Unit Help

[Matt L]

I've just acquired a few more WWI identity discs, and I'm hoping some of you guys can again identify the field units for me:

Reserve Infanterie Regiment 75

R. Art.57

Reserve Infanterie Regiment 110

Infanterie Regiment 341

I'll post pictures of them on Monday so you can all have a look.

Thanks,

Matt

[Matt L]

Actually, there are a couple more I want to ask about:

Ers. Pi. B. 13 1. Rek. D.

Infanterie Regiment 396

and probably a fairly difficult one:

Festungs MG Abteilung 13 (Fest. MG. A. 13)

So what exactly is the difference between the Landsturm and the Landwehr? What's different between them and a regular Infanterie unit?

Last time I asked for help identifying units, I was told that several were part of Reserve Divisionen- did these supply specific field units, or did they simply supply troops to units as needed? I'm specifically interested in the 3., 75., and 80. Reserve-Divisionen.

I'd really like to learn more about the various field Divisionen, where they fought, etc.- does anyone know of good references (online or otherwise) that I can use?

Thanks.

Matt

[Rick Research]

Landwehr were generally men older than in the Reserve-- say about 40. Landsturm was the 4th level reserves, after regulars, reserves, and Landwehr, and were generally 45+. This is true of individuals, but NOT of units, since by mid-war, raw recruits were often fed into Landwehr units in "quiet" sectors to get them some experience before posting to line combat units. (By war's end this was a luxury no longer possible and "seasoning" took place in the trenches as cannon fodder.) Landsturm rarely served at the front (there were exceptions, always) and generally provided rear area, line of communications, occupied zone garrisons.

Bremen's Reserve Inf Rgt 75 served in the 17th Reserve Division 1914-16, then was sent to the newly formed 211th Inf Div for the rest of the war.

Baden's Res Inf Rgt 110 served in the 28th Reserve Division throughout the war.

Inf Regiment 341 was created with the 86th Inf Div in 1915 and stayed in it for the rest of the war.

Inf Rgt 396 I find only as fed into the 6th Inf Dv 1917-18, but was probably in a high numbered division circa 1915-16 and then reassigned.

Reserve Divsions were frontline units, normally composed of Reserve Regiments-- that is, ALL were units created during the war. But Reserve Regiments served in "pre-war" numbered divisions, and many wartime raised divisions did not use the "Reserve" designation.

Regiments rarely rotated out of their division. Emergency use to fill smashed lines or fill in for extreme losses happened, usually only on a temporary basis. What DID happen was that on creating NEW divisions during the war, regiments were often "thinned out" and sent to form a seasoned core for the new division, while some untried new formation replaced them in the already existing division they had come from. By 1918, divisions were being dissolved as destroyed and "regiments" often barely battalion size were simply thrown in as replacements anywhere needed, the regiments themselves simply being dissolved.

The best basic Order Of Battle book in English is "251 Divisions" (a search of that will turn it up in the References thread), which is available as a now out of print reprint sometimes. Find one and BUY it. It is essential for finding units.