(408th Regiment: Guard. 411th and 412th Regiments: 10th Corps District—Hanover.)

1916.

The 202d Division was formed in October, 1916, in the Lockstedt cantonment (9th Corps District, Altona). The 405th and the 406th were organized at the Lockstedt cantonment, the 407th at the Altengrabow cantonment, and the 408th comes from Guard depots.

Russia.

1. In the course of October, 1916, the 202d Division was sent to the Russian front. Its organization was changed; it gave up the 405th to the 203d Division, the 406th and the 407th to the 205th Division. It was at this time composed of the 408th and two regiments received from the 203d Division, the 411th and the 412th (Hanover), which were formed at the Munster cantonment as “coast-defense regiments.”

Courland.

2. In December, 1916, the 202d Division was identified in the region of Riga.

1917.

1. In March, 1917, and until the end of August, 1917, the 202d Division occupied in Courland a sector in the vicinity of Toukkoum.

Riga.

2. In the middle of September it was at the east of Riga. It was also identified at Riga on October 29.

3. In November the 202d Division was entrained for the Western Front. (Itinerary: Riga-Mitau-Insterburg-Koenigsberg-Thorn (408th)-Schneidemuehl-Posen-Leipzig-Halle-Frankfort on the Main-Sarrebrueck-Sarreguemines.) It detrained at Dieuze on November 20.

Lorraine.

4. The division stayed in the rear of the front in the vicinity of Dieuze until the middle of January, 1918 (six weeks’ training).

RECRUITING.

The 408th Regiment was built up out of depots of the Guard and was recruited from all sections of Prussia. The 411th and 412th were theoretically from Hanover, with some recruits furnished by the 9th Corps District.

1918.

1. The division held the Lorraine sector until May 19, when it was relieved by the 3d Guard Division. It entrained near Moyenvic on May 19 and traveled via Metz-Spincourt-Longuyon-Sedan-Charleville-Marle to Flavy le Martel, where it detrained on May 21.

Oise.

2. On the night of May 22–23 it relieved the 11th Division west of Noyon. It was in line when the attack of June was made and advanced by Orval as far as Bethencourt. Here it remained in sector until about July 10, when it exchanged sectors with the 105th Division at Autreches. In this area it was struck by the Allied attack in mid-August and forced back on Audignicourt. The losses were very heavy, including 2,000 prisoners. It was relieved on August 27.

3. The division was railed to the vicinity of Vouziers after its relief in line. While resting at Sugny (Sept. 2–12) it was re-formed. The 412th Regiment was dissolved and its effectives distributed between the 408th and 411th Regiments. The 97th Regiment, from the dissolved 108th Division, replaced the 412th Regiment in the division.

4. It was engaged in Champagne near Maisons de Champagne from September 12 to 24. After that it was in close support of the 42d Division until the 27th, when it reentered line at Fontaine les Dormois. Until October 10 the division saw heavy fighting about Meuse and Challerange. It lost very heavily, including more than 800 prisoners.

5. The division rested from October 11 to 21. It was reengaged southeast of Vouziers (near Falaise) on the 21st, and after the 1st of November retreated by way of Longwe (2d), Boult aux Bois (34d) to the Meuse (8th).

When it appeared opposite the United States front on November 3, the division had been completely shattered. The 411th Regiment, for instance, had only three companies each with a rifle strength of 100 to 110 men.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as third class. After the battle in eastern Champagne in late September the division could be regarded as destroyed.