France.1. At the beginning of the campaign the 4th Division fought on the Western Front until November, 1914. It detrained at Rheydt on August 9 and 10, and entered Belgium on the 14th and France on the 25th. Fought at Sailly-Saillisel on the 28th; reached Grand-Morin September 5 and fought at Acy en Multien on the 6th. After retreating to the north of Soissons it remained south of Roye from the end of September to the end of October, and was near Ypres in November.Russia.
2. Sent to Russia and took part in the second offensive on Warsaw.
1915.
1. In January it took part in the battles of Bolimow. In February it went to the Carpathians (Army of the South under Linsingen). Took part in the offensive on Lemburg.
2. About September 27, 1915, it was relieved in the region south of Baranovitchi and entrained at Kobryn for the Western Front.
France.
3. It arrived in the vicinity of Sedan at the beginning of October. After a few days’ rest it marched to the north of Tahure.
4. On October 30 the division took part in the attack of Butte De Tahure and suffered severe losses.
5. At the beginning of November it left Champagne for the region of Reims where its units went into the trenches on November 8. Until the beginning of April, 1916, it held the sector northwest of Prunay.
1916.
1. At the beginning of April the division was sent to rest in the vicinity of Rethel. During this period (Nov. 15 to Apr. 16) its losses were light.
Verdun.
2. At the beginning of May the division was sent to the region of Verdun. On May 4 it took part on the attack on Hill 304, where it suffered heavy losses.
3. Relieved May 15 and sent to rest in the region of Mouzon-Carignan, from where it went to the region of Damvillers.
4. At the beginning of July it was sent to hold the sector of Thiaumont at the moment when the French recommenced their offensive in that region. Its losses were very heavy.
5. On August 3 it left Thiaumont for the region of Cumieres, on the left bank of the Meuse (Aug. 5).
6. At the end of September it held the sector Malancourt-Avocourt.
7. Relieved at the end of October and trained at Dun. After a short rest it went into line in December northeast of Vaux.
1917.
1. The division remained in the Vaux sector until April 17.
2. It relieved the 10th Reserve Division in the region of Satigneul (night of Apr. 15–16) a few hours before the beginning of our attack. It remained in this sector until May 5 and was subjected to French attacks of April 16 and May 4.
3. Beginning May 5, it was relieved and went into camp in the region of Caurel.
Champagne.
4. On May 7 and the following days it went into the sector of Grille Mont Haut and held this until June 19.
5. The division was put in reserve on this date in the region Epove-Warmeriville.
6. Went into line in the sector Moronvilliers (July 19 and days following) until the end of October.
Belgium.
7. At the end of October it entrained at Juniville and went to Belgium, where it held the sector Poelcapelle until November 24.
8. It went into line again east of Armentieres on November 30 and was still in that sector on January 11, 1918.
RECRUITING.
In spite of heavy losses suffered several times, it would seem that they wished to keep up the Pomeranian character of the 4th Division, although it received in September, 1915, some men of the 1915 class from Hesse-Nassau, and later on a number of Brandenburgers and Silesians, as the third and sixth districts often furnished their ratio to the districts temporarily out of men. A great majority of men, however, came from Pomerania, and as the resources of this Province in men are limited it was necessary, to keep up the provincial composition of this division, to draw from the Landwehr depots and the battalions of Pomeranian Landsturm. Since it was impossible to maintain the quality of the division, it seems that they were anxious to maintain its nationality.
VALUE.
The 4th Division was always a very good division and gave proof of very fine military qualities in all the battles in which it took part, especially in the sector of Sapigneul during the offensives of April 16 and May 4, 1917. It would seem that the nature of the replacements they received, especially the most recent ones, has considerably altered the value of this division.
1918.
1. The division was relieved from the front of Armentieres on January 23, and went to rest and instruction in the Oisene area (southwest of Deyuze). After four weeks the division entrained at Roubaix on March 16 and detrained at Douai on the following day. Hence it marched by stages to Neuville St. Remy, a suburb of Cambrai. The division was concentrated south of Inchy on the night of March 20–21.
Battle of Picardy.
2. Engaged on March 21, the division advanced by Doignies and Herrnies. It passed to rest on the 24th and was reengaged from March 26 to April 6 at Miraumont, Hebuterne, and Colincamps. The division suffered very heavy losses in the engagement.
3. Relieved from the Hebuterne front on April 6, the division rested two weeks in the Bapaune-Cambrai area. The division moved north to the Lys front via Douai-Lille.
Battle of the Lys.
4. The division was in line west of Merville from April 23 to May 14.
5. While at rest north of Tournai, the division was reconstituted and prepared for another heavy engagement.
6. The division entrained for Loos on June 30 and moved on to Sailly sur la Lys on July 18.
The Lys Withdrawal.
7. The division came into line near Merris on July 27. It lost 500 prisoners south of Meteren on August 18. On the 30th the division fell back on Bailleul and later to Bac St. Maur and Fleurbaix. It was relieved at Fleurbaix on October 11.
8. The division rested from the 11th to the 21st near Denain.
9. Again the division was engaged to the east and northeast of Solesmes and near Le Quesnoy, retreating to Beaurain, Ghissignies, and Ruesnes. It passed in the second line on November 1, but came back to the line south of Le Quesnoy about November 5. It retreated by Locquignol toward Maubeuge, where it was last identified on November 9.
VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.
The 4th Division was a very good division. In 1918 its morale was mediocre, due to the young recruits.
