Landwehr Corps

The Landwehr Corps (German: Landwehrkorps) was a corps level command of the German Army in World War I.

Landwehr Corps Landwehrkorps
Flag of the Staff of a Generalkommando (1871–1918)
Active	2 August 1914 - post November 1918
Country	German Empire
Type	Corps
Size	Approximately 38,000 (on formation)
Engagements	World War I

Formation

The Landwehr Corps was formed on the outbreak of war in August 1914[1] as part of the mobilisation of the Army. It was initially commanded by General der Infanterie Remus von Woyrsch, who had been recalled from retirement.[2] It was still in existence at the end of the war.

Structure on formation

On formation, in August 1914, the Landwehr Corps consisted of two divisions, which were made up of 3rd line units. The Senior Landwehr Commander 3 was formed with units drawn from V Corps District (Province of Posen and Lower Silesia) and Senior Landwehr Commander 4 was formed with units drawn from VI Corps District (Province of Silesia, particularly Upper Silesia). It mobilised with 34 infantry battalions (considerably above the norm), just four machine gun platoons (eight machine guns), nine cavalry squadrons, four field artillery batteries (24 guns) and two pioneer companies.

Corps	Division	Brigade	Units
Landwehr Corps[3]	Senior Landwehr Commander 3 (3rd Landwehr Division)	17th Landwehr Infantry Brigade	6th Landwehr Infantry Regiment
			7th Landwehr Infantry Regiment
		18th Landwehr Infantry Brigade	37th Landwehr Infantry Regiment
			46th Landwehr Infantry Regiment
		17th Ersatz Infantry Brigade[4]	17th Brigade Ersatz Battalion[5]
			18th Brigade Ersatz Battalion[6]
			19th Brigade Ersatz Battalion[7]
			20th Brigade Ersatz Battalion[8]
			77th Brigade Ersatz Battalion[9]
			1st Landwehr Cavalry Regiment[10]
			1st Landwehr Battery of V Corps[11]
			2nd Landwehr Battery of V Corps[12]
			Reserve Company, 5th Pioneer Battalion[13]
			1st Landwehr Divisional Pontoon Train
			Reserve Telephone Section
	Senior Landwehr Commander 4 (4th Landwehr Division)	22nd Landwehr Infantry Brigade	11th Landwehr Infantry Regiment
			51st Landwehr Infantry Regiment
		23rd Landwehr Infantry Brigade	22nd Landwehr Infantry Regiment
			23rd Landwehr Infantry Regiment
		21st Ersatz Infantry Brigade[14]	21st Brigade Ersatz Battalion[15]
			22nd Brigade Ersatz Battalion[16]
			23rd Brigade Ersatz Battalion[17]
			24th Brigade Ersatz Battalion[18]
			78th Brigade Ersatz Battalion[19]
			2nd Landwehr Cavalry Regiment[20]
			Ersatz Cavalry Regiment[21]
			1st Landwehr Battery of VI Corps[22]
			2nd Landwehr Battery of VI Corps[23]
			Reserve Company, 6th Pioneer Battalion[24]
			2nd Landwehr Divisional Pontoon Train
			Reserve Telephone Section
	Corps Troops		Landwehr Munitions Column Section[25]
			Four Landwehr Telephone Columns
			Two LoC[26] Motor Vehicle Columns
			Two Landwehr Bakery Columns
			Two Magazine Supply Parks[27]

Combat chronicle

On mobilisation, the Landwehr Corps was assigned to the 8th Army on the Eastern Front. Whilst the 8th Army was concentrated in East Prussia, the Landwehr Corps was detached to Upper Silesia. On 4 September 1914, it came under the command of 1st Austro-Hungarian Army.[28] Due to losses suffered by the 4th Landwehr Division in the Battle of Tarnawka (7–9 September 1914), the 11th and 51st Landwehr Infantry Regiments were reduced to a single battalion each; the 22nd and 23rd Landwehr Infantry Regiments were reduced to two battalions each.

On 14 September 1914, the Brigade Ersatz Battalions of the 21st Ersatz Infantry Brigade were dissolved and their manpower used to replace combat losses in the following battalions:

21st Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into II Battalion, 51st Landwehr Infantry Regiment

22nd Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into II Battalion, 11th Landwehr Infantry Regiment

23rd Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into II Battalion, 51st Landwehr Infantry Regiment

24th Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into II Battalion, 11th Landwehr Infantry Regiment

78th Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into II Battalion, 78th Landwehr Infantry Regiment

On 25 September 1914, the Brigade Ersatz Battalions of the 17th Ersatz Infantry Brigade were likewise dissolved:

17th Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into III Battalion, 23rd Landwehr Infantry Regiment

18th Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into III Battalion, 51st Landwehr Infantry Regiment

19th Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into III Battalion, 22nd Landwehr Infantry Regiment

20th Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into III Battalion, 22nd Landwehr Infantry Regiment

77th Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into III Battalion, 11th Landwehr Infantry Regiment[29]

The Landwehr Corps joined the 9th Army on 24 September 1914.[30]

Commanders

The Landwehr Corps had the following commanders during its existence:[31]

