(17th Corps District—West Prussia.)

1914.

The 36th Division (with the 35th Division) was a part of the 17th Army Corps (Danzig).

East Prussia-Russia.

1. The 17th Army Corps, which comprises the 35th and 36th Divisions, was sent to East Prussia in August, 1914, where it belonged to the 8th Army, soon placed under the command of Von Hindenburg. With this army it took part in the battle of Tannenberg on August 30, and in the battle of Loetzen on September 9, then with the 9th German Army (Mackensen), in the battle of Radom, on October 6.

2. In the battles which mark the advance upon Warsaw and then the retreat, the regiments of the 36th Division, and especially the 5th Grenadier Regiment, suffered considerable losses (principally at Lodz between Nov. 23 and Dec. 6).

1915.

1. During the winter of 1914–15 the 36th Division, with the 17th Army Corps, took part in the actions along the Bzura until June. In July it was on the Narew, later on the right bank of the Bug, and at the beginning of September on the Chtchara River.

2. At the end of September, 1915, at the time of the pressure exerted by the Franco-British offensive, the 17th Army Corps entrained for the Western Front.

France.

3. Detraining at Peronne on October 10, it was sent to rest in the vicinity of Ham until October 16. At this date it went into line in the Roye sector. Until the battle of the Somme it was not seriously engaged.

1916.

Somme.

1. Upon the outbreak of the Franco-British offensive on the Somme in July, 1916, the 36th Division occupied the sector included between the south of Chilly and the north of Andechy. It was not engaged as a whole until October, the time when the battle front extended as far as the Chaulnes-Chilly sector. Until then it had only sent detached units to reenforce certain points south of the river.

2. About the end of September it occupied the front from north of Fouquescourt to the Chaulnes railroad. Relieved between October 15 and 20, and sent to rest between Nesle and Ham, it had to go back into line on October 24–25 to replace, in the sector south of Ablaincourt-Chaulnes wood, the divisions which our attacks north of Chaulnes had exhausted. Its regiments lost heavily during this period. The 128th Infantry Regiment lost more than the others, especially on November 7, 10, and 11.

3. On December 8 the 36th Division left the front north of Chaulnes and was sent north of Roye to the Fouquescourt sector.

1917.

St. Quentin.

1. On March 17, 1917, it was included in the retirement and withdrew to the Hindenburg Line, where it established itself, on March 23, south of St. Quentin.

Artois.

2. After a month’s rest (Apr. 9-May 9) behind the front, the 36th Division went into line southeast of Arras in the Guemappe sector. It had only a few local engagements there and did not suffer any great losses.

3. It then spent a part of June at rest in the Douai area and took up its position on July 4 in the sector of Oppy-Gavrelle (Artois). It did not take part in any serious engagements there.

Ypres.

4. Relieved at the end of August, it entrained at Douai on the 28th for Courtrai and Isegsem. Sent on September 10–11 into the sector of Poelcapelle, it had to be replaced there on the 23d because of the heavy losses which it received from the British attack.

5. The division left Flanders on September 27 to occupy a calm sector west of St. Quentin, where it still was at the beginning of February, 1918.

RECRUITING.

The 36th Division is recruited from the same region as the 35th Division.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The 36th Division was an excellent combat division.

In the battles of the Somme and of Arras the 36th Division gave a good account of itself.

On the Ypres front the combat spirit of the division was less energetic than in the preceding battles. The British Artillery, however, had reduced its effectives by one-half.

1918.

Battle of Picardy.

1. The division was relieved in the sector north of St. Quentin about February 1 and entered the sector south of St. Quentin within a few days. It was in line when the Somme offensive came off and advanced in the front line by Essigny le Grand, Clastres, Brouchy, Guiscard, Campagne, Candor. From the 23d to the 25th it was in second line. On the 25th it was reengaged in the Lassigny area. The division was relieved on April 8.

2. The division rested in close support southeast of Roye until April 20. A draft of 300 men was received about this time.

3. On April 20 the division was engaged southeast of Montdidier (Rollet) until April 28. It was in reserve from the 28th to the beginning of May in the vicinity of Roye. A draft of 1,000 men was received on April 29. On May 9 the division was moved to Wasigny, where it rested until the 22d. It marched toward the Aisne front by night from May 22 to 27 via Rozoy sur Serre, Montcornet, Liesse, Montaigu.

Battle of the Aisne.

4. The division had in line on the 27th only one battalion of the 128th Regiment (near Winterberg). The rest of the division followed the advance in reserve, passing through Villers en Prayeres, Fismes, Villers sur Fere. It was engaged from May 29 to the middle of June at Courmont, Fresnes (29th), Jaulgonne (31st), east of Chateau Thierry. The division withdrew from the sector east of Chateau Thierry about June 30.

Second Battle of the Marne.

5. It rested in the salient (near Fere en Tardenois) until July 14, undergoing reconstitution. On that date it marched to the front and was engaged the next day. It crossed the Marne and penetrated south of Charteves, but was stopped and thrown back on Mezy and Fossoy. From July 20 to 22 it was in second line. Reengaged south of the Ourcq on 22d, the division fought at Rocourt and Villeneuve sur Fere until July 27.

Battle of the Somme.

6. The division rested near Laon in early August. It was brought up to resist the British attack north of Bapaume on August 24. It was still under strength and was unable to check the advance. It was forced to fall back on Vaulx Vraucourt, Ecoust St. Mein (27th–30th), Pronville, and Inchy (Sept. 2–3). The losses in prisoners amounted to 800 in this fighting.

7. On the 16th of September the division was again in line south of La Bassee. Beginning October 1 it retreated on Bauvin, Pont a Vendin, Provin (16th), Attiches (18th), and toward the south of Tournai. It was last identified at Bany on November 10.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as second class. It was heavily engaged in 1918 as a follow-up division in the attacks and to hold important defensive sectors.