The Kaisers Legions: 33rd Infantry

Forward

This Blog was born from a wet day in Germany, looking at one of the many war memorials in that country and further investigation which led me to notice a lack of reference material with regards to the German Army in World War One.

My work on this project has been made easier by the World Wide Web, but with the information tools at my disposal it has been a constant battle to ensure that the correct information has been included.

This Blog is intended for reference, and will hopefully enable those with an interest in the German Army of World War One to look up with confidence the various units and organisations which contributed to the German war machine.

Monday, 10 March 2014

33rd Reserve Division

This Reserve Army unit was formed in August 1914

The 33rd Reserve Division fought exclusively on the Western Front.

8th Bavarian Infantry Brigade	Transferred to the 14th Bavarian Division in 1915
4th Bavarian (King Wilhelm of Wurttenburg) Infantry Regiment
8th Bavarian (Grand Duke Friedrich II of Baden) Infantry Regiment
1st and 2nd Bn 2nd Foot Artillery
66th Reserve Infantry Brigade
67th Reserve Infantry Regiment
130th Reserve Infantry Regiment
2nd Reserve Hussar Regiment
1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Ersatz Artillery
4th Coy/22nd Pioneer Battalion

The Division was triangularized in August 1916:

66th Reserve Infantry Brigade

67th Reserve Infantry Regiment
130th Reserve Infantry Regiment
364th Infantry Regiment

16th Ulhan Regiment/6th Squadron

125th Artillery Command

33rd Reserve Field Artillery Regiment

233rd Mine Thrower Company

2 pioneer Companies

Monday, 3 February 2014

33rd Infantry Division

This peacetime Army unit was formed in April 1890

Its home station was in Lorraine, as part of the XVI Corps District.

The 33rd and 34th Divisions formed the XVI Army Corps.

67^th Infantry Brigade	Transferred to the 223rd Infantry Division on 7th October 1916. Transferred to the 44th Landwehr Division on 6th October 1918.
98th (Metz) Infantry Regiment formed on 24th March 1881, garrisoned in Metz
130th (1st Lothringer) Infantry Regiment formed on 24th March 1881, garrisoned in Metz
68^th Infantry Brigade
135th (3rd Lothringer) Infantry Regiment formed on 11th March 1887, garrisoned in Diedenhofen
144th (5th Lothringer) Infantry Regiment formed on 1st February 1890, garrisoned in Metz	To 223rd Division in September 1916
12th Jäger Regiment on horseback
33rd Field Artillery Brigade	33rd Field Artillery Regiment 34th Field Artillery Regiment

1st Company, 16th Pioneer Battalion

At the start of the war the 33rd Division invaded France with the 5th Army, and after seeing action at the battle of the Marne, it took up position in the Argonne.

In mid August 1916 the Division was sent to the battle of Verdun, and remained there till mid September, it suffered serious losses, and also lost the 144th Infantry Regiment to the 223rd Division, a new formation.

It was returned to the Argonne and reorganised, having its fourth battalions disbanded. It was then sent to the Somme in December 1916.

1917 saw the Division move between the Argonne and Champagne, suffering very serious casualties in the process.

At the beginning of 1918 it went into the line, and in mid January it took part in the battle of Picardy. It then saw action on the Aisne, and in June it took part in the second battle of the Marne.

At the beginning of August it moved to Verdun, and remained there until the end of the war.