III Corps (German Empire)

III Army Corps
*III. Armee-Korps*
III Army Corps; III. Armee-Korps
	Flag of the Staff of a Generalkommando (1871–1918)
Active	1814–1919
Country	Prussia / German Empire
Type	Corps
Size	Approximately 44,000 (on mobilisation in 1914)
Garrison/HQ	Berlin
Engagements	Second Schleswig War Battle of Dybbøl Austro-Prussian War Battle of Königgrätz Franco-Prussian War Battle of Spicheren Battle of Mars-la-Tour Battle of Gravelotte Battle of Beaune-la-Rolande Second Battle of Orléans (1870) Battle of Le Mans Siege of Metz World War I Battle of the Frontiers Battle of Mons First Battle of the Marne Battle of Verdun Battle of Amiens (1918)
Commanders
Notable; commanders	Friedrich Graf von Wrangel (1849–1857); Karl von Bülow (1903–1912)

The III Army Corps / III AK (German: III. Armee-Korps) was a corps level command of the Prussian and then the Imperial German Armies from the 19th century to World War I.

It was established in 1814 as the General Headquarters in Berlin (Generalkommando in Berlin) and became the III Army Corps on 3 April 1820. Its headquarters was in Berlin and its catchment area was the Province of Brandenburg.^[1]

In peacetime, the Corps was assigned to the IV Army Inspectorate, joining the 1st Army at the start of the First World War.^[2] It was still in existence at the end of the war^[3] in the 7th Army, Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz on the Western Front.^[4] The Corps was disbanded with the demobilisation of the German Army after World War I.

War of the Sixth Coalition[]

In 1813 the III Corps fought at the battles of Luckau, Grossbeeren, Dennewitz, Leipzig and Arnhem. In 1814, the corps fought at Hoogstraten and Laon.

Nov. 1813–Jan. 1814 organization of the Corps^[5] show
Corps	Division	Brigade	Units
III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry	Division: None	3rd Brigade: Karl Heinrich von Zielinski	2nd East Prussian Grenadier Battalion
			3rd East Prussian Infantry Regiment
			4th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			3rd East Prussian Landwehr Regiment
			1st Leib Hussar Regiment
			6-pounder Foot Battery Nr. 6
		4th Brigade: Heinrich Ludwig August von Thümen	East Prussian Jäger Battalion (2 companies)
			4th East Prussian Infantry Regiment
			5th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			2nd Pommeranian Landwehr Regiment
			1st Pommeranian Landwehr Cavalry Regiment
			6-pounder Foot Battery Nr. 8
		5th Brigade: Karl Heinrich Ludwig von Borstell	Pommeranian Grenadier Battalion
			1st Pommeranian Infantry Regiment
			2nd Reserve Infantry Regiment
			Elbe Infantry Regiment
			2nd Kurmärk Landwehr Regiment
			Pommeranian Hussar Regiment
			6-pounder Foot Battery Nr. 10
		6th Brigade: Karl August Adolf von Krafft	Kolberg Infantry Regiment
			9th Reserve Infantry Regiment
			1st Neumärk Landwehr Regiment
			2nd Pommeranian Landwehr Cavalry Regiment
			6-pounder Foot Battery Nr. 16
	Division: Adolph Friedrich von Oppen	Cavalry Brigade: Karl Alexander Wilhelm von Treskow	Queen's Dragoon Regiment
			Brandenberg Dragoon Regiment
			2nd West Prussian Dragoon Regiment
			6-pounder Horse Battery Nr. 5
		Cavalry Brigade: Karl Bernhard Hellmuth von Hobe	Westphalian Uhlan Regiment
			2nd Silesian Hussar Regiment
			Pommeranian National Cavalry Regiment
			6-pounder Horse Battery Nr. 6
		Cavalry Brigade: Hans Joachim Friedrich von Sydow	2nd Kurmärk Landwehr Cavalry Regiment
		Cavalry Brigade: Hans Joachim Friedrich von Sydow	4th Kurmärk Landwehr Cavalry Regiment
	Division: None	Corps Artillery: Karl Friedrich von Holtzendorff	12-pounder Foot Batteries Nrs. 4 and 5
			6-pounder Foot Batteries Nrs. 19 and ?
			6-pounder Horse Battery Nr. 11
			Park Columns Nrs. 3, 4 and 6
			Pioneer Companies Nrs. 4 and 5

