Order of battle
Italian troops in Caporetto, 24 October 1917
The Battle of Caporetto (also known as the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo or the Battle of Karfreit as it was known by the Central Powers ; Slovene : Čudež pri Kobaridu ), took place from 24 October to 19 November 1917, near the town of Kobarid (now in Slovenia ), on the Austro-Italian front of World War I . The battle was named after the Italian name of the town of Kobarid (known as Karfreit in German).
Italian Army
Outline order of battle
Organization of the Italian 2nd Army on 24 October 1917
Corps
Division
In 1st Line
IV Corps
50th Infantry Division
43rd Infantry Division
46th Infantry Division
34th Infantry Division (Corps Reserve)
XXVII Corps
19th Infantry Division
65th Infantry Division
22nd Infantry Division
64th Infantry Division
Corps Reserve
XXIV Corps
49th Infantry Division
68th Infantry Division
10th Infantry Division
II Corps
67th Infantry Division
44th Infantry Division
8th Infantry Division
Corps Reserve
VI Corps
66th Infantry Division
24th Infantry Division
VIII Corps
48th Infantry Division
59th Infantry Division
7th Infantry Division
In 2nd Line
VII Corps
3rd Infantry Division
62nd Infantry Division
Corps Reserve
XIV Corps (Army Reserve)
20th Infantry Division
30th Infantry Division
XXVIII Corps (Army Reserve)
23rd Infantry Division
47th Infantry Division
Reserve of the Supreme Command
60th Infantry Division (attached to VIII Corps)
53rd Infantry Division (attached to XIV Corps)
13th Infantry Division (attached to XXVIII Corps)
Detailed order of battle
Italian 2nd Army (Lieutenant General Luigi Capello )
In 1st line:
IV Corps (Lieutenant General Alberto Cavaciocchi )
50th Infantry Division (Major General Giovanni Arrighi)
43rd Infantry Division (Lieutenant General Angelo Farisoglio)
Brigade "Genova" – 97th Infantry Regiment and 98th Infantry Regiment
223rd Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Etna")
5th Alpini Group — Alpini battalions "Monte Albergian", "Val Chisone", and "Belluno"
9th Bersaglieri Regiment [ 2]
46th Infantry Division (Lieutenant General Giulio Amadei)
Brigade "Caltanissetta" – 147th Infantry Regiment and 148th Infantry Regiment
Brigade "Alessandria" – 155th Infantry Regiment and 156th Infantry Regiment
224th Infantry Regiment (Brigade "Etna")
2nd Bersaglieri Regiment
34th Infantry Division, Corps reserve
Brigade "Foggia" – 281st Infantry Regiment and 282nd Infantry Regiment
Alpini Battalion "Monte Argentera"
XXVII Corps (Lieutenant General Pietro Badoglio )
19th Infantry Division (Major General Giovanni Villani )
65th Infantry Division
Brigade "Belluno" – 274th Infantry Regiment, I Battalion and II Battalion/ 275th Infantry Regiment
22nd Infantry Division
Brigade "Pescara" – 211th Infantry Regiment and 212th Infantry Regiment
64th Infantry Division
Brigade "Belluno" – 276th Infantry Regiment, III Battalion/ 275th Infantry Regiment
Brigade "Taro" – II Battalion/ 208th Infantry Regiment
Corps reserve:
XXIV Corps (Lieutenant General Enrico Caviglia )
