1914.

Cotes de Meuse.

1. The 9th Division with the 10th Division, formed the 5th Army Corps (Posen), and at the beginning of the war was part of the 5th Army (German Crown Prince). Detrained August 9 to 10 in annexed Lorraine, near Bouzonville, and fought August 22 at Virton. After a number of marches and countermarches in Woevre, it established itself during the first days of September with the 10th Division in a sector of Cotes de Meuse (Calonne trench). It remained there about two years from September, 1914, to September, 1916, with rest billets in the villages of the Woevre at the foot of the hills (Thillot, WoËl, Hannonville, etc.).

1915.

Les Eparges.

1. In the spring of 1915 it took part in the battles of Les Eparges where it suffered heavily. In March it transferred its 58th Infantry to the 119th Division, newly formed, which was operating in Galicia beginning with April.

1916.

Verdun.

1. At the beginning of September, 1916, the division was withdrawn from the sector of Calonne trench and relieved the 14th Bavarian Division in the woods of Vaux Chapitre (Verdun). In this last sector it suffered huge losses. October 24, 1916, it lost 700 men captured.

2. Relieved at the beginning of November and reorganized with men of all ages from depots of the Fifth District.

3. November 4 it entrained behind Douaumont; was sent to the Aisne and put in the line November 8 in the sector of Nouvron, where it remained until the middle of February, 1917.

1917.

Cotes de Meuse.

1. Entrained at Laon during the last two weeks of February, 1917, and sent to Vigneulles, via Charleville-Conflans-Chambley; and again went into the sector of Calonne trench between February 18 and the end of April.

Californie Plateau.

2. Relieved at the end of April and sent from Mars la Tour-Vigneulles (via Conflans-Sedan-Liart) to the region of Rozoy sur Serre. After a few days’ rest in the vicinity of Sissonne it was engaged beginning May 6 in the attacks on the plateaus of Vauclerc and Californie, where some of its regiments suffered heavy losses, especially on the Winterberg.

3. Beginning May 18 the division did not attack any more but merely held the sector (Californie-Chevreux les Courtines). However, our attack of May 22 to 24 caused it heavy losses.

4. At the end of May the 9th Division was replaced by the 41st Division. It received reinforcements. (The 19th Infantry received 200 men June 14. About May 25, 60 men of the 1918 class were sent to the 6th Company of this regiment.) From May 13 to June 13 the 10th Company of the 154th Infantry received 68 men at least, most of them of the 1918 class.

5. About June 17–18 the division appeared in the sector of Juvincourt, where it attacked on the night of August 4–5 without success. Relieved about September 8 without having losses in this last sector.

6. During September it was sent to rest in the region of Pierrepont-Missy-Liesse. Engaged in the sector of Bovettes-Pargny-Filain from October 23 to 27 and withdrawn from this front at the beginning of November after some of its regiments had suffered heavy losses during the battle of October 23 to 25.

7. About the middle of November the division went to the sector of Chevregny, after a rest of about two weeks in the region of Laon, during which it was filled up again. It held this sector until the beginning of December. December 8 it was in the vicinity of Laon. January 11, 1918, some of the units were at Liesse.

RECRUITING.

The division (Fifth District) was recruited in Lower Silesia, where the German population is much more numerous than the Polish population. Although it received men from the Second and Third Districts in 1913 and men from the Seventh District in 1916, it could without great difficulty get all its men from its original territory. Its replacements come almost entirely from Lower Silesia, and in emergency from Silesia. It is more homogeneous than the 10th Division, where the Polish elements have to be balanced off by Germans.

VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.

Among the various German units which were engaged in front of Verdun and at Californie Plateau, the 9th Division was one of those which showed the least resistance.

1918.

1. The division was relieved on the Chemin des Dames front on December 29 and went to rest and train in the Guise area until the middle of March, when it proceeded to the battle front.

Battle of Picardy.

2. It was at Marcyon March 20. On the 21st it followed up the attack without being engaged through Happencourt, Artemps, Tugny, Dury, Pithon, Ham, and Nesle (Mar. 25). It was engaged on the 26th near Roye and advanced by Montdidier to west of Mesnil-St. Georges March 27–28. Its attack of March 30 on Ayencourt-Royancourt met with heavy losses.

Montdidier.

3. The division was withdrawn on April 1 for a short rest, during which it received a draft of 400 men. It returned to line southwest of Montdidier and was in line from April 5 to 8.

4. Until the 18th it was in reserve near La Boissiere and later near Nesle until April 24.

5. It rested near Hirson and Vervins during May, again receiving drafts to the number of 300 men.

Battle of the Aisne.

6. On May 20 it marched by night stages to the Aisne front, passing through Froidmont, Verneuil sur Serre, and Bruyeres. On the opening day it advanced in reserve by Presles, Monampteuil, and Pargny Filain. It was engaged on the 28th at Sancy-Vregny and advanced in the first line south of Soissons, Venizel, Missy sur Aisne, Courmelles, Noyant, Chazelle, and Poisy (May 30). Its losses in front of Chazelle were particularly heavy. It was relieved on June 8. An official German document gives the division losses between May 28 and June 2 as 96 officers and 2,830 men.

7. It rested in the vicinity of Rethel and Novion-Porcien (June 15 to July 7) and reconstituted by drafts. It moved toward the Aisne front on July 10, going into reserve northeast of Rheims for a week. Alerted on the 17th it moved to Oulchy le Chateau.

8. The division was engaged near Hartennes and Varcy from July 20 to August 2. It was driven back on Fismes on that date and relieved the next day.

9. In August it rested and trained near Vailly and in the vicinity of Laon. After the 24th it was north of Rheims.

Champagne.

10. The division was engaged east of La Pompelle from September 20 to the beginning of October. On the 3d it was forced back on Isles Bazancourt, and later to Nanteuil sur Aisne. On October 17 it was relieved.

11. Two days later it was entrained for Flanders, but at Mons directed toward Avesnes and La Capelle.

12. Its last engagement was north of Guise from October 21 to November 4; then near Novin and Avesnes. 1,800 prisoners were taken on November 4.

VALUE—1918 ESTIMATE.

The division was rated as a first-class division. Its performance in 1918 was not of the best, however. It was engaged in the Somme, Aisne, and Marne actions without winning special credit. Discipline was reported to be lax, and morale poor at the end.