XII (Royal Saxon) Reserve Corps

XII (Royal Saxon) Reserve Corps XII. (Königlich Sächsisches) Reserve-Korps
Flag of the Staff of a Generalkommando (1871–1918)
Active	2 August 1914–1919
Country	Kingdom of Saxony /  German Empire
Type	Corps
Size	Approximately 38,000 (on formation)
Engagements	World War I Battle of the Frontiers

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.

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]

From	Rank	Name
2 August 1914	General der Artillerie	Hans von Kirchbach
15 December 1917	General der Infanterie	Horst Edler von der Planitz
24 July 1918	Generalleutnant	Max Leuthold

See also

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

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. 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. 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.