49th Infantry Division
Brigade "Ravenna" – 37th Infantry Regiment and 38th Infantry Regiment
Brigade "Lambro" – 205th Infantry Regiment and 206th Infantry Regiment (on the morning of 24 October, transferred to XIV Corps, replaced by the Brigade "Palermo" )
Brigade "Sele" – 219th Infantry Regiment and 220th Infantry Regiment
68th Infantry Division
Brigade "Grosseto" – 237th Infantry Regiment and 238th Infantry Regiment
10th Infantry Division
II Corps (Major General Alberico Albricci )
67th Infantry Division
44th Infantry Division
8th Infantry Division
Brigade "Udine" – 95th Infantry Regiment and 96th Infantry Regiment
Brigade "Forlì" – 43rd Infantry Regiment and 44th Infantry Regiment
Corps reserve:
Brigade "Aquila" – 269th Infantry Regiment and 270th Infantry Regiment
VI Corps (Lieutenant General Giacomo Lombardi )
66th Infantry Division
24th Infantry Division
VIII Corps (Major General Francesco Grazioli )
48th Infantry Division
59th Infantry Division
7th Infantry Division
Brigade "Sesia" – 201st Infantry Regiment and 202nd Infantry Regiment (fortified town of Gorizia , tactically available to the army)
In 2nd line:
VII Corps (Major General Luigi Bongiovanni )
3rd Infantry Division
Brigade "Arno" – 213th Infantry Regiment and 214th Infantry Regiment
Brigade "Elba" – 261st Infantry Regiment and 262nd Infantry Regiment
62nd Infantry Division
Corps reserve:
XIV Corps (Lieutenant General Sagramoso) – Army Reserve Command
20th Infantry Division
30th Infantry Division
Brigade "Treviso" – 115th Infantry Regiment and 116th Infantry Regiment
Brigade "Girgenti" – 247th Infantry Regiment and 248th Infantry Regiment
XXVIII Corps (Major General Saporiti) – Army Reserve Command
23rd Infantry Division
47th Infantry Division
Brigade "Milano" – 159th Infantry Regiment and 160th Infantry Regiment (detached from the 66th Infantry Division, VI Corps)
Reserves of the Supreme Command
60th Infantry Division (attached to VIII Corps)
53rd Infantry Division (attached to XIV Corps)
Brigade "Vicenza" – 277th Infantry Regiment, 278th Infantry Regiment and 279th Infantry Regiment
Brigade "Potenza" – 271st Infantry Regiment, 272nd Infantry Regiment and 273rd Infantry Regiment
13th Infantry Division (attached to XXVIII Corps)
Brigade "Ionio" – 221st Infantry Regiment and 222nd Infantry Regiment
Brigade "Massa Carrara"]] – 251st Infantry Regiment and 252nd Infantry Regiment
Brigade "Teramo" – 241st Infantry Regiment and 242nd Infantry Regiment (attached to XXVIII Corps)
German and Austro-Hungarian Armies
Chain of command of the German - Austro-Hungarian Army
Outline order of battle
Organization of the German and Austro-Hungarian Armies on 24 October 1917
Army
Corps
Division
German 14th Army
Group Krauss Austro-Hungarian I Corps
Austro-Hungarian 3rd "Edelweiss" Infantry Division
Austro-Hungarian 22nd Schützen [ 5] Division
Austro-Hungarian 55th Infantry Division
German Jäger Division[ 6]
Group Stein German III Bavarian Corps
Austro-Hungarian 50th Infantry Division
German 12th Infantry Division
