1914.

1. The 19th Division constituted, at the outbreak of the war, with the 20th Division, the 10th Army Corps (Hanover), which was a part of the 2d Army (Von Buelow).

Belgium-Marne.

2. On August 3 one of its brigades, the 38th, was at Malmedy for the attack upon LiÉge, where it went into action on the 5th. After the fall of LiÉge the 19th Division, going around Namur on the north, fought at Charleroi on the 23d, entered France on the 25th, and went into action at Guise, at St. Quentin. It took part in the battle of the Marne on the right of the 20th Division, and then withdrew with that division to the northwest of Reims.

Champagne.

3. In October it was in the same sector attached to the 7th Army (Von Heeringen) and remained during the winter of 1914–15.

1915.

Russia.

1. In March, 1915, the 73d Fusiliers left the division to become a part of the 111th Division (a new formation).

2. In April the 19th Division was sent (with the 20th) to Galicia, where it took part in the offensive of Mackensen’s army. This campaign caused heavy losses; in the 91st Infantry Regiment, between May and September, the casualties totaled 127 officers and 4,291 men. (Official List of casualties.)

3. Entraining at Warsaw on September 17 the 19th Division, together with the 20th, was taken to Antwerp, then, by way of Namur and Givet, to Champagne. There it remained behind the front to reinforce the 3d Army at the time of our attack on the Champagne front (September).

France.

4. It was relieved about October 17. After a few days rest in the area of Grandlup, Missy les Pierrepont, it occupied the Hurtebise-Vauclerc line at the end of October.

Aisne.

5. About December 19 it was withdrawn to the rear (Parfondru area). It remained in reserve of the army and received training.

1916.

1. The division again went into line at the beginning of January, 1916 (Hurtebise-Vauclerc sector) and remained there until the middle of May. Then it was sent to Sissonne and received training until June 7.

Russia.

2. About June 8 it left Sissonne and entrained for the Eastern Front. Itinerary: Laon-Sedan-TrÈves-Coblentz-Limberg-Marburg-Cassel-Leipzig-Breslau-Bautzen-Iwagorod-Kovel (June 12).

3. The division was retrained on the Russian front from June until November. It underwent the Broussilov offensive, and in November formed a part of the 4th Austrian Army in action on the Volhynia front.

France.

4. About November 8 it entrained and left Russia to return to the Western Front. Itinerary: Kovel-Brest-Litowsk-Warsaw-Thorn-Berlin-Hanover-Aix la Chapelle-LiÉge-Namur-Givet-Hirson.

5. After a few days of rest, the 19th Division entrained for Rethel. It was billeted in the vicinity until the end of December.

1. After a stay in Alsace (January, 1917) the 19th Division came into reserve in Champagne in February.

Champagne.

2. On February 24 it occupied the sector Ripont, Cernay en Dormois.

3. On March 6 it was transferred to the Rheims front (Brimont, Cavaliers de Coucy in April and May). Only its right wing was engaged in the French offensive.

4. Relieved on the 10th of June and sent to rest, it was in action shortly afterwards southwest of Moronvilliers, then on the Cornillet-Monc St. Blond front, where it underwent the French attacks of July 14 and suffered heavy losses.

5. On July 20, it left this area and in two days marched to the sector north of Ville sur Tourbe.

Meuse.

6. About September 7 it was sent to the Verdun area (Beaumont-Samogneux). It there launched several attacks.

7. Relieved from the Beaumont sector at the end of December, the 19th Division occupied the Forges sector (left bank of the Meuse) about January 6, 1918. There it was relieved by the 84th Division beginning of February.

RECRUITING.

The 19th Division is recruited from Hanover. The 91st Infantry Regiment is recruited in the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg. There were very few replacements from other corps districts.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The 19th Division must be considered a good division (September, 1917).

1918.

1. The division rested at Stenay until March 6, when it entrained and traveled via Sedan-Charleville-Anor to Landrecies, going into billets at Hecq. On the 17th it marched to Croix and in the evening proceeded via Le Cateau to Honnechy. On the night of March 19–20 it marched to Brancourt, and on the 21st followed up the attack as far as Maissemy. The 91st Regiment crossed the Somme at Brie on the 25th and by the 28th had reached Harbonnieres.

Battle of Picardy.

2. It was in support until the 31st, when it was engaged near Marcelcaves. In the fighting in this locality between the 30th and April 6, the division lost 50 per cent of its effectives. The heaviest losses were incurred on March 31 at Brie where a battalion commander, ordered to attack, was unable to do so because of his losses.

3. The division rested until April 16 in the neighborhood of Proyart and Framerville. About 1,000 men were received as reinforcements at this time.

Somme.

4. It was engaged on April 18, north of Hangard, until the 20th. Two days of rest at Harbonnieres followed, and it returned to line on the 24th. The French attack of the 26th caused the division severe losses and it withdrew on April 28. It was reengaged on the same sector on May 6 and in line until May 29. While in line the division received drafts of 1,200 men.

5. The division rested until the 1st of June in the vicinity of Cambrai. It marched toward the Lassigny front by night, passing through Ham (June 2), Esmery-Hallon, Tilloloy (June 7–8).

6. It was engaged on June 9 in the Lataule wood and was in line until the 14th. It entrained on the 21st and moved to Lorraine, where it relieved the 3d Guard Division at Bezanges on June 25. It rested on this quiet front until July 29, when the 81st Reserve Division from Flanders relieved it.

Vesle.

7. The division rested near Fort Brimont until mid-August, when it moved by stages to the Vesle front. It entered the line northeast of Fismes on September 1 and remained during the month. The division withstood the French attack of the 31st, losing about 700 prisoners. It was forced to retire on Ventelay and Chaudardes (Oct. 1), and later on Pontavert, Craonne, toward Sissonne (Oct. 11–12). It was in second line about the 13th to 18th.

Laon.

8. On October 19 it was again in line near Sissonne. In the retreat it retired by Boucourt, la Ville aux Bois, Montcornet. After November 4 it was identified near Renneval, Iviers, and Aubenton (Nov. 8).

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as first class. It was regarded as one of the best German divisions. It resisted with great obstinacy the French counterattack at Hangard, April 26. Its morale remained good until the end of October.