I Royal Bavarian Reserve Corps
| I Royal Bavarian Reserve Corps I. Königlich Bayerisches Reserve-Korps | |
|---|---|
 Flag of the Staff of a Generalkommando (1871–1918) | |
| Active | 2 August 1914 - post November 1918 |
| Country |  German Empire Bavaria |
| Branch | Bavarian Army |
| Type | Corps |
| Size | Approximately 38,000 (on formation) |
| Engagements | World War I |
| Insignia | |
| Abbreviation | I Bavarian RK |
The I Royal Bavarian Reserve Corps / I Bavarian RK (German: I. Königlich Bayerisches Reserve-Korps) was a corps level command of the Royal Bavarian Army, part of the Imperial German Army, in World War I.[a]
Formation
I Royal Bavarian Reserve Corps was formed on the outbreak of the war in August 1914[1] as part of the mobilisation of the Army. It was initially commanded by General der Infanterie Karl von Fasbender, brought out of retirement.[2] It was still in existence at the end of the war[3] in the 17th Army, Heeresgruppe Kronprinz Rupprecht on the Western Front.[4]
Structure on formation
On formation in August 1914, I Royal Bavarian Reserve Corps consisted of two divisions, made up of reserve units. In general, Reserve Corps and Reserve Divisions were weaker than their active counterparts
- Reserve Infantry Regiments did not always have three battalions nor necessarily contain a machine gun company[5]
- Reserve Jäger Battalions did not have a machine gun company on formation[6]
- Reserve Cavalry Regiments consisted of just three squadrons[7]
- Reserve Field Artillery Regiments usually consisted of two abteilungen of three batteries each[8]
- Corps Troops generally consisted of a Telephone Detachment and four sections of munition columns and trains [9]
In summary, I Royal Bavarian Reserve Corps mobilised with 25 infantry battalions, 5 machine gun companies (30 machine guns), 6 cavalry squadrons, 12 field artillery batteries (72 guns) and 3 pioneer companies. 5th Bavarian Reserve Division was formed mostly by units drawn from the III Bavarian Corps District.[10]
| Corps | Division | Brigade | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| I Royal Bavarian Reserve Corps[11] | 1st Bavarian Reserve Division | 1st Bavarian Reserve Infantry Brigade | 1st Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment |
| 2nd Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment | |||
| 2nd Bavarian Reserve Infantry Brigade | 3rd Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment | ||
| 12th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment[12] | |||
| 1st Bavarian Reserve Cavalry Regiment | |||
| 1st Bavarian Reserve Field Artillery Regiment | |||
| 1st Reserve Company, 1st Bavarian Pioneer Battalion | |||
| 1st Bavarian Reserve Divisional Pontoon Train | |||
| 1st Bavarian Reserve Medical Company | |||
| 5th Bavarian Reserve Division | 9th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Brigade | 6th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment | |
| 7th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment[12] | |||
| 11th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Brigade | 10th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment | ||
| 13th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment[12] | |||
| 1st Bavarian Reserve Jäger Battalion | |||
| 5th Bavarian Reserve Cavalry Regiment | |||
| 5th Bavarian Reserve Field Artillery Regiment | |||
| 4th Company, 2nd Bavarian Pioneer Battalion | |||
| 1st Reserve Company, 2nd Bavarian Pioneer Battalion | |||
| 5th Bavarian Reserve Divisional Pontoon Train | |||
| 5th Bavarian Reserve Medical Company | |||
| Corps Troops | 1st Bavarian Reserve Telephone Detachment | ||
| Munition Trains and Columns corresponding to the III Reserve Corps |
Combat chronicle
On mobilisation, I Royal Bavarian Reserve Corps was assigned to the predominantly Bavarian 6th Army forming part of the left wing of the forces for the Schlieffen Plan offensive in August 1914.
Commanders
I Bavarian Reserve Corps had the following commanders during its existence:[13][14]
| From | Rank | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 2 August 1914 | General der Infanterie | Karl von Fasbender |
| 8 November 1918 | Generalleutnant | Paul von Kneußl |
See also
Notes
- ^ From the late 1800s, the Prussian Army was effectively the German Army as, during the period of German unification (1866-1871), the states of the German Empire entered into conventions with Prussia regarding their armies. Only the Bavarian Army remained fully autonomous and came under Prussian control only during wartime.
References
- ^ Cron 2002, p. 86
- ^ The Prussian Machine Archived 29 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine Accessed: 3 March 2012
- ^ Cron 2002, pp. 88–89
- ^ Ellis & Cox 1993, pp. 186–187
- ^ Cron 2002, p. 111 About a third of Reserve Infantry Regiments formed in August 1914 lacked a machine gun company
- ^ Cron 2002, p. 116 Active Jäger Battalions had a machine gun company with the exceptions of the 1st and 2nd Bavarian Jäger Battalions
- ^ Cron 2002, p. 128 Most active cavalry regiments had four squadrons, some were raised to six squadrons
- ^ Cron 2002, p. 134 Active Divisions had a Field Artillery Brigade of two regiments
- ^ Cron 2002, p. 86 Active Corps Troops included a battalion of heavy howitzers (Foot Artillery), an Aviation Detachment, a Telephone Detachment, a Corps Pontoon Train, a searchlight section, 2 munition column sections, one Foot Artillery munitions column section and two Train sections
- ^ War Office 1918, pp. 100, 263
- ^ Cron 2002, pp. 319–320
- ^ a b c Without a machine gun company
- ^ "German War History". Retrieved 23 December 2012.
- ^ "Armee-Reserve-Korps". The Prussian Machine. Archived from the original on 11 April 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
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.
- 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.