German 117th Infantry Division
German Alpenkorps [ 7]
Group Berrer German 51st Corps
German 26th (1st Württemberg) Infantry Division
German 200th Infantry Division
Group Scotti Austro-Hungarian XV Corps
Austro-Hungarian 1st Infantry Division
German 5th Infantry Division
Army Reserve
Austro-Hungarian 4th Infantry Division
Austro-Hungarian 13th Schützen Division
Austro-Hungarian 33rd Infantry Division
Later reinforcements
Austro-Hungarian 35th Infantry Division (from 2nd Isonzo Army)
Austro-Hungarian 94th Infantry Division
Army Group Boroević
Austro-Hungarian 2nd Isonzo Army (part)[ 8]
Group Kosak
Austro-Hungarian 60th Infantry Division
Austro-Hungarian 35th Infantry Division (later to 14th Army)
Austro-Hungarian 57th Infantry Division
Secondary attacks
Detailed order of battle
German assault troops at Caporetto
German 14th Army (General der Infanterie [ 9] Otto von Below )[ 10]
Austro-Hungarian I Corps (Group Krauss – General der Infanterie Alfred Krauß )[ 11]
Austro-Hungarian 3rd Infantry Division "Edelweiss" (Generalmajor Heinrich Wieden Edler von Alpenbach)[ 12]
216th Infantry Brigade
59th Infantry Regiment "Erzherzog Rainer"
4th Kaiserjäger [ 13] Regiment (1 bn. only)
217th Infantry Brigade
14th Infantry Regiment "Ernst Ludwig Großherzog von Hessen und bei Rhein"
3rd Kaiserjäger Regiment
Austro-Hungarian 22nd Schützen Division (Generalmajor Rudolf Müller)[ 12]
4th Schützen Brigade
98th Schützen Brigade
Austro-Hungarian 55th Infantry Division (Generalmajor Felix Prinz zu Schwarzenberg)[ 12]
55th Sturmbataillon
26th Mountain Infantry Brigade
4th Bosnia/Herzegovina Infantry Regiment
7th Infantry Regiment "Graf von Khevenhüller"
38th Infantry Brigade
2nd Bosnia/Herzegovina Infantry Regiment
4th Bosnia/Herzegovina Infantry Regiment (1 bn. only)
7th Infantry Regiment "Graf von Khevenhüller" (1 bn. only)
German Jäger Division[ 15] (Colonel von Wodkte)
5th Ersatz Infantry Brigade
11th Jäger Regiment[ 16]
12th Jäger Regiment[ 16]
Staff of 2nd Uhlans Regiment
2nd Jäger Battalion
7th Jäger Battalion
1st Reserve Jäger Battalion
13th Jäger Regiment[ 16]
Staff of 8th Bavarian Chevaulégers Regiment
8th Reserve Jäger Battalion
20th Reserve Jäger Battalion
21st Reserve Jäger Battalion
Sturmbataillon "Kronprinz Rupprecht" (Bavaria)
Sturmbataillon "Deutscher Kronprinz" (Bavaria)
Sturmbataillon "Herzog Albrecht" (Bavaria)
Württemberg Mountain Battalion, (later detached to the Alpenkorps )
III Bavarian Corps (Group Stein – Generalleutnant Hermann Freiherr von Stein )[ 18]
Austro-Hungarian 50th Infantry Division (Generalmajor Karl Geřabek)[ 12]
3rd Mountain Infantry Brigade
30th Infantry Regiment "Schoedler" (1 bn. only)
33rd Infantry Regiment "Kaiser Leopold II" (1 bn. only)
46th Infantry Regiment (1 bn. only)
80th Infantry Regiment "Wilhelm Ernst Großherzog von Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach, Herzog zu Sachsen" (1 bn. only)
25th Feldjäger Battalion[ 19]
155th Landsturm [ 20] Regiment
15th Mountain Infantry Brigade
1st Bosnia/Herzegovina Infantry Regiment (less 1 bn.)
