I Corps (German Empire)

The I Army Corps / I AK () 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 with headquarters in Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia). Initially, the Corps catchment area comprised the entire Province of East Prussia, but from 1 October 1912 the southern part of the Province was transferred to the newly formed XX Corps District.German Administrative History Accessed: 5 June 2012

In peacetime, the Corps was assigned to the I Army Inspectorate, which became the 8th Army at the start of the First World War. The corps was still in existence at the end of the war, and was disbanded with the demobilisation of the German Army after World War I.

Austro-Prussian War The I Corps fought in the Austro-Prussian War against Austria in 1866, including the Battle of Trautenau and the Battle of Königgrätz.Hermann Cron et al., Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee (Berlin, 1935); Bredow

Franco-Prussian War The Corps served in the Franco-Prussian War against France in 1870–1871. It saw action in the Battle of Noiseville, the Battle of Gravelotte, the Siege of Metz, the Battle of Amiens, the Battle of Hallue, and the Battle of St. Quentin, among other actions.Cron et al., Ruhmeshalle

Peacetime organisation

From formation in 1820, the Corps commanded two divisions: 1st Division and 2nd Division. These were joined by 37th Division when it was formed on 1 April 1899. 37th Division was transferred to XX Corps when it was formed on 1 October 1912.

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. 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).They formed the Guards Cavalry Division, the only peacetime cavalry division in the German Army. 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 Corps Division Brigade Units Garrison I Corps 1st Division 1st Infantry Brigade 1st (1st East Prussian) Grenadiers "Crown Prince"Königsberg 41st (5th East Prussian) Infantry "von Boyen"Tilsit, III Bn at Memel 2nd Infantry Brigade 3rd (2nd East Prussian) Grenadiers "King Frederick William I"Königsberg 43rd (6th East Prussian) Infantry "Duke Charles of Mecklenburg"Königsberg, II Bn at Pillau 1st Field Artillery Brigade 16th (1st East Prussian) Field ArtilleryKönigsberg 52nd (2nd East Prussian) Field ArtilleryKönigsberg 1st Cavalry Brigade 3rd (East Prussian) Cuirassiers "Count Wrangel"Königsberg 1st (Lithuanian) Dragoons "Prince Albrecht of Prussia"Tilsit 2nd Division 3rd Infantry Brigade 4th (3rd East Prussian) Grenadiers "King Frederick the Great"Rastenburg 44th (7th East Prussian) Infantry "Count Dönhoff"Goldap 4th Infantry Brigade 33rd (East Prussian) Fusiliers "Count Roon"Gumbinnen 45th (8th East Prussian) InfantryInsterburg, Darkehmen 2nd Field Artillery Brigade 1st (1st Lithuanian) Field Artillery "Prince August of Prussia"Had a third (Horse Artillery) Abteilung of three batteries of 4 guns.Gumbinnen, Insterburg 37th (2nd Lithuanian) Field ArtilleryInsterburg 2nd Cavalry Brigade 12th (Lithuanian) UhlansInsterburg9th Jäger zu PferdeInsterburg 43rd Cavalry Brigade 8th (East Prussian) Uhlans "Count zu Dohna"Gumbinnen, Stallupönen10th Jäger zu PferdeAngerburg, Goldap Corps Troops 5th Machine Gun Abteilung Insterburg 1st Fortress Machine Gun Abteilung Königsberg 1st (East Prussian) Foot Artillery "von Linger"Königsberg, Lötzen (Feste Boyen) 1st (East Prussian) Pioneer Battalion "Prince Radziwill" Königsberg 18th (Samland) (Fortress-) Pioneer Battalion Königsberg 5th Fortress Telephone Company Königsberg 5th Airship Battalion Graudenz, Königsberg, Schneidemühl 1st (East Prussian) Train Battalion Königsberg

