The aim of this article is to give an organizational and developmental overview of the Imperial German Field Artillery from the time of the conclusion of the Franco-Prussian War and the unification of Germany until the mobilization for the Great War in August 1914. I have not included the state of Bavaria in this article which I shall consider as a follow-up. Although this article deals with mainly organizational matters, illustrations and details of uniforms of representative contingent regiments are included. Mick O'Shea provides a comprehensive list of German artillery regiments and higher formations as they stood at the outbreak of war; this article deals with the growth of the German field artillery in the period immediately prior to this date.
Glossary
| Abteilung | A battalion sized formation consisting of between 2 and 4 batteries. |
| Fahrende | literally mobile field artillery as opposed to siege or fortress artillery. Although the guns are horse-drawn, many of the personnel are marching. |
| Reitende | Horse artillery. All personnel mounted or borne on guns and limbers |
| A.K.O. | All highest Cabinet Order. Orders issued by the Emperor's military cabinet. |
Background
The North German Confederation was formed following the defeat of Austria
after the battle of Königgrätz (Sadowa). The confederation headed
by the state of Prussia included all the states North of the River Main
including the newly annexed states of Hannover, Frisia, Hesse, Schleswig
Holstein, Nassau, Mecklenburg, Brunswick, Oldenburg and the Hanseatic towns.
The annexations and the North German Confederation raised the strength
of the Prussian army by a further 3 army corps (9, 10 and 11) plus the
Saxon corps which was numbered 12 in the Prussian line sequence. The Southern
German states who were not members of the North German Confederation by
and large modeled their military systems on the Prussian model and at the
time of the unification of Germany in 1871 the strength of the German artillery
excluding Bavaria was as follows:
| Name as at 1871 | Subsequent Re-naming |
| Garde-Artillerie-Regiment | Renamed 24.10.1872:
Garde-Feldartillerie-Regiment (Korpsartillerie) Renamed 7.5.1874: 1.Garde-Feldartillerie-Regiment |
| Ostpreußisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.1 | Renamed 24.10.1872:
Ostpreußisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.1 (Korpsartillerie) Renamed 7.5.1874: Ostpreußisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.1 Renamed 27.1.1889: Feldartillerie-Regiment Prinz August von Preußen (Ostpreußisches) Nr.1 Renamed 27.1.1902: Feldartillerie-Regiment Prinz August von Preußen (1.Litthauisches) Nr.1 |
| Pommersches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.2 | Renamed 24.10.1872:
Pommersches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.2 Korpsartillerie Renamed 7.5.1874: 1.Pommersches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.2 |
| Brandenburgisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.3 (Generalfeldzeugmeister) | Renamed 24.10.1872:
Brandenburgisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.3 (Generalfeldzeugmeister) Korpsartillerie Renamed 7.5.1874 1.Brandenburgisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.3 (Generalfeldzeugmeister) Renamed 27.1.1889: Feldartillerie-Regiment General-Feldzeugmeister (1.Brandenburgisches) Nr.3 |
| Magdeburgisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.4 | Renamed 24.10.1872
Magdeburgisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.4 Korpsartillerie Renamed 7.5.1874: Magdeburgisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.4 Renamed 1.9.1897: Feldartillerie-Regiment Prinz-Regent Luitpold von Bayern (Magdeburgisches) Nr.4 |
| Niederschlesisches Feldartillerie-RegimentNr.5 | Renamed 24.10.1872:
Niederschlesisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.5 Korpsartillerie Renamed 7.5.1874: Niederschlesisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.5 Renamed 27.1.1889: Feldartillerie-Regiment von Podbielski (Niederschlesisches) Nr.5 Renamed 27.1.1902: Feldartillerie-Regiment von Podbielski (1.Niederschlesisches) Nr.5 |
| Schlesisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.6 | Renamed 24.10.1872
Schlesisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.6, Korpsartillerie Renamed 7.5.1874: Schlesisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.6 Renamed 27.1.1889: Feldartillerie-Regiment von Peucker (Schlesisisches) Nr.6 Renamed 27.1.1902 Feldartillerie-Regiment von Peucker (1.Schlesisches) Nr.6 |
| Westfälisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.7 | Renamed 24.10.1872:
Westfälisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.7, Korpsartillerie Renamed 7.5.1874: 1.Westfälisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.7 |
| Rheinisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.8 | Renamed 24.10.1872:
Rheinisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.8, Korpsartillerie Renamed 7.5.1874: Rheinisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.8 Renamed 27.1.1889: Feldartillerie-Regiment von Holtzendorf (1.Rheinisches) Nr.8 |
| Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.9 | Renamed 24.10.1872:
Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.9, Korpsartillerie Renamed 7.5.1874 Schleswig-Holsteinisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.9 Renamed 30.7.1901: Feldartillerie-Regiment General-Feldmarschall Graf Waldersee (Schlegwisches) Nr.9 |
| Hannoversches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.10 | Renamed 24.10.1872:
Hannoversches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 10, Korpsartillerie Renamed 7.5.1874: 1.Hannoversches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.10 Renamed 27.1.1889: Feldartillerie-Regiment von Scharnhorst (1.Hannoversches) Nr.10 |
| Hessisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.11 | Renamed 24.10.1872:
Hessisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.11, Korpsartillerie Renamed 7.5.1874: Hessisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.11 Renamed 27.1.1902: 1.Kurhessisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.11 |
| Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.12 | Renamed 1.11.1872:
Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.12, Korpsartillerie Renamed 1.6.1874: Kgl. Sächs. 1.Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.12 |
| Königl. Württembergisches Artillerie-Regiment | Renamed 31.7.1871:
Feld-Artillerie-Regiment zu 3 Fuß Abteilung Renamed 18.12.1871: Königl.Württembergisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.13 Renamed 8.7.1873: Königl.Württembergisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.13, Korpsartillerie Renamed 20.7.1874: Königl.Württembergisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.13 Renamed 25.6.1889: Königl.Württembergisches Feldartillerie-Regiment König Karl 1 (1.Württembergisches) Nr.13 |
| Großherzogl.Feldartillerie-Brigade | Renamed 1.7.1871:
Badisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.14 Renamed 24.10.1872: Badisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.14, Korpsartillerie Renamed 7.5.1874: 1.Badisches feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.14 Renamed 20.9.1906: Feldartillerie-Regiment Großherzog (1.Badisches) Nr.14 |
| Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.15 | Renamed 27.1902:
1.Oberelsäßisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.15 |
In 1872 the cabinet orders of 18 July through 1 November authorized the division of the existing field artillery regiments, with the exception of regiment 15 into two new regiments which were then brigaded together. At the same time the so called fortress artillery complement of the field artillery regiments was detached, at first temporarily and named the foot artillery. According to the A.K.O. of 25 March 1889, the field artillery was known as the "fahrende" (maneuvering) artillery to avoid confusion between the two. The final permanent division between the field and foot branches occurred on the 7 May 1874.
The two regiments in a field artillery brigade received the same number,
the senior regiment was termed "Korpsartillerie", the junior regiment "Divisionsartillerie".
According to the regulations the corps regiments were to have 2 foot (Fahrende)
detachments (Abteilungen) each of 3 batteries and a mounted (Reitende)
detachment of 3 batteries. The divisional artillery regiments had 2 foot
detachments each of 4 batteries. As previously the individual artillery
regiments had only been 12 batteries strong and now for every brigade there
was an establishment of 14 "Fahrende" batteries, the senior of the two
regiments in a brigade formed two new so-called provisional batteries through
the transfer of personnel of which one battery was assigned to each of
the regiments within the brigade. Exceptions were the Guards and 4.Brigade
in which case both batteries went to the new or junior regiment. The mounted
detachment of the 15th regiment was dissolved, the batteries being assigned
to the corps regiments 8, 9 and 11.
These formations had been provisional. Through the A.K.O. of the 7 may
1874 they became permanent. The designations "Korps" and Divisions-Artillery
were abolished and the former Division regiments were numbered contiguously
in the Prussian sequence as follows: 2.Garde-Feld-Artillerie-Regiment and
line regiments 16-24, 26 and 27. Number 25 was taken into use by
the Großherzoglich Hessische Feldartillerie-Regiment which until
then had been called the Großherzogliches Artillerie-Korps. Regiments
28, 29 and 30 were the former Divisional regiments from XII AK (Saxon),
XIII AK (Württemberg) and from Baden in XIV AK.
|
Großherzogl.Hessisches
Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.25
|
Renamed 12.6.1874:
Großherzogl.Hessisches
Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.25 (Großherzogliches Artillerie-Corps)
Renamed 14.12.1906: Großherzogliches
Artillerie-Corps, 1.Großherzoglich Hessisches Feldartillerie-Regiment
Nr.25 |
The difference between heavy and light batteries was no longer necessary after the general arming of the field artillery with the (Einheitsgeschütz) universal gun C.73 and according to the war ministry order of the 13 June 1874 the "fahrende" batteries were now numbered 1-8.
