1914–15.

East Prussia.

1. The 35th Division formed with the 36th Division the 17th Army Corps (Danzig). It remained on the Eastern Front from the beginning of the war until October, 1915. It took part in the battles of Gumbinnen and Tannenberg, then in the two German offensives upon Warsaw. It participated in the operations on the Bzura and the Narew, where it remained until August 1, 1915.

Russia.

2. It was sent to rest near Bielostok, and at the end of September, 1915, the decision was made to send it to the Western Front.

3. It entrained at Grodno about October 6, and arrived about the 10th in the vicinity of PÉronne where it was filled up. The 9th Company of the 176th Infantry Regiment received no less than 60 men between October 3 and 13.

France.

4. In the middle of October it went into the Roye sector and remained there during the entire winter of 1915–16.

1916.

Somme.

1. About May 25, 1916, it went slightly to the north and occupied the sector between the Chaulnes-Amiens railroad and the south of SoyÉcourt.

2. At the beginning of July, when the Somme battle began, the 35th Division was holding the front from west of Vermandovillers to the south of Chilly. The 176th Infantry Regiment was sent into line in the sector of HerbÉcourt-EstrÉes on July 2 and lost 170 prisoners to the French. This regiment lost heavily in the French attack of July 20 between Belloy and the ÈtoilÉ wood.

3. On September 4 and the days following the 35th Division was effecting a relief at the time of the French offensive and suffered considerably because of this (almost 2,000 prisoners, 39 of whom were officers).

4. It had to be retired from the front on September 8 and sent to rest at Ham. Between October 15 and 20 it again went into line from the southwest of Chaulnes to the southwest of Chilly.

5. According to official calculations, the 35th Division had casualties of 6,102 men, 68 per cent of the effectives engaged, in the course of the battle of the Somme.

1917.

St. Quentin.

1. The 35th Division remained in the vicinity of Chaulnes until the German retirement. It took part in the retreat and established itself in the Hindenburg Line south of St. Quentin at the end of March.

Artois.

2. After a few days of rest in the vicinity of Guise at the beginning of April, the division took part in the battle of Arras in the second half of April. At this time it lost about 50 per cent of its fighting men. The 141st Infantry Regiment received in May 135 to 140 men per company to make up for its losses (1918 class and men liberated by the dissolution of the 618th Infantry Regiment).

Flanders.

3. Sent to rest for the entire month of May in the vicinity of Lille and filled up by replacements of 3,000 men coming from the recruit depot at Warsaw on May 9, the 35th Division was sent into Belgium and occupied, on May 31, the banks of the Ypres-Comines Canal. On June 7 it lost heavily there (5,000 to 6,000 men, of whom 1,272 were prisoners).

4. Reorganized on June 11 in the vicinity of Cambrai, by replacements mostly made up of returned convalescents and wounded, the division was then sent into line in a calm sector north of St. Quentin, where it remained from June 21 to October 20.

Flanders.

5. On October 22 and 23 it reappeared on the Flanders front in the sector of the Houthulst wood. It had rather serious losses between October 22 and 25.

It was relieved on January 22, 1918, and sent to rest east of Bruges.

RECRUITING.

The 35th Division is recruited from western Prussia with some help from the 6th Corps District, especially in June, 1916 (important replacements made up of miners from Silesia). There is a rather large proportion of Poles, not only from the 17th Corps District, but also from the 5th and 6th Corps Districts.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The 35th Division has taken part in numerous battles. Its quality has been greatly weakened by the incorporation of recruits of the 1918 class, and by the increase of the Polish elements.

The 35th Division appears to be a mediocre division (July, 1917).

The morale of the 141st Infantry Regiment, 50 per cent of which are Poles, appears poor. (November, 1917.)

1918.

Ypres.

1. The division was at rest east of Bruges (Maldeghem) until about February 17, when it was engaged in the vicinity of Merckem until March 20.

Battle of the Lys.

2. It entrained at Pitthem on the 22d and moved to Carvin. It was in reserve at Evin-Malmaison until March 27, and later in reserve south of Lens (near Rouvroy) until April 1. It was moved to Lille and engaged from April 8–9 to the 14th at Neuve-Chapelle, Lestrem, Locon, Neuf Berquin. In the fighting on April 12 the division lost heavily. It was withdrawn on April 14.

Flanders.

3. The division rested near Armentiers until May 5, during which period it was reviewed by the Kaiser. It was in the sector north of Bailleul from May 8 to July 3. At this time the company effectives of the division seems to have been about 50 men. The division rested at Bruges from the 5th to the 17th, when it returned to the Merckem sector and occupied it until August 18. Considerable replacements were received in mid-August by the division.

Artois.

4. It rested near Lille (Aug. 19–24), and on August 25 was railed to Douai. On the 26th the division occupied the Drocourt-Queant line and fought in the area until about September 30, when it was relieved after losing 800 prisoners.

Battle of Cambresis.

5. The division was reengaged on October 1 northwest of Cambrai. It withdrew to Abancourt (9th), Hem-Lenglet (11th), Denain north of Maing, Famars (28th), northwest of Maresches (Nov. 1). It passed to second line about the 1st of the month, returning on November 9 near Harchies. The division was not in line on November 11.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as second class. It was considered as a good sector-holding division in 1918.