was at rest near Renaix (Belgium) from May 29 to July 12. It entrained at Audenarde on the 12th and moved to Perenchies (via Coutrai and Lille).

Meteren.

5. The division was engaged south of Meteren on the night of July 19–20; here it remained until August 28. In a local operation on August 18 the division lost 300 prisoners, otherwise the sector was quiet.

6. It entrained near Armentieres on August 28 and went to a point north of Douai (Le Forest). It was engaged southeast of Morchies on September 3, and in the days following was driven back on Inchy en Artois, Marquion (3d to 13th). By the end of September it had passed Bourlon, Epinoy, Aubencheul au Bac, and Fressies. The division was relieved about October 6. The division lost more than 1,100 prisoners.

7. It was reengaged on October 11 southeast of Armentieres. It retreated by Lille (Oct. 20) east of Tourcoing, and at Helchin. On the 25th it was relieved.

8. On November 3 it was again in line east of Joulain and remained until the armistice. In withdrawing the division passed Maresches, Jenlain, Autreppe, and Blangies.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as a second-class division. It was actively engaged in the spring offensives and did well. After the middle of July it was almost constantly engaged in hard defensive fighting.