19th Ersatz Division (German Empire)


The 19th Ersatz Division was a unit of the German Army, in World War I. The division was formed on the 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.

Formation and recruitment

The 19th Ersatz Division was formed on mobilization from 11 brigade replacement battalions. Each brigade replacement battalion was numbered after its parent infantry brigade, and was formed with two companies taken from the replacement battalion of each of the brigade's two infantry regiments. One brigade replacement battalion was formed by three regiments. Thus, collectively, the 11 brigade replacement battalions represented troop contributions from 23 different infantry regiments.
The units of the 21st Mixed Ersatz Brigade were raised from the VI Army Corps area, which covered most of the Prussian Province of Silesia. These units were disbanded after the opening fighting in Lorraine, with their troops sent to other units in mid-September 1914. Alternatively, it is possible that the brigade remained in Silesia and was attached to the 4th Landwehr Division. The sources are in conflict. On 26 August the brigade was with the 4th Landwehr Division in the east. The other two brigades of the division were from the Kingdom of Saxony. The units of the 45th Mixed Ersatz Brigade were raised from the XII Corps area, which covered eastern Saxony. The units of the 47th Mixed Ersatz Brigade were raised from the XIX Corps area, which covered western and southern Saxony. Thus, after the dissolution of the 21st Mixed Ersatz Brigade, the division became a fully Saxon unit.

Combat chronicle

The 19th Ersatz Division fought on the Western Front in World War I. It fought in the Battle of the Frontiers, seeing action in Lorraine. With occasional rests, it remained in the trenchlines in Lorraine until October 1916. It was then in the line near Verdun until July 1918. That month, it went into the line near Reims. It was there when it met the Allied Aisne-Marne Offensive, part of the Second Battle of the Marne. After the severe fighting there, the division left the line for rest and reconstruction. In late August, it fought against the Allied Oise-Aisne Offensive. It was then returned to a quiet sector in Lorraine, where it remained until the end of the war. Allied intelligence rated the division as third class.

Order of battle on mobilization

The order of battle of the 19th Ersatz Division on mobilization in August 1914 was as follows:
The division underwent several structural changes as the war progressed. As noted above, the Silesian brigade was dissolved early in the war. The other Saxon mixed Ersatz brigades were converted to Ersatz infantry brigades as cavalry, artillery, and pioneer Ersatz units were grouped and reorganized. The brigade replacement battalions were grouped into Ersatz infantry regiments. The 19th Ersatz Division was triangularized in October 1916. Cavalry was reduced, pioneers were increased to a full battalion, and an artillery command and a divisional signals command were created. The division's order of battle on July 12, 1918, was as follows: