XXII Reserve Corps

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

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

Formation

XXII 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 still in existence at the end of the war.^[3]

Structure on formation

On formation in October 1914, XXII 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, XXII Reserve Corps mobilised with 26 infantry battalions, 10 machine gun platoons (20 machine guns), 2 cavalry detachments, 18 field artillery batteries (72 guns) and 2 pioneer companies.

Corps	Division	Brigade	Units
XXII Reserve Corps	43rd Reserve Division[9]	85th Reserve Infantry Brigade	201st Reserve Infantry Regiment
			202nd Reserve Infantry Regiment
		86th Reserve Infantry Brigade	203rd Reserve Infantry Regiment
			204th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			15th Reserve Jäger Battalion[10]
			43rd Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
			43rd Reserve Cavalry Detachment
			43rd Reserve Pioneer Company
	44th Reserve Division[11]	87th Reserve Infantry Brigade	205th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			206th Reserve Infantry Regiment
		88th Reserve Infantry Brigade	207th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			208th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			16th Reserve Jäger Battalion[12]
			44th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
			44th Reserve Cavalry Detachment
			44th Reserve Pioneer Company

Commanders

XXII Reserve Corps was commanded throughout its existence by General der Kavallerie Eugen von Falkenhayn ,^[13][14] Prussian War Minister Erich von Falkenhayn's older brother.^[15]

References

1. Cron 2002, p. 87
2. Cron 2002, p. 97
3. Cron 2002, pp. 88–89
4. AEF GHQ 1920, pp. 455,459
5. Busche 1998, pp. 100–102
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. 454
10. Busche 1998, p. 132 With a machine gun platoon
11. AEF GHQ 1920, p. 458
12. Busche 1998, p. 132 With a machine gun platoon
13. "German War History". Retrieved 22 December 2012.
14. "Armee-Reserve-Korps". The Prussian Machine. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
15. "Eugen von Falkenhayn". 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.