World War I

Organisation on mobilisation On mobilization on 2 August 1914, the Corps was restructured. The 1st and 2nd Cavalry Brigades were withdrawn to form part of the 1st Cavalry Division and the 43rd Cavalry Brigade was broken up and its regiments assigned to the divisions as reconnaissance units. The Divisions received engineer companies and other support units from the Corps headquarters. In summary, I Corps mobilised with 24 infantry battalions, 8 machine gun companies (48 machine guns), 8 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 Corps Division Brigade Units I Corps 1st Division 1st Infantry Brigade 1st Grenadier Regiment 41st Infantry Regiment 2nd Infantry Brigade 3rd Grenadier Regiment 43rd Infantry Regiment 1st Field Artillery Brigade 16th Field Artillery Regiment 52nd Field Artillery Regiment 8th Uhlan Regiment 1st Company, 1st Pioneer Battalion 1st Divisional Pontoon Train 1st Medical Company 3rd Medical Company 2nd Division 3rd Infantry Brigade 4th Grenadier Regiment 44th Infantry Regiment 4th Infantry Brigade 33rd Fusilier Regiment 45th Infantry Regiment 2nd Field Artillery Brigade 1st Field Artillery Regiment 37th Field Artillery Regiment 10th Jäger zu Pferde Regiment 2nd Company, 1st Pioneer Battalion 3rd Company, 1st Pioneer Battalion 2nd Divisional Pontoon Train 2nd Medical Company Corps Troops I Battalion, 1st Foot Artillery Regiment4 heavy artillery batteries (16 heavy field howitzers) 14th Aviation Detachment 1st Corps Pontoon Train 1st Telephone Detachment 1st Pioneer Searchlight Section Munition Trains and Columns corresponding to II Corps

Combat chronicle On mobilisation, I Corps was assigned to the 8th Army to defend East Prussia, while the rest of the Army executed the Schlieffen Plan offensive in August 1914. It saw action at the battles of Stallupönen, Gumbinnen, and Tannenberg, and the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes.

The Corps was still in existence at the end of the war.

1919 In 1919, as the Imperial German Army was disbanding and also transforming into the Reichswehr, the I Corps' traditions were taken over in 1921 by the 1st Division.

Commanders The I Corps had the following commanders during its existence:German War History Accessed: 5 June 2012The Prussian Machine Accessed: 5 June 2012

From Rank Name 18 March 1814 General der Infanterie Friedrich Graf Bülow von Dennewitz 5 March 1816 General der Kavallerie Karl Ludwig von Borstell 18 June 1825 Generalleutnant Karl August von Krafft 30 March 1832 Generalleutnant Oldwig von Natzmer 29 November 1839 General der Kavallerie Friedrich Graf von Wrangel 7 April 1842 General der Kavallerie Karl Friedrich Emil zu Dohna-Schlobitten 28 March 1854 General der Infanterie Franz Karl von Werder 29 January 1863 General der Infanterie Adolf von Bonin 30 October 1866 General der Infanterie Eduard Vogel von Falckenstein 4 August 1868 General der Kavallerie Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel 15 July 1873 General der Infanterie Albert Freiherr von Barnekow 5 June 1883 Generalleutnant Walther von Gottberg 1 June 1885 Generalleutnant Christian Ewald von Kleist 15 June 1889 General der Infanterie Paul Bronsart von Schellendorff 29 June 1891 General der Infanterie Hans Wilhelm von Werder 10 January 1895 General der Infanterie Karl Graf Finck von Finckenstein 27 January 1902 General der Infanterie Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz 11 September 1907 General der Infanterie Alexander von Kluck 1 October 1913 Generalleutnant Hermann von François 8 October 1914 Generalleutnant Robert Kosch 11 June 1915 General der Infanterie Johannes von Eben 5 June 1917 General der Infanterie Arnold von Winckler 25 February 1918 Generalleutnant Wilhelm Groener 28 March 1918 Generalleutnant Theodor Mengelbier 14 December 1918 General der Infanterie Johannes von Eben 25 February 1919 Generalleutnant Ludwig von Estorff

I Corps (German Empire)

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