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II Corps (German Empire)
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| II Army Corps II. Armee-Korps | |
|---|---|
 Flag of the Staff of a Generalkommando (1871–1918) | |
| Active | 3 April 1820–10 January 1915 |
| Country |  Prussia /  German Empire |
| Type | Corps |
| Size | Approximately 44,000 (on mobilisation in 1914) |
| Garrison/HQ | Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland)/ Königsplatz 2 |
| Shoulder strap piping | White |
| Engagements | Austro-Prussian War |
| Insignia | |
| Abbreviation | II AK |
The II Army Corps / II AK (German: II. Armee-Korps) was a corps level command of the Prussian and then the Imperial German Armies from the 19th Century to World War I.
It was established on 3 April 1820 with headquarters initially in Berlin. From 1837, the headquarters moved to Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland), back to Berlin in 1863, before finally settling in Stettin from 1870. The Corps catchment area included the Province of Pomerania, the district (Regierungsbezirk) of Bromberg from the Province of Posen and the Province of West Prussia.[1] Later, the West Prussian districts were transferred to the new XVII Corps District.
In peacetime, the Corps was assigned to the VIII Army Inspectorate, which became the 1st Army at the start of the First World War.[2] The Corps headquarters was upgraded to form the headquarters of the South Army on 10 January 1915.[3]
The Corps was reformed post-war, before being finally disbanded in 1919.
Austro-Prussian War
[edit]The II Corps formed part of Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia's 1st Army and fought in the Austro-Prussian War against Austria in 1866, including the Battle of Königgrätz.[4]
Franco-Prussian War
[edit]The Corps fought in the Franco-Prussian War against France in 1870-71 as part of the 2nd Army. It saw action in the Battle of Gravelotte, Battle of Villiers (playing a key part), the Siege of Metz, and the Siege of Paris, among other actions.[5]
Peacetime organisation
[edit]The 25 peacetime Corps of the German Army (Guards, I - XXI, I - III Bavarian) had a reasonably standardised organisation. Each consisted of two divisions with usually two infantry brigades, one field artillery brigade and a cavalry brigade each.[6] Each brigade normally consisted of two regiments of the appropriate type, so each Corps normally commanded 8 infantry, 4 field artillery and 4 cavalry regiments. There were exceptions to this rule:
- V, VI, VII, IX and XIV Corps each had a 5th infantry brigade (so 10 infantry regiments)
- II, XIII, XVIII and XXI Corps had a 9th infantry regiment
- I, VI and XVI Corps had a 3rd cavalry brigade (so 6 cavalry regiments)
- the Guards Corps had 11 infantry regiments (in 5 brigades) and 8 cavalry regiments (in 4 brigades).[7]
Each Corps also directly controlled a number of other units. This could include one or more
World War I
[edit]Organisation on mobilisation
[edit]On mobilization on 2 August 1914, the Corps was restructured. The 3rd Cavalry Brigade was withdrawn to form part of the 4th Cavalry Division[10] and the 4th Cavalry Brigade was broken up and its regiments assigned to the divisions as reconnaissance units. The divisions received engineer companies and other support units from the Corps headquarters. In summary, II Corps mobilised with 24 infantry battalions, 8 machine gun companies (48 machine guns), 8 cavalry squadrons, 24 field artillery batteries (144 guns), 4 heavy artillery batteries (16 guns), 3 pioneer companies and an aviation detachment.
| Corps | Division | Brigade | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| II Corps | 3rd Division | 5th Infantry Brigade | 2nd Grenadier Regiment |
| 9th Grenadier Regiment | |||
| 6th Infantry Brigade | 34th Fusilier Regiment | ||
| 42nd Infantry Regiment | |||
| 3rd Field Artillery Brigade | 2nd Field Artillery Regiment | ||
| 38th Field Artillery Regiment | |||
| 3rd Horse Grenadier Regiment | |||
| 1st Company, 2nd Pioneer Battalion | |||
| 3rd Divisional Pontoon Train | |||
| 1st Medical Company | |||
| 3rd Medical Company | |||
| 4th Division | 7th Infantry Brigade | 14th Infantry Regiment | |
| 149th Infantry Regiment | |||
| 8th Infantry Brigade | 49th Infantry Regiment | ||
| 140th Infantry Regiment | |||
| 6th Field Artillery Brigade | 17th Field Artillery Regiment | ||
| 53rd Field Artillery Regiment | |||
| 12th Dragoon Regiment | |||
| 2nd Company, 2nd Pioneer Battalion | |||
| 3rd Company, 2nd Pioneer Battalion | |||
| 4th Divisional Pontoon Train | |||
| 2nd Medical Company | |||
| Corps Troops | I Battalion, 15th Foot Artillery Regiment[12] | ||
| 30th Aviation Detachment | |||
| 2nd Corps Pontoon Train | |||
| 2nd Telephone Detachment | |||
| 2nd Pioneer Searchlight Section | |||
| Munition Columns and Train | I & II Munition Column Sections (4th Inf. & 9th Art. Munition Columns) | ||
| I/15th Foot Artillery Munition Section (with 8 Columns) | |||
| I & II Train Section (12 Field Hospitals, 6 Supply Columns, 7 Supply Parks, 2 Horse Depts.) | |||
| 2 Field Bakery Columns |
Combat chronicle
[edit]On mobilisation, II Corps was assigned to the 1st Army, which was on the right wing of the forces for the Schlieffen Plan offensive in August 1914 on the Western Front.[13] It saw action in the invasion of Belgium (Battle of Mons), the First Battle of the Marne, and the Race to the Sea (culminating in the First Battle of Ypres as part of the 6th Army). Thereafter, the Corps was transferred to the Eastern Front, joining the 9th Army. The Corps headquarters was upgraded to form the headquarters of the South Army on 10 January 1915.[14]
Commanders
[edit]The II Corps had the following commanders during its existence:[15][16][17]
See also
[edit]
- Franco-Prussian War order of battle
- German Army order of battle (1914)
- List of Imperial German infantry regiments
- List of Imperial German artillery regiments
- List of Imperial German cavalry regiments
- Order of battle at Mons
- Order of battle of the First Battle of the Marne
- Order of First Battle of Ypres
References
[edit]- ^ German Administrative History Accessed: 4 June 2012
- ^ Cron 2002, p. 392
- ^ Cron 2002, p. 88
- ^ Hermann Cron et al., Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee (Berlin, 1935); Bredow
- ^ Hermann Cron et al., Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee (Berlin, 1935)
- ^ Haythornthwaite 1996, pp. 193–194
- ^ They formed the Guards Cavalry Division, the only peacetime cavalry division in the German Army.
- ^ War Office 1918, p. 241
- ^ Ranked as 3rd Dragoons.
- ^ Cron 2002, p. 300
- ^ Cron 2002, p. 302
- ^ 4 heavy artillery batteries (16 heavy field howitzers)
- ^ Cron 2002, p. 303
- ^ Cron 2002, p. 88
- ^ German Administrative History Accessed: 5 June 2012
- ^ German War History Accessed: 5 June 2012
- ^ The Prussian Machine Accessed: 5 June 2012
Bibliography
[edit]- 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.
- Haythornthwaite, Philip J. (1996). The World War One Source Book. Arms and Armour. ISBN 1-85409-351-7.
- Wegner, Günter (1993). Stellenbesetzung der deutschen Heere 1815-1939, Bd. 1. Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück.
- 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.
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