41st Division (German Empire)

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

The 41st Division (41. Division) of the Prussian/German Army was formed on October 1, 1912, in Deutsch Eylau (now Iława, Poland). In peacetime it was part of the XX Army Corps and was mainly recruited from West Prussia, totaling about 15,000 soldiers.

When World War I began in August 1914, the division was renamed the 41st Infantry Division as cavalry units were withdrawn and support troops were reorganized.

World War I service:
- Eastern Front: battles of Tannenberg and the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes
- 1916: Romanian Campaign
- 1917: moved to the Western Front in February; fought in the Second Battle of the Aisne (Third Battle of Champagne)
- 1918: took part in the German Spring Offensive and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive

Organization changes:
- Triangularized in May 1915 (three infantry regiments under one infantry brigade)
- Artillery brigade headquarters replaced by an artillery commander; cavalry reduced; engineers increased; a divisional signals command created

Allied intelligence rated it as a second-class division. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization after the war. Notable commander: Hermann von Stein. Garrison/HQ: Deutsch Eylau. Part of XX Army Corps.