39th Division (German Empire)
| 39th Division (39. Division); from August 2, 1914, 39th Infantry Division (39. Infanterie-Division) | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1899-1919 |
| Country | Prussia/Germany |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry (in peacetime included cavalry) |
| Size | Approx. 15,000 |
| Part of | XV. Army Corps (XV. Armeekorps) |
| Garrison/HQ | Colmar |
| Engagements | World War I: Battle of the Frontiers, Race to the Sea, Battle of the Yser, Battle of Verdun, Battle of the Somme, Second Battle of the Aisne, Passchendaele, Spring Offensive |
The 39th Division (39. Division) was a unit of the Prussian/German Army. It was formed on April 1, 1899, and was headquartered in Colmar (now in France). The division was subordinated in peacetime initially to the XIV Army Corps (XIV. Armeekorps) and then to the XV Army Corps (XV. Armeekorps). The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
The division was a mixed unit: its Prussian elements, although designated Upper Alsatian, were mainly raised in the more densely populated Rhine Province and the Province of Westphalia, as the Alsatian German population was insufficient to support all the units stationed there. The 126th Infantry Regiment was from the Kingdom of Württemberg. The 66th Field Artillery was from the Grand Duchy of Baden. The 14th Jäger Battalion, attached on mobilization from the XIV Army Corps, was from the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
The division began World War I fighting in the Battle of the Frontiers, and then fought in the Race to the Sea, culminating in the Battle of the Yser. The division remained on the Yser front until January 1916, when it was transferred to the vicinity of Verdun. It then fought in the Battle of Verdun and also saw action in the later phases of the Battle of the Somme. It spent the first half of 1917 in the trenches of the Champagne and served in the Second Battle of the Aisne, also known as the Third Battle of Champagne (and to the Germans as the Double Battle Aisne-Champagne). It then moved to Flanders and saw action in the Battle of Passchendaele. In 1918, it fought in the German Spring Offensive and remained in the Flanders region during the subsequent Allied offensives. Allied intelligence rated the division as second class.
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