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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

2nd Bavarian Division, Imperial German Army



 Divisional Structure 1914  2nd Bavarian Division part of 1st Bavarian Corps and German 6th Army

Divisional structure in 1914.

Infantry

  • 3rd Bavarian Brigade
    • 3rd Bavarian Regiment
    • 20th Bavarian Regiment
  • 4th Bavarian Brigade
    • 12th Bavarian Regiment
    • 15th Bavarian Regiment

Cavalry

4th Bavarian Light Cavalry Regiment

Artillery

  • 2nd Bavarian Artillery Brigade
  • 4th Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment
  • 9th Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment

Engineers and Liaison

2nd Field Company, 1st Bavarian Pioneer Battalion



 Divisional Structure 1915  2nd Bavarian Division part of 1st Bavarian Corps and German 6th Army

Divisional structure in 1915.

Infantry

  • 3rd Bavarian Brigade
    • 3rd Bavarian Regiment
    • 20th Bavarian Regiment
  • 4th Bavarian Brigade
    • 12th Bavarian Regiment
    • 15th Bavarian Regiment

Cavalry

4th Bavarian Light Cavalry Regiment

Artillery

  • 2nd Bavarian Artillery Brigade
  • 4th Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment
  • 9th Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment

Engineers and Liaison

  • 2nd Field Company, 1st Bavarian Pioneer Battalion
  • 2nd Bavarian Pontoon Engineers
  • 2nd Bavarian Telephone Detachment



 Divisional Structure 1916  2nd Bavarian Division part of 1st Bavarian Corps and German 6th Army

Divisional structure in 1916.

Infantry

  • 4th Bavarian Brigade
    • 12th Bavarian Regiment
    • 15th Bavarian Regiment
    • 20th Bavarian Regiment

Cavalry

3 Squadrons, 4th Bavarian Light Cavalry Regiment

Artillery

  • 2nd Bavarian Artillery Brigade
  • 2nd Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment
  • 9th Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment

Engineers and Liaison

  • 2nd Field Company, 1st Bavarian Pioneer Battalion
  • 4th Field Company, 1st Bavarian Pioneer Battalion
  • 2nd Reserve Company, 19th Pioneers
  • 2nd Bavarian Trench Mortar Company
  • 2nd Bavarian Pontoon Engineers
  • 2nd Bavarian Telephone Detachment



 Divisional Structure 1917  2nd Bavarian Division part of 1st Bavarian Corps and German 6th Army

Divisional structure in 1917.

Infantry

  • 4th Bavarian Brigade
    • 12th Bavarian Regiment
    • 15th Bavarian Regiment
    • 20th Bavarian Regiment

Cavalry

2 and 3 Squadrons, 8th Bavarian Light Cavalry Regiment

Artillery

  • 2nd Bavarian Artillery Command
  • 9th Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment

Engineers and Liaison

  • 2nd Field Company, 1st Bavarian Pioneer Battalion
  • 4th Field Company, 1st Bavarian Pioneer Battalion
  • 2nd Bavarian Trench Mortar Company
  • 2nd Bavarian Telephone Detachment

Medical and Veterinary

  • 2nd Bavarian Ambulance Company
  • 6th Bavarian Field Hospital
  • Veterinary Hospital

Transport

682 Motor Transport Column



 Divisional Structure 1918  2nd Bavarian Division part of 1st Bavarian Corps and German 6th Army

Divisional structure in 1918.