According to the cabinet orders of 7th June 1880 and 24 March 1881, on the 1st April 1881 the 1.Garde-Feldartillerie-Regiment and line regiments 1-11 received 2 new "fahrende" batteries which were numbered as the 7. and 8.Batterie. The 7.Batterie was allocated to the I.Abteilung and the 8.batterie to the II.Abteilung. Consequently the battery numbering with detachments was now as follows: I.Abteilung: 1, 2, 3, 7 II.Abteilung: 4, 5, 6, 8
At the same time a new regiment; number 31 was formed at a strength
of 2 detachments and together with regiment 15 became a component part
of the new 15.Feldartillerie-Brigade.
| 1.Unterelsässisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.31 |
As a result of the cabinet orders of 11th March through 1st April 1887, the 2.Garde-Feldartillerie-Regiment and the line regiments 15-24, 26, 27 and 31 each received a 9.Battery, which with the existing 7. and 8.Batteries now formed a III.Abteilung. Consequently battery numbering throughout these regiments was now: I.Abteilung: 1-3 II.Abteilung: 4-6 III.Abteilung 7-9
Similarly, on the 1st April 1889 as decreed by the cabinet order of 27th March, the 7. and 8.Batteries of the senior regiments, that is: 1. Garde and line regiments 1 - 11 were removed from the I. and II. Abteilungen and placed together as a III.
On the 1st of April 1890, the newly created XVI and XVII army
corps received new artillery regiments as decreed by the A.K.O. of 1st
February: Regiments 33, 34, 35 and 36. Each had a strength of two detachments
of three batteries each with the exception of regiment 34 which had only
the one detachment of three batteries. Regiment 34 received the "Reitende"
Abteilung from regiment 8 and regiment 35 the "Reitende" Abteilung from
regiment 2. At the same time regiment 7 transferred its "Reitende" Abteilung
to regiment 31. The 3rd Saxon regiment was formed also at this time.
|
Kgl.Sächs.3.Feldartillerie-Regiment
Nr.32
|
|
1.Lothringisches
Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.33
|
|
2.Lothringisches
Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.34
|
|
1.Westpreußisches
Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.35
|
| 2.Westpreußisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.36 |
Through the handing over of mounted detachments, the senior regiments were naturally weakened. The following regiments now had only two detachments of six batteries: Line regiments 3, 4, 8-11 and 17. Regiments 5 and 31 had only 5.
A fairly confusing period followed the A.K.O of 1st October 1890 where due to the forming of new formations, the distribution of strength within the existing regiments was extremely varied: Regiments 16, 18, 20 and 36 had eleven batteries in which the 10. and 11.Batteries were formed into a IV.Abteilung. The 1. and 2.Garde and line regiments 1-11, 15, 17, 19, 21-24, 26, 27, 31 and 35 had nine batteries in three detachments. Regiment 33 had eight batteries in three detachments and regiment 34 two detachments with a strength of six batteries. The old regiments 2, 7 and 8 again received "Reitende" detachments as did the 2.Garde and regiment 15. Consequently the following regiments now had "Reitende" detachments at a strength of two batteries;
1.Garde 2.Garde Line regiments 1-11, 15, 31, 34, 35 Regiment 11 had 3 batteries.On the 2nd of October 1890 following the cabinet order of 11th August more "fahrende" batteries were formed, which for regiments 17, 19, 21-24 and 27 resulted in a IV.Abteilung of three batteries being raised so that these regiments had in total 12 batteries. IV.Abteilungen in the strength of two batteries each were additionally received by regiments 1, 3, 5, 35. Regiment 33 also received a IV.Abteilung of three batteries giving a total of eleven batteries for that regiment. Regiments 16,18, 20 and 36 each received an additional battery to bring them up to a strength of twelve batteries each and regiment 34 formed a new III.Abteilung now giving an all up total of nine batteries.
