The 7th Cavalry Division (7. Kavallerie-Division) was a unit of the 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.

Combat chronicle

Initially assigned to III Cavalry Corps preceding 6th Army on the Western Front until October 1915, occupation duties in Belguim until October 1916 and to Romania until January 1917. Returned to the Western Front and in Alsace until May 1918, Flanders until August 1918, Artois to October 1918 and back to Flanders until the end of the war. Dismounted on 14th May 1918 and restructured to form 7th Cavalry Schützen

Schützen (military)

Schützen is a German plural noun used to designate a type of military unit of infantrymen, originally armed with a rifled musket and used in a light-infantry or skirmishing role - and hence similar to the Jäger...

 Division.

A more detailed combat chronicle can be found at the German language version of this article.

Order of Battle on mobilisation

On formation, in August 1914, the component units of the division were:

• 26th Cavalry Brigade (from XIII Army Corps District)
  • 25th (1st Württemberg) Dragoons "Queen Olga"
    25th (1st Württemberg) Dragoons "Queen Olga"
    The 25th Dragoons “Queen Olga” were a cavalry regiment of the Army of Württemberg. The regiment was originally formed in 1806 as Chevau-légers, but reorganized as dragoons in 1870...
    
    
  • 26th (2nd Württemberg) Dragoons "King"
    26th (2nd Württemberg) Dragoons "King"
    The 26th Dragoons “King” was a cavalry regiment of the Army of Württemberg. The regiment was originally formed in 1805 as Mounted Rifles but reorganized as dragoons in 1870...
    
    
• 30th Cavalry Brigade (from XV Corps District)
  • 15th (3rd Silesian) Dragoons Nr. 15
  • 9th (2nd Rhenish) Hussars
• 42nd Cavalry Brigade (from XXI Army Corps District)
  • 11th (2nd Brandenburg) Uhlans "Count Haeseler"
  • 15th (Schleswig-Holstein) Uhlans
• Horse Artillery Abteilung
  Abteilung
  Abteilung is a German language word often used when referring to German or Swiss military formations...
  
   of the 15th (1st Upper Alsatian) Field Artillery Regiment
• 3rd Machine Gun Detachment
• Pioneer Detachment
• Signals Detachment
  • Heavy Wireless Station 21
  • Light Wireless Station 8
  • Light Wireless Station 17
• Cavalry Motorised Vehicle Column 7

See: Table of Organisation and Equipment

TOE, German Cavalry Division, August 1914

This is a brief outline of the Table of Organisation and Equipment of the 11 German Cavalry Divisions that were established at the outbreak of the first World War.-Table of Organisation and Equipment:*Division Staff**"weaker than an infantry division"...

7th Cavalry Schützen Division

The 7th Cavalry Division was extensively reorganised in the course of the war, culminating in conversion to a Cavalry Schützen Division, that is to say, dismounted cavalry. Here, the cavalry brigades were renamed Cavalry Schützen Commands and performed a similar role to that of an infantry regiment command. Likewise, the cavalry regiments became Cavalry Schützen Regiments and alloted 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).

• 26th Cavalry Brigade became independent on 6th October 1917
• 30th Cavalry Brigade renamed 30th Cavalry Schützen Command on 27th May 1918
• 42nd Cavalry Brigade became independent on 14th September 1916
• 28th Cavalry Brigade joined from 4th Cavalry Division
  4th Cavalry Division (German Empire)
  The 4th Cavalry Division was a unit of the German Army in World War I. The division was formed on mobilization of the German Army in August 1914...
  
   on 17th May 1918 and renamed 28th Cavalry Schützen Command on 27th May 1918
• 41st Cavalry Brigade joined from 1st Cavalry Division
  1st Cavalry Division (German Empire)
  The 1st Cavalry Division was a unit of the German Army in World War I. 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.-Combat chronicle:Initially, it was the sole cavalry...
  
   on 17th October 1916 and renamed 41st Cavalry Schützen Command on 27th May 1918

Late World War I organization

Allied Intelligence rated this division as 4th Class (of 4 classes). It's late war organisation was:

• 21st Landwehr Brigade
  • 28th Cavalry Schützen Command
    • 11th (2nd Brandenburg) Uhlans "Count Haeseler"
    • 15th (Schleswig-Holstein) Uhlans
    • 4th Reserve Uhlans
  • 30th Cavalry Schützen Command
    • 15th (3rd Silesian) Dragoons Nr. 15
    • 25th (1st Württemberg) Dragoons "Queen Olga"
      25th (1st Württemberg) Dragoons "Queen Olga"
      The 25th Dragoons “Queen Olga” were a cavalry regiment of the Army of Württemberg. The regiment was originally formed in 1806 as Chevau-légers, but reorganized as dragoons in 1870...
      
      
    • 9th (2nd Rhenish) Hussars
  • 41st Cavalry Schützen Command
    • 5th (West Prussian) Cuirassiers "Duke Frederick Eugene of Württemberg"
      5th (West Prussian) Cuirassiers "Duke Frederick Eugene of Württemberg"
      The 5th Cuirassiers “Duke Frederick Eugene of Württemberg” were a heavy cavalry regiment of the Royal Prussian Army. The regiment was formed in 1717. The regiment fought in the Silesian Wars, the War of the Sixth Coalition, the Austro-Prussian War, the Franco-Prussian War and World War I. It was...
      
      
    • 26th (2nd Württemberg) Dragoons "King"
      26th (2nd Württemberg) Dragoons "King"
      The 26th Dragoons “King” was a cavalry regiment of the Army of Württemberg. The regiment was originally formed in 1805 as Mounted Rifles but reorganized as dragoons in 1870...
      
      
    • 4th (1st Pomeranian) Uhlans "von Schmidt"
• 2nd Squadron, 6th (Brandenburg) Cuirassiers "Emperor Nicholas I of Russia"
  6th (Brandenburg) Cuirassiers "Emperor Nicholas I of Russia"
  The 6th Cuirassiers “Emperor Nicholas I of Russia” were a heavy cavalry regiment of the Royal Prussian Army. The regiment was formed in 1807. The regiment fought in the War of the Sixth Coalition, the Second Schleswig War, the Austro-Prussian War, the Franco-Prussian War and World War I. The...
  
   (mounted cavalry)
• Artillery Command
  • Horse Artillery Abteilung
    Abteilung
    Abteilung is a German language word often used when referring to German or Swiss military formations...
    
     of the 1st Guards Field Artillery Regiment
  • 351st Light Ammunition Column
  • 717th Light Ammunition Column
• 485th Pioneer Battalion
  • 2nd Company, 19th Pioneer Battalion
  • 3rd Company, 19th Pioneer Battalion
  • 2nd Reserve Company, II Pioneer Battalion No. 16
  • 3rd Cavalry Pioneer Abteilung
  • 6th Cavalry Pioneer Abteilung
• Signal Command
  • Telephone Detachment
  • 186th Wireless Detachment
• Medical and Veterinary
  • 34th Ambulance Company
  • 142nd Field Hospital
  • 141st Vet. Hospital
• Train
  • 783rd Motor Transport Column
• Heavy Artillery
  • 117th Foot Artillery Battalion