Infantry

  • 4th Bavarian Brigade
    • 12th Bavarian Regiment
    • 15th Bavarian Regiment
    • 20th Bavarian Regiment

Cavalry

3 Squadrons, 8th Bavarian Light Cavalry Regiment

Artillery

  • 2nd Bavarian Artillery Command
  • 9th Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment
  • 1st Abteilung, 3rd Bavarian Reserve Foot Artillery Regiment
  • 151 Bavarian Light Ammunition Column
  • 153 Bavarian Light Ammunition Column
  • 160 Bavarian Light Ammunition Column

Engineers and Liaison

  • 7th Bavarian Pioneer Battalion
    • 2nd Bavarian Pioneer Company
    • 4th Bavarian Pioneer Company
    • 2nd Bavarian Trench Mortar Company

2nd Bavarian Signal Command

  • 2nd Bavarian Telephone Detachment
  • 107th Wireless Detachment

Medical and Veterinary

  • 2nd Bavarian Ambulance Company
  • 6th Bavarian Field Hospital
  • 8th Bavarian Field Hospital

Transport

682 Motor Transport Column



1st August 1914 Actions during 1914  2nd Bavarian Division part of 1st Bavarian Corps and German 6th Army

Divisional Actions during 1914

(First Bavarian District-Southwest of Bavaria, Bavarian Swabia.) 1914 Lorraine.

At the beginning of August the 2nd Bavarian Division which, with the 1st Bavarian Division, formed the 1st Bavarian Corps, was a part of the army of the Crown Prince of Bavaria (6th Army). The 3rd Brigade, covering troops, detrained at Reding near Saarburg, on the 3rd of August. On the 9th the division was at its full strength. It proceeded to the frontier, reached Badonviller and retired as far as Gosselming (west of Saarburg) by the 17th of August, gave battle there on the 20th, and recrossed the frontier. It advanced as far as Xaffevillers (Sep 7th), whence it retired to Itlorhange (Sep 10th). On September 15 the division entrained at Metz. It detrained near Namur, gained Peronne by stages, and was engaged at Foucaucourt by the 24th.

Somme.

Together with the 1st Bavarian Corps it was attached to the 2nd Army (Von Billow), operating on the Somme in the district of Peronne. It took part in the fiercely contested battles which took place there but a short time after the stabilization of the front and suffered serious losses. At the beginning of the campaign, October 30, the 12th Infantry had 50 officers and 1,910 men who were unable to take part in action.

The division was maintained in this district up to the month of October, 1914, first to the south of the Somme, later, at the beginning of November, 1914, between Dompierre and Maricourt.

1st April 1915 Actions 1915 to 1916  2nd Bavarian Division part of 1st Bavarian Corps and German 6th Army

1915 Artois.

In April 1915, the division was reduced to three regiments through the cession of the 3rd Infantry to the 11th Bavarian Division. Between the l0th and 15th of October 1915, the 2nd Bavarian Division was placed on the Artois front in the Neuville-Souchez sector.

About the 20th of December it was in the line at Bailleul-Sire-Berthoult between the western part of the Lille road and the Arras road. It remained there until the beginning of May 1916.

1916 Verdun.

At this date it was relieved and transported to Verdun. It participated in the violent battles which took place there in May and June in the vicinity of Douaumont and suffered serious losses (50 per cent of its personnel). It was reconstituted in June in the district of Merke-Romagne-sur-les-Cotes (reinforcement of from 50 to 100 men per company), and went back to the line near Thiaumont. It suffered serious losses in the attack of June 23 (the companies of the 12th Bavarian Regiment were reduced to about 40 men).

Lorraine.

The 2nd Bavarian Division was withdrawn from this zone of combat about the 15th of July and was sent to the Apremont-St. Mihiel sector, where it was reconstituted. It received numerous reinforcements(convalescents and class of 16 men). During this period, which extends up to October 15th, it did not take part in any serious operation.

Somme.

At the end of October it was transported to the Somme (Sailly-Saillisel sector), where it was again put to a severe test. After staying a month in the Somme district it reoccupied the lines in the St. Mihiel sector at the beginning of December.

29th of February 1916  A New Area

1st May 1917 Actions during 1917  2nd Bavarian Division part of 1st Bavarian Corps and German 6th Army

Divisional Actions during 1917

1917. Californie Plateau.

The 2nd Bavarian Division was withdrawn from the St. Mihiel sector between the 2nd and 5th of May 1917 and entrained at Mars-la-Tour on the 6th, whence it was transported via Conflans to Montcornet, where, during the night of the 8th, it gained the sector situated to the east of Hurtebise.

