XXVI Reserve Corps (German Empire)

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

Formation

XXVI 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] in the 18th Army, Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz on the Western Front.^[4]

Structure on formation

On formation in October 1914, XXVI Reserve Corps consisted of two divisions.^[5] 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)^[6]
• Reserve Jäger Battalions did not have a machine gun company on formation, though some were provided with a machine gun platoon^[7]
• Reserve Cavalry Detachments were much smaller than the Reserve Cavalry Regiments formed on mobilisation^[8]
• 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)^[9]

In summary, XXVI 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
XXVI Reserve Corps	51st Reserve Division[10]	101st Reserve Infantry Brigade	233rd Reserve Infantry Regiment
			234th Reserve Infantry Regiment
		102nd Reserve Infantry Brigade	235th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			236th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			23rd Reserve Jäger Battalion[11]
			51st Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
			51st Reserve Cavalry Detachment
			51st Reserve Pioneer Company
	52nd Reserve Division[12]	103rd Reserve Infantry Brigade	237th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			238th Reserve Infantry Regiment
		104th Reserve Infantry Brigade	239th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			240th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			24th Reserve Jäger Battalion[13]
			52nd Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
			52nd Reserve Cavalry Detachment
			52nd Reserve Pioneer Company

Commanders

XXVI Reserve Corps had the following commanders during its existence:^[14][15]

From	Rank	Name
25 August 1914	Generalleutnant	Otto von Hügel[16]
30 September 1914	General der Infanterie
5 March 1918	Generalleutnant	Oskar von Watter

See also

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

References

1. Cron 2002, p. 87
2. Cron 2002, p. 97
3. Cron 2002, pp. 88–89
4. Ellis & Cox 1993, pp. 186–187
5. AEF GHQ 1920, pp. 498,505
6. Busche 1998, pp. 108–111
7. Cron 2002, p. 116 Active Jäger Battlions had a machine gun company with the exceptions of the 1st and 2nd Bavarian Jäger Battalions
8. Cron 2002, p. 128 Reserve Cavalry Regiments consisted of three squadrons
9. Cron 2002, p. 136
10. AEF GHQ 1920, p. 497
11. Busche 1998, p. 133 Without a machine gun platoon
12. AEF GHQ 1920, p. 504
13. Busche 1998, p. 133 Without a machine gun platoon
14. "German War History". Retrieved 22 December 2012.
15. "Armee-Reserve-Korps". The Prussian Machine. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
16. On transfer to active reserve status (retirement) on 2 April 1912, he was given an honorary promotion General der Infanterie (Charakter). "Otto Freiherr von Hügel". 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.