1914.

The first and second divisions formed the 1st Army Corps.

Russia.

1. At the beginning of the war the 2d Division was sent to the Russian front. Up to the month of November it participated in the operations in Oriental Prussia (Tannenberg, Aug. 27–29).

2. In November, 1914, the 2d Division, minus one brigade, which continued to hold its old sector, was withdrawn and included in the group which attacked in the direction of Lodz and operated between the Vistula and the Warta; continuing its activities, it attempted to cross the Bzura-Rawka opposite Warsaw in the district of Lowicz.

1915.

1. At the beginning of February, 1915, it reappeared in Oriental Prussia and participated in the offensive which ejected the Russians from this Province. It was engaged in its entirety in the district of Lyck and marched upon Augustowo and Grodno.

2. The Russian counter attack launched in the vicinity of Prasnysz toward the end of March drew the 2d Division to this sector.

3. In July during the development of the Hindenburg offensive, it emerged from the Ostrolenka-Pultusk line and proceeded in a northerly direction.

4. Upon the stabilization of the front the 2d Division held a sector between Illukst and Lake Drisviaty (Dwinsk District).

1916.

1. At the end of July, 1916, portions of the 2d Division were assigned to duty in Galicia to oppose the Russian advance.

1917.

1. The reconstituted 2d Division was engaged in the Mitau sector up to the end of January, 1917; all its units were identified in the vicinity of Kalnzen.

2. On February 8 it entrained at Mitau for the western front. (Itinerary: Chavli, Kovno, Insterburg, Konigsberg, Stettin, Hamburg, Munster, Aix-la-Chapelle, LiÈge, Louvain, Bruxelles, Audenarde.)

Belgium.

3. Detrained February 13 and remained at rest up to the end of March. It received reinforcements of various classes of men (wounded, convalescents, class 1917 reservists).

4. The division occupied the Wytschaete sector from the 25th of March to the beginning of June. (On April 15 and May 10 and 15 it received the first reinforcements from the class of 1918, the last having had only three months’ instruction; in all, 4,460 men between January 1 and June 1.) On June 7 it left 2,825 men in the hands of British troops.

5. On June 10 the 2d Division retired from the Belgian front. It was placed at rest in the district of Audenarde in June and then entrained for the eastern front (end of June).

Russia.

6. It arrived in Russia at the beginning of July and was put at rest in the district of Vilna. On July 14 it was identified in the Illukst District.

7. It returned to France on the 25th of November. It entrained on this date at Kovno and was transported over the following itinerary: Insterburg, Thorn, Posen, Frankfort-sur-Oder, Berlin, Paderborn, Crefeld, Aix-la-Chapelle, LiÈge, Namur, Vouziers (Nov. 30).

8. On December 27 it relieved the 1st Bavarian Division in the Souain-Somme-Py sector.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

Except during the period March-June, 1917, when the 2d Division was fighting in Belgium, it continuously occupied the Russian front from the beginning of the war till December, 1917.

1918.

Champagne.

1. The 2d Division remained in line in the Souaine-Somme-Py region until relieved by the 87th Division about April 2. It went back to the Army depot at Semide, where it stayed about a week drilling and maneuvering. April 10 it entrained at Machault, and went via Rethel, Liart, Marle, and detrained at La FertÉ-Chevresis, encamping in the vicinity. It traveled by St. Simon (Apr. 11), Ham, Solente (5 km. east of Roye), and LaboissiÉre, where it stayed until April 30.

Montdidier.

2. May 1 the division relieved the 51st Reserve Division at Monchel, south of Montdidier; relieved August 31.

St. Quentin.

3. The division was identified in line near Essigny-le-Grand, south of St. Quentin, September 5; it was relieved about the 15th by the extension of the fronts of the neighboring divisions.

4. During the night of September 20–21 it went back into line north of St. Quentin, in the Bellenglise sector. It was withdrawn about the 10th.

5. The division rested for a fortnight in the Avesnes area, then came into line October 24, relieving the 19th Reserve Division east of Ribemont (southeast of St. Quentin). It was withdrawn from line early in November and did not return.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The 2d is rated as a third-class division. It was used in a great deal of heavy fighting and suffered severe losses (July 23 it lost 54 officers and 1,800 men in prisoners alone west of the Avre; the 9th and 10th of August it lost 443 prisoners; in its engagements between August 8 and October 1 it lost over 1,500 prisoners). Nevertheless, it was never used as an attacking division, but confined itself to holding the sectors allotted it; on account of its weakened condition and lowered morale (there are several cases of insubordination on record), it did not acquit itself any too well.