Second Schleswig War[]

Part of the Corps (10th Brigade of the 5th Division^[6] and the 6th Division^[7]) fought in the Second Schleswig War of 1864, including the key Battle of Dybbøl, or Düppeler Heights.

Austro-Prussian War[]

The III Corps formed part of Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia's 1st Army and fought in the Austro-Prussian War against Austria in 1866, including the Battle of Königgrätz.^[7]^[8]

Franco-Prussian War[]

In the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, the Corps joined the 2nd Army. It saw action in the battles of Spicheren, Mars-la-Tour (a key part), Gravelotte, Beaune-la-Rolande, Orléans, and Le Mans, and in the Siege of Metz.^[9]

Peacetime organisation[]

The 25 peacetime Corps of the German Army (Guards, I - XXI, I - III Bavarian) had a reasonably standardised organisation. Each consisted of two divisions with usually two infantry brigades, one field artillery brigade and a cavalry brigade each.^[10] Each brigade normally consisted of two regiments of the appropriate type, so each Corps normally commanded 8 infantry, 4 field artillery and 4 cavalry regiments. There were exceptions to this rule:

V, VI, VII, IX and XIV Corps each had a 5th infantry brigade (so 10 infantry regiments)

II, XIII, XVIII and XXI Corps had a 9th infantry regiment

I, VI and XVI Corps had a 3rd cavalry brigade (so 6 cavalry regiments)

the Guards Corps had 11 infantry regiments (in 5 brigades) and 8 cavalry regiments (in 4 brigades).^[11]

Each Corps also directly controlled a number of other units. This could include one or more

Foot Artillery Regiment

Jäger Battalion

Pioneer Battalion

Train Battalion

Peacetime organization of the Corps^[12] show
Corps	Division	Brigade	Units	Garrison
III Corps	5th Division	9th Infantry Brigade		Frankfurt an der Oder
		9th Infantry Brigade		Küstrin
		10th Infantry Brigade		Frankfurt an der Oder
		10th Infantry Brigade		Cottbus, I Bn at Crossen an der Oder
		5th Field Artillery Brigade		Frankfurt an der Oder
		5th Field Artillery Brigade		Küstrin, Landsberg an der Warthe
		5th Cavalry Brigade		Schwedt
		5th Cavalry Brigade		Fürstenwalde
	6th Division	11th Infantry Brigade		Wittenberg
		11th Infantry Brigade		Brandenburg an der Havel
		12th Infantry Brigade		Neuruppin
		12th Infantry Brigade		Prenzlau, III Bn at Angermünde
		6th Field Artillery Brigade	^[13]	Brandenburg an der Havel
		6th Field Artillery Brigade		Perleberg
		6th Cavalry Brigade	6th (Brandenburg) Cuirassiers "Emperor Nicholas I of Russia"	Brandenburg an der Havel
		6th Cavalry Brigade	3rd (Brandenburg) Hussars “von Zieten”	Rathenow
	Corps Troops		3rd (Brandenburg) Jäger Battalion	Lübben
			3rd (1st Brandenburg) Pioneer Battalion "von Rauch"	Magdeburg
			28th (2nd Brandenburg) Pioneer Battalion	Küstrin
			2nd Telegraph Battalion	Frankfurt an der Oder, Cottbus
			3rd (Brandenburg) Train Battalion	Spandau
	Berlin Defence Command (Landwehr-Inspektion)			Berlin

