1914.

Lorraine-Argonne.

1. At the outbreak of the war the 26th Division formed the 13th Army Corps, with the 27th Division, and was a part of the 5th Army (German Crown Prince), and went into action on August 22 at Baranzy, northwest of Longwy, and on August 24 near Longuyon. On August 31 it crossed the Meuse in the vicinity of Sassey, proceeded between the Meuse and the Argonne by way of Epinonville, Cheppy, Clermont, and Thiaucourt, fought on September 6, 7, 8, and 9 near Pretz and BeauzÉe, and retired toward Evre, Wally, and the Argonne (Apremont-Grurie wood). (On Sept. 11 the 8th Company of the 119th Grenadier Regiment had already had 3 officers and 168 men as casualties; the 10th Company was reduced to 2 officers and 59 men.)

Flanders.

2. Separated then from the 27th Division, which remained in the Argonne, the 26th Division was transferred west of Lille on October 8, and fought at Fromelles, Aubert, and Maisnil from October 20 to 28.

3. At the end of the month it went north and took part in the attacks upon Messines on October 31.

Russia.

4. At the end of November the division entrained for Russia with the 25th Reserve Division, these two divisions forming the reorganized 13th Army Corps.

Poland.

5. In December and January, 1915, it was a part of the Fabeck Corps, and fought in Poland on the Bzura and the Rawka where it suffered heavily.

1915.

1. In March, 1915, the 26th Division was sent to the front north of Prasnysz. It then composed the 13th Army Corps, with the 4th Guard Division and the 3d Division. In May it gave the 122d Fusilier Regiment to the 105th Division, a new formation. In June and July it took part in the offensive upon the Narew.

Serbia.

2. Assigned to the army of Gen. von Koevess, it took part in the campaign against Serbia (October) and advanced along the Morava to Kragujevatz.

Belgium.

3. Sent to rest at Belgrade, at the end of November, before its departure for the Western Front, it entrained at Semlin on November 26 and was transferred to Belgium. (Itinerary: Budapest-Vienna-Munich-Ulm-Deux Ponts-SaarbrÜcken; detraining at Bertrix on Nov. 20.)

4. In December it was concentrated in the vicinity of Courtrai, where the 27th Division was and again formed the 13th Army Corps with this division as it had done originally.

1916.

1. In January, 1916, the 26th Division went into line southeast of Ypres (between Hooge and the south of Sanctuary wood). It held this sector until the month of July and suffered heavy losses July 2 (Zillebeke).

Somme.

2. At the end of July the division was sent to the Somme and opposed the British troops on the Longueval front. It lost very heavily while resting at Guillemont. (Aug. 18–19).

3. Relieved on August 25, it took over the sector of Wytschaete (September to November 11).

Somme.

4. About November 11 the division left Flanders and returned to the Somme. It occupied the Transloy sector from December 7 to the beginning of March, 1917.

1917.

Artois.

1. The division was in reserve during the month of March behind the Artois front; went into action south of the Scarpe at the time of the British offensive. On April 25 it launched a counterattack at Monchy le Preux.

2. Relieved in a fortnight and sent to rest, it went back to the same sector (south of the Scarpe); remained there from May 31 to the end of July without any important losses and went to rest near Cambrai during the first half of August.

Flanders.

3. From August 16 to September 4 it occupied the sector north of Langemerck, where the artillery caused it heavy losses.

Lorraine.

4. Sent to rest in Lorraine, it was trained and was outfitted for mountain warfare and then sent to the Italian front at the end of September.

Italy.

5. It formed a part of the Berrer Corps (14th German Army) on October 20, fought northwest of Tolmino on October 24, entered Udine on the 28th, and reached the Tagliamento on the 29th.

RECRUITING.

The 26th Division is recruited entirely in Wurttemberg.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The 26th Division conducted itself well in the numerous battles in which it took part. It is to be especially noted that at Poelcappelle, in August, 1917, some units mutinied and left the first line vacant, when the relief did not arrive quickly enough. This weakening of the morale of the 26th Division was probably only temporary and will disappear, no doubt, after a period of rest. (British Summary of Information, October, 1917.)

1918.

France.

1. The 26th Division, after having done very well in Italy, was transported to the Western Front, detraining in the Freiburg region (southeast of Dieuze), and remaining here until March 10.

Cambrai.

2. The division entrained at Strassburg on the 11th and 12th, and detrained near Peruwelz on the 13th and 14th, remaining in the neighborhood of Valenciennes until the 17th; from here it proceeded by night marches via Denain and Aniche to the EstrÉes-Ecourt-St. Quentin region (south of Douai), where it arrived on the 20th. On the 26th it went into close reserve near Fontaine les Croisilles, and the next day it entered line near Hamelincourt (south of Arras). It attacked the next day, but made no headway. It was relieved by the 111th Division on the 31st, and rested near Croisilles until April 3.

3. Then it marched via Bapaume and Miraumont and entered line south of HÉbuterne (south of Arras), taking part in the unsuccessful attack of the 5th. It was relieved about the 12th of May by the 16th Reserve Division, and went to the Denain region to rest and refit. On June 15 it was in army reserve in the Roye-CarrÉpuis area.

4. About July 3 it went to the vicinity of Neuflize (northeast of Rheims); the 15th it entered line north of Prosnes (southeast of Rheims), and was withdrawn on the 17th.

5. By traveling in trucks, the division reached Bazoches on the 21st; it remained in reserve the 23d and 24th, and relieved the 45th Reserve Division east of Saponay (northwest of Fere-en-Tardenois) during the night of July 25–26. The Allied push forced the front back here, and the division was identified north of Saponay on August 2, northeast of Fismes on the 18th, east of Braine on the 20th. It was relieved about the 10th of September and went to rest north of Pont Arcy (northwest of Fismes).

6. On the 3d of October it came back into line north of Soupir (east of Vailly), and was still in line on November 11.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The 26th is rated as a first-class division. While it was in Alsace (January, February, and the first part of March) it was thoroughly trained in open warfare, and so it was used as a shock division, but it did not succeed in making much headway in its first two engagements. It did fight tenaciously, however, then and in subsequent fighting, and was mentioned in the German communiques of October 27 and November 2 as having particularly distinguished itself. It suffered heavy losses, so that despite the large numbers of reenforcements sent it from time to time, its battalions were reduced to three companies.