The 13th Reserve Division (13. Reserve-Division) was a unit of the Imperial German

German Empire

The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...

 Army

German Army (German Empire)

The German Army was the name given the combined land forces of the German Empire, also known as the National Army , Imperial Army or Imperial German Army. The term "Deutsches Heer" is also used for the modern German Army, the land component of the German Bundeswehr...

 in World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. The division was formed on 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. The division was recruited primarily in the Province of Westphalia

Province of Westphalia

The Province of Westphalia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946.-History:Napoleon Bonaparte founded the Kingdom of Westphalia, which was a client state of the First French Empire from 1807 to 1813...

.

Combat chronicle

The 13th Reserve Division fought on the Western Front

Western Front (World War I)

Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...

, participating in the opening German offensive which led to the Allied Great Retreat

Great Retreat

The Great Retreat, also known as the Retreat from Mons, is the name given to the long, fighting retreat by Allied forces to the River Marne, on the Western Front early in World War I, after their holding action against the Imperial German Armies at the Battle of Mons on 23 August 1914...

, including the capture of Maubeuge

Maubeuge

Maubeuge is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is situated on both banks of the Sambre , east of Valenciennes and about from the Belgian border.-History:...

. Thereafter, the division remained in the line in the Aisne region until December 1915, when it went to the Verdun region. It entered the Battle of Verdun

Battle of Verdun

The Battle of Verdun was one of the major battles during the First World War on the Western Front. It was fought between the German and French armies, from 21 February – 18 December 1916, on hilly terrain north of the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France...

 in February, and remained there until September. After the battle, the division remained in the line at Verdun. It went to the Champagne region at the end of 1916, and remained there into 1917, fighting in the Second Battle of the Aisne

Second Battle of the Aisne

The Second Battle of the Aisne , was the massive main assault of the French military's Nivelle Offensive or Chemin des Dames Offensive in 1917 during World War I....

, also called the Third Battle of Champagne, in April–May 1917. After a few months near Reims, the division returned to the Verdun region in September, remaining there until April 1918 except for a month in Army reserve. The division then went to Belgium, and was in Flanders until the war's end. Allied intelligence rated the division as mediocre in 1917, but first class in 1918.

Order of battle on mobilization

The order of battle of the 13th Reserve Division on mobilization was as follows:

• 25. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade
  • Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 13
  • Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 56
• 28. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade
  • Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 39
  • Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 57
  • Reserve-Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 7
• Reserve-Husaren-Regiment Nr. 5
• Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 13
• 14.Kompanie/Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 7

Order of battle on July 12, 1918

The 13th Reserve Division was triangularized

Triangular division

A triangular division is a designation given to the way divisions are organized. In a triangular organization, the division's main body is composed of three regimental maneuver elements. These regiments may be controlled by a brigade headquarters or directly subordinated to the division commander...

in March 1915. Over the course of the war, other changes took place, including the formation of artillery and signals commands and a pioneer battalion. The order of battle on July 12, 1918 was as follows:

• 28. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade
  • Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 13
  • Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 39
  • Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 57
• 3.Eskadron/Reserve-Husaren-Regiment Nr. 5
• Artillerie-Kommandeur 100
  • Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 13
  • I.Bataillon/Reserve-Fußartillerie-Regiment Nr. 22
• Stab Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 313
  • 4.Kompanie/Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 7
  • Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 287
  • Minenwerfer-Kompanie Nr. 213
• Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 413