World War I[]

Organisation on mobilisation[]

On mobilization on 2 August 1914 the Corps was restructured. 5th Cavalry Brigade was withdrawn to form part of the 2nd Cavalry Division^[14] and the 6th Cavalry Brigade was broken up: the 3rd Hussar Regiment was raised to a strength of 6 squadrons before being split into two half-regiments of 3 squadrons each and the half-regiments were assigned as divisional cavalry to 5th and 6th Divisions; the 6th Cuirassier Regiment was likewise assigned as two half-regiments to 22nd and 38th Divisions of XI Corps. Divisions received engineer companies and other support units from the Corps headquarters. In summary, III Corps mobilised with 25 infantry battalions, 9 machine gun companies (54 machine guns), 6 cavalry squadrons, 24 field artillery batteries (144 guns), 4 heavy artillery batteries (16 guns), 3 pioneer companies and an aviation detachment.

Initial wartime organization of the Corps^[15] show
Corps	Division	Brigade	Units
III Corps	5th Division	9th Infantry Brigade	8th Leib Grenadier Regiment
		9th Infantry Brigade	48th Infantry Regiment
		10th Infantry Brigade	12th Grenadier Regiment
			52nd Infantry Regiment
			3rd Jäger Battalion^[16]
		5th Field Artillery Brigade	18th Field Artillery Regiment
		5th Field Artillery Brigade	54th Field Artillery Regiment
			staff and half of 3rd Hussar Regiment
			2nd Company, 3rd Pioneer Battalion
			3rd Company, 3rd Pioneer Battalion
			5th Divisional Pontoon Train
			1st Medical Company
			3rd Medical Company
	6th Division	11th Infantry Brigade	20th Infantry Regiment
		11th Infantry Brigade	35th Fusilier Regiment
		12th Infantry Brigade	24th Infantry Regiment
		12th Infantry Brigade	64th Infantry Regiment
		6th Field Artillery Brigade	3rd Field Artillery Regiment
		6th Field Artillery Brigade	39th Field Artillery Regiment
			half of 3rd Hussar Regiment
			1st Company, 3rd Pioneer Battalion
			6th Divisional Pontoon Train
			2nd Medical Company
	Corps Troops		I Battalion, 2nd Guards Foot Artillery Regiment^[17]^[18]
			7th Aviation Detachment
			3rd Corps Pontoon Train
			3rd Telephone Detachment
			3rd Pioneer Searchlight Section
			Munition Trains and Columns corresponding to II Corps

Combat chronicle[]

On mobilisation, III Corps was assigned to the 1st Army on the right wing of the forces for the Schlieffen Plan offensive in August 1914 on the Western Front.^[2] It participated in the Battle of Mons and the First Battle of the Marne which marked the end of the German advances in 1914. Later, it participated in the Battle of Verdun and the Battle of Amiens (1918).

It was still in existence at the end of the war^[3] in the 7th Army, Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz on the Western Front.^[4]

Commanders[]

The III Corps had the following commanders during its existence:^[19]^[20]^[21]

From	Rank	Name
1814	General der Infanterie	Bogislav Friedrich Emanuel von Tauentzien
7 April 1820	General der Infanterie	Frederick William, Crown Prince of Prussia
22 March 1824	Generalleutnant	Prince Wilhelm of Prussia
30 March 1838	Generalleutnant
9 May 1840	General der Infanterie
13 November 1849	General der Kavallerie	Friedrich Graf von Wrangel
19 September 1857	General der Kavallerie	Prince August of Württemberg
3 June 1858	General der Infanterie
1 July 1860	General der Kavallerie	Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia
18 July 1870	General der Infanterie	Constantin von Alvensleben
27 March 1873	General der Infanterie
18 October 1881	General der Infanterie	Alexander August Wilhelm von Pape
21 August 1884	Generalleutnant
12 July 1888	General der Infanterie	Walther Bronsart von Schellendorff
24 March 1890	Generalleutnant	Maximilian von Versen
7 October 1893	General der Kavallerie	Prince Frederick of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
18 April 1896	General der Infanterie
27 January 1903	General der Infanterie	Karl von Bülow
1 October 1912	General der Infanterie	Ewald von Lochow
25 November 1916	Generalleutnant	Walther von Lüttwitz
12 August 1918	Generalleutnant

