The 16th Division was part of the VIII Corps of the German Army, and
together with the 15th Division joined as part of that Corps with the
4th Army (Duke of Wuerttemburg).
Both Divisions recruited from the Rhineland, and it was to this Corps that the men of Grenderich would have found themselves.
The 16th Division was formed as the 15th Division on 5th September 1818
from a Troop Brigade of the German Army at Koblenz. It became the 16th Division
on 14th December 1818 and moved its headquarters to Trier, it was part of the VIII Corps in peacetime.
The 16th Division fought in the Austrian-Prussian War of 1866, and in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1
In the Franco-Prussian War the Division consisted of:
31st Infantry Brigade
29th Infantry Regiment
69th Infantry Regiment
32nd Infantry Brigade
40th Fusilier Regiment
72nd Infantry Regiment
9th Hussar Regiment
German divisions underwent various organizational changes after the
Franco-Prussian War. The 15th Division's 30th Infantry Brigade went to
the 16th Division in exchange for the 80th Infantry Brigade, formed in
1897.
The organisation of the Division in 1914 was as follows
30th Infantry Brigade
28th (2nd Rhine) (Von Goeben) Infantry Regiment
68th (6th Rhine) Infantry Regiment
31st Infantry Brigade
29th (3rd Rhine) (Von Horn) Infantry Regiment
69th (7th Rhine) Infantry Regiment
16th Cavalry Brigade
7th Horse Jager Regiment
8th Horse Jager Regiment
16th Field Artillery Brigade
44th (Trier) Field Artillery Regiment
23rd Field Artillery Regiment (2nd Rhine)
On mobilisation in 1914 it lost in Cavalry Brigade, which was withdrawn
to constitute Cavalry Divisions, and was made up of the following units.
30th Infantry Brigade
28th (2nd Rhine) (Von Goeben) Infantry Regiment
68th (6th Rhine) Infantry Regiment
31st Infantry Brigade
29th (3rd Rhine) (Von Horn) Infantry Regiment
69th (7th Rhine) Infantry Regiment
7th Hussar Regiment (1st Rhine) (King William I)
16th Field Artillery Brigade
44th (Trier) Field Artillery Regiment
23rd Field Artillery Regiment (3rd Rhine)
8th (2/1st Rhine) Pioneer Battalion
8th (3/1st Rhine) Pioneer Battalion
The 16th Division entered Luxembourg on 20th
August 1914. The Division entered France on 26th August 1914. The 16th Division then took part in the battle of the Marne.
The winter of 14/15 saw the Division take up positions in Souain-Perthes in Champagne, where it saw heavy fighting. In November and December 1914 the 31st Infantry Brigade saw service in the Langemarck area of Belgium. In mid December the 31st Brigade was sent to Alsace as part of the Fuchs (Fox) Division. It rejoined the 30th Brigade at the end of that month.
At the middle of May 1915 the 16th Division after a period of rest was placed in the line at Arras.
In October 1915 the Division was made up of the following regiments:
28th (2nd Rhine) (Von Goeben) Infantry Regiment
29th (3rd Rhine) (Von Horn) Infantry Regiment
68th (6th Rhine) Infantry Regiment
23rd Field Artillery Regiment (3rd Rhine)
32nd Foot Artillery Battalion
In November 1915 it was sent to the Russian front, and in June 1917
the Division was back in Flanders, and in September it was placed in the
reserve.
At the beginning of October 1917 it was returned to the French front at Ypres. It continued to serve on that front until the end of the war.
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