Following the A.K.O. of of the 25th March 1899 effective 1st
April of that year new artillery regiments were formed as follows:
| Königl.Sächsisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.48 |
| 3.WürttembergischesFeldartillerie-Regiment Nr.49 |
| 3.Badisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.50 |
| Grossherzoglich Mecklenburgisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.60 |
| 2.Grossherzoglich Hessisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.61 |
| Königl.Sächsisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.64 |
| 4.WürttembergischesFeldartillerie-Regiment Nr.65 |
| 4.Badisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.66 |
| Königl.Sächsisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.68 |
| 5.Badisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.76 |
| Königl.Sächsisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.77 |
1.Garde and line regiments 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 15 and 35.The following regiments had a three battery mounted Abteilung:
Now the regiments with a three battery mounted Abteilung had additionally one "fahrende" Abteilung also of three batteries. All other Prussian regiments including those with a two battery strong "reitende" Abteilung had two "fahrende" Abteilungen each of three batteries. However, regiments 15, 37, 39, 40, 41 , 44 , 47, 55, 67, 69, 72, 73 and 75 did not receive their 6.Batterie until 1. October 1900. XVIII Army Corps did not have a Prussian "reitende" Abteilung and therefore the Hessian regiment 25 provided a single battery.
4.Garde and line regiments 2, 7, 34, 42 and 74.
On the 1st October 1912 regiments 79-84 were formed as authorised
by the cabinet order of the 29th June. Each had 2 detachments of 3 batteries
each.
| 3.Ostpreußisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.79 |
| 3.Ober-Elsässisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.80 |
| Thorner Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.81 |
| 2.Masurisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.82 |
| 3.Rheinisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.83 |
| Strassburger Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.84 |
By the 1st of October 1913 consequent to the A.K.O. of the 4th May the following mounted detachments of the Prussian army were converted to a universal strength of three batteries each and were thereafter to be employed with cavalry divisions:
1.Garde and line regiments 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 15 and 35.Those remaining regiments which still had mounted detachments, that is:
4.Garde and line regiments 2, 7, 34, 42 and 74 all lost them and received in place a second "fahrende" detachment instead.Consequently only the following Prussian regiments plus the Saxon Nr. 12 now had a "reitende" Abteilung: 1.Garde and line regiments 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 15 and 35. In addition line regiments 14 and 25 had a single "reitende" Batterie. Every field artillery regiment at this stage now had two "fahrende" detachments including those with a "reitende" detachment on the strength. Only the Lehr-Regiment of the Feld-Artillerie-Schießschule had three "fahrende" detachments.
The October 1913 changes were the final adjustments to the organization
of the field artillery prior to mobilization and the following table illustrates
the overall picture in August 1914
| Number of Regts | Type of Regiment | No of Detachments | Fahrende Batteries | Reitende Batteries |
|
|
||||
| 4 | Garde-Feldartillerie-Regimenter (Nr.1 - 4) | |||
| 72 | Linien-Feldartillerie-Regimenter (Nr.1 - 11, 14 - 27, 30, 31, 33 -47, 50 -63, 66, 67, 69 -76 and 79 -84 | |||
| The above can be broken down as follows: | ||||
| 1 | Garde-Feldartillerie-Regiment (Nr.1) | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| 8 | Linien-Feldartillerie-Regimenter (Nr.1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 15 and 35) | 24 | 48 | 24 |
| 3 | Garde-Feldartillerie-Regimenter (Nr.2 - 4) | 6 | 18 | - |
| 64 | Linien-Feldartillerie-Regimenter (Nr.2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 14, 16 -27, 30, 31, 33, 34, 36 - 47, 50 -63, 66, 69 - 76 and 79 -84) | 128 | 384 | - |
| 1 | Lehr-Regiment | 3 | 9 | - |
| 77 |
|
164 | 465 | 27 |
| Saxony | ||||
| 1 | Feldartillerie-Regiment (Nr.12) | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| 7 | Feldartillerie-Regimenter (Nr.28, 32, 48, 64, 68, 77 and 78) | 14 | 42 | - |
| 8 |
|
17 | 48 | 3 |
| Württemberg | ||||
| 4 | Feldartillerie-Regimenter (Nr.13, 29, 49 and 65) | 8 | 24 | - |
| Grand Total excluding Bavaria | ||||
| 89 | 189 | 537 | 30 | |
Sources