The 2nd Division (''2. Division'') was a unit of the
Prussian/
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
. It was formed in
Danzig (now
Gdańsk,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
) in March 1816 as a Troop Brigade (''Truppen-Brigade''). It became the 2nd Division on September 5, 1818. In 1890, the headquarters of the division was relocated to
Königsberg
Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was ...
(now
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad ( ; rus, Калининград, p=kəlʲɪnʲɪnˈɡrat, links=y), until 1946 known as Königsberg (; rus, Кёнигсберг, Kyonigsberg, ˈkʲɵnʲɪɡzbɛrk; rus, Короле́вец, Korolevets), is the largest city and ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
), then the capital of
East Prussia.
[Wegner, p. 91.] In 1899, the headquarters was moved to
Insterburg (now
Chernyakhovsk, Russia), further inland and closer to the border with the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...
.
From the latter's formation in 1820, the division was subordinated in peacetime to the
I Army Corps (''I. Armeekorps''). The 2nd Division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
The 2nd Division and its regiments fought in the
Austro-Prussian War against
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
in 1866, including the
Battle of Königgrätz
The Battle of Königgrätz (or Sadowa) was the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War in which the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Austrian Empire. It took place on 3 July 1866, near the Bohemian city of Hradec Králové (German: Königg ...
. The division then fought in the
Franco-Prussian War against
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
in 1870-71. Its regiments saw action in the
Battle of Noiseville, the
Battle of Gravelotte, the
Siege of Metz, the
Battle of Amiens, the
Battle of Hallue
The Battle of Hallue was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War on 23 and 24 December 1870.
The battle was fought between 40,000 French under General Louis Faidherbe and 22,500 Prussian troops under Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel. The French lost ...
, and the
Battle of St. Quentin, among other actions.
[Cron et al., ''Ruhmeshalle'']
In World War I, the division served primarily on the
Eastern Front, seeing action at the battles of
Gumbinnen and
Tannenberg, and the
1st and
2nd Battles of the Masurian Lakes. After Russia's defeat in the war, the division saw service on the
Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to:
Military frontiers
* Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany
*Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany
*Western Front (Russian Empire), a maj ...
in 1918, and ended the war occupying positions around
Antwerp and along the
Maas in Belgium.
1870 organization
During wartime, the 2nd Division, like other German divisions, detached most of its cavalry and was redesignated an infantry division. The organization of the 2nd Infantry Division in 1870 at the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War was as follows:
* 3rd Infantry Brigade (''3. Infanterie-Brigade'')
** 3rd East Prussian Grenadier Regiment No. 4 (''3. Ostpreußisches Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 4'')
** 7th East Prussian Infantry Regiment No. 44 (''7. Ostpreußisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 44'')
* 4th Infantry Brigade (''4. Infanterie-Brigade'')
** 4th East Prussian Grenadier Regiment No. 5 (''4. Ostpreußisches Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 5'')
** 8th East Prussian Infantry Regiment No. 45 (''8. Ostpreußisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 45'')
* 10th Dragoon Regiment (''Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 10'')
Pre-World War I organization
Many regiments were renamed and assigned to different divisions during the period from 1871 to 1914. In 1914, the peacetime organization of the 2nd Division was as follows:
[''Rangliste der Königlich Preußischen Armee'' (1914), pp. 54-55]
* 3rd Infantry Brigade (''3. Infanterie-Brigade'')
** 4th Grenadier Regiment "King Frederick the Great" (3rd East Prussian) (''Grenadier-Regiment König Friedrich der Große (3. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 4'')
** 44th Infantry Regiment "Graf Dönhoff" (7th East Prussian) (''Infanterie-Regiment Graf Dönhoff (7. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 44'')
* 4th Infantry Brigade (''4. Infanterie-Brigade'')
** 33rd Fusilier Regiment "Graf Roon" (East Prussian) (''Füsilier-Regiment Graf Roon (Ostpreuß.) Nr. 33'')
** 45th Infantry Regiment (8th East Prussian) (''8. Ostpreuß. Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 45'')
* 2nd Cavalry Brigade (''2. Kavallerie-Brigade'')
**
12th (Lithuanian) Uhlans (''Litthauisches Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 12'')
[Despite the name, a Prussian unit.]
