1914.

Belgium.

1. The 23d Division, on mobilization, was a part of the 12th Army Corps with the 32d Division (2d Army, Von Hausen). It detrained on August 9–11, 1914, at Eifel, north of Treves, and entered Belgium on the 18th by the north of Luxemburg.

Marne.

2. It went into action on August 23 at Dinant, crossed the Meuse on the 24th, entered France on the 26th, went to the west of Chalons and took part in the battle of the Marne on September 7 at Sompuis (west of Vitry le Francois).

Aisne.

3. The 23d Division, with the 2d Army Corps, established itself in the area northwest of Rheims.

1915.

Aisne.

1. The division held the front Craonne-Berry au Bac until July, 1916. In this sector the losses were very slight.

2. In March, 1915, some of its elements were in Champagne for a short time. In April, the 182d Infantry Regiment was taken for the 123d Division (a new formation).

1916.

Somme.

1. On July 3, 1916, at the beginning of the Franco-English offensive, the 23d Division detached some elements of the 101st and 108th Regiments to reinforce the divisions engaged in the attack (region of Sovecourt-Vermandovillers).

2. From the end of July and until the 1st of September the 100th Grenadier Regiment was incorporated in a new division (Franke Division), which held the front from Deniecourt to Vermandovillers.

3. The other regiments of the 23d Division continued to occupy the sector of Craonne-Berry au Bac until the end of August.

4. On September 4 the 101st and 108th Regiments, coming from Berry au Bac, were sent to the Somme. They suffered considerable losses.

5. About September 15 the 23d Division was regrouped with its normal elements (the Franke Division being dissolved) and received 2,700 men as replacements (men of the Landstrum called in April and May and young men of the 1917 class, most of them having had not more than two or three months’ service. The 12th Company of the 100th Grenadier Regiment received at least 108 men as replacements on September 20).

6. From October 1 to 6 the 23d Division went back into line between the Chaulnes Railroad and the south of Vermandovillers. It again lost very heavily during the time it remained in line until October 20. (The 2d Company of the 108th Riflemen received, on Oct. 27, replacements of at least 97 men, most of whom were returned wounded and convalescents. Since Sept. 17 it had received at least 198 newcomers; the same holds true for the 4th Company of the 104th Grenadier Regiment).

7. Relieved about October 25, the division was sent to a sector in the Roye (Beuvraignes) area in November.

1917.

Champagne.

1. It occupied this sector (between Armancourt and Roye) until the moment of the German retirement and retired to St. Quentin on March 25, 1917.

2. Relieved and sent to rest at the beginning of April in the Sedan area, it went up in the middle of the month to the sector in Champagne between Hill 232 (east of Nauroy) and the Suippe.

3. On April 19 the 101st and 108th Infantry Regiments counterattacked energetically and in very good order between the Teton and the Suippe and obtained some local success for a short time. On April 20 the 100th Infantry Regiment went into action in its turn.

4. Upon the conclusion of these operations, the 23d Division took up its position on the new front (west of Auberive) and remained there until the beginning of December, after making up for the heavy losses suffered in April. At the beginning of January, 1918, the 23d Division went to occupy the sector of Loivre, northwest of Rheims, and in February the sector of Courcy.

RECRUITING.

The 23d Division is purely Saxon.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The 23d Division is very good.

It lost very heavily at the time of the offensive, April, 1917, in Champagne, but still appeared good.

1918.

In February, 1918, the morale of the division seemed high.

1. The division continued in the sector northwest of Rheims (Courcy-Brimont) until about February 20, where it was relieved by the 213th Division and moved toward the Somme front.

2. It was transported to Neufchatel on the 23d. From there it proceeded by stages to north of Guise (Esqueheries, La Neuville-le-Dorengt). It rested and underwent training in this area until March 18. It marched by night toward the front by way of Bohain, Fresnoy le Grand (where the Kaiser inspected it), Le Verguier (evening of Mar. 21–22).

Battle of the Somme.

3. The division followed the advance in third line from March 22 to 29 through Holnon, Beauvois, Athies, St. Christ, Chaulnes, Rosieres, Beaucourt en Santerre. It was engaged from March 29 to April 3 (Mezieres, Villers aux Erables, La Neuville Sire Bernard). Its advance continued to a line east of Mailly-Rainval, Sauvillers. It was in second line from April 2 to 7, when it returned to line near Grievesnes until April 13. The division’s losses were estimated to have been about 70 per cent in the fighting.

Champagne.

4. When withdrawn from the Somme, on the 13th, the division was moved to Champagne and took over a quiet sector east of Auberive on the 31st, which it held until June 6. While in line the division was reconstituted.

5. The division rested in the vicinity of Bazoches from June 5 to 15, undergoing intensive training. It came into line on the night of June 19–20 at St. Pierre Aigle, relieving the 45th Reserve Division. It was retired from the front at Villers Cotterets about July 1. It rested near Braisne until the 12th, when it marched toward the Marne front (Foret de Ris) on July 12.

Second Battle of the Marne.

6. It reinforced the battle front southwest of Dormans on the 15th. It crossed the Marne east of Courcelles north of Sawigny and advanced to La Chapelle Monthodon. On the 17th it was checked and rolled back by the Foret de Fere to Fresnes (south of Fere en Tardenoise, July 26).

Artois.

7. The division was withdrawn about the end of July and went to Chimay to rest. On August 13 it entrained and moved to the Douai area via Valenciennes, where it came into line on August 24 southwest of Arras. The British attack forced it to give way to the line Beugny-Morchies, with a loss of 700 prisoners. On the 5th the division withdrew from line.

8. The division rested until September 27, when it appeared in line northeast of Bixschoote, southeast of the forest of Houthulst. After five days of heavy fighting it was withdrawn from line. Eight hundred prisoners were taken from the division. It was at rest near Gits until the 14th, when it was again engaged north of Roulers until October 20. On that date it passed to second line southeast of Ghent, where it was again in contact with the Allies on November 8. The last identification was at Sommersaeke, Aecke, on November 9.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as a third-class division. Its use in two offensives of 1918 and its constant employment on active sectors in the last six months of the war would seem to warrant a higher rating.

At the end the effectives of the division was very much reduced.