18th Infantry Regiment "Erzherzog Leopold Salvator" (1 bn. only)
37th Infantry Regiment "Erzherzog Joseph" (1 bn. only)
61st Infantry Regiment "Ritter von Frank" (1 bn. only)
German 12th Infantry Division [ 21] (Generalmajor Arnold Lequis)
24th Infantry Brigade
23rd (2nd Upper Silesian) Infantry Regiment "von Winterfeldt"
62nd (3rd Upper Silesian) Infantry Regiment
63rd (4th Upper Silesian) Infantry Regiment
German 117th Infantry Division [ 22] (Generalmajor Paul Seydel)
233rd Infantry Brigade
157th (4th Silesian) Infantry Regiment
11th Reserve Infantry Regiment
22nd Reserve Infantry Regiment
German Alpenkorps [ 23] (Generalmajor Ludwig von Tutschek)
1st Bavarian Jäger Brigade
Royal Bavarian Infantry Lifeguards Regiment
1st Bavarian Jäger Regiment[ 24]
1st Bavarian Jäger Battalion "King"
2nd Bavarian Jäger Battalion
2nd Bavarian Reserve Jäger Battalion
2nd Jäger Regiment[ 24]
10th Jäger Battalion
10th Reserve Jäger Battalion
14th Reserve Jäger Battalion
German 51st Corps (Group Berrer – Generalleutnant Albert von Berrer to 28 October 1917[ 25] then von Hofacker)[ 26]
German 26th (1st Württemberg) Infantry Division [ 27] (Generalleutnant Eberhard von Hofacker )[ 28]
51st Infantry Brigade
119th (1st Württemberg) Grenadier Regiment "Queen Olga"
121st (3rd Württemberg) (Old Württemberg) Infantry Regiment
125th (7th Württemberg) Infantry Regiment "Emperor Frederick, King of Prussia"
German 200th Infantry Division [ 29] (Generalmajor Hans von Below)
2nd Jäger Brigade
3rd Jäger Regiment[ 24]
1st (Bavarian) Ski Battalion
2nd Ski Battalion
3rd Ski Battalion
4th (Bavarian) Ski Battalion
4th Jäger Regiment[ 24]
11th Jäger Battalion
5th Reserve Jäger Battalion
6th Reserve Jäger Battalion
5th Jäger Regiment[ 24]
17th Reserve Jäger Battalion
18th Reserve Jäger Battalion
23rd Reserve Jäger Battalion
Austro-Hungarian XV Corps (Group Scotti – Feldmarschalleutnant Karl Scotti)[ 11]
Austro-Hungarian 1st Infantry Division (Feldmarschalleutnant Joseph Metzger)[ 12]
7th Mountain Infantry Brigade
5th Infantry Regiment "Freiherr von Klobucar" (1 bn. only)
25th Infantry Regiment "Edler von Pokorny" (1 bn. only)
53rd Infantry Regiment "Dankl" (1 bn. only)
66th Infantry Regiment "Erzherzog Peter Ferdinand" (1 bn. only)
86th Infantry Regiment "Freiherr von Steininger" (1 bn. only)
3rd Bosnia/Herzegovina Feldjäger Battalion
22nd Mountain Infantry Brigade
4th Bosnia/Herzegovina Infantry Regiment (1 bn. only)
17th Feldjäger Battalion
31st Feldjäger Battalion
37th Schützen Regiment "Gravosa" (2 bns.)
92nd Infantry Regiment "Edler von Hortstein"
German 5th Infantry Division [ 30] (Generalmajor Hasso Georg von Wedel)
10th Infantry Brigade
8th (1st Brandenburg) Life Grenadier Regiment "King Frederick William III"
12th (2nd Brandenburg) Grenadier Regiment "Prince Charles of Prussia"
52nd (6th Brandenburg) Infantry Regiment "von Alvensleben"
Army Reserve
Austro-Hungarian 4th Infantry Division (Generalmajor Rudolf Pfeffer)[ 12]
7th Infantry Brigade
88th Infantry Regiment
99th Infantry Regiment
8th Infantry Brigade
8th Infantry Regiment "Erzherzog Karl Stephan"
49th Infantry Regiment "Freiherr von Hess"
Austro-Hungarian 13th Schützen Division (Feldmarschalleutnant Franz Kalser Edler von Maasfeld)[ 12]
25th Schützen Brigade
1st Schützen Regiment "Wien"
24th Schützen Regiment "Wien"
26th Schützen Brigade
14th Schützen Regiment "Brünn"
25th Schützen Regiment "Kremsier"
Austro-Hungarian 33rd Infantry Division (Generalmajor Artur Iwański)[ 12]
65th Infantry Brigade
19th Infantry Regiment "Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand"
36th Infantry Regiment "Reichsgraf Browne"
66th Infantry Brigade
12th Infantry Regiment "Parmann"
83rd Infantry Regiment "Freiherr von Schikovