VII Reserve Corps (German Empire)

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

VII Reserve Corps VII. Reserve-Korps
Flag of the Staff of a Generalkommando (1871–1918)
Active	2 August 1914 - post November 1918
Country	German Empire
Type	Corps
Size	Approximately 38,000 (on formation)
Engagements	World War I Battle of the Frontiers
Insignia
Abbreviation	VII RK

Formation

VII Reserve Corps was formed on the outbreak of the war in August 1914[1] as part of the mobilisation of the Army. It was initially commanded by General der Infanterie Hans von Zwehl, recalled from retirement.[2] It was still in existence at the end of the war[3] in the 1st Army, Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz on the Western Front.[4]

Structure on formation

On formation in August 1914, VII Reserve Corps consisted of two divisions, made up of reserve units. In general, Reserve Corps and Reserve Divisions were weaker than their active counterparts

Reserve Infantry Regiments did not always have three battalions nor necessarily contain a machine gun company[5]

Reserve Jäger Battalions did not have a machine gun company on formation[6]

Reserve Cavalry Regiments consisted of just three squadrons[7]

Reserve Field Artillery Regiments usually consisted of two abteilungen of three batteries each[8]

Corps Troops generally consisted of a Telephone Detachment and four sections of munition columns and trains [9]

In summary, VII Reserve Corps mobilised with 24 infantry battalions, 8 machine gun companies (48 machine guns), 6 cavalry squadrons, 12 field artillery batteries (72 guns) and 3 pioneer companies. 14th Reserve Division was slightly stronger than the norm as it included an active infantry brigade.

Corps	Division	Brigade	Units
VII Reserve Corps[10]	13th Reserve Division	25th Reserve Infantry Brigade	13th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			56th Reserve Infantry Regiment
		28th Reserve Infantry Brigade	39th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			57th Reserve Infantry Regiment[11]
			7th Reserve Jäger Battalion
			5th Reserve Hussar Regiment
			13th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
			4th Company, 7th Pioneer Battalion
			13th Reserve Divisional Pontoon Train
			7th Reserve Medical Company
	14th Reserve Division	28th Infantry Brigade	39th Füsilier Regiment
			159th Infantry Regiment
		27th Reserve Infantry Brigade	16th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			53rd Reserve Infantry Regiment
			8th Reserve Hussar Regiment
			14th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment
			1st Reserve Company, 7th Pioneer Battalion
			2nd Reserve Company, 7th Pioneer Battalion
			21st Reserve Medical Company
	Corps Troops		7th Reserve Telephone Detachment
			Munition Trains and Columns corresponding to the III Reserve Corps

Combat chronicle

On mobilisation, VII Reserve Corps was assigned to the 2nd Army forming part of the right wing of the forces that invaded France and Belgium as part of the Schlieffen Plan offensive in August 1914.

Commanders

VII Reserve Corps had the following commanders during its existence:[12][13]

From	Rank	Name
2 August 1914	General der Infanterie	Hans von Zwehl
17 December 1916	General der Infanterie	Franz Freiherr von Soden
27 August 1917	Generalleutnant	Otto von Garnier
3 December 1917	Generalleutnant	Richard Wellmann
15 June 1918	Generalleutnant	Arthur von Lindequist

See also

• German Army order of battle (1914)
• German Army order of battle, Western Front (1918)

References

1. Cron 2002, p. 86
2. The Prussian Machine Accessed: 29 February 2012
3. Cron 2002, pp. 88–89
4. Ellis & Cox 1993, pp. 186–187
5. Cron 2002, p. 111 About a third of Reserve Infantry Regiments formed in August 1914 lacked a machine gun company
6. Cron 2002, p. 116 Active Jäger Battalions had a machine gun company with the exceptions of the 1st and 2nd Bavarian Jäger Battalions
7. Cron 2002, p. 128 Most active cavalry regiments had four squadrons, some were raised to six squadrons
8. Cron 2002, p. 134 Active Divisions had a Field Artillery Brigade of two regiments
9. Cron 2002, p. 86 Active Corps Troops included a battalion of heavy howitzers (Foot Artillery), an Aviation Detachment, a Telephone Detachment, a Corps Pontoon Train, a searchlight section, 2 munition column sections, one Foot Artillery munitions column section and two Train sections
10. Cron 2002, p. 308
11. Just two battalions
12. "German War History". Retrieved 22 December 2012.
13. "Armee-Reserve-Korps". The Prussian Machine. Retrieved 22 December 2012.

Bibliography

• Cron, Hermann (2002) [1937]. Imperial German Army 1914-18: Organisation, Structure, Orders-of-Battle (repr. ed.). Helion & Co. ISBN 1-874622-70-1.
• Ellis, John; Cox, Michael (1993). The World War I Databook. Aurum Press. ISBN 1-85410-766-6.

Further reading

• 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 (repr. The London Stamp Exchange ed.). General Staff, American Expeditionary Forces. 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.