1st Cavalry Division (German Empire) explained
The 1st Cavalry Division was a unit of the Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed on the 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 division on the Eastern Front, where it was assigned to the 8th Army. It remained in the East throughout the war. From 6 January 1915 to 22 August 1917, the division was involved in coastal defence duties in northern Courland. It was transferred to the Ukraine in March 1918, where it remained until 29 January 1919. From 16 January 1918, it contained just one brigade of 3 regiments.
Battle Calendar
The Division was formed as part of the mobilization at the beginning of World War I and was used exclusively on the Eastern Front. Here it remained as a German Police Force after the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. It was first used in Livonia and Estonia and then came to Ukraine, where it remained until 16 March 1919.
1914
1915
1916
- – Coastal Protection Northern Courland
1917
- – Until 22 August – Coastal Protection North Courland
- 23 January to 3 February – Winter Battle on the Lielupe
- 1–5 September – Riga offensive (1917)
- 6 September to 28 October – Position Battles north of the Daugava
- From 29 October – Crew service at Budget Inspection 10
1918
- – Until 10 March – Crew service at Budget Inspection 10
- 11 March to 2 May – Occupation of Livonia and Estonia as a German Police force
- 3 May to 21 June – Fighting in Ukraine
- 22 June to 15 November – Occupation of Ukraine
- From 16 November – Eviction of Ukraine
1919
- – Until 16 March – Evacuation of the Ukraine
Order of Battle on mobilisation
On formation, in August 1914, the component units of the division were:
!Brigade!From!Regiment1st Cavalry Brigade | I Corps District | 3rd (East Prussian) Cuirassiers "Count Wrangel" |
1st (Lithuanian) Dragoons "Prince Albrecht of Prussia" |
2nd Cavalry Brigade | I Corps District | 12th (Lithuanian) Uhlans |
9th Mounted Rifles |
41st Cavalry Brigade | XX Corps District | 5th (West Prussian) Cuirassiers "Duke Frederick Eugene of Württemberg" |
4th (1st Pomeranian) Uhlans "von Schmidt" | |
- Horse Artillery Abteilung of the 1st (1st Lithuanian) Field Artillery "Prince August of Prussia" Regiment
- 5th Machine Gun Detachment
- Pioneer Detachment
- Signals Detachment
- Heavy Wireless Station 17
- Light Wireless Station 7
- Light Wireless Station 14
- Cavalry Motorised Vehicle Column 1
See: Table of Organisation and Equipment
Late World War I organization
In the course of the War, the Division saw a number of changes to its assigned Brigades.
Allied Intelligence did not rate the Division's fighting value. Its late war organisation was:
- 2nd Cavalry Brigade
- 3rd (East Prussian) Cuirassiers "Count Wrangel"
- 1st (Lithuanian) Dragoons "Prince Albrecht of Prussia"
- 12th (Lithuanian) Uhlans
- Horse Artillery Abteilung of the 1st (Prince August of Prussia) (1st Lithuanian) Field Artillery Regiment
- Horse Artillery Abteilung of the 35th (1st West Prussian) Field Artillery Regiment[2]
- 1st Pioneer Detachment
- 347th Searchlight Section
- 70th Ambulance Company
- 66th Vet. Hospital
- 142nd Vet. Hospital
- 152nd Cyclist Company
- 153rd Cyclist Company
- 159th Cyclist Company
See also
Bibliography
- Book: Cron, Hermann . Imperial German Army 1914–18: Organisation, Structure, Orders-of-Battle [first published: 1937] . Helion & Co . 2002 . 1-874622-70-1.
- Book: Ellis, John . The World War I Databook . Cox . Michael . Aurum Press Ltd . 1993 . 1-85410-766-6.
- Book: Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-One Divisions of the German Army which Participated in the War (1914-1918), compiled from records of Intelligence section of the General Staff, American Expeditionary Forces, at General Headquarters, Chaumont, France 1919 . The London Stamp Exchange Ltd (1989) . 1920 . 0-948130-87-3 . .
- Book: The German Forces in the Field; 7th Revision, 11th November 1918; Compiled by the General Staff, War Office . Imperial War Museum, London and The Battery Press, Inc (1995) . 1918 . 1-870423-95-X . .
Notes and References
- Web site: 1. (kgl. sächs.) Kavallerie-Brigade Nr. 23 . Militär/Formationsgeschichte/Deutschland/Erster Weltkrieg . 20 August 2014.
- 1917 was changed into a field artillery abteilung;