The 6th Bavarian Landwehr Division (''6. Bayerische Landwehr-Division'') was a unit of the Bavarian Army, part of the
Imperial German
', literally translated "Germans of the ", is an archaic term for those ethnic Germans who resided within the German state that was founded in 1871. In contemporary usage, it referred to German citizens, the word signifying people from the Germ ...
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 ...
, 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 ...
. The division was formed on February 20, 1915.
It was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I. It was composed primarily of troops of the Landwehr and the Landsturm from the 1st Bavarian Corps district.
Combat chronicle
The 6th Bavarian Landwehr Division served 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 majo ...
, entering the line in Upper Alsace. It fought in the first and second battles of
Münster
Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state distr ...
in 1915 and remained in the line in Upper Alsace until the end of the war. Allied intelligence rated the division as fourth class, noting that it was only used in the calmest sectors of the front.
Order of battle on formation
The 6th Bavarian Landwehr Division was formed as 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, ...
with two brigades of two infantry regiments. The order of battle of the division on April 11, 1915, was as follows:
*1. bayerische Landwehr-Infanterie-Brigade
**Kgl. Bayerisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 1
**Kgl. Bayerisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 2
*2. bayerische Landwehr-Infanterie-Brigade
**Kgl. Bayerisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 3
**Kgl. Bayerisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 12
*2. Landwehr-Eskadron/I. Bayerisches Armeekorps
*Kgl. Bayerische Landsturm-Feldartillerie-Abteilung Nr. 1
*2.Batterie/Landwehr-Fußartillerie-Bataillon Nr. 20
*Kgl. Bayerische Landsturm-Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 1/II. Bayerisches Armeekorps
Late-war order of battle
The division underwent several organizational changes over the course of the war. It was
triangularized in December 1916. It received artillery and signals commands, and combat engineer support was expanded to a full pioneer battalion. The order of battle on February 28, 1918, was as follows:
[Cron et al., ''Ruhmeshalle''.]
*1. bayerische Landwehr-Infanterie-Brigade
**Kgl. Bayerisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 1
**Kgl. Bayerisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 3
**Kgl. Bayerisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 12
*2. Eskadron/Kgl. Bayerisches 2. Chevaulegers-Regiment Taxis
*Kgl. Bayerischer Artillerie-Kommandeur 23
**Kgl. Bayerisches Landwehr-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 6
*Stab Kgl. Bayerisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 26
**Kgl. Bayerische Reserve-Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 16
**Kgl. Bayerische Landsturm-Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 10
**Kgl. Bayerische Minenwerfer-Kompanie Nr. 306
*Kgl. Bayerischer Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 506
References
6.Bayerische-Landwehr-Division (Chronik 1915/1918) - Der erste Weltkrieg* Hermann Cron et al., ''Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee'' (Berlin, 1935)
* Hermann Cron, ''Geschichte des deutschen Heeres im Weltkriege 1914-1918'' (Berlin, 1937)
* Günter Wegner, ''Stellenbesetzung der deutschen Heere 1825-1939.'' (Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück, 1993), Bd. 1
* ''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:6th Bavarian Landwehr Division (German Empire)
Infantry divisions of Germany in World War I
Military units and formations established in 1915
Military units and formations of Bavaria
Military units and formations disestablished in 1919
1915 establishments in Germany