1914.

The 20th Division and the 19th Division formed the 10th Army Corps (Hanover).

France.

1. At the outbreak of the war the 20th Division went to the Elsenborn Camp, August 8–10, and entered Belgium on the 11th. It was a part, with the 10th Corps, of the 2d Army (Von Buelow). It fought at Charleroi, at Guise, at St. Quentin. It took part in the battle of the Marne from September 6 to 9 (Congy, Mondement), after which it retired by way of NeufchÂtel sur Aisne to the northwest of Rheims. It took up its position between the Aisne and Brimont.

1915.

At the beginning of 1915 it was still holding the lines in the vicinity of Rheims. At the end of March the 164th Infantry Regiment was transferred to the 111th Division (new formation).

Galicia.

2. At the end of April, with its regiments raised to four battalions each, the 20th Division (as well as the 19th Division) was sent to Galacia, where it took part in the operation of Mackensen’s army. It lost very heavily there. From July 28 to September 23 the 11th Company of the 77th Infantry Regiment received at least 133 men as replacements.

France.

3. Brought back to France in September, the 20th Division took part, in the month of October, in the battles in the Champagne.

4. From November, 1915, to June, 1916, it held a sector north of the Aisne (west of Craonne).

1916.

Russia.

1. On June 8, 1916, the 20th Division, with all of the 10th Army Corps, was transferred again to the Eastern Front. In four days it arrived in the Kovel area by way of Berlin and Brest Litowsk.

2. On June 13 it was engaged in stopping the Russian advance and then occupied a sector near Kiselin. Its regiments were filled up in September and October.

From June to November the losses of the 92d Infantry Regiment had averaged 160 men per company. (Statements of deserters.) This is the number of the replacements received during the same period by the 9th Company of the 77th Infantry Regiment.

France.

3. The 20th Division was relieved on November 11 and entrained on the 15th for France. Itinerary: Warsaw-Kalich-Berlin-Dusseldorf-Aix la Chapelle-LiÉge-Namur. Billeted first in the area of Anor Hirson, the 20th Division was sent to the Sissonne Camp, where its regiments received training.

4. At the end of December the division took over the sector of Moulin sous Touvent, Chevillecourt, where it was relieved on January 30, 1917.

1917.

1. In February, 1917, the 20th Division was transferred to Alsace (Sundgau) in anticipation of a French offensive.

2. In the beginning of March it was brought back to the Laon area, where it was billeted until the French attack of April 16; its regiments received some replacements.

3. In the night of April 16 all the units of the division were assembled. On April 17–18 they took their positions along the plateau of the Chemin des Dames on both sides of Cerny en Laonnois, relieving the 16th Reserve Division, which had suffered heavy losses. Between April 18 and May 5 the three regiments of the 20th Division suffered heavy losses from bombardments. On May 5 (renewal of the general attack by the French) the division again lost heavily. It was relieved immediately after the attack. (Apr. 27 to Aug. 10, the 10th Company of the 77th Infantry Regiment had received not less than 211 men as replacements.)

4. After a few weeks of rest, the division was put into line (end of May) in a sector of Champagne (Moronvilliers).

Russia.

5. In the beginning of July it was relieved and transferred for a third time to the Russian front, first in Galicia and then in Courland. It remained there until September 19. At this date it entrained at Riga and was brought back to France by way of Chavli, Kovno, Grodno, Bromberg, Berlin, Hanover, Cologne, Aix la Chapelle, Mons, Valenciennes.

Flanders.

6. Arriving at Roulers on September 27, it immediately went into action in an attacking sector, north of Zonnebeke, without having any rest, on October 4.

Artois.

7. Relieved almost immediately, it was put into line on October 17 in the Queant sector, where it still was at the beginning of February, 1918.

RECRUITING.

It is recruited from the Province of Hanover in the Duchy of Brunswick.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

It had very heavy losses on May 5, 1917 (many killed, 700 prisoners), which, joined to the preceding losses, lessened the value of the 20th Division very much.

It is to be noted that two weeks before the attack of May 5 the units of the division defended themselves obstinately.

1918.

Cambrai.

1. The division was relieved by the 119th Division about the middle of January; it, in turn, relieved the 119th Division during the first week in February. It was relieved by the 195th Division on February 16, and marched to Aubigny au Bac; it reached Basaecles (southeast of Tournai) the 18th. Here it was given a month’s course of training in open warfare.

2. On March 14 the division marched to Peruwelz and then via St. Amand-Lourches-Bouchain, arriving at Pronville, where it entered line on the 20th. It advanced through Noreuil, Bapaume, Grevillers, Irles, and Miraumont. During this fighting the division suffered severely, its casualties amounting to 50 per cent of its effectives; very few officers left. It did not advance with the rest of the line during the night of the 24–25th, its place being taken by the 24th Division. It followed in support of the line, however, and relieved the 24th Division east of Colincamps on the 29th. A document captured on the 28th shows that the strength of the 3d Battalion of the 77th Regiment (excluding the machine gun company) was reduced to 214 men. Another battalion was reduced to 80 men and 1 officer.

Woevre.

3. The division was withdrawn early in April, and was sent to the Mars la Tour region, where it rested and was reconstituted. About the 20th it relieved the 82d Reserve Division in the Seuzey-Lamorville-Spada sector (north of St. Mihiel); relieved toward the end of the month, it went to the Arlon area, where it received large drafts (in large part of the 1919 class), and where it was put through a long and thorough course of training. Toward the end of June it was transported to the Sedan area, from which it marched (about July 15) toward Soissons.

Soissons.

4. On the 21st of July the division reinforced the front near Villemontoire (south of Soissons). Here heavy losses were again suffered. It was relieved by the 50th Reserve Division on the 29th and went to rest in the Chimay area, where it received a draft from the disbanded 260th Reserve Regiment (78th Reserve Division).

Arras.

5. On the night of the 27–28th of August the division moved up into the Drocourt-Queant line, south of Drocourt, and during the following days went into line in the Oppy sector (northeast of Arras), where a British attack was expected. The division was withdrawn again during the night of September 1–2.

6. On the 3d of September it came into line near Ecourt St. Quentin (south of Arleux), and covered the withdrawal across the Canal du Nord. It was withdrawn on the 10th.

Cambrai.

7. On the 12th it counterattacked in the Havrincourt sector (southwest of Cambrai). During the subsequent fighting the division suffered heavy losses. It was withdrawn on the 1st of October.

8. After a few days’ rest it relieved the 21st Division in the Montbrehain sector (southeast of Cambrai), where it fought until the 13th, when it was relieved and went to the vicinity of Montmedy, where it rested for about three weeks. Losses, 70 per cent.

Meuse.

9. The division was expected to enter line west of the Meuse, but the orders were changed suddenly, and it entered line to the east of it near Reville on November 5. It remained in line until the 11th, not being heavily engaged, however, all the prisoners captured subsequently stating that they were members of rear-guard detachments.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The 20th is rated as a first-class division. It fought well throughout the year and suffered enormous losses. Besides the replacements already noted, the division received a large draft from its recruit depot in September (about 50 men per company); September 28, the 92d Regiment received 93 men; October 30, the companies received 30 men apiece from the 27th Reserve Regiment (197th Division, dissolved); the companies had a combat strength of 80 to 100 men.