III Reserve Corps (German Empire)

III Reserve Corps was formed on the outbreak of the war in August 1914{{harvnb|Cron|2002|p=86}} as part of the mobilisation of the Army. It was initially commanded by General der Infanterie Hans von Beseler, recalled from retirement.[http://home.comcast.net/~jcviser/aok/beseler.htm The Prussian Machine] Accessed: 29 February 2012 It was still in existence at the end of the war.{{harvnb|Cron|2002|pp=88–89}}

On formation in August 1914, III Reserve Corps consisted of two divisions, made up of reserve units. In general, Reserve Corps and Reserve Divisions were weaker than their active counterparts

:Reserve Infantry Regiments did not always have three battalions nor necessarily contain a machine gun company{{harvnb|Cron|2002|p=111}} About a third of Reserve Infantry Regiments formed in August 1914 lacked a machine gun company

:Reserve Jäger Battalions did not have a machine gun company on formation{{harvnb|Cron|2002|p=116}} Active Jäger Battalions had a machine gun company with the exceptions of the 1st and 2nd Bavarian Jäger Battalions

:Reserve Cavalry Regiments consisted of just three squadrons{{harvnb|Cron|2002|p=128}} Most active cavalry regiments had four squadrons, some were raised to six squadrons

:Reserve Field Artillery Regiments usually consisted of two abteilungen of three batteries each{{harvnb|Cron|2002|p=134}} Active Divisions had a Field Artillery Brigade of two regiments

:Corps Troops generally consisted of a Telephone Detachment and four sections of munition columns and trains {{harvnb|Cron|2002|p=86}} Active Corps Troops included a battalion of heavy howitzers (Foot Artillery), an Aviation Detachment, a Telephone Detachment, a Corps Pontoon Train, a searchlight section, 2 munition column sections, one Foot Artillery munitions column section and two Train sections

In summary, III Reserve Corps mobilised with 25 infantry battalions, 7 machine gun companies (42 machine guns), 6 cavalry squadrons, 12 field artillery batteries (72 guns) and 3 pioneer companies.

On mobilisation, III Reserve Corps was assigned to the 1st Army on the right wing of the forces that invaded France and Belgium as part of the Schlieffen Plan offensive in August 1914. It was detached from 1st Army to take part in the Siege of Antwerp thereby missing the 1st Army's early battles (Mons, Le Cateau, Marne, Aisne, Arras). With the conclusion of the siege on 10 October 1914, it was assigned to 4th Army and took part in the First Battle of Ypres.

III Reserve Corps had the following commanders during its existence:{{cite web|url=http://www.deutsche-kriegsgeschichte.de/akrkgk.html|title=German War History|access-date=22 December 2012}}{{cite web|title=Armee-Reserve-Korps |publisher=The Prussian Machine |url=http://home.comcast.net/~jcviser/army/corps2.htm |access-date=22 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121220022943/http://home.comcast.net/~jcviser/army/corps2.htm |archive-date=20 December 2012 }}

{{portal|Germany}}

• German Army order of battle (1914)
• Order of First Battle of Ypres

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book

| last = Cron | first = Hermann

| year = 2002

| title = Imperial German Army 1914-18: Organisation, Structure, Orders-of-Battle [first published: 1937]

| publisher = Helion & Co

| isbn = 1-874622-70-1

}}

• {{cite book

| last1 = Ellis | first1 = John

| last2 = Cox | first2 = Michael

| year = 1993

| title = The World War I Databook

| publisher = Aurum Press Ltd

| isbn = 1-85410-766-6

}}

• {{cite book

| year = 1920

| title = 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

| publisher = The London Stamp Exchange Ltd (1989)

| isbn = 0-948130-87-3

| ref = {{harvid|AEF GHQ|1920}}

}}

• {{cite book

| year = 1918

| title = The German Forces in the Field; 7th Revision, 11th November 1918; Compiled by the General Staff, War Office

| publisher = Imperial War Museum, London and The Battery Press, Inc (1995)

| isbn = 1-870423-95-X

| ref = {{harvid|War Office|1918}}

}}

{{German Empire Armies|1st=y|4th=y}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:3rd Reserve Corps (German Empire)}}

Category:Corps of Germany in World War I

Category:Military units and formations established in 1914

Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1918