The 3rd Reserve Division (''3. Reserve-Division'') was a reserve infantry 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 ...
in
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 ...
. It was formed on mobilization in August 1914 from reserve infantry units primarily from
Pomerania
Pomerania ( ; ; ; ) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The central and eastern part belongs to the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, West Pomeranian, Pomeranian Voivod ...
. The division served from the beginning of the war until early 1917 on the
Eastern Front, after which it was transferred to the
Western Front. Allied intelligence rated it a third-class division.
August 1914 organization
The 3rd Reserve Division's initial wartime organization was as follows:
[Cron et al., ''Ruhmeshalle'']
* 5.Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade:
** Pommersches Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 2
** Pommersches Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 9
* 6.Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade:
** Pommersches Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 34
** Pommersches Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 49
* Reserve-Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 5
* Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 3
* 2.Reserve-Kompanie/Pommersches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 2
Late World War I organization
Divisions underwent many changes during the war, with regiments moving from division to division, and some being destroyed and rebuilt. During the war, most divisions became
triangular - one infantry brigade with three infantry regiments rather than two infantry brigades of two regiments (a "
square division"). The 3rd Reserve Division triangularized in November 1915.
03. Reserve-Division - Der erste Weltkrieg
/ref> An artillery commander replaced the artillery brigade headquarters, the cavalry was further reduced, the engineer contingent was increased, and a divisional signals command was created. The 3rd Reserve Division's order of battle on March 1, 1918, was as follows:
References
3.Reserve-Division
a
1914-18.info
* Hermann Cron et al., ''Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee'' (Berlin, 1935)
* Günter Wegner, ''Stellenbesetzung der deutschen Heere 1815–1939'', Bd. 1 (Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück, 1993)
* ''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
{{DEFAULTSORT:3rd Reserve Division (German Empire)
Military units and formations established in 1914
1914 establishments in Germany
Reserve divisions of Germany in World War I
Military units and formations disestablished in 1919