| Unit Name: | I Army Corps I. Armee-Korps |
| Country: | / |
| Type: | Corps |
| Size: | Approximately 44,000 (on mobilisation in 1914) |
| Garrison: | Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia)/Vorder-Roßgarten 54 |
| Colors: | White |
| Colors Label: | Shoulder strap piping |
| Battles: | Austro-Prussian War
Battle of KöniggrätzFranco-Prussian War |
| Identification Symbol: | I AK |
| Identification Symbol Label: | Abbreviation |
The I Army Corps / I AK (German: '''I. Armee-Korps''') was a corps level command of the Prussian and then the Imperial German Armies from the 19th Century to World War I.
It was established with headquarters in Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia). Initially, the Corps catchment area comprised the entire Province of East Prussia, but from 1 October 1912 the southern part of the Province was transferred to the newly formed XX Corps District.[1]
In peacetime, the Corps was assigned to the I Army Inspectorate, which became the 8th Army at the start of the First World War. The corps was still in existence at the end of the war, and was disbanded with the demobilisation of the German Army after World War I.
The I Corps fought in the Austro-Prussian War against Austria in 1866, including the Battle of Trautenau and the Battle of Königgrätz.[2]
The Corps served in the Franco-Prussian War against France in 1870–1871. It saw action in the Battle of Noiseville, the Battle of Gravelotte, the Siege of Metz, the Battle of Amiens, the Battle of Hallue, and the Battle of St. Quentin, among other actions.[3]
From formation in 1820, the Corps commanded two divisions: 1st Division and 2nd Division. These were joined by 37th Division when it was formed on 1 April 1899. 37th Division was transferred to XX Corps when it was formed on 1 October 1912.
The 25 peacetime Corps of the German Army (Guards, I - XXI, I - III Bavarian) had a reasonably standardised organisation. Each consisted of two divisions with usually two infantry brigades, one field artillery brigade and a cavalry brigade each. Each brigade normally consisted of two regiments of the appropriate type, so each Corps normally commanded 8 infantry, 4 field artillery and 4 cavalry regiments. There were exceptions to this rule:
V, VI, VII, IX and XIV Corps each had a 5th infantry brigade (so 10 infantry regiments)
II, XIII, XVIII and XXI Corps had a 9th infantry regiment
I, VI and XVI Corps had a 3rd cavalry brigade (so 6 cavalry regiments)
the Guards Corps had 11 infantry regiments (in 5 brigades) and 8 cavalry regiments (in 4 brigades).[4] Each Corps also directly controlled a number of other units. This could include one or more
Foot Artillery Regiment
Jäger Battalion
Pioneer Battalion
Train Battalion
| ROWSPAN=26 | I Corps | ROWSPAN=8 | 1st Division | ROWSPAN=2 | 1st Infantry Brigade | 1st (1st East Prussian) Grenadiers "Crown Prince" | Königsberg |
| 41st (5th East Prussian) Infantry "von Boyen" | Tilsit, III Bn at Memel | ||||||
| ROWSPAN=2 | 2nd Infantry Brigade | 3rd (2nd East Prussian) Grenadiers "King Frederick William I" | Königsberg | ||||
| 43rd (6th East Prussian) Infantry "Duke Charles of Mecklenburg" | Königsberg, II Bn at Pillau | ||||||
| ROWSPAN=2 | 1st Field Artillery Brigade | 16th (1st East Prussian) Field Artillery | Königsberg | ||||
| 52nd (2nd East Prussian) Field Artillery | Königsberg | ||||||
| ROWSPAN=2 | 1st Cavalry Brigade | 3rd (East Prussian) Cuirassiers "Count Wrangel" | |||||
| 1st (Lithuanian) Dragoons "Prince Albrecht of Prussia" | Tilsit | ||||||
| ROWSPAN=10 | 2nd Division | ROWSPAN=2 | 3rd Infantry Brigade | 4th (3rd East Prussian) Grenadiers "King Frederick the Great" | Rastenburg | ||
| 44th (7th East Prussian) Infantry "Count Dönhoff" | Goldap | ||||||
| ROWSPAN=2 | 4th Infantry Brigade | 33rd (East Prussian) Fusiliers "Count Roon" | Gumbinnen | ||||
| 45th (8th East Prussian) Infantry | Insterburg, Darkehmen | ||||||
| ROWSPAN=2 | 2nd Field Artillery Brigade | 1st (1st Lithuanian) Field Artillery "Prince August of Prussia"[5] | Gumbinnen, Insterburg | ||||
| 37th (2nd Lithuanian) Field Artillery | Insterburg | ||||||
| ROWSPAN=2 | 2nd Cavalry Brigade | 12th (Lithuanian) Uhlans | Insterburg | ||||
| 9th Mounted Rifles | 9th Jäger zu Pferde | Insterburg | |||||
| ROWSPAN=2 | 43rd Cavalry Brigade | 8th (East Prussian) Uhlans "Count zu Dohna" | Gumbinnen, Stallupönen | ||||
| 10th Mounted Rifles | 10th Jäger zu Pferde | Angerburg, Goldap | |||||
| ROWSPAN=8 | Corps Troops | ROWSPAN=8 | 5th Machine Gun Abteilung | Insterburg | |||
| 1st Fortress Machine Gun Abteilung | Königsberg | ||||||
| 1st (East Prussian) Foot Artillery "von Linger" | Königsberg, Lötzen (Feste Boyen) | ||||||
| 1st (East Prussian) Pioneer Battalion "Prince Radziwill" | Königsberg | ||||||
| 18th (Samland) (Fortress-) Pioneer Battalion | Königsberg | ||||||
| 5th Fortress Telephone Company | Königsberg | ||||||
| 5th Airship Battalion | Graudenz, Königsberg, Schneidemühl | ||||||
| 1st (East Prussian) Train Battalion | Königsberg |
On mobilization on 2 August 1914, the Corps was restructured. The 1st and 2nd Cavalry Brigades were withdrawn to form part of the 1st Cavalry Division and the 43rd Cavalry Brigade was broken up and its regiments assigned to the divisions as reconnaissance units. The Divisions received engineer companies and other support units from the Corps headquarters. In summary, I Corps mobilised with 24 infantry battalions, 8 machine gun companies (48 machine guns), 8 cavalry squadrons, 24 field artillery batteries (144 guns), 4 heavy artillery batteries (16 guns), 3 pioneer companies and an aviation detachment.
