7th Cavalry Division (German Empire)
7th Cavalry Division
(7. Kavallerie-Division) |
| Active |
1914-1919 |
| Country |
German Empire |
| Branch |
Army |
| Type |
Cavalry |
| Size |
Approximately 5,000 (on mobilisation) |
| Engagements |
World War I |
| Disbanded |
1919 |
The 7th Cavalry Division (7. Kavallerie-Division) was a unit of the German Army in World War I. The division was formed on mobilization of the German Army in August 1914. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
Combat chronicle
Initially assigned to III Cavalry Corps preceding 6th Army on the Western Front until October 1915, occupation duties in Belguim until October 1916 and to Romania until January 1917. Returned to the Western Front and in Alsace until May 1918, Flanders until August 1918, Artois to October 1918 and back to Flanders until the end of the war.[1] Dismounted on 14th May 1918 and restructured to form 7th Cavalry Schützen Division.[2]
A more detailed combat chronicle can be found at the German language version of this article.
Order of Battle on mobilisation
On formation, in August 1914, the component units of the division were:[3]
- 26th Cavalry Brigade (from XIII Army Corps District)
- 30th Cavalry Brigade (from XV Corps District)
- 15th (3rd Silesian) Dragoons Nr. 15
- 9th (2nd Rhenish) Hussars
- 42nd Cavalry Brigade (from XXI Army Corps District)
- 11th (2nd Brandenburg) Uhlans "Count Haeseler"
- 15th (Schleswig-Holstein) Uhlans
- Horse Artillery Abteilung of the 15th (1st Upper Alsatian) Field Artillery Regiment
- 3rd Machine Gun Detachment
- Pioneer Detachment
- Signals Detachment
- Heavy Wireless Station 21
- Light Wireless Station 8
- Light Wireless Station 17
- Cavalry Motorised Vehicle Column 7
See: Table of Organisation and Equipment
7th Cavalry Schützen Division
The 7th Cavalry Division was extensively reorganised in the course of the war, culminating in conversion to a Cavalry Schützen Division, that is to say, dismounted cavalry. Here, the cavalry brigades were renamed Cavalry Schützen Commands and performed a similar role to that of an infantry regiment command. Likewise, the cavalry regiments became Cavalry Schützen Regiments and alloted the role of an infantry battalion and their squadrons acted as infantry companies. However, these units were much weaker than normal infantry formations (for example, a Schützen squadron had a strength of just 4 officers and 109 NCOs and other ranks, considerably less than that of an infantry company).[4]
- 26th Cavalry Brigade became independent on 6th October 1917
- 30th Cavalry Brigade renamed 30th Cavalry Schützen Command on 27th May 1918
- 42nd Cavalry Brigade became independent on 14th September 1916
- 28th Cavalry Brigade joined from 4th Cavalry Division on 17th May 1918 and renamed 28th Cavalry Schützen Command on 27th May 1918
- 41st Cavalry Brigade joined from 1st Cavalry Division on 17th October 1916 and renamed 41st Cavalry Schützen Command on 27th May 1918
Late World War I organization
Allied Intelligence rated this division as 4th Class (of 4 classes).[5] It's late war organisation was:[6]
- 21st Landwehr Brigade
- 28th Cavalry Schützen Command
- 11th (2nd Brandenburg) Uhlans "Count Haeseler"
- 15th (Schleswig-Holstein) Uhlans
- 4th Reserve Uhlans
- 30th Cavalry Schützen Command
- 41st Cavalry Schützen Command
- 2nd Squadron, 6th (Brandenburg) Cuirassiers "Emperor Nicholas I of Russia" (mounted cavalry)
- Artillery Command
- Horse Artillery Abteilung of the 1st Guards Field Artillery Regiment
- 351st Light Ammunition Column
- 717th Light Ammunition Column
- 485th Pioneer Battalion
- 2nd Company, 19th Pioneer Battalion
- 3rd Company, 19th Pioneer Battalion
- 2nd Reserve Company, II Pioneer Battalion No. 16
- 3rd Cavalry Pioneer Abteilung
- 6th Cavalry Pioneer Abteilung
- Signal Command
- Telephone Detachment
- 186th Wireless Detachment
- Medical and Veterinary
- 34th Ambulance Company
- 142nd Field Hospital
- 141st Vet. Hospital
- Train
- 783rd Motor Transport Column
- Heavy Artillery
- 117th Foot Artillery Battalion
See also
References
- ^ John Ellis and Michael Cox, The World War I Databook, ISBN 1-85410-766-6, p. 126
- ^ Hermann Cron, Imperial German Army 1914-18: Organisation, Structure, Orders-of-Battle, Helion & Co., 2002 [first published: 1937], ISBN 1-874622-70-1, p. 106
- ^ Cron, p. 300
- ^ Cron, p. 130
- ^ 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). Reprinted 1989 by The London Stamp Exchange Ltd, ISBN 0-948130-87-3, p. 156
- ^ The German Forces in the Field; 7th Revision, 11th November 1918; Compiled by the General Staff, War Office. Jointly reprinted in 1995 by the Imperial War Museum, London, ISBN 1-870423-95-X and The Battery Press, Inc, ISBN 0-89839-217-9, p. 228