VII_Reserve_Corps_(German_Empire)

VII Reserve Corps (German Empire)

VII Reserve Corps (German Empire)

Military unit

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

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Formation

VII 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 Infanterie Hans von Zwehl, recalled from retirement.[2] It was still in existence at the end of the war[3] in the 1st Army, Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz on the Western Front.[4]

Structure on formation

On formation in August 1914, VII 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[8]
Corps Troops generally consisted of a Telephone Detachment and four sections of munition columns and trains [9]

In summary, VII Reserve Corps mobilised with 24 infantry battalions, 8 machine gun companies (48 machine guns), 6 cavalry squadrons, 12 field artillery batteries (72 guns) and 3 pioneer companies. 14th Reserve Division was slightly stronger than the norm as it included an active infantry brigade.

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Combat chronicle

On mobilisation, VII Reserve Corps was assigned to the 2nd Army forming part of the right wing of the forces that invaded France and Belgium as part of the Schlieffen Plan offensive in August 1914.

Commanders

VII Reserve Corps had the following commanders during its existence:[12][13]

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See also

References

  1. [1]
    Cron 2002, p. 86
  2. [2]
    The Prussian Machine Accessed: 29 February 2012
  3. [3]
    Cron 2002, pp. 88–89
  4. [4]
    Ellis & Cox 1993, pp. 186–187
  5. [5]
    Cron 2002, p. 111 About a third of Reserve Infantry Regiments formed in August 1914 lacked a machine gun company
  6. [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. [7]
    Cron 2002, p. 128 Most active cavalry regiments had four squadrons, some were raised to six squadrons
  8. [8]
    Cron 2002, p. 134 Active Divisions had a Field Artillery Brigade of two regiments
  9. [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. [10]
    Cron 2002, p. 308
  11. [11]
    Just two battalions
  12. [12]
    "German War History". Retrieved 22 December 2012.
  13. [13]
    "Armee-Reserve-Korps". The Prussian Machine. Retrieved 22 December 2012.

Bibliography

  • Cron, Hermann (2002) [1937]. Imperial German Army 1914-18: Organisation, Structure, Orders-of-Battle (repr. ed.). Helion & Co. ISBN 1-874622-70-1.
  • Ellis, John; Cox, Michael (1993). The World War I Databook. Aurum Press. ISBN 1-85410-766-6.

Further reading

  • 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 (repr. The London Stamp Exchange ed.). General Staff, American Expeditionary Forces. 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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