The 3rd Reserve Division (''3. Reserve-Division'') was a reserve infantry division of the
Imperial German Army
The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (german: Deutsches Heer), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the l ...
in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. It was formed on mobilization in August 1914 from reserve infantry units primarily from
Pomerania
Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...
. The division served from the beginning of the war until early 1917 on the
Eastern Front, after which it was transferred to the
Western Front. It was rated a third class division by Allied intelligence.
August 1914 organization
The 3rd Reserve Division's initial wartime organization was as follows:
[Cron et al., ''Ruhmeshalle'']
* 5.Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade:
** Pommersches Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 2
** Pommersches Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 9
* 6.Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade:
** Pommersches Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 34
** Pommersches Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 49
* Reserve-Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 5
* Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 3
* 2.Reserve-Kompanie/Pommersches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 2
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
A triangle is a polygon with three edges and three vertices. It is one of the basic shapes in geometry. A triangle with vertices ''A'', ''B'', and ''C'' is denoted \triangle ABC.
In Euclidean geometry, any three points, when non- collinea ...
- one infantry brigade with three infantry regiments rather than two infantry brigades of two regiments (a "
square division A square division is a designation given to the way military divisions are organized. In a square organization, the division's main body is composed of four "maneuver," i.e., infantry regimental elements. Other types of regiments, such as artillery, ...
"). The 3rd Reserve Division triangularized in November 1915.
03. Reserve-Division - Der erste Weltkrieg
/ref> 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 3rd Reserve Division's order of battle on March 1, 1918, was as follows:
References
3.Reserve-Division
a
1914-18.info
* Hermann Cron et al., ''Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee'' (Berlin, 1935)
* Günter Wegner, ''Stellenbesetzung der deutschen Heere 1815–1939'', Bd. 1 (Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück, 1993)
* ''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:3rd Reserve Division (German Empire)
Military units and formations established in 1914
1914 establishments in Germany
Infantry divisions of Germany in World War I
Military units and formations disestablished in 1919