Landwehr Corps
# Landwehr Corps

The Landwehr Corps (German: Landwehrkorps) was a corps level command of the German Army in World War I.

## Formation

The Landwehr Corps was formed on the outbreak of war in August 1914 as part of the mobilisation of the Army. It was initially commanded by General der Infanterie Remus von Woyrsch, who had been recalled from retirement. It was still in existence at the end of the war.

### Structure on formation

On formation, in August 1914, the Landwehr Corps consisted of two divisions, which were made up of 3rd line units. The Senior Landwehr Commander 3 was formed with units drawn from V Corps District (Province of Posen and Lower Silesia) and Senior Landwehr Commander 4 was formed with units drawn from VI Corps District (Province of Silesia, particularly Upper Silesia). It mobilised with 34 infantry battalions (considerably above the norm), just four machine gun platoons (eight machine guns), nine cavalry squadrons, four field artillery batteries (24 guns) and two pioneer companies.

| Corps | Division | Brigade | Units |
| - | - | - | - |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 3 (3rd Landwehr Division) | 17th Landwehr Infantry Brigade | 6th Landwehr Infantry Regiment |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 3 (3rd Landwehr Division) | 17th Landwehr Infantry Brigade | 7th Landwehr Infantry Regiment |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 3 (3rd Landwehr Division) | 18th Landwehr Infantry Brigade | 37th Landwehr Infantry Regiment |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 3 (3rd Landwehr Division) | 18th Landwehr Infantry Brigade | 46th Landwehr Infantry Regiment |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 3 (3rd Landwehr Division) | 17th Ersatz Infantry Brigade | 17th Brigade Ersatz Battalion |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 3 (3rd Landwehr Division) | 17th Ersatz Infantry Brigade | 18th Brigade Ersatz Battalion |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 3 (3rd Landwehr Division) | 17th Ersatz Infantry Brigade | 19th Brigade Ersatz Battalion |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 3 (3rd Landwehr Division) | 17th Ersatz Infantry Brigade | 20th Brigade Ersatz Battalion |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 3 (3rd Landwehr Division) | 17th Ersatz Infantry Brigade | 77th Brigade Ersatz Battalion |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 3 (3rd Landwehr Division) | | 1st Landwehr Cavalry Regiment |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 3 (3rd Landwehr Division) | | 1st Landwehr Battery of V Corps |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 3 (3rd Landwehr Division) | | 2nd Landwehr Battery of V Corps |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 3 (3rd Landwehr Division) | | Reserve Company, 5th Pioneer Battalion |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 3 (3rd Landwehr Division) | | 1st Landwehr Divisional Pontoon Train |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 3 (3rd Landwehr Division) | | Reserve Telephone Section |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 4 (4th Landwehr Division) | 22nd Landwehr Infantry Brigade | 11th Landwehr Infantry Regiment |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 4 (4th Landwehr Division) | 22nd Landwehr Infantry Brigade | 51st Landwehr Infantry Regiment |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 4 (4th Landwehr Division) | 23rd Landwehr Infantry Brigade | 22nd Landwehr Infantry Regiment |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 4 (4th Landwehr Division) | 23rd Landwehr Infantry Brigade | 23rd Landwehr Infantry Regiment |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 4 (4th Landwehr Division) | 21st Ersatz Infantry Brigade | 21st Brigade Ersatz Battalion |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 4 (4th Landwehr Division) | 21st Ersatz Infantry Brigade | 22nd Brigade Ersatz Battalion |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 4 (4th Landwehr Division) | 21st Ersatz Infantry Brigade | 23rd Brigade Ersatz Battalion |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 4 (4th Landwehr Division) | 21st Ersatz Infantry Brigade | 24th Brigade Ersatz Battalion |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 4 (4th Landwehr Division) | 21st Ersatz Infantry Brigade | 78th Brigade Ersatz Battalion |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 4 (4th Landwehr Division) | | 2nd Landwehr Cavalry Regiment |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 4 (4th Landwehr Division) | | Ersatz Cavalry Regiment |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 4 (4th Landwehr Division) | | 1st Landwehr Battery of VI Corps |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 4 (4th Landwehr Division) | | 2nd Landwehr Battery of VI Corps |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 4 (4th Landwehr Division) | | Reserve Company, 6th Pioneer Battalion |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 4 (4th Landwehr Division) | | 2nd Landwehr Divisional Pontoon Train |
| Landwehr Corps | Senior Landwehr Commander 4 (4th Landwehr Division) | | Reserve Telephone Section |
| Landwehr Corps | Corps Troops | | Landwehr Munitions Column Section |
| Landwehr Corps | Corps Troops | | Four Landwehr Telephone Columns |
| Landwehr Corps | Corps Troops | | Two LoC Motor Vehicle Columns |
| Landwehr Corps | Corps Troops | | Two Landwehr Bakery Columns |
| Landwehr Corps | Corps Troops | | Two Magazine Supply Parks |

## Combat chronicle

On mobilisation, the Landwehr Corps was assigned to the 8th Army on the Eastern Front. Whilst the 8th Army was concentrated in East Prussia, the Landwehr Corps was detached to Upper Silesia. On 4 September 1914, it came under the command of 1st Austro-Hungarian Army. Due to losses suffered by the 4th Landwehr Division in the Battle of Tarnawka (7–9 September 1914), the 11th and 51st Landwehr Infantry Regiments were reduced to a single battalion each; the 22nd and 23rd Landwehr Infantry Regiments were reduced to two battalions each.

On 14 September 1914, the Brigade Ersatz Battalions of the 21st Ersatz Infantry Brigade were dissolved and their manpower used to replace combat losses in the following battalions:

    21st Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into II Battalion, 51st Landwehr Infantry Regiment
    22nd Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into II Battalion, 11th Landwehr Infantry Regiment
    23rd Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into II Battalion, 51st Landwehr Infantry Regiment
    24th Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into II Battalion, 11th Landwehr Infantry Regiment
    78th Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into II Battalion, 78th Landwehr Infantry Regiment

On 25 September 1914, the Brigade Ersatz Battalions of the 17th Ersatz Infantry Brigade were likewise dissolved:

    17th Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into III Battalion, 23rd Landwehr Infantry Regiment
    18th Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into III Battalion, 51st Landwehr Infantry Regiment
    19th Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into III Battalion, 22nd Landwehr Infantry Regiment
    20th Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into III Battalion, 22nd Landwehr Infantry Regiment
    77th Brigade Ersatz Battalion absorbed into III Battalion, 11th Landwehr Infantry Regiment

The Landwehr Corps joined the 9th Army on 24 September 1914.

## Commanders

The Landwehr Corps had the following commanders during its existence:

| From | Rank | Name |
| - | - | - |
| 2 August 1914 | General der Infanterie | Remus von Woyrsch |
| 23 September 1916 | General der Infanterie | Günther Graf von Kirchbach |
| 23 April 1917 | General der Infanterie | Artur von Brietzke |

From 3 November 1914, von Woyrsch was assigned to concurrently command Armee-Abteilung Woyrsch. A deputy, Generalleutnant Götz Freiherr von König, took command of the Landwehr Corps on 3 December 1914.

