(406th Regiment; 3d Corps District—Brandenburg. 409th and 410th Regiments; 9th Corps District—Schleswig—Holstein.)

1916.

The 203d Division was formed in Germany (September, 1916) and trained at the Lockstedt cantonment (a great many men from the class of 1917; also men previously wounded or sick and men taken from units at the front).

Courland.

1. On October 20 the 303d Division took over a sector on the Dvina (region north of Dvinsk.)

1917.

Riga.

1. The division stayed on the Dvina until September, 1917. It participated in the offensive on the Riga and fought to the north of Friedrichstadt.

2. After the taking of the town the 203d Division occupied a sector at Grenyn. Favored by calm conditions, it gave up men to the 75th Reserve Division, which was preparing to go to France. On December 8 it was billeted in Riga. About December 18 the 405th Regiment left the Division and was replaced by the 406th, coming from the 205th Division. In the meanwhile the division had brought up its strength by obtaining men from the 332d Infantry, which did not intend to leave until March, 1918 (with the 77th Reserve Division).

France.

3. At the end of December the 203d Division entrained for the Western Front. The 410th left Riga on the 26th. (Itinerary: Eydtkuhnen-Koenigsberg-Schneidemuehl-Berlin-Giessen-Coblenz-Treves-Thionville-Charleville.) It detrained at Tournes in the night of January 1–2, 1918.

RECRUITING.

The 406th recruits in Brandenburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and, to a lesser extent, Hanover and the Hanseatic cities; furnished the recruits for the 409th and the 410th. The changes effected in the personnel during the last part of the stay on the Russian front left these units fairly heterogeneous.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The offensive value of the 203d Division in February, 1918, was only mediocre. Before leaving for the Western Front the 405th, which was to have remained in (hardly glorious) Russia, changed all its young men for the older men in the other two regiments. The 203d was said to have played a part in the Riga offensive. Gen. von Luettwitz commanding the division, was said to have been relieved of his command a short time thereafter.

1918.

Battle of Reims.

The division continued to hold the sector east of Reims (near Beine) until the German offensive of July 15. It attacked west of Prunay and penetrated as far as the Vesle. In front of Beaumont it lost very heavily. After the failure of the attack the division held the sector from Prunay to east of Les Marquises until August 30, when it was relieved by the 9th Division.

Champagne.

2. It rested near Laon until October 1, when it was reengaged in Champagne between Orfeuil and Marvaux. In 8 days of severe fighting it lost very heavily and was obliged to retire from line.

3. The division was in army reserve until October 15, after which it was engaged southeast of Vouziers near Olizy and Falaise. On November 1 it was opposite the American front and took part in the final retreat of the Meuse at Mohon.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as second class. By the end of hostilities the division was decimated and completely exhausted.