| ROWSPAN=28 | I Corps | ROWSPAN=11 | 1st Division | ROWSPAN=2 | 1st Infantry Brigade | 1st Grenadier Regiment |
| 41st Infantry Regiment | ||||||
| ROWSPAN=2 | 2nd Infantry Brigade | 3rd Grenadier Regiment | ||||
| 43rd Infantry Regiment | ||||||
| ROWSPAN=2 | 1st Field Artillery Brigade | 16th Field Artillery Regiment | ||||
| 52nd Field Artillery Regiment | ||||||
| ROWSPAN=5 | 8th Uhlan Regiment | |||||
| 1st Company, 1st Pioneer Battalion | ||||||
| 1st Divisional Pontoon Train | ||||||
| 1st Medical Company | ||||||
| 3rd Medical Company | ||||||
| ROWSPAN=11 | 2nd Division | ROWSPAN=2 | 3rd Infantry Brigade | 4th Grenadier Regiment | ||
| 44th Infantry Regiment | ||||||
| ROWSPAN=2 | 4th Infantry Brigade | 33rd Fusilier Regiment | ||||
| 45th Infantry Regiment | ||||||
| ROWSPAN=2 | 2nd Field Artillery Brigade | 1st Field Artillery Regiment | ||||
| 37th Field Artillery Regiment | ||||||
| ROWSPAN=5 | 10th Jäger zu Pferde Regiment | |||||
| 2nd Company, 1st Pioneer Battalion | ||||||
| 3rd Company, 1st Pioneer Battalion | ||||||
| 2nd Divisional Pontoon Train | ||||||
| 2nd Medical Company | ||||||
| ROWSPAN=6 | Corps Troops | ROWSPAN=6 | I Battalion, 1st Foot Artillery Regiment[6] | |||
| 14th Aviation Detachment | ||||||
| 1st Corps Pontoon Train | ||||||
| 1st Telephone Detachment | ||||||
| 1st Pioneer Searchlight Section | ||||||
| Munition Trains and Columns corresponding to II Corps |
On mobilisation, I Corps was assigned to the 8th Army to defend East Prussia, while the rest of the Army executed the Schlieffen Plan offensive in August 1914. It saw action at the battles of Stallupönen, Gumbinnen, and Tannenberg, and the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes.
The Corps was still in existence at the end of the war.
The I Corps had the following commanders during its existence:[1] [7] [8]
| From | Rank | Name | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 March 1814 | Friedrich Graf Bülow von Dennewitz | ||
| 5 March 1816 | Karl Ludwig von Borstell | ||
| 18 June 1825 | Karl August von Krafft | ||
| 30 March 1832 | Oldwig von Natzmer | ||
| 29 November 1839 | Friedrich Graf von Wrangel | ||
| 7 April 1842 | Karl Friedrich Emil zu Dohna-Schlobitten | ||
| 28 March 1854 | Franz Karl von Werder | ||
| 29 January 1863 | Adolf von Bonin | ||
| 30 October 1866 | Eduard Vogel von Falckenstein | ||
| 4 August 1868 | Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel | ||
| 15 July 1873 | Albert Freiherr von Barnekow | ||
| 5 June 1883 | Walther von Gottberg | ||
| 1 June 1885 | Christian Ewald von Kleist | ||
| 15 June 1889 | Paul Bronsart von Schellendorff | ||
| 29 June 1891 | Hans Wilhelm von Werder | ||
| 10 January 1895 | Karl Graf Finck von Finckenstein | ||
| 27 January 1902 | Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz | ||
| 11 September 1907 | Alexander von Kluck | ||
| 1 October 1913 | Hermann von François | ||
| 8 October 1914 | Robert Kosch | ||
| 11 June 1915 | Johannes von Eben | ||
| 5 June 1917 | Arnold von Winckler | ||
| 25 February 1918 | Wilhelm Groener | ||
| 28 March 1918 | Theodor Mengelbier | ||
| 14 December 1918 | Johannes von Eben | ||
| 25 February 1919 | Ludwig von Estorff |