**
9th Mounted Rifles (''Jäger-Regiment zu Pferde Nr. 9'')
* 43rd Cavalry Brigade (''43. Kavallerie-Brigade'')
**
8th (East Prussian) Uhlans "Count zu Dohna" (''Ulanen-Regiment Graf zu Dohna (Ostpreuß.) Nr. 8'')
**
10th Mounted Rifles (''Jäger-Regiment zu Pferde Nr. 10'')
* 2nd Field Artillery Brigade (''2. Feldartillerie-Brigade'')
** 1st Field Artillery Regiment "Prince August of Prussia" (1st Lithuanian) (''Feldartillerie-Regiment Prinz August von Preußen (1. Litthau.) Nr. 1'')
** 37th Field Artillery Regiment (2nd Lithuanian) (''2. Litthau. Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 37'')
August 1914 organization
On mobilization in August 1914 at the beginning of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, most divisional cavalry, including brigade headquarters, was withdrawn to form cavalry divisions or split up among divisions as reconnaissance units. Divisions received engineer companies and other support units from their higher headquarters. The 2nd Division was again renamed the 2nd Infantry Division. Its initial wartime organization (major units) was as follows:
* 3rd Infantry Brigade (''3. Infanterie-Brigade'')
** 4th Grenadier Regiment "King Frederick the Great" (3rd East Prussian) (''Grenadier-Regiment König Friedrich der Große (3. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 4'')
** 44th Infantry Regiment "Graf Dönhoff" (7th East Prussian) (''Infanterie-Regiment Graf Dönhoff (7. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 44'')
* 4th Infantry Brigade (''4. Infanterie-Brigade'')
** 33rd Fusilier Regiment "Graf Roon" (East Prussian) (''Füsilier-Regiment Graf Roon (Ostpreuß.) Nr. 33'')
** 45th Infantry Regiment (8th East Prussian) (''8. Ostpreuß. Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 45'')
* 10th Light Regiment of Horse (''Jäger-Regiment zu Pferde Nr. 10'')
* 2nd Field Artillery Brigade (''2. Feldartillerie-Brigade'')
** 1st Field Artillery Regiment "Prince August of Prussia" (1st Lithuanian) (''Feldartillerie-Regiment Prinz August von Preußen (1. Litthau.) Nr. 1'')
** 37th Field Artillery Regiment (2nd Lithuanian) (''2. Litthau. Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 37'')
* 2nd Company, 1st Engineer Battalion "Prince Radziwill" (East Prussian) (''2./Pionier-Bataillon Prinz Radziwill (Ostpreuß.) Nr. 1'')
* 3rd Company, 1st Engineer Battalion "Prince Radziwill" (East Prussian) (''3./Pionier-Bataillon Prinz Radziwill (Ostpreuß.) Nr. 1'')
Late World War I organization
Divisions underwent many changes during the war, with regiments moving from division to division, and some being destroyed and rebuilt. During the war, most divisions became
triangular - one infantry brigade with three infantry regiments rather than two infantry brigades of two regiments (a "
square division"). An artillery commander replaced the artillery brigade headquarters, the cavalry was further reduced, the engineer contingent was increased, and a divisional signals command was created. The 2nd Infantry Division's order of battle on April 12, 1918, was as follows:
* 3rd Infantry Brigade (''3. Infanterie-Brigade'')
** 4th Grenadier Regiment "King Frederick the Great" (3rd East Prussian) (''Grenadier-Regiment König Friedrich der Große (3. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 4'')
** 33rd Fusilier Regiment "Graf Roon" (East Prussian) (''Füsilier-Regiment Graf Roon (Ostpreuß.) Nr. 33'')
** 44th Infantry Regiment "Graf Dönhoff" (7th East Prussian) (''Infanterie-Regiment Graf Dönhoff (7. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 44'')
* 2nd Squadron, 10th Light Regiment of Horse (''2. Eskadron/Jäger-Regiment zu Pferde Nr. 10'')
* Artillery Commander No. 2 (''Artillerie-Kommandeur 2'')
** 1st Field Artillery Regiment "Prince August of Prussia" (1st Lithuanian) (''Feldartillerie-Regiment Prinz August von Preußen (1. Litthau.) Nr. 1'')
** 2nd Battalion, 11th Reserve Foot Artillery Regiment (''II.Bataillon/Reserve-Fußartillerie-Regiment Nr. 11'')
* Staff, 1st Engineer Battalion "Prince Radziwill" (East Prussian) (''Stab Pionier-Bataillon Prinz Radziwill (Ostpreuß.) Nr. 1'')
** 2nd Company, 1st Engineer Battalion "Prince Radziwill" (East Prussian) (''2./Pionier-Bataillon Prinz Radziwill (Ostpreuß.) Nr. 1'')
** 4th Company, 1st Engineer Battalion "Prince Radziwill" (East Prussian) (''3./Pionier-Bataillon Prinz Radziwill (Ostpreuß.) Nr. 1'')
** 2nd Mortar Company (''Minenwerfer-Kompanie Nr. 2'')
* Divisional Signals Commander No. 2 (''Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 2'')
References
2.Infanterie-Divisiona
1914-18.info* Claus von Bredow, bearb., ''Historische Rang- und Stammliste des deutschen Heeres'' (1905)
* Hermann Cron et al., ''Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee'' (Berlin, 1935)
* A. Niemann, ''Der französische Feldzug 1870-1871'' (Verlag des Bibliographischen Instituts, Hildburghausen, 1871)
* Günter Wegner, ''Stellenbesetzung der deutschen Heere 1815-1939'', Bd. 1 (Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück, 1993)
* ''Rangliste der Königlich Preußischen Armee'' (1914)
* ''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'' (1920)
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:2nd Division (German Empire)
Infantry divisions of Germany in World War I
Military units and formations established in 1818
Military units and formations disestablished in 1919