From the 9th onward the 2nd Bavarian Division engaged some of its elements on the salient northeast of Californie Plateau (May 9th and 10th).

The division occupied this sector up to the end of May and participated in serious engagements notably those of the 13th and 22nd of May to the northwest of the plateau. It was put to a very severe test. (The 9th Company of the 20th Battalion was reduced to 45 men.)

Argonne.

The 2nd Bavarian Division was relieved at the beginning of June and sent to rest for 15 days at Camp Sissonne. Later it was transported to the Argonne, where it occupied the Grande Courte-Chausse sector. During this rest it received two reinforcements of 700 to 800 men on the 28th June and 300 men in July.

At the end of August it changed sectors and went into the line toward Bois d'Avocourt (Bois de Cheppy).

Meuse.

The division was withdrawn from this sector at the end of October and remained in repose in the vicinity of Stenay up to the middle of November, whence it was directed to the sector west of the Bois-le-Chaume. The 12th Bavarian Regiment, which had been sent in reserve to the southeast of Altkirch about the 10th of November to ward off an expected French attack in Alsace, rejoined the division on the 6th December.

The 2nd Bavarian Division remained in this sector (southeast of Beaumont) up to January 1918 and then went to rest in the district of Longwy.

Allied Intelligence 1917 Value Estimate.

The 2nd Bavarian Division participated on the 9th and 10th of May 1917 in violent but unsuccessful counterattacks on the salient northeast of the Californie Plateau. It appears that the Bavarians were always placed in the most dangerous positions and that they were sacrificed by the Prussians. In spite of this condition the 2nd Bavarian Division still showed itself as a good division (July, 1917).

1st January 1918 Actions during 1918  2nd Bavarian Division part of 1st Bavarian Corps and German 6th Army

Divisional Actions during 1918.

1918 Meuse.

The division remained in line north of the Bois des Fosses until relieved by the 19th Reserve Division on January 14th. It went then to the Longwy region, where it was put through a stiff course of training in open warfare.

Amiens.

On the 23rd March it entrained at Audun-le-Roman, and traveled via Longwy-Sedan-Charleville-Hirson-Anor-Avesnes-Le Cateau-Bertry-Caudry to Cambrai, where it detrained March 24-25. At first the division marched in the direction of Bapaumes, but was diverted in a southerly direction on the way and passed through Le Transloy-Sailly-Saillisel-Peronne-Villers-Carbonnel-Estrees-Foucaucourt and billeted at Beaucourt-en-Santerre on the night of March 30-31. On April 2nd it attacked at Morisel and two days later to the southwest of Morisel. It fought then until the 15th, when it side-slipped to the north, relieving the 54th Division, its place being taken by the 15th Division. It was relieved about May 4th by the 21st Division.

It moved to the area southeast of Ghent, and there was reconstituted and trained. On June 2nd, it relieved the 14th Bavarian Division in the Morisel sector. It was relieved in the middle of the month by the extension of fronts of the neighboring divisions.

Champagne.

It rested in the rear of the front in Champagne for about a month and then entered line in the Navarin sector (north of Souain), being identified by prisoners on the 15th July. It was withdrawn on the 20th July.

Vesle.

On the 4th August the division relieved the 22nd Division at Jonchery (on the Vesle, east of Fismes). It remained in line, taking part in the general retirement, until the armistice.

Allied Intelligence 1918 Value Estimate.

The 2nd Bavarian is one of the very best German shock divisions. It was called upon to do a great deal of heavy fighting, and always acquitted itself well. It suffered severe losses in consequence, but these were made good as long as the German High Command had replacements at its disposal.

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2nd Bavarian Division, Imperial German Army

during the Great War 1914-1918.

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