Pre-war Order of Battle
Before the outbreak ofCombat chronicle
The division was initially assigned to I Cavalry Corps, which preceded the 3rd Army on the Western Front. It served on the Western Front until December 1914, then undertook frontier guard duties against Holland until 30 June 1915, when it relocated to Russia. From 16 March 1918 to 9 April 1918, it was dismounted, re-formed and trained on the Zossen troop training ground. Thereafter, it served as the Guard Cavalry ''Schützen'' Division on the Western Front. It was in Artois until May 1918, then Champagne / Aisne. By the end of the war, it was serving under VI Reserve Corps, 1st Army, ''Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz'' on the Western Front.Order of Battle on mobilisation
Upon the outbreak of war, the 4th Guards Cavalry Brigade was dissolved and its component regiments were assigned as divisional cavalry to the 1st Guards Infantry Division (Life Guard Hussars) and 2nd Guards Infantry Division (2nd Guard Uhlans). With the addition of support units, the Division's structure was: * 1st Guards Cavalry Brigade ** Gardes du Corps ** Guards Cuirassiers * 2nd Guards Cavalry Brigade ** 1st Guards Uhlans ** 3rd Guards Uhlans * 3rd Guards Cavalry Brigade ** 1st Guards Dragoons "Queen of Great Britain and Ireland" ** 2nd Guards Dragoons "Empress Alexandra of Russia" *Horse Artillery ''Guard Cavalry ''Schützen'' Division
The Guard Cavalry Division was extensively reorganised in the course of the war, culminating in the conversion to a Cavalry ''Schützen'' Division, that is to say, dismounted cavalry. Here, the cavalry brigades were renamed Cavalry ''Schützen'' Commands and performed a similar role to that of an infantry regiment command. Likewise, the cavalry regiments became Cavalry ''Schützen'' Regiments and allocated the role of an infantry battalion (and their squadrons acted as infantry companies). However, these units were much weaker than normal infantry formations (for example, a ''Schützen'' squadron had a strength of just 4 officers and 109 NCOs and other ranks, considerably less than that of an infantry company). *1st Guards Cavalry Brigade became independent on 9 April 1917 *2nd Guards Cavalry Brigade became independent on 6 June 1916 *3rd Guards Cavalry Brigade became independent on 18 October 1916 *19th Cavalry Brigade joined from 9th Cavalry Division on 8 April 1917 and became independent on 12 February 1918 *11th Cavalry Brigade joined from 5th Cavalry Division on 23 March 1918 and renamed 11th Cavalry ''Schützen'' Command on 8 May 1918 *14th Cavalry Brigade joined from 9th Cavalry Division on 23 February 1918 and renamed 14th Cavalry ''Schützen'' Command on 8 May 1918 *38th Cavalry Brigade joined from 8th Cavalry Division on 20 April 1918 and renamed 38th Cavalry ''Schützen'' Command on 8 May 1918Late World War I organization
Allied Intelligence rated this division as 2nd Class (of 4 classes). Its late war organisation was: *5th Landwehr Brigade **11th Cavalry ''Schützen'' Command *** Guards Cuirassiers *** 1st (Silesian) Life Cuirassiers "Great Elector" *** 8th (2nd Silesian) Dragoons "King Frederick III" **14th Cavalry ''Schützen'' Command *** 4th (1st Silesian) Hussars "von Schill" *** 11th (2nd Westphalian) Hussars *** 5th (Westphalian) Uhlans **38th Cavalry ''Schützen'' Command *** 4th (Westphalian) Cuirassiers "von Driesen" *** 2nd Jäger zu Pferde *** 6th Jäger zu Pferde *1st Guard MG Detachment *1st Squadron, 5th Jäger zu Pferde (mounted cavalry) *132nd Artillery Command ** 3rd Guards Field Artillery **722nd Light Ammunition Column **852nd Light Ammunition Column **1135th Light Ammunition Column *412th Pioneer Battalion **2nd ''Ersatz'' Company, 18th Pioneer Battalion **307th Pioneer Company *226th Signal Command **226th Telephone Detachment **183rd Wireless Detachment *Medical and Veterinary **257th Ambulance Company **642nd Ambulance Company **1st Field Hospital **302nd Field Hospital **262nd Vet. Hospital *Train **636th Motor Transport ColumnSee also
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* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:G Cavalry divisions of Germany in World War I Guards divisions of Germany in World War I Military units and formations established in 1914 Military units and formations disestablished in 1919