I Cavalry Corps (German Empire)

I Cavalry Corps
(Höhere Kavallerie-Kommando Nr 1)
Higher Cavalry Command No. 1

Flag of the Staff of a Generalkommando (1871–1918)

Active| 2 August 1914-3 March 1918
Disbanded| 1919
Country|  German Empire
Branch| Army
Type| Cavalry
Size| Approximately 13,000 (on mobilisation)
Engagements| World War I
Insignia
Abbreviation| HKK 1

Military unit

The I Cavalry Corps (German: Höhere Kavallerie-Kommando 1 / HKK 1 literally: Higher Cavalry Command 1) was a formation of the German Army in World War I. It was formed on the mobilization of the German Army in August 1914 and disbanded in March 1918.

## I Cavalry Corps[edit]

The Corps initially served on the Western Front with the Guards and 5th Cavalry Divisions and preceded the 3rd Army.[1] By 15 September 1914, it was assigned to 2nd Army and comprised the Guards and 2nd Cavalry Divisions.[2] Transferred to the East on 6 November 1914[3] and attached to the 9th Army. By 8 February 1915, it consisted of the 6th and 9th Cavalry Divisions.[4]

At various times, the Corps was named for its commander as Cavalry Corps Richthofen, Corps Richthofen and Army Group[5] Richthofen.

It remained with 9th Army until 20 November 1916, when it was redesignated as 56th Corps (z.b.V.).[6][7]

## 56th Corps[edit]

56th Corps (z.b.V.)[8] was formed on 20 November 1916 by the redesignation of I Cavalry Corps.[9] As the need for large mounted cavalry formations diminished as the war went on, the existing Cavalry Corps increasingly took on the characteristics of a normal Corps Command. This culminated in them being redesignated as "General Commands for Special Use" Generalkommandos zur besonderen Verwendung (Genkdo z.b.V.). 56th Corps was disbanded on 5 March 1918.[10]

## Order of Battle on mobilisation[edit]

Initially, the Corps simply consisted of 2 Cavalry Divisions (with 3 Jäger battalions attached) without any Corps troops; in supply and administration matters, the Cavalry Divisions were entirely autonomous. The commander was only concerned with tactics and strategy, hence his title of Senior Cavalry Commander Höherer Kavallerie-Kommandeur.[11]

On formation in August 1914, the Corps consisted of:[12]

* Guards Cavalry Division
* 5th Cavalry Division
* 11th Jäger Battalion
* 12th Jäger Battalion
* 13th Jäger Battalion

Each cavalry division consisted of 3 cavalry brigades (6 regiments each of 4 squadrons), a horse artillery Abteilung (3 four-gun batteries), a machine gun detachment (company size, 6 MGs), plus pioneers, signals and a motor vehicle column. A more detailed Table of Organisation and Equipment can be seen here. The Jäger battalions each consisted of 4 light infantry companies, 1 machine gun company (6 MGs), 1 cyclist company and a motorised vehicle column.[13]

## Commanders[edit]

I Cavalry Corps / 56th Corps had the following commanders during its existence:[14][15][16]

Commander | From | To

|
|

General der Kavallerie Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen | 2 August 1914  | 23 September 1916
General der Kavallerie Götz Freiherr von König  | 23 September 1916  | 5 March 1918

## See also[edit]

* Germany portal

* German Army (German Empire)
* German Army order of battle (1914)
* German cavalry in World War I
* TOE, German Cavalry Division, August 1914

## References[edit]

1. ^ Cron 2002, p. 299
2. ^ Ellis & Cox 1993, p. 176
3. ^ Cron 2002, p. 94
4. ^ Ellis & Cox 1993, p. 189
5. ^ Armee-Gruppe in the sense of a part of an army formed for a specific task. Heeresgruppe is an Army Group in the sense of a number of armies under a single commander.
6. ^ General Commands for Special Use Generalkommandos zur besonderen Verwendung (Genkdo z.b.V.)
7. ^ Cron 2002, p. 95
8. ^ Note that Corps (z.b.V.) were designated with Arabic, not Roman, numerals.
9. ^ Cron 2002, p. 89
10. ^ German War History Accessed: 13 April 2012
11. ^ Cron 2002, p. 94
12. ^ Cron 2002, p. 299
13. ^ Cron 2002, p. 116
14. ^ The Prussian Machine, HKK Accessed: 20 May 2012
15. ^ The Prussian Machine, GenKdo Archived 2012-06-30 at archive.today Accessed: 20 May 2012
16. ^ German War History Accessed: 20 May 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.

* v
* t
* e

Army level commands of the Imperial German Army in World War I

Numbered Armies|

* 1st
* 2nd
* 3rd
* 4th
* 5th
* 6th
* 7th
* 8th
* 9th
* 10th
* 11th
* 12th
* 14th
* 17th
* 18th
* 19th

2nd|

| 54th Corps|

* 21st Reserve Division
* 22nd Division
* 4th Division
* 113th Infantry Division
* 239th Division
* 12th Reserve Division
* Jäger Division
* 185th Infantry Division

|

IV Reserve Corps|

* 14th Division
* 58th Infantry Division
* 18th Reserve Division
* 30th Division
* 44th Reserve Division

51st Corps|

* 2nd Cyclist Brigade
* 243rd Infantry Division
* 121st Infantry Division
* 54th Infantry Division
* 1st Guards Reserve Division
* 22nd Reserve Division

I Cavalry Corps / 56th Corps (z.b.V.)|

* Guards Cavalry Division
* 5th Cavalry Division
* 2nd Cavalry Division

II Cavalry Corps|

* 2nd Cavalry Division
* 4th Cavalry Division
* 9th Cavalry Division

9th|

| XI Corps|

* 22nd Division
* 38th Division

|

XVII Corps|

* 35th Division
* 36th Division

XX Corps|

* 37th Division
* 41st Division

Guards Reserve Corps|

* 3rd Guards Infantry Division
* 1st Guards Reserve Division

Landwehr Corps|

* 3rd Landwehr Division
* 4th Landwehr Division

III Cavalry Corps|

* 8th Cavalry Division

* 35th Reserve Division
* 18th Landwehr Division

I Cavalry Corps / 56th Corps (z.b.V.)|

* Guards Cavalry Division
* 6th Cavalry Division
* 9th Cavalry Division

Armee-Abteilung|

* A (Falkenhausen)
* B (Gaede)
* C (Strantz)
* D (Scholtz)
* Gronau
* Lauenstein
* Woyrsch

Named Armies|

* Bug
* Niemen
* North
* South
* High Command of Coastal Defence

Related|

* Army order of battle (1914)
* Army order of battle, Western Front (1918)
* Ober Ost
* Army Group Mackensen

* List of Divisions
* List of Corps

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