I Reserve Corps (German Empire)

I Reserve Corps I. 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 Eastern Front Gumbinnen Tannenberg 1st Masurian Lakes

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

Formation

I 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 Generalleutnant Otto von Below.^[2] It was still in existence at the end of the war^[3] in the 3rd Army, Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz on the Western Front.^[4]

Structure on formation

On formation in August 1914, I 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, I Reserve Corps mobilised with 26 infantry battalions, 11 machine gun companies (66 machine guns), 6 cavalry squadrons, 12 field artillery batteries (72 guns) and 2 pioneer companies. 1st Reserve Division was particularly strong in machine gun formations as the 1st, 3rd and 18th Reserve Infantry Regiments all had two machine gun companies. 36th Reserve Division was formed by units drawn from the XVII Corps District.^[10] It included one active Infantry Regiment (54th).

Corps	Division	Brigade	Units
I Reserve Corps[11]	1st Reserve Division	1st Reserve Infantry Brigade	1st Reserve Infantry Regiment[12]
			3rd Reserve Infantry Regiment[13]
		42nd Reserve Infantry Brigade	18th Reserve Infantry Regiment[14]
			59th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			1st Reserve Jäger Battalion
			1st Reserve Uhlan Regiment
			1st Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
			4th Company, 2nd Pioneer Battalion
			1st Reserve Divisional Pontoon Train
			1st Reserve Medical Company
	36th Reserve Division	69th Reserve Infantry Brigade	21st Reserve Infantry Regiment
			61st Reserve Infantry Regiment
			2nd Reserve Jäger Battalion
		70th Reserve Infantry Brigade	54th Infantry Regiment
			5th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			1st Reserve Hussar Regiment
			36th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
			1st Reserve Company, 2nd Pioneer Battalion
			36th Reserve Divisional Pontoon Train
			15th Reserve Medical Company
	Corps Troops		1st Reserve Telephone Detachment
			Munition Trains and Columns corresponding to the III Reserve Corps

Combat chronicle

On mobilisation, I Reserve Corps was assigned to the 8th Army on the Eastern Front, intended to defend East Prussia while the rest of the German Army executed the Schlieffen Plan offensive against France.

Commanders

I Reserve Corps had the following commanders during its existence:^[15][16]

From	Rank	Name
2 August 1914	Generalleutnant	Otto von Below[17]
30 August 1914	General der Infanterie
28 November 1914	Generalleutnant	Kurt von Morgen[18]
24 August 1918	Generalleutnant	Richard Wellmann[19]

See also

• German Army order of battle (1914)
• German Army order of battle, Western Front (1918)
• Order of battle at Tannenberg

References

1. Cron 2002, p. 86
2. The Prussian 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. 72
11. Cron 2002, pp. 324–325
12. With two machine gun companies
13. With two machine gun companies
14. With two machine gun companies
15. "German War History". Retrieved 21 December 2012.
16. "Armee-Reserve-Korps". The Prussian Machine. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
17. Promoted. "Otto von Below". The Prussian Machine. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
18. Took over command of XIV Corps from Wellman. "Kurt von Morgen". The Prussian Machine. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
19. Relinquished command of XIV Corps to von Morgen. "Richard Wellmann". The Prussian Machine. Retrieved 21 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.