XXXXI Reserve Corps (German Empire)
| XXXXI Reserve Corps XXXXI. Reserve-Korps | |
|---|---|
|
Flag of the Staff of a Generalkommando (1871–1918) | |
| Active | December 1914 - post November 1918 |
| Country |
 German Empire |
| Type | Corps |
| Size | Approximately 26,000 (on formation) |
| Engagements | 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.[1] It was part of the second wave of new Corps formed in the early stages of World War I consisting of XXXVIII - XXXXI[2] Reserve Corps of 75th - 82nd Reserve Divisions (plus 8th Bavarian Reserve Division). The personnel was predominantly made up of kriegsfreiwillige (wartime volunteers) who did not wait to be called up.[3] It was still in existence at the end of the war.[4]
Structure on formation
On formation in December 1914, XXXXI Reserve Corps consisted of two divisions.[5] but was weaker than an Active Corps
- the divisions were organised as triangular rather than square divisions with three infantry regiments rather than four, but had a brigade of two field artillery regiments
- Reserve Infantry Regiments consisted of three battalions but lacked a machine gun company[6]
- Reserve Cavalry Detachments were much smaller than the Reserve Cavalry Regiments formed on mobilisation[7]
- Reserve Field Artillery Regiments consisted of two abteilungen (1 gun and 1 howitzer) of three batteries each, but each battery had just 4 guns (rather than 6 of the Active and the Reserve Regiments formed on mobilisation)[8]
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.
| Corps | Division | Brigade | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| XXXXI Reserve Corps | 81st Reserve Division[9] | 81st Reserve Infantry Brigade | 267th Reserve Infantry Regiment |
| 268th Reserve Infantry Regiment | |||
| 269th Reserve Infantry Regiment | |||
| 81st Reserve Field Artillery Brigade | 67th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment | ||
| 68th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment | |||
| 81st Reserve Cavalry Detachment | |||
| 81st Reserve Cyclist Company | |||
| 81st Reserve Pioneer Company | |||
| 82nd Reserve Division[10] | 82nd Reserve Infantry Brigade | 270th Reserve Infantry Regiment | |
| 271st Reserve Infantry Regiment | |||
| 272nd Reserve Infantry Regiment | |||
| 82nd Reserve Field Artillery Brigade | 69th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment | ||
| 70th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment | |||
| 82nd Reserve Cavalry Detachment | |||
| 82nd Reserve Cyclist Company | |||
| 82nd Reserve Pioneer Company | |||
On May 2, 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:
| Corps | Division | Brigade | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| XXXXI Reserve Corps[11] | 81st Reserve Division | 81st Reserve Infantry Brigade | 267th Reserve Infantry Regiment |
| 268th Reserve Infantry Regiment | |||
| 269th Reserve Infantry Regiment | |||
| 81st Reserve Field Artillery Brigade | 67th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment (3 cannon & 3 light field howitzer batteries) | ||
| 68th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment (3 cannon & 3 light field howitzer batteries) | |||
| 81st Reserve Cavalry Detachment | |||
| 4th Squadron, 7th Dragoon Regiment | |||
| 84th & 85th Reserve Pioneer Companies | |||
| 82nd Reserve Division | 82nd Reserve Infantry Brigade | 270th Reserve Infantry Regiment | |
| 271st Reserve Infantry Regiment | |||
| 272nd Reserve Infantry Regiment | |||
| 82nd Reserve Field Artillery Brigade | 69th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment (3 canon & 3 light field howitzer batteries) | ||
| 70th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment (3 canon & 3 light field howitzer batteries) | |||
| 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) | |||
| Attached | 1 - 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:[12][13]
| From | Rank | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 24 December 1914 | General der Infanterie | Hermann von Francois |
| 29 June 1915 | Generalleutnant | Arnold von Winckler |
| 11 September 1915 | General der Artillerie | Hans von Gronau |
References
- ↑ Cron 2002, p. 87
- ↑ In German military nomenclature, "40" was rendered as "XXXX" in Roman numerals rather than the more conventional "XL".
- ↑ Cron 2002, p. 97
- ↑ Cron 2002, pp. 88–89
- ↑ AEF GHQ 1920, pp. 545,548
- ↑ Busche 1998, pp. 120–121
- ↑ Cron 2002, p. 128 Reserve Cavalry Regiments consisted of three squadrons
- ↑ Cron 2002, p. 136
- ↑ AEF GHQ 1920, p. 544
- ↑ AEF GHQ 1920, p. 547
- ↑ Gorlice 1930, p. 197
- ↑ "German War History". Retrieved 23 December 2012.
- ↑ "Armee-Reserve-Korps". The Prussian Machine. Archived from the original on April 11, 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
Bibliography
- Cron, Hermann (2002). Imperial German Army 1914-18: Organisation, Structure, Orders-of-Battle [first published: 1937]. Helion & Co. ISBN 1-874622-70-1.
- Ellis, John; Cox, Michael (1993). The World War I Databook. Aurum Press Ltd. ISBN 1-85410-766-6.
- Busche, Hartwig (1998). Formationsgeschichte der Deutschen Infanterie im Ersten Weltkrieg (1914 bis 1918) (in German). Institut für Preußische Historiographie.
- 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. ISBN 0-948130-87-3.
- 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. ISBN 1-870423-95-X.
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