The 2nd Bavarian Landwehr Division (2. Bayerische Landwehr-Division) was a unit of the Bavarian Army, part 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 December 31, 1916. It was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I. It was composed primarily of troops of the Landwehr

Landwehr

Landwehr, or Landeswehr, is a German language term used in referring to certain national armies, or militias found in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Europe. In different context it refers to large scale, low strength fortifications...

.

Combat chronicle

The 2nd Bavarian Landwehr Division initially served on the Eastern Front

Eastern Front (World War I)

The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...

, entering the line in the Baltic region near Riga. In September 1917, it participated in the Battle of Riga. The division then remained on the line on the Duna River until the armistice on the Eastern Front in December 1917. For most of 1918, it served in Livonia and Estonia as part of the German occupation forces. In October 1918, it was transferred to 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...

, and occupied a portion of the trenchline in Lorraine until the end of World War I. Allied intelligence rated the division as fourth class.

Order of battle on formation

The 2nd Bavarian Landwehr Division was formed as a triangular division

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...

with one brigade of three infantry regiments. The order of battle of the division on February 19, 1917 was as follows:

• 9. bayerische Landwehr-Brigade
  • Kgl. Bayerisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 2
  • Kgl. Bayerisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 5
  • Kgl. Bayerisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 10
• 3.Eskadron/Kgl. Bayerisches Reserve-Kavallerie-Regiment Nr. 1
• Kgl. Bayerisches Landwehr-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 2
• Stab Kgl. Bayerisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 25
  • Kgl. Bayerische Landwehr-Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 2
  • Kgl. Bayerische Landwehr-Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 3
  • Kgl. Bayerische Minenwerfer-Kompanie Nr. 502

Late-war order of battle

As German divisional organizations had become fairly standardized by late 1916 when the division was formed, it underwent relatively few organizational changes over the course of the war. It received a divisional signals command in September 1917, and did not receive an artillery command until October 1918. The order of battle on March 4, 1918 was as follows:

• 6. bayerische Landwehr-Brigade:
  • Kgl. Bayerisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 2
  • Kgl. Bayerisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 5
  • Kgl. Bayerisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 10
• 3.Eskadron/Kgl. Bayerisches Reserve-Kavallerie-Regiment Nr. 1
• Kgl. Bayerisches Landwehr-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 2
• Stab Kgl. Bayerisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 25
  • Kgl. Bayerische Landwehr-Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 2
  • Kgl. Bayerische Landwehr-Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 3
  • Kgl. Bayerische Minenwerfer-Kompanie Nr. 502
• Kgl. Bayerischer Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 502