VIII Reserve Corps (German Empire)

VIII 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 Wilhelm Freiherr von Egloffstein.[http://home.comcast.net/~jcviser/aka/egloffstein.htm The Prussian Machine] Accessed: 3 March 2012 It was still in existence at the end of the war{{harvnb|Cron|2002|pp=88–89}} in the 7th Army, Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz on the Western Front.{{harvnb|Ellis|Cox|1993|pp=186–187}}

On formation in August 1914, VIII 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, VIII Reserve Corps mobilised with 21 infantry battalions, 4 machine gun companies (24 machine guns), 6 cavalry squadrons, 12 field artillery batteries (72 guns) and 3 pioneer companies.

On mobilisation, VIII Reserve Corps was assigned to the 4th Army forming part of the centre of the forces for the Schlieffen Plan offensive in August 1914.

VIII 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}}

{{portal|Germany}}

• German Army order of battle (1914)
• German Army order of battle, Western Front (1918)

{{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|7th=y}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:8th 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