1914.

Belgium-Marne.

1. The 40th Division (4th Saxon) formed, with the 24th Division (2d Saxon), the 19th Army Corps, which, at the outbreak of the war, was a part of the 3d Army (Von Hausen). Detraining north of TrÈves August 10–12, the division entered the north of Luxemburg on the 13th, Belgium on the 18th. It crossed the Meuse on the 23d above Dinant, and entered France by way of Fumay. It fought on August 30 at Chesnois, reached Semide on September 1, Somme Py on September 2, ChÂlons on September 4. On liaison with the right wing of the 4th Army, it took part in the battle of the Marne west of Vitry le FranÇois. After the battle it retired to Souain.

Flanders.

2. At the beginning of October the 19th Army Corps was transferred to Lille. It belonged to the 6th Army (Crown Prince of Bavaria). Attacked by the British troops, it was forced back upon the line between Ploegsteert wood and Grenier wood.

At the end of October the 9th Company of the 107th Infantry Regiment (24th Division) had only 38 men left (letter).

1915.

1. In 1915 and until August 1916 the two divisions of the 19th Army Corps were retained in the zone of Ploegsteert and Grenier wood.

2. Elements of the 40th Division were sent as reenforcements in the battles of Neuve Chapelle (March 1915), of Festubert (May to June 1915) and upon the occasion of the Franco-British offensives in Artois (La Bassee-Souchez, June to October 1915). In March 1915, the 40th Division was definitely reduced to three regiments, having given the 133d Infantry Regiment to the 24th Division.

1916.

Somme.

1. On August 8, 1916, the 40th Division took part in the battle of the Somme in the region north of PoziÈres. It was in violent battles and was withdrawn, very much exhausted.

Artois.

2. At the end of August, it went from the Somme front to the sector of Neuve Chapelle-La BassÉe Canal, where it remained for six weeks.

Somme.

3. About the middle of October, it returned to the Somme (sector north of Le Sars-Butte de Warlencourt) for a second period of three weeks during which its losses were again very heavy (the total losses of the 40th Division in August and October on the Somme were 6,127 men).

On October 30, the 7th Company of the 104th Infantry Regiment received at least 75 men as replacements (1917 class) who had had only three months of service.

4. Relieved from the Somme, the Division went into the sector of St. Eloi-Messines about November 11.

1917.

1. The division left the Messines front about March 26, before the beginning of the British offensive at Arras, and remained at rest in the area of Renaix.

Flanders.

2. It returned to line on April 23 in the same sector, and was subjected to the artillery preparation for the battle of Messines, which caused it extremely heavy losses. The 104th Infantry Regiment lost 224 men as prisoners.

On June 7, the first day of the attack, it was withdrawn from the front and sent to rest in the vicinity of Bruges and Thielt until July 19.

3. On July 22 it went into line north of Ypres in the sector of Steenstraat-Het-Sas. It suffered the bombardment in the attack of July 31.

St. Quentin.

4. After a rest, in the course of which it was reorganized, it spent several weeks in the sector of Itancourt, in the vicinity of St. Quentin. During the months of August and September it received 2,300 men as replacements. A large number came from the Russian front (244th Reserve Infantry Regiment, 350th Landwehr Regiment, the 19th Landsturm Battalion from the garrison of Posen; besides these, Saxons were withdrawn from the 428th Infantry Regiment and the 8th Landsturm).

Flanders.

5. On October 12 the 40th Division was transferred to Flanders for a second time. From October 17 to 27 it occupied the sector of Langewaade-Zevecoten, northeast of Bixschoote, and there underwent the attack of October 27, which again caused it heavy losses.

Russia.

6. The division was then sent to Russia, where it arrived at the end of November. It was there assigned to the 10th Army and took up its position south of Smorgoni, where it still was at the beginning of January, 1918.

RECRUITING.

The 40th Division is purely Saxon.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The attitude of the division has generally been passive (especially during the attack of July 31, 1917, north of Ypres).

In the 104th Infantry Regiment (July 22–28) the men scattered under fire, sometimes with their noncommissioned officers, and fled to a distance of 8 kilometers behind the front.

The same thing happened for the period October 17–27. In the 134th Infantry Regiment, which was considered the best regiment of the division, one-half of the 6th Company left the front line on October 24.

Only the assault detachment offered any energetic resistance on October 27, 1917.

1918.

Russia.

1. The 40th Division was identified in the region of Lake Narotch-Niemen for the last time on the 15th of January. It then went into reserve in the vicinity of Vilna.

France.

2. The division was not identified between the 4th of February, when it was stated as being “on the Eastern front,” and the 20th of March, when it was in Lorraine. It very probably came from the East about the end of February.

Woevre.

3. On April 15 it relieved the 4th Bavarian Division near Regnieville (west of Pont À Mousson). During this time whenever units were out of line they were intensively trained. It was withdrawn on June 1, its place being taken by the 183d Division.

Marne.

4. The division entrained at Jaulny the following day and traveled via Rembercourt-Waville-Onville-Chambley-Mars la Tour-Jarny-Conflans-Montmedy-Sedan-MÉziÈres-Rethel, detraining at Asfeld la Ville on the 3d. On the 16th it relieved the 2d Guard Division near TroËsnes. This sector was a quiet one until the beginning of the Allied counteroffensive of July 18. The 40th Division was caught in this drive and was driven northward. On the 24th it was relieved by the Bavarian Ersatz Division and went to rest near Oisy le Verger (northwest of Cambrai).

Arras.

5. On the 22d of August the division entered line near Courcelles le Comte (south of Arras), counterattacking the same day. It was withdrawn on the 31st.

Ypres.

6. After a short rest near Roubaix, it relieved the 236th Division southeast of Ypres on September 10. After losing nearly 1,300 prisoners, the division was withdrawn from line near Wervicq, October 8, and went to the Courtrai area, where it rested six days.

7. On the 15th it reenforced the front near Gulleghem (northeast of Menin). It was withdrawn from line in the Vichte sector (east of Courtrai), about the 26th.

8. On November 8 the division returned to line near Avelghem (northeast of Roubaix), and was still in line on the 11th.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

Until 1918 the 40th (Saxon) Division had been considered as being a second-class unit. It was soon noticed that practically all Saxon troops were not fighting as well as before, and this was particularly true of the 40th Division, for although its men were young and the number of effectives high, it was used in none of the German offensives. It must be considered a third-class division.