Artois.

2. It was transferred to the area north of Arras at the beginning of October, 1914 (front of La Bassee, Ablain, St. Nazaire).

1915.

Artois.

1. From October, 1914, to May, 1915, all the regiments of the 29th Division suffered heavy losses on the plateau of Notre Dame de Lorette. On January 28, 1915, the 3d Company of the 196th Infantry Regiment had only 38 men left (letter). The 58th Brigade, especially, which contained a greater number of Alsace-Lorrainers than the others, lost very heavily in the course of this winter. At the end of November, 1914, the 142d Infantry Regiment had already had casualties of 44 officers and 2,603 men. On February 24, 1915, the 2d Company of the 142d Infantry Regiment had already received 358 men as successive replacements. But it was from May 8 to 13 that the regiments of the division suffered most heavily (1,000 men of the 114th Infantry Regiment). In March the 84th Brigade was taken from the 28th Division and transferred to the 52d Division (a new formation).

2. About May 15 the division was withdrawn from the front and sent to the area of Lens, Pont a Vendin, Henin-Lietard.

3. Sent back into line about May 25 (Souchez-Fond de Buval-Chateau de Carleul), it again suffered heavy losses.

Champagne.

4. The division was again relieved about June 13 and sent northeast of Rheims (sector between the Sillery-Beine road and Prosne), on June 18. It held these lines until the beginning of November.

5. During its stay in the Rheims area, the 29th Division sent one battalion of the 113th Infantry Regiment into the Champagne battle.

6. On October 19 and 20 the 112th and 142d Infantry Regiments attempted a gas attack upon the sector La Pompelle-Prosnes. During this period (June to November, 1915) the losses of the division were insignificant.

7. About November 10 the 29th Division left this sector to go farther east, to the Tahure-Butte du Mesnil (Nov. 23). It occupied this sector until the end of September, 1916.

1916.

1. During the entire winter of 1915–16 the 29th Division held the front of Tahure-Butte du Mesnil without any notable action. In the course of their period of rest in the Vouziers area its battalions continued their training.

Somme.

2. At the end of September, the division was transferred to the Somme. After this time the two divisions of the 14th Army Corps seemed to have become “flying divisions.” The 114th Infantry Regiment was withdrawn from the division and assigned to the 212th Division, later to 199th Division.

3. On October 4 the 29th Division went into action on the Somme east of ClÉry. It was retained in this area until the beginning of February, 1917. On January 31, its regiments, each of which contained four battalions since the autumn of 1916, were reduced to three, the men of the 4th battalion being assigned to the other three.

1917.

1. On February 15, 1917, the 29th Division was sent to rest north of St. Quentin, where it worked on the Hindenburg line.

Champagne.

2. Transferred to the Rethel area on April 1, it was engaged south of Nauroy (west of Cornillet) on the 17th, where it lost heavily. It was relieved about April 20 and filled up with men of the 1918 class and of the 626th Infantry Regiment, dissolved at the end of April.

3. From May 10 until about the middle of June, it occupied the sector of Tahure-Butte du Mesnil.

4. About June 14 it was sent to the rear and rested in the area east of Vouziers-Attigny. The three regiments were filled up with important replacements (men of the 1918 class and the last of the 1917 class incorporated in the army in October, 1916).

Verdun.

5. About July 10–12, the 29th Division entrained for the Verdun front and was sent into the sector of Avocourt wood. It underwent the French attack the 17th which caused it great losses.

6. On August 1 the 29th Division launched an attack to retake the positions lost on the 17th. Taken to the rear at the beginning of August, it was again engaged at the time of the French offensive of August 20 and counter attacked unsuccessfully (west of Hill 304) suffering heavy losses.

7. Relieved on October 24–25, it went to rest in the area of Joeuf (Landres, St. Georges, and vicinity), where it was reorganized. The gravity of its losses caused conscripts of the 1918 class called out in June, having only two months’ instruction, to be sent to it (5th company of the 142d Infantry Regiment for example).

8. About October 6, the division went back into line on the right bank of the Meuse (north of Hill 344). It remained there until the last of December.

RECRUITING.

The 29th Division is recruited almost exclusively in Baden, the regional character being accentuated by the return of the men from the 14th Corps District who had been serving in the regiments of the 4th Corps District.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

Until the attacks of April, 1917, the 29th Division was considered a good division, well trained and well officered. The cohesion of the troops appears to have suffered from the large proportion of raw replacements, in consequence of their losses.

On August 21, 1917, the 142d Infantry Regiment launched a counter attack (west of Hill 304) which failed because of lack of cohesion and liaison between the different units and because of the heavy losses caused by the French machine guns.

1918.

Verdun.

1. The division held the Beaumont sector until about April 1, when it was relieved by the 19th Ersatz Division. It rested in the Montmedy-Virton area (Meix) from April 6 to 25. The division was high in effectives at this time, the companies averaging 180 to 200 men.

2. On April 25–28 the division was railed to Belgium via Sedan-Charleville-Namur-Bruxelles-Courtrai. It marched to Wervieq, rested there until April 30 and marched into line northeast of Mount Kemmel on the night of May 1–2.

3. The division was in line until May 15 at Kemmel. Losses from artillery fire were considerable. It was relieved by the 8th Division and rested at Oostroosebeke (north of Courtrai) until June 14.

4. On the night of the 14–15, the division entered line east of Langemarck, relieving the 49th Reserve Division. On July 15, the 49th Reserve Division returned and relieved the 29th Division, which rested near Gits (Roulers) until the 25th. Then it entrained and moved to the Laon district, detraining at Malmaison. From there the division was taken in trucks on the Vesle front.

Aisne.

5. It held the Courlaudon sector (east of Fismes) from August 1 to 31, when it retreated to the Aisne (Maizy). It was withdrawn about September 8. It rested near Laon until the 15th, when it was reengaged north of the Aisne (Allemant) from September 16 to 24. It retreated behind the Ailette Canal (east of Anizy and Chavignon) and was relieved on October 1.

6. The division left Laon on October 2 and was brought by rail and truck to Fresnoy le Grand, coming into line on October 6 in that area. On the 7th and 8th French attacks forced the division to withdraw by Croix Fonsomme, Seboncourt. On the 13th the division was relieved by elements of the 81st Reserve Division and held in rear of the line. On the 18th it was reengaged south of Le Cateau (Ribeauville). In November the division retreated on the axes Fresmy, Prisches, in the direction of Avesnes, where it was last identified on November 7.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as first class. In 1918 it was used to hold active defensive sectors. In the middle of October its effectives had greatly diminished.