From	Rank	Name
2 August 1914	General der Infanterie	Remus von Woyrsch[32]
23 September 1916	General der Infanterie	Günther Graf von Kirchbach[33]
23 April 1917	General der Infanterie	Artur von Brietzke

From 3 November 1914, von Woyrsch was assigned to concurrently command Armee-Abteilung Woyrsch. A deputy, Generalleutnant Götz Freiherr von König,[34] took command of the Landwehr Corps on 3 December 1914.[35]

See also

• German Army order of battle (1914)
• Imperial-Royal Landwehr

References

1. Cron 2002, p. 88
2. The Prussian Machine Accessed: 23 March 2012
3. Cron 2002, p. 325
4. Cron 2002, p. 328 With 2 machine gun platoons (4 machine guns)
5. Busche 1998, p. 76 Formed with two companies of 19th Infantry Regiment and two companies of 58th Infantry Regiment (17th Infantry Brigade, 9th Division, V Corps).
6. Busche 1998, p. 76 Formed with two companies of 7th Grenadier Regiment and two companies of 154th Infantry Regiment (18th Infantry Brigade, 9th Division, V Corps).
7. Busche 1998, p. 76 Formed with two companies of 6th Grenadier Regiment and two companies of 46th Infantry Regiment (19th Infantry Brigade, 10th Division, V Corps).
8. Busche 1998, p. 76 Formed with two companies of 47th Infantry Regiment and two companies of 50th Infantry Regiment (20th Infantry Brigade, 10th Division, V Corps).
9. Busche 1998, p. 78 Formed with two companies of 37th Fusilier Regiment and two companies of 155th Infantry Regiment (77th Infantry Brigade, 10th Division, V Corps).
10. 1st, 2nd and 3rd Landwehr Cavalry squadrons of V Corps
11. Robinson & Robinson 2009, p.248 says 1st Landsturm Bty, V Corps
12. Robinson & Robinson 2009, p.248 says 2nd Landsturm Bty, V Corps
13. Robinson & Robinson 2009, p.248 says Ersatz Co., 5 Pi Btn
14. Cron 2002, p. 329 With two machine gun platoons (four machine guns)
15. Busche 1998, p. 77 Formed with two companies of 10th Grenadier Regiment and two companies of 38th Fusilier Regiment (21st Infantry Brigade, 11th Division, VI Corps).
16. Busche 1998, p. 77 Formed with two companies of 11th Grenadier Regiment and two companies of 51st Infantry Regiment (22nd Infantry Brigade, 11th Division, VI Corps).
17. Busche 1998, p. 77 Formed with two companies of 22nd Infantry Regiment and two companies of 156th Infantry Regiment (23rd Infantry Brigade, 12th Division, VI Corps).
18. Busche 1998, p. 77 Formed with two companies of 23rd Infantry Regiment and two companies of 62nd Infantry Regiment (24th Infantry Brigade, 12th Division, VI Corps).
19. Busche 1998, p. 78 Formed with two companies of 63rd Infantry Regiment and two companies of 157th Infantry Regiment (78th Infantry Brigade, 12th Division, VI Corps).
20. 1st, 2nd and 3rd Landwehr Cavalry squadrons of VI Corps
21. Three squadrons
22. Robinson & Robinson 2009, p.249 says 1st Landsturm Bty, VI Corps
23. Robinson & Robinson 2009, p.249 says 2nd Landsturm Bty, VI Corps
24. Robinson & Robinson 2009, p.249 says Ersatz Co., 6 Pi Btn
25. 2 Infantry and 2 Artillery Munition Columns
26. Lines of Communication
27. supplied through four Lines of Communication Train Squadrons
28. Cron 2002, p. 52
29. Busche 1998, p. 131
30. Cron 2002, p. 52
31. German War History Accessed: 13 April 2012
32. The Prussian Machine Accessed: 13 April 2012
33. The Prussian Machine Archived 2012-06-30 at Archive.today Accessed: 13 April 2012 Subsequently commander of Armee-Abteilung D
34. The Prussian Machine Archived 2012-06-30 at Archive.today Accessed: 13 April 2012
35. Cron 2002, p. 400

Bibliography

• Cron, Hermann (2002). Imperial German Army 1914-18: Organisation, Structure, Orders-of-Battle [first published: 1937]. Helion & Co. ISBN 1-874622-70-1.
• Ellis, John; Cox, Michael (1993). The World War I Databook. Aurum Press Ltd. ISBN 1-85410-766-6.
• Busche, Hartwig (1998). Formationsgeschichte der Deutschen Infanterie im Ersten Weltkrieg (1914 bis 1918) (in German). Institut für Preußische Historiographie.
• Robinson, Janet; Robinson, Joe (2009). Handbook of Imperial Germany. Authorhouse.
• 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. The London Stamp Exchange Ltd (1989). 1920. ISBN 0-948130-87-3.
• The German Forces in the Field; 7th Revision, 11th November 1918; Compiled by the General Staff, War Office. Imperial War Museum, London and The Battery Press, Inc (1995). 1918. ISBN 1-870423-95-X.