References[]

^ German Administrative History Accessed: 3 June 2012
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Cron 2002, p. 303
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Cron 2002, pp. 88–89
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Ellis & Cox 1993, pp. 186–187
^ Nafziger 2015, pp. 516–517.
^ Wegner 1993, p. 320
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Wegner 1993, pp. 321–322
^ Wegner 1993, p. 319
^ Hermann Cron et al., Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee (Berlin, 1935)
^ Haythornthwaite 1996, pp. 193–194
^ They formed the Guards Cavalry Division, the only peacetime cavalry division in the German Army.
^ War Office 1918, p. 242
^ Had a third (Horse Artillery) Abteilung of three batteries of 4 guns.
^ Cron 2002, p. 299
^ Cron 2002, pp. 302–303
^ With a machine gun company.
^ 4 heavy artillery batteries (16 heavy field howitzers)
^ "Garde-Fußartillerie-Regiment Nr. 2". GenWiki. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
^ German Administrative History Accessed: 4 June 2012
^ German War History Accessed: 4 June 2012
^ The Prussian Machine Archived 2012-04-11 at the Wayback Machine Accessed: 4 June 2012

Bibliography[]

Cron, Hermann (2002). Imperial German Army 1914-18: Organisation, Structure, Orders-of-Battle [first published: 1937]. Helion & Co. ISBN 1-874622-70-1.
Ellis, John; Cox, Michael (1993). The World War I Databook. Aurum Press Ltd. ISBN 1-85410-766-6.
Haythornthwaite, Philip J. (1996). The World War One Source Book. Arms and Armour. ISBN 1-85409-351-7.
Nafziger, George (2015). The End of Empire: Napoleon's 1814 Campaign. Solihull, UK: Helion & Company. ISBN 978-1-909982-96-3.
Wegner, Günter (1993). Stellenbesetzung der deutschen Heere 1815-1939, Bd. 1. Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück.
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. The London Stamp Exchange Ltd (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.

[1] German Administrative History Accessed: 3 June 2012

[Cron_2002_303-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b Cron 2002, p. 303

[Cron_2002_88–89-3] Jump up to: ^a ^b Cron 2002, pp. 88–89

[Ellis_1993_186–187-4] Jump up to: ^a ^b Ellis & Cox 1993, pp. 186–187

[FOOTNOTENafziger2015516–517-5] Nafziger 2015, pp. 516–517.

[6] Wegner 1993, p. 320

[Wegner_1993_321–322-7] Jump up to: ^a ^b Wegner 1993, pp. 321–322

[8] Wegner 1993, p. 319

[Hermann_Cron_1935_pp.319,321-322-9] Hermann Cron et al., Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee (Berlin, 1935)

[10] Haythornthwaite 1996, pp. 193–194

[11] They formed the Guards Cavalry Division, the only peacetime cavalry division in the German Army.

[12] War Office 1918, p. 242

[13] Had a third (Horse Artillery) Abteilung of three batteries of 4 guns.

[14] Cron 2002, p. 299

[15] Cron 2002, pp. 302–303

[16] With a machine gun company.

[17] 4 heavy artillery batteries (16 heavy field howitzers)

[18] "Garde-Fußartillerie-Regiment Nr. 2". GenWiki. Retrieved 20 February 2015.

[19] German Administrative History Accessed: 4 June 2012

[20] German War History Accessed: 4 June 2012

[21] The Prussian Machine Archived 2012-04-11 at the Wayback Machine Accessed: 4 June 2012

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