4th Cavalry Division (German Empire)
| 4th Cavalry Division (4. Kavallerie-Division) | |
|---|---|
 Flag of the Staff of a Division (1871–1918) | |
| Active | 2 August 1914-1919 |
| Disbanded | 1919 |
| Country |  German Empire |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Cavalry |
| Size | Approximately 5,000 (on mobilisation) |
| Engagements | World War I |
The4th Cavalry Division(4. Kavallerie-Division) was a unit of theGermanArmyinWorld War I.The division was formed on the mobilization of the German Army in August 1914. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
Combat chronicle
[edit]It was initially assigned toII Cavalry Corps,which preceded the1stand2nd Armieson the Western Front. In November 1914, it was transferred to Russia. In March 1918, it returned to the Western Front, where it served in Alsace until the end of the war.[1]It was dismounted in October 1916 and restructured to form the 4th CavalrySchützenDivision.[2]By the end of the war, it was serving under64th Corps (z.b.V.),Armee-Abteilung B,Heeresgruppe Herzog Albrecht von Württembergon theWestern Front.[3]
A more detailed combat chronicle can be found at the German-language version of this article.
Order of Battle on mobilisation
[edit]On formation, in August 1914, the component units of the division were:[4]
- 3rd Cavalry Brigade (fromII Army CorpsDistrict)
- 17th Cavalry Brigade (fromIX CorpsDistrict)
- 18th Cavalry Brigade (fromIX Army CorpsDistrict)
- Horse ArtilleryAbteilungof the3rd (1st Brandenburg) Field Artillery "General-Feldzeugmeister"Regiment
- 2nd Guards Machine Gun Detachment
- Pioneer Detachment
- Signals Detachment
- Heavy Wireless Station 18
- Heavy Wireless Station 19
- Light Wireless Station 10
- Light Wireless Station 12
- Cavalry Motorised Vehicle Column 4
See:Table of Organisation and Equipment
4th CavalrySchützenDivision
[edit]
The 4th Cavalry Division was extensively reorganised in the course of the war, culminating in its conversion to a CavalrySchützenDivision, that is to say, dismounted cavalry. Here, the cavalry brigades were renamed CavalrySchützenCommands and performed a similar role to that of an infantry regiment command. Likewise, the cavalry regiments became CavalrySchützenRegiments and allocated the role of an infantry battalion (and their squadrons acted as infantry companies). However, these units were much weaker than normal infantry formations (for example, a Schützen squadron had a strength of just 4 officers and 109 NCOs and other ranks, considerably less than that of an infantry company).[5]
- 3rd Cavalry Brigade became independent on 30 November 1914
- 17th Cavalry Brigade became independent on 1 February 1917
- 18th Cavalry Brigade transferred to1st Cavalry Divisionon 12 December 1916
- 28th Cavalry Brigade joined from6th Cavalry Divisionon 1 February 1917. Transferred to7th Cavalry Divisionon 17 May 1918
- 39th Cavalry Brigade reconstituted on 28 September 1914 (original brigade had been broken up on mobilisation). Transferred to8th Cavalry Divisionon 1 February 1917. Rejoined from8th Cavalry Divisionon 6 April 1918
- 45th Cavalry Brigade (previously independent) joined on 1 February 1917. Transferred to6th Cavalry Divisionon 1 May 1918
Late World War I organization
[edit]Allied Intelligence rated this division as 4th Class (of 4 classes).[6]It's late war organisation made it more akin to aLandwehrDivision and was:[7]
- 39th Cavalry Brigade
- Saxon Reserve Uhlans (Schützen)
- 9th Reserve Uhlans (Schützen)
- 87th Cavalry (Schützen)
- 38thLandwehrInfantry Regiment
- 40thLandwehrInfantry Regiment
- 2nd Guards Machine Gun Detachment
- 6th Machine Gun Detachment
- Artillery Command
- Horse ArtilleryAbteilungof the8th (von Holtzendorff) (1st Rhenish) Field ArtilleryRegiment[8]
- Horse ArtilleryAbteilungof the10th (von Scharnhorst) (1st Hannover) Field ArtilleryRegiment[9]
- 1400th Light Ammunition Column
- 1405th Light Ammunition Column
- Pioneer Battalion
- 4th Cavalry Pioneer Detachment
- 145th Light Searchlight Section
- Signal Command
- 934th Telephone Detachment
- Medical and Veterinary
- 21st? Ambulance Company
- 573rd Ambulance Company
- 191st Field Hospital
- Vet. Hospital
- Attached
- LandsturmInfantry Battalion 1 Torgau (IV/15)[10]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^Ellis & Cox 1993,p. 126
- ^Cron 2002,p. 106
- ^Ellis & Cox 1993,pp. 186–187
- ^Cron 2002,p. 300
- ^Cron 2002,p. 130
- ^AEF GHQ 1920,p. 104
- ^War Office 1918,p. 227
- ^War Ministry of 11 December 1916, No 847: was changed into a field artillery abteilung;Cron 2002,p. 139
- ^War Ministry of 11 December 1916, No 847: was changed into a field artillery abteilung;Cron 2002,p. 139
- ^LandsturmInfantry Battalion 1 Torgau (IV/15) was the 15thLandsturmInfantry Battalion raised in theIV CorpsDistrict. It was the first one to be raised in the town ofTorgauinSaxony.
Bibliography
[edit]- Cron, Hermann (2002).Imperial German Army 1914-18: Organisation, Structure, Orders-of-Battle [first published: 1937].Helion & Co.ISBN1-874622-70-1.
- Ellis, John; Cox, Michael (1993).The World War I Databook.Aurum Press Ltd.ISBN1-85410-766-6.
- Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-One Divisions of the German Army which Participated in the War (1914-1918), compiled from records of Intelligence section of the General Staff, American Expeditionary Forces, at General Headquarters, Chaumont, France 1919.The London Stamp Exchange Ltd (1989). 1920.ISBN0-948130-87-3.
- The German Forces in the Field; 7th Revision, 11th November 1918; Compiled by the General Staff, War Office.Imperial War Museum, London and The Battery Press, Inc (1995). 1918.ISBN1-870423-95-X.