The 242nd Infantry Division (''242. Infanterie-Division'') was a division of the

Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of Kingdom o ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. The division was formed on January 16, 1917, and was part of the last large wave of new divisions created during

. The division was assembled over the next two months from elements from other units. Its core was the ''9. Württembergisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 127'', a regular infantry regiment from the

Kingdom of Württemberg The Kingdom of Württemberg ( ) was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located within the area that is now Baden-Württemberg. The kingdom was a continuation of the Electorate of Württemberg, which existed from 1803 to 1806. Geogr ...

, as well as a brigade headquarters from a regular Württemberg infantry division. To this were added two newly raised Württemberg infantry regiments, along with cavalry, artillery, engineers and support units. The division was considered a Württemberg infantry division and received its initial troops and replacements from that kingdom.242.Infanterie-Division (Chronik 1917/1918)
/ref>Hermann Cron et al., ''Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee'' (Berlin, 1935) The division entered the trenchline in a quiet sector of Lorraine in March 1917, and after a period of orientation, was sent to fight in the

Second Battle of the Aisne The Second Battle of the Aisne ( or , 16 April – mid-May 1917) was the main part of the Nivelle Offensive, a French Third Republic, Franco-British attempt to inflict a decisive defeat on the German Empire, German armies in France. The Entente ...

, also called the Third Battle of Champagne. It spent the rest of 1917 and the first part of 1918 in positional warfare near

Reims Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...

and in a defensive fight near

Verdun Verdun ( , ; ; ; official name before 1970: Verdun-sur-Meuse) is a city in the Meuse (department), Meuse departments of France, department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. In 843, the Treaty of V ...

. In 1918, the division participated in the

German spring offensive The German spring offensive, also known as ''Kaiserschlacht'' ("Kaiser's Battle") or the Ludendorff offensive, was a series of German Empire, German attacks along the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during the World War I, First Wor ...

, in the region of Montdidier-Noyon. The division was on the defensive thereafter, including during the Allied

Hundred Days Offensive The Hundred Days Offensive (8 August to 11 November 1918) was a series of massive Allied offensives that ended the First World War. Beginning with the Battle of Amiens (8–12 August) on the Western Front, the Allies pushed the Imperial Germa ...

. The division was demobilized in 1919. In 1917, Allied intelligence rated the division a good division with high morale, but by 1918 it was rated a third class division.''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), pp.739–740. The organization of the division on May 2, 1918, was as follows: *242. Infanterie-Brigade: **9. Württembergisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 127 **Württembergisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 475 **Württembergisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 476 **Maschinengewehr-Scharfschützen-Abteilung Nr. 78 *2.Eskadron/Württembergisches Reserve-Dragoner-Regiment **Württembergisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 281 **III.Bataillon/Hohenzollernsches Fußartillerie-Regiment Nr. 13 *Württembergisches Bataillon Nr. 242 *Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 242

References

242. Infanterie-Division (Chronik 1917/1918) – Der erste Weltkrieg
* Hermann Cron et al., ''Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee'' (Berlin, 1935) * Hermann Cron, ''Geschichte des deutschen Heeres im Weltkriege 1914–1918'' (Berlin, 1937) * ''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)

Notes

{{German Empire Armies, 3rd=y Military units and formations established in 1917 Military units and formations disestablished in 1919 1917 establishments in Germany Infantry divisions of Germany in World War I