Armee-Abteilung B
Armee-Abteilung Gaede / Armee-Abteilung B (Army Detachment B) was an army level command of the German Army in World War I. It served on the Western Front throughout its existence and formed the extreme left wing (up against the Swiss Border).
| Armee-Abteilung Gaede Armee-Abteilung B Army Detachment B | |
|---|---|
 Flag of the Staff of an Armee Oberkommando (1871–1918) | |
| Active | 19 September 1914 – post 11 November 1918 |
| Country | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} German Empire |
| Type | Army |
| Engagements | World War I |
History
After the 7th Army had repulsed the French invasion at the Battle of Mülhausen, it marched north to participate in the Race to the Sea. It left behind in Upper Alsace three Landwehr Brigades under the command of the Deputy Commander[1] of XIV Corps, General der Infanterie Hans Gaede. This detachment was designated as Armee-Gruppe Gaede on 19 September 1914. It was established as Armee-Abteilung Gaede on 30 January 1915 and renamed on 4 September 1916 as Armee-Abteilung B. It was still in existence when the war ended,[2] serving on the Western Front as part of Heeresgruppe Herzog Albrecht von Württemberg.[3]
Order of Battle on formation
The following Orders of Battle illustrate the growth of the Armee-Abteilung during the war.
| Organization of Armee-Abteilung Gaede on 10 December 1914[4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Army | Corps | Division |
| Armee-Abteilung Gaede | Under Army command | 4 Mixed Landwehr Brigades |
Order of Battle, 30 October 1918
By the end of the war, the majority of the units assigned were lower quality Landwehr and Cavalry Schützen Divisions indicative of the relatively quiet sector that the Armee-Abteilung was operating in.
| Organization of Armee-Abteilung B on 30 October 1918[5] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Army | Corps | Division |
| Armee-Abteilung B | 64th Corps (z.b.V.) | 6th Bavarian Landwehr Division |
| 4th Cavalry Schützen Division | ||
| 7th Cavalry Schützen Division | ||
| X Corps | 26th Landwehr Division | |
| 30th Bavarian Reserve Division | ||
| 31st Division | ||
| XII Corps | 44th Landwehr Division | |
| 25th Landwehr Division | ||
Commanders
Armee-Abteilung B had the following commanders during its existence:[6]
| From | Commander | Previously | Subsequently |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 September 1914 | General der Infanterie Hans Gaede | Deputy Commander XIV Corps | Ill, died 16 September 1916[7] |
| 3 September 1916 | General der Infanterie Erich von Gündell | V Reserve Corps |
Glossary
- Armee-Abteilung or Army Detachment in the sense of "something detached from an Army". It is not under the command of an Army so is in itself a small Army.[8]
- Armee-Gruppe or Army Group in the sense of a group within an Army and under its command, generally formed as a temporary measure for a specific task.
- Heeresgruppe or Army Group in the sense of a number of armies under a single commander.
References
- Cron 2002, p. 262 As the peacetime Corps Commanders were mobilised in August 1914, they left behind a Deputy. The Deputy Corps Commanders were responsible for keeping the peace in their area, maintain order and morale, and in procuring, training and despatching recruits to the field army. Not to be confused with a Reserve Corps Commander.
- Cron 2002, p. 84
- Ellis & Cox 1993, p. 187
- Ellis & Cox 1993, p. 178
- Ellis & Cox 1993, p. 187
- Cron 2002, p. 399
- The Prussian Machine Archived 29 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine Accessed: 11 February 2012
- Cron 2002, p. 84