Russia.

1. At the beginning of hostilities the 41st Division was engaged against Russia, first in East Prussia, then in Poland, beginning with October. It was at Lodz at the beginning of December, at Skiernewice on the 20th, and fought on the Rawka in January, 1915.

1915.

Russia.

1. In February, 1915, transferred north of the Vistula, it operated until summer between Prasnysz and the valley of Bobr-Narew. From there it was taken to the northern frontier of East Prussia in July and advanced as far as Mitau, from there to Jakobstadt.

1916.

Russia.

1. Until October, 1916, the division occupied the same sector on the Dvina, between Friedrichstadt and Jakobstadt. It underwent a Russian offensive in March, 1916, and took part in an attack on May 10. In these two actions it suffered serious losses.

Roumania.

2. On October 21, the 41st Division, destined to take part in the Roumanian campaign, entrained southeast of Friedrichstadt, traveled by way of Mitau, Grodno, Warsaw, Oppeln, Budapest, Temesvar, and detrained on November 5 at Pay, south of Hatszeg. It went into action in the vicinity of Jiu and advanced almost without fighting. It entered Bucarest on December 6. On the 7th it again took up the pursuit of the Roumanians. On reaching the Sereth the 41st Division encountered the Russians. It remained in line until February 8, 1917. The losses of the division, slight in the battles with the Roumanians, were greater in the Russian attacks.

1917.

France.

1. Between February 8 and February 15 the 41st Division entrained at Zilibia for the Western Front. (Itinerary: Bucarest-Salzburg-Munich-Ulm-Augsburg-Thionville.) It detrained in Lorraine (Arsweiler, Ruxweiler, Audun le Roman) on February 20.

2. After a month of rest and training in Lorraine, during which it was reorganized (the 148th Infantry Regiment received 600 men as replacements), the division went into line, at the beginning of May, at Bois le PrÊtre.

3. Between May 6 and May 9 it was transferred by way of Sedan to Rethel, from which place it marched to the vicinity of Sissonne.

Californie Plateau.

4. Sent into line in the sector of Hurtebise for a very short stay (May 25–26 to May 28–29), it went into action on the 21st in the vicinity of Chevreux. It took part there in the attack of June 3 upon Californie Plateau, in the course of which its losses were serious (50 to 60 men per company in the 152d Regiment, heavy losses in the 148th Infantry Regiment).

5. The 42d Division remained in the sector of Chevreux until June 25. About July 3 it went to the east of the Butte du Mesnil. It remained in this sector, without any notable occurrences, until the beginning of November.

6. On November 12 it was in the vicinity of Staden, Houthulst wood, where it alternated with the 38th Division. Relieved on January 14, 1918, it went to rest near Bruges.

RECRUITING.

The 41st Division is recruited principally from West Prussia. As the region is not very large and has a relatively small population, the 41st Division borrows from other districts (especially the 6th Corps District). It contained a large number of Alsace-Lorrainers during its stay on the Russian front.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

The 41st Division, coming from the Russo-Roumanian front, where it had remained until the beginning of February, 1917, appears to have only a mediocre military value.

In the course of the attack of June 3, 1917, on the Californie Plateau, the retreat of the 148th Infantry Regiment was carried out in a state of extreme confusion.

During its stay on the Champagne front the 41st Division showed no offensive activity. (July 3-November, 1917.)

1918.

Flanders.

1. The 41st Division was relieved in the sector north of Ypres by the 38th Division toward the end of January, and went to rest near Bruges. While here the artillery received new guns, and it seems probable that the division was put through a course of training.

2. During the night of February 25–26 the division relieved the 2d Guard Reserve Division south of Westroosebeke (northeast of Ypres). About the 4th of March it was relieved by the 38th Division and went to rest in the Turcoing area.

Arras.

3. On the 26th of March the division was identified near Oppy (northeast of Arras). Here it was heavily engaged, and the attack which it attempted broke down through heavy casualties.

Albert.

4. The division was identified in the same area on the 28th, but not afterwards, and so it was very likely withdrawn during the next day or two. Early in April the division moved up in support of the 21st Reserve Division in the Beaumont-Hamel region (north of Albert), and during the night of the 7th–8th it relieved the 1st Guard Reserve Division a little farther to the north in the Puisieux sector (east of HÉbuterne). On the 14th of April the division extended its front to the south so as to relieve the 24th Division. On the 11th of June it was relieved by the 26th Reserve Division and went to rest and refit in the Douai area.

5. On the 9th of July it relieved the 108th Division east of Villers-Bretonneux (east of Amiens). Here it was caught in the Allied drive of August 8, and after losing over 1,700 prisoners was withdrawn on the 10th.

6. After resting a fortnight immediately behind the front, it came back into line near Cappy (southeast of Bray) on the 25th. In the fighting that followed the division lost more than 800 prisoners, and even more killed and wounded. It was relieved early in September and went to rest and to be reconstituted near ChÂteau Salins (northeast of Nancy). On September 8 it received as a draft what was left of the dissolved 18th Reserve Regiment (225th Division disbanded).

Argonne.

7. Leaving Metz on October 6 and traveling via St. Juvin, the division reenforced the front near Sommerance (east of GrandprÉ) on the 9th to meet the American push of the 8th. It was withdrawn on the 31st after having suffered very heavy losses.

8. It rested a day or two immediately in rear of the front, and on the 3d it was thrown in near Nouart (southwest of Stenay), the Americans having attacked again on the 1st. It was again withdrawn on the 8th, and did not come back into line.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The 41st has been considered a second-class division. With the exception of its engagements in the spring near Albert and in the Argonne in October and November, it has not done a great deal of fighting during the year; during this fighting, however, it suffered very severely, so that when it was withdrawn on the 8th of November its companies did not have an average combatant strength of 25. On June 6 the commanding general issued an order indicating an increase in the number of instances in which subordinates emphatically refused to accompany their units into line and in which officers neglected to enforce obedience to orders, and insisting that the evil be remedied even though the men had to be shot.