III Reserve Corps (German Empire)

III Reserve Corps III. Reserve-Korps
Flag of the Staff of a Generalkommando (1871–1918)
Active	2 August 1914 - post November 1918
Country	German Empire
Type	Corps
Size	Approximately 38,000 (on formation)
Engagements	World War I Battle of the Frontiers Siege of Antwerp First Battle of Ypres

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

Formation

III 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 Beseler, recalled from retirement.^[2] It was still in existence at the end of the war.^[3]

Structure on formation

On formation in August 1914, III 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^[4]

Reserve Jäger Battalions did not have a machine gun company on formation^[5]

Reserve Cavalry Regiments consisted of just three squadrons^[6]

Reserve Field Artillery Regiments usually consisted of two abteilungen of three batteries each^[7]

Corps Troops generally consisted of a Telephone Detachment and four sections of munition columns and trains ^[8]

In summary, III Reserve Corps mobilised with 25 infantry battalions, 7 machine gun companies (42 machine guns), 6 cavalry squadrons, 12 field artillery batteries (72 guns) and 3 pioneer companies.

Corps	Division	Brigade	Units
III Reserve Corps[9]	5th Reserve Division	9th Reserve Infantry Brigade	8th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			48th Reserve Infantry Regiment
		10th Reserve Infantry Brigade	12th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			52nd Reserve Infantry Regiment
			3rd Reserve Jäger Battalion
			2nd Reserve Dragoon Regiment
			5th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
			4th Company, 3rd Pioneer Battalion
			5th Reserve Divisional Pontoon Train
			3rd Reserve Medical Company
	6th Reserve Division	11th Reserve Infantry Brigade	20th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			24th Reserve Infantry Regiment
		12th Reserve Infantry Brigade	26th Reserve Infantry Regiment[10]
			35th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			3rd Reserve Uhlan Regiment
			6th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
			1st Reserve Company, 3rd Pioneer Battalion
			2nd Reserve Company, 3rd Pioneer Battalion
			6th Reserve Divisional Pontoon Train
			16th Reserve Medical Company
	Corps Troops		3rd Reserve Telephone Detachment
			5th & 6th Reserve Munition Column Sections[11]
			5th & 6th Reserve Train Sections[12]
			2 Reserve Bakery Columns

Combat chronicle

On mobilisation, III Reserve Corps was assigned to the 1st Army on the right wing of the forces that invaded France and Belgium as part of the Schlieffen Plan offensive in August 1914. It was detached from 1st Army to take part in the Siege of Antwerp thereby missing the 1st Army's early battles (Mons, Le Cateau, Marne, Aisne, Arras). With the conclusion of the siege on 10 October 1914, it was assigned to 4th Army and took part in the First Battle of Ypres.

Commanders

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

From	Rank	Name
2 August 1914	General der Infanterie	Hans von Beseler
26 August 1915	General der Infanterie	Adolph von Carlowitz
8 August 1917	Generalleutnant	Alfred von Böckmann
5 September 1917	Generalleutnant	Anatol Graf von Bredow

See also

• German Army order of battle (1914)
• Order of First Battle of Ypres

References

1. Cron 2002, p. 86
2. The Prussian Machine Accessed: 29 February 2012
3. Cron 2002, pp. 88–89
4. Cron 2002, p. 111 About a third of Reserve Infantry Regiments formed in August 1914 lacked a machine gun company
5. Cron 2002, p. 116 Active Jäger Battalions had a machine gun company with the exceptions of the 1st and 2nd Bavarian Jäger Battalions
6. Cron 2002, p. 128 Most active cavalry regiments had four squadrons, some were raised to six squadrons
7. Cron 2002, p. 134 Active Divisions had a Field Artillery Brigade of two regiments
8. 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
9. Cron 2002, p. 304
10. Without a machine gun company
11. 4th Reserve Infantry & 5th Reserve Artillery Munition Columns
12. 4 Reserve Field Hospitals and 7 Reserve Supply Columns
13. "German War History". Retrieved 22 December 2012.
14. "Armee-Reserve-Korps". The Prussian Machine. 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.
• Ellis, John; Cox, Michael (1993). The World War I Databook. Aurum Press Ltd. ISBN 1-85410-766-6.
• 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.