Kraus, Jürgen/Ehret, Thierry/Noeske, Rolf Train. 2 Volumes

Part 16 of the series Handbook of the Associations and Troops of the German Army 1914-1918. Volume 1: The Train comprised all supply and transport columns that did not belong to the rear echelon or the motorised troops. In peacetime, it was only small, with 25 train divisions, which were intended as a cadre force for all supply formations in wartime. They were disbanded at the outbreak of war and, in addition to a replacement division, each formed numerous new formations. The train columns initially belonged to the corps troops. In each army corps, they were divided into two train divisions and were under the command of their own train commander. After the start of the trench warfare in May 1915, the train divisions of the corps were converted into staff units with consecutive numbering, of which each corps now had three. When the train columns were transferred to the army troops at the end of 1916, they remained under the command of the staffs, whose distribution was based on tactical requirements. This first volume deals with the command authorities and the so-called supply trains. These included the provisions columns with four-horse provisions wagons and the vehicle columns with two-horse carts. Initially, they had very different designations according to corps and divisions until they were transferred to the army troops at the beginning of 1917 and given consecutive numbers. Although both types were reorganised into uniform convoys with the same strength and equipment, the different names of the 180 supply convoys and 444 vehicle convoys were retained. The essential organisational data for all troops and authorities is presented in a clear format, with particular emphasis on formation, reorganisation and disbandment. This makes it possible to trace the movements of the troops during the war almost without interruption. The second volume deals with the following sections of the organisation of the train: Pack animal columns: With the formation of the first mountain units in 1915, special pack animal columns were created to ensure supplies in the mountains. Veterinary units: At the beginning of the war, only two horse depots were set up for each army corps to provide replacement horses for the field army. In order to gather sick animals, horse collection points were established as early as 1914, and the first horse hospitals were set up in the spring of 1915. At the beginning of 1917, each division was assigned a horse hospital, with numerous collection points and horse depots being incorporated into the approximately 290 horse hospitals. Over 60 horse depots remained in operation. Field bakery columns: To supply the troops with bread, each army corps had two field bakery columns with mobile ovens. These columns also joined the army troops in the spring of 1917 and were given 184 consecutive numbers; Slaughterhouse units: Since there were initially no special facilities for supplying fresh meat, the corps had been setting up their own corps slaughterhouses since autumn 1914. In order to standardise these very different formations, they were converted into field butchery units in May 1917, numbered consecutively and assigned to the army troops. Their total number ultimately amounted to around 240 units. Replacement formations: Replacement units existed in the homeland and recruit depots in the field to supplement and train personnel. Replacements for the training equipment were ultimately supplied by the training depots in the home country. The essential organisational data for all troops and services is presented in a clear format, with particular emphasis on their formation, reorganisation and disbandment. This makes it possible to trace the movements of the troops during the war almost without interruption.