1914.

The 27th Division belongs to the 13th Army Corps (Royal Wurttemberg), with the 26th Division.

Lorraine.

1. At the beginning of the war it formed a part of the 5th Army (German Crown Prince). It was engaged in the battle of Longwy, August 22, 1914 (between Longwy and Virton); on the 23d, north of Longuyon. On August 30, at Dun and Sassey, it crossed the Meuse and went south with the 5th Army between the Meuse and the Argonne. It fought at Pretz and VaubÉcourt on September 6 and 7. Following the retirement to the north, it took up its positions in the Argonne.

2. At the beginning of October the 13th Army Corps was broken up and the two divisions were separated for more than a year.

Argonne.

3. The 27th Division remained in the Argonne until the end of 1915.

1915.

Argonne.

1. In the Argonne (Binarville-Grurie wood) the 27th Division was engaged in mine warfare. In August, 1915, it took part in the local offensive of the Army of the Crown Prince.

2. In September, at the time of the French offensive, elements of the 53d Brigade were sent to Champagne (northwest of Massiges), where they remained in reserve.

3. In December the 27th Division entrained at GrandprÉ for the Courtrai area, where the 13th Army Corps was re-formed as in the beginning, the 26th Division having returned from Serbia.

1916.

Ypres.

1. From January to July, 1916, the 13th Army Corps was in line southeast of the Ypres salient. The 27th Division was on the left of the 26th, between Sanctuary wood and the Ypres-Comines Canal. On February 24 units of the 27th Division gained possession of the British trenches of Bluff (north of the canal), but lost them on March 2. In this action the 123d Grenadier Regiment lost very heavily.

On June 2 the two divisions of the corps made a violent attack upon the Canadians in the Cillebeke sector. They gained possession of Observation Ridge, but were forced to abandon it by a counterattack. In these battles the regiments lost heavily.

Somme.

2. At the end of July the 13th Army Corps was withdrawn from the Ypres salient and transferred to the Somme front. On August 1 the 27th Division went into line in the Guillemont sector. It put up a successful resistance to the attacks upon the village, but had serious losses.

3. It was relieved on August 25 and put in the Wytchaete sector, where it remained for about two and one-half months (until Nov. 11).

4. In the middle of November the 27th Division returned to the Somme a second time, north of Sailly Saillisel.

1917.

1. The 27th Division was retained on the Somme until the beginning of 1917. On this date it was sent east of Cambrai. During the month of March it was in line in the Roisel area.

Artois.

2. After a short rest in the vicinity of Valenciennes it went into action in the Bullecourt sector (southeast of Arras), where it had very heavy losses (Apr. 7 to May 11). The dissolution of the 627th Infantry Regiment, formed in Wurttemberg, served to make up a part of its losses, and 600 men from this regiment came to the 27th Division.

3. Withdrawn about May 11 from the Arras front, the 27th Division occupied a sector in the vicinity of Le Catelet (between Gonnelieu and Honnecourt) at the beginning of June.

4. At the beginning of August it was relieved; entrained on August 12 at Caudry, and was transferred to Flanders by way of Lille-Tourcoing-Menin-Ledeghem-Roulers.

5. On August 26 it went into action northeast of Ypres (southeast of St. Julien). In this sector it did not take part in any important attack but suffered heavily from artillery fire.

The division was sent to the rear on September 12–13 and rested for a month northeast of Ghent.

On October 11 it went back into line northeast of Ypres (near the Ypres-Thourout railroad) and remained there until November 11. It was sent almost immediately to Alsace, where it arrived between November 16 and 18.

RECRUITING.

The 27th Division is recruited entirely from Wurttemberg.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The 27th Division has fought well ever since the beginning of the war. It seems that the heavy losses which it has suffered have weakened its morale to a slight extent. Nevertheless, it may be considered as a very good division (Dec. 9, 1917).

1918.

Cambrai.

1. The 27th Division remained in the region of Schlettstadt (north of Colmar) until February 2. While here it received some 1919-class recruits. It then went to Cambrai, where it arrived on the 4th. On the 6th it relieved the 24th Reserve Division west of Graincourt (southwest of Cambrai). It was relieved by the 53d Reserve Division early in March and went to the neighborhood of Avesnes le Sec (southwest of Valenciennes), where it was trained in open warfare.

2. Subsequently it was transferred to the Cambrai region. Between the evening of March 20 and 5 a. m. on the 21st, it marched nearly 20 miles, when it came into line near Villers-Guislain (south of Cambrai). It was immediately heavily engaged and suffered severe losses. The 6th Company of the 124th Regiment had lost 84 men by the time it had reached Fins. A draft of 30 men was received at Guinchy. Withdrawn the 23d.

3. On April 4 it relieved the 54th Reserve Division near Aveluy (north of Albert). Fighting on the 5th, the 6th Company of the 124th Regiment lost 50 per cent of its effectives. All three regiments suffered heavy losses. One battalion of the 120th Regiment was practically annihilated. It was relieved by the 3d Naval Division on the 24th and went to rest south of Tournai.

4. The division left on July 24 and marched via Landas-Marchiennes-Neuville sur l’Escaut (south of Denain, rest)-St. Vaast (east of Cambrai, rest)-Fins-Nurlu (rest)-Peronne, into line in the Morlancourt sector (south of Albert), where it relieved the 107th Division about the 3d of August. In the heavy fighting that ensued it was forced back through Bray and Suzanne. It was withdrawn the 28th after leaving more than 1,400 prisoners in the hands of the British. It went to rest in the vicinity of Briastre (south of Solesmes), and while here received as a draft the dissolved 248th Reserve Regiment (54th Division disbanded).

5. The division now became army and corps reserve. On September 6 it entrained and traveled to Spincourt, arriving on the 10th. It then marched to Camp Priester (near Loison), where it remained 14 days as army reserve. About the 26th it entered line near Flabas (north of Verdun). Five days later it was withdrawn and went back to the camp and remained eight days.

6. Then it went to the Jaeger Lager near Billy (south of Longuyon). About the 11th of October it entered line near Douaumont (north of Verdun). On the 29th it was relieved and marched to the Jaeger Lager, and then by truck via Stenay to a farm about 10 kilometers away.

7. On November 1 it reenforced the front near Tailly (southwest of Stenay); it was still in line on the 11th.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The 27th has always been considered one of the very best German divisions, and its conduct in the fighting during 1918 confirms its rating as a first-class shock unit. It suffered severely, especially in the spring, but not a great deal later on. Its moves toward the end of the war seem to indicate that it was to form part of the reserve with which the Germans hoped to regain the initiative.