XXXXI Reserve Corps (German Empire) explained

Unit Name:XXXXI ReseCorps
XXXxxxxxXI. Reserve-Korps
Dates:December 1914 - post November 1918
Type:Corps
Size:Approximately 26,000 (on formation)
Battles:World War I

The XXXXI Reserve Corps (German: '''XXXXI. Reserve-Korps / XXXXI RK''') was a corps level command of the German Army in World War I.

Formation

XXXXI Reserve Corps was formed in December 1914. It was part of the second wave of new Corps formed in the early stages of World War I consisting of XXXVIII - XXXXI[1] Reserve Corps of 75th - 82nd Reserve Divisions (plus 8th Bavarian Reserve Division). The personnel was predominantly made up of German: kriegsfreiwillige (wartime volunteers) who did not wait to be called up. It was still in existence at the end of the war.

Structure on formation

On formation in December 1914, XXXXI Reserve Corps consisted of two divisions. but was weaker than an Active Corps

In summary, XXXXI Reserve Corps mobilised with 18 infantry battalions, 2 cavalry detachments, 24 field artillery batteries (96 guns), 2 cyclist companies and 2 pioneer companies.

CorpsDivisionBrigadeUnits
ROWSPAN=16 XXXXI Reserve CorpsROWSPAN=8 81st Reserve DivisionROWSPAN=3 81st Reserve Infantry Brigade267th Reserve Infantry Regiment
268th Reserve Infantry Regiment
269th Reserve Infantry Regiment
ROWSPAN=2 81st Reserve Field Artillery Brigade67th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
68th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
ROWSPAN=3 81st Reserve Cavalry Detachment
81st Reserve Cyclist Company
81st Reserve Pioneer Company
ROWSPAN=8 82nd Reserve DivisionROWSPAN=3 82nd Reserve Infantry Brigade270th Reserve Infantry Regiment
271st Reserve Infantry Regiment
272nd Reserve Infantry Regiment
ROWSPAN=2 82nd Reserve Field Artillery Brigade69th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
70th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
ROWSPAN=3 82nd Reserve Cavalry Detachment
82nd Reserve Cyclist Company
82nd Reserve Pioneer Company

On 2 May 1915 in preparation for the Gorlice-Tarnow Offensive the corps consisted of 18 battalions, 4 squadrons, 43 machine guns and 108 guns. The corps was organized as follows:

CorpsDivisionBrigadeUnits
ROWSPAN=25 XXXXI Reserve CorpsROWSPAN=8 81st Reserve DivisionROWSPAN=3 81st Reserve Infantry Brigade267th Reserve Infantry Regiment
268th Reserve Infantry Regiment
269th Reserve Infantry Regiment
ROWSPAN=2 81st Reserve Field Artillery Brigade67th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment (3 cannon & 3 light field howitzer batteries)
68th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment (3 cannon & 3 light field howitzer batteries)
ROWSPAN=3 81st Reserve Cavalry Detachment
4th Squadron, 7th Dragoon Regiment
84th & 85th Reserve Pioneer Companies
ROWSPAN=9 82nd Reserve DivisionROWSPAN=3 82nd Reserve Infantry Brigade270th Reserve Infantry Regiment
271st Reserve Infantry Regiment
272nd Reserve Infantry Regiment
ROWSPAN=2 82nd Reserve Field Artillery Brigade69th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment (3 cannon & 3 light field howitzer batteries)
70th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment (3 cannon & 3 light field howitzer batteries)
ROWSPAN=4 82nd Reserve Cavalry Detachment
4th Squadron, 7th Uhlan Regiment
82nd Reserve Pioneer Company & 1st Company, 18th Pioneer Regiment
2nd Battalion, 3rd Foot Artillery Regiment (3 batteries heavy field howitzers)
ROWSPAN=9 Attached1 - 15-cm Austro-Hungarian howitzer battery (4 guns)
1 - 12-cm Austro-Hungarian cannon battery (4 guns)
7th Battery, Bavarian 1st Reserve Foot Artillery (4 – 10-cm cannons)
3rd Battalion, 1st Foot Artillery Regiment (2 btrys, 4 – 21-cm mortars each)
229th Light Trench Mortar Detachment (6 mortars)
230th Light Trench Mortar Detachment (6 mortars)
120th Medium Trench Mortar Detachment (4 mortars)
35th Heavy Trench Mortar Detachment (2 mortars)

Commanders

XXXXI Reserve Corps had the following commanders during its existence:[3] [4]

From Rank Name
24 December 1914 Hermann von François
29 June 1915 Arnold von Winckler
11 September 1915 Hans von Gronau

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. In German military nomenclature, "40" was rendered as "XXXX" in Roman numerals rather than the more conventional "XL".
  2. Reserve Cavalry Regiments consisted of three squadrons
  3. Web site: German War History. 23 December 2012.
  4. Web site: Armee-Reserve-Korps . The Prussian Machine . 23 December 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120411130752/http://home.comcast.net/~jcviser/army/corps2.htm . 11 April 2012 .