The 83d Division was formed out of the garrison of defense of Posen which went under the name of Posen Corps. It was engaged on the Eastern Front from the beginning of the war.

The Posen Corps composed of depot battalions of active regiments, of reserve, of Landwehr, and even battalions of Landsturm, was divided into four brigades. Its strength was distributed into two divisions, the 83d and 84th, in June, 1915, and the battalions, which were at first formed into regiments bearing the names of the respective commanders of these regiments, were numbered 329 to 336, inclusive.

Russia-Poland.

1. From March to June, with the Posen Corps, the regiments which were to form the 83d Reserve Division took part in the Poland campaign to the north of Pilica and on the Bzura.

Vichnev.

2. The 83d Division took part in the summer offensive against the Russians. Leaving the Ostrolenka region (July) it advanced by way of Grodno, Lipnichki (northeast of Lida, September) up to Vichnev (October), where it established its position.

1916.

Vichnev.

1. The division stayed in the Vichnev sector during the entire year 1916 and until the month of April, 1917.

1917.

1. About the middle of April, 1917, the 83d Division was transferred from Vichnev to Baranovitchi, where it was held some time as a reserve and then to the northeast of Halicz, from which place it was transported by automobiles to the Stanislau region (June 5).

Galicia.

2. At the beginning of July it was attacked by the Russians to the west of Stanislau (serious losses on July 9, particularly 690 prisoners). It afterwards took part in the German counteroffensive and advanced through the Dniester valley up to the west of Chotin (beginning of August.)

3. Relieved about the middle of September, the 83d Reserve Division was sent to rest in the Czernovitz region and then put back in line to the northeast of Bojan (October-November).

4. At the end of November the division left the Bojan sector and became a reserve for the Bothmer Army in back of the Czernovitz front. Before leaving for the Western Front the 4th Division had sent it men from Alsace and Lorraine (middle of December when the 36th Division had left the former some months before.)

RECRUITING.

Recruiting was mostly from Posen and Silesia with some support from Westphalia and the Rhine Province. Coming from Galicia as late as March, 1918, the 83d Division could not come without the soldiers coming from Alsace and Lorraine which other divisions which had left before had transferred to it.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

Mediocre division, formed to the extent of one third by older men. Appears for the first time on the Western Front in April, 1918.

Ypres.

1. The division held the sector north of Ypres until July 18. After its relief it rested a few days in Roulers and then entrained at Lichterfelde for the Douai area. On August 16 it traveled via Cambrai and detrained near Ruyanlcourt. Here it spent the night, moving up to Flers the next morning. The division came into line on the 19th, when it relieved the 3d Naval Division north of Albert.

Scarpe-Somme.

2. It was engaged at Thiepval, Bazentin le Grand, Courcelette, and Martinpuich until about April 26, when it was withdrawn.

3. On September 10, the division came into line in Lorraine with an entirely new composition. It then included the 255th Reserve Regiment, the 346th Regiment, and the 4th Landwehr Regiment grouped under the brigade and divisional staff of the 83d Division. The 329th Regiment, one of the former regiments of the division, was sent to Esthonia on September 5. It had lost 700 casualties in the August fighting. The reconstructed division held the Embermenil sector until the armistice.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as fourth class. After its transfer to the Western Front, the division held a quiet sector except for a short time on the Scarpe in August.