XXXVIII Reserve Corps (German Empire)

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

XXXVIII Reserve Corps
XXXVIII. Reserve-Korps
Flag of the Staff of a Generalkommando (1871–1918)
ActiveDecember 1914 - post November 1918
Country German Empire
TypeCorps
SizeApproximately 26,000 (on formation)
EngagementsWorld War I

Formation

XXXVIII Reserve Corps was formed in December 1914.[1] It was part of the second wave of new Corps formed in the early stages of World War I consisting of XXXVIII - XXXXI[2] Reserve Corps of 75th - 82nd Reserve Divisions (plus 8th Bavarian Reserve Division). The personnel was predominantly made up of kriegsfreiwillige (wartime volunteers) who did not wait to be called up.[3] From 28 March 1915 to 31 December 1917 it was known as Beskidenkorps (Beskids Corps).[4] The Corps was still in existence at the end of the war[5] in the 3rd Army, Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz on the Western Front.[6]

Structure on formation

On formation in December 1914, XXXVIII Reserve Corps consisted of two divisions.[7] but was weaker than an Active Corps

  • the divisions were organised as triangular rather than square divisions with three infantry regiments rather than four, but had a brigade of two field artillery regiments
  • Reserve Infantry Regiments consisted of three battalions but lacked a machine gun company[8]
  • Reserve Cavalry Detachments were much smaller than the Reserve Cavalry Regiments formed on mobilisation[9]
  • Reserve Field Artillery Regiments consisted of two abteilungen (1 gun and 1 howitzer) of three batteries each, but each battery had just 4 guns (rather than 6 of the Active and the Reserve Regiments formed on mobilisation)[10]

In summary, XXXVIII Reserve Corps mobilised with 18 infantry battalions, 2 cavalry detachments, 24 field artillery batteries (96 guns), 2 cyclist companies and 2 pioneer companies.

Corps Division Brigade Units
XXXVIII Reserve Corps 75th Reserve Division[11] 75th Reserve Infantry Brigade 249th Reserve Infantry Regiment
250th Reserve Infantry Regiment
251st Reserve Infantry Regiment
75th Reserve Field Artillery Brigade 55th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
57th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
75th Reserve Cavalry Detachment
75th Reserve Cyclist Company
75th Reserve Pioneer Company
76th Reserve Division[12] 76th Reserve Infantry Brigade 252nd Reserve Infantry Regiment
253rd Reserve Infantry Regiment
254th Reserve Infantry Regiment
76th Reserve Field Artillery Brigade 56th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
58th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
76th Reserve Cavalry Detachment
76th Reserve Cyclist Company
76th Reserve Pioneer Company

Commanders

XXXVIII Reserve Corps had the following commanders during its existence:[13][14]

FromRankName
24 December 1914General der KavallerieGeorg von der Marwitz
21 July 1915GeneralleutnantMax Hofmann
23 September 1916General der KavallerieManfred von Richthofen
3 August 1918GeneralleutnantArthur Freiherr von Lüttwitz

See also

References
  1. Cron 2002, p. 87
  2. In German military nomenclature, "40" was rendered as "XXXX" in Roman numerals rather than the more conventional "XL".
  3. Cron 2002, p. 97
  4. "German War History". Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  5. Cron 2002, pp. 88–89
  6. Ellis & Cox 1993, pp. 186–187
  7. AEF GHQ 1920, pp. 526,529
  8. Busche 1998, pp. 115–116
  9. Cron 2002, p. 128 Reserve Cavalry Regiments consisted of three squadrons
  10. Cron 2002, p. 136
  11. AEF GHQ 1920, p. 525
  12. AEF GHQ 1920, p. 528
  13. "German War History". Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  14. "Armee-Reserve-Korps". The Prussian Machine. Archived from the original on 11 April 2012. Retrieved 23 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)
  • Busche, Hartwig (1998). Formationsgeschichte der Deutschen Infanterie im Ersten Weltkrieg (1914 bis 1918) (in German). Institut für Preußische Historiographie.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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