XXIII Reserve Corps (German Empire)

XXIII Reserve Corps XXIII. Reserve-Korps
Flag of the Staff of a Generalkommando (1871–1918)
Active	October 1914 - 12 August 1918
Country	German Empire
Type	Corps
Size	Approximately 32,000 (on formation)
Engagements	World War I Western Front First Battle of Ypres

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

Formation

XXIII Reserve Corps was formed in October 1914.^[1] It was part of the first wave of new Corps formed at the outset of World War I consisting of XXII - XXVII Reserve Corps of 43rd - 54th Reserve Divisions (plus 6th Bavarian Reserve Division). The personnel was predominantly made up of kriegsfreiwillige (wartime volunteers) who did not wait to be called up.^[2] It was dissolved on 12 August 1918.^[3]

Structure on formation

On formation in October 1914, XXIII Reserve Corps consisted of two divisions.^[4] but was weaker than an Active Corps

• Reserve Infantry Regiments consisted of three battalions but only had a machine gun platoon (of 2 machine guns) rather than a machine gun company (of 6 machine guns)^[5]
• Reserve Jäger Battalions did not have a machine gun company on formation, though some were provided with a machine gun platoon^[6]
• Reserve Cavalry Detachments were much smaller than the Reserve Cavalry Regiments formed on mobilisation^[7]
• Reserve Field Artillery Regiments consisted of three abteilungen (2 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)^[8]

In summary, XXIII Reserve Corps mobilised with 26 infantry battalions, 8 machine gun platoons (16 machine guns), 2 cavalry detachments, 18 field artillery batteries (72 guns) and 2 pioneer companies.

Corps	Division	Brigade	Units
XXIII Reserve Corps	45th Reserve Division[9]	89th Reserve Infantry Brigade	209th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			210th Reserve Infantry Regiment
		90th Reserve Infantry Brigade	211th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			212th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			17th Reserve Jäger Battalion[10]
			45th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
			45th Reserve Cavalry Detachment
			45th Reserve Pioneer Company
	46th Reserve Division[11]	91st Reserve Infantry Brigade	213th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			214th Reserve Infantry Regiment
		92nd Reserve Infantry Brigade	215th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			216th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			18th Reserve Jäger Battalion[12]
			46th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
			46th Reserve Cavalry Detachment
			46th Reserve Pioneer Company

Commanders

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

From	Rank	Name
25 August 1914	General der Kavallerie	Georg von Kleist
19 December 1914	General der Infanterie	Hugo von Kathen
31 July 1918	Generalleutnant	Arthur von Gabain

References

1. Cron 2002, p. 87
2. Cron 2002, p. 97
3. Cron 2002, pp. 88–89
4. AEF GHQ 1920, pp. 465,470
5. Busche 1998, pp. 102–104
6. Cron 2002, p. 116 Active Jäger Battlions had a machine gun company with the exceptions of the 1st and 2nd Bavarian Jäger Battalions
7. Cron 2002, p. 128 Reserve Cavalry Regiments consisted of three squadrons
8. Cron 2002, p. 136
9. AEF GHQ 1920, p. 464
10. Busche 1998, p. 132 Without a machine gun platoon
11. AEF GHQ 1920, p. 469
12. Busche 1998, p. 132 Without a machine gun platoon
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.
• Busche, Hartwig (1998). Formationsgeschichte der Deutschen Infanterie im Ersten Weltkrieg (1914 bis 1918) (in German). Institut für Preußische Historiographie.
• 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.