XII (Royal Saxon) Reserve Corps

The XII (Royal Saxon) Reserve Corps (German: XII. (Königlich Sächsisches) Reserve-Korps / XII RK) was a corps level command of the German Army in World War I.

XII (Royal Saxon) Reserve Corps
XII. (Königlich Sächsisches) Reserve-Korps
Flag of the Staff of a Generalkommando (1871–1918)
Active2 August 1914 (1914-08-02)–1919 (1919)
Country Kingdom of Saxony /  German Empire
TypeCorps
SizeApproximately 38,000 (on formation)
EngagementsWorld War I
Battle of the Frontiers

Formation

XII 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 Artillerie Hans von Kirchbach, recalled from retirement.[2] It was still in existence at the end of the war[3] in Armee-Abteilung C, Heeresgruppe Gallwitz on the Western Front.[4]

Structure on formation

On formation in August 1914, XII 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, though the Reserve Field Artillery Regiments of XII Corps had three abteilungen[8]
Corps Troops generally consisted of a Telephone Detachment and four sections of munition columns and trains [9]

In summary, XII Reserve Corps mobilised with 26 infantry battalions, 6 machine gun companies (36 machine guns), 6 cavalry squadrons, 18 field artillery batteries (108 guns) and 3 pioneer companies.

24th Reserve Division was formed by units drawn from the XIX Corps District.[10]

Corps Division Brigade Units
XII (Royal Saxon) Reserve Corps[11] 23rd Reserve Division 45th Reserve Infantry Brigade 100th Reserve Infantry Regiment
101st Reserve Infantry Regiment
12th Reserve Jäger Battalion
46th Reserve Infantry Brigade 102nd Reserve Infantry Regiment[12]
103rd Reserve Infantry Regiment
Saxon Reserve Hussar Regiment
23rd Reserve Field Artillery Regiment[13]
4th Company, 12th Pioneer Battalion
23rd Reserve Divisional Pontoon Train
1st Saxon Reserve Medical Company
24th Reserve Division 47th Reserve Infantry Brigade 104th Reserve Infantry Regiment
106th Reserve Infantry Regiment
13th Reserve Jäger Battalion
48th Reserve Infantry Brigade 107th Reserve Infantry Regiment
133rd Reserve Infantry Regiment[14]
Saxon Reserve Uhlan Regiment
24th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment[15]
1st Reserve Company, 12th Pioneer Battalion
2nd Reserve Company, 12th Pioneer Battalion
2nd Saxon Reserve Medical Company
Corps Troops 12th Reserve Telephone Detachment
Munition Trains and Columns corresponding to the
III Reserve Corps

Combat chronicle

On mobilisation, XII Reserve Corps was assigned to the predominantly Saxon 3rd Army on the right wing of the forces that invaded France as part of the Schlieffen Plan offensive in August 1914.

Commanders

XII Reserve Corps had the following commanders during its existence:[16][17]

FromRankName
2 August 1914General der ArtillerieHans von Kirchbach
15 December 1917General der InfanterieHorst Edler von der Planitz
24 July 1918GeneralleutnantMax Leuthold

See also

References
  1. Cron 2002, p. 86
  2. The Prussian Machine Archived 29 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine Accessed: 3 March 2012
  3. Cron 2002, pp. 88–89
  4. Ellis & Cox 1993, pp. 186–187
  5. Cron 2002, p. 111 About a third of Reserve Infantry Regiments formed in August 1914 lacked a machine gun company
  6. Cron 2002, p. 116 Active Jäger Battalions had a machine gun company with the exceptions of the 1st and 2nd Bavarian Jäger Battalions
  7. Cron 2002, p. 128 Most active cavalry regiments had four squadrons, some were raised to six squadrons
  8. Cron 2002, p. 134 Active Divisions had a Field Artillery Brigade of two regiments
  9. 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
  10. War Office 1918, p. 80
  11. Cron 2002, pp. 308
  12. Without a machine gun company
  13. 3 abteilungen, 9 batteries, 54 guns
  14. Without a machine gun company
  15. 3 abteilungen, 9 batteries, 54 guns
  16. "German War History". Retrieved 22 December 2012.
  17. "Armee-Reserve-Korps". The Prussian Machine. Archived from the original on 11 April 2012. Retrieved 22 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Ellis, John; Cox, Michael (1993). The World War I Databook. Aurum Press Ltd. ISBN 1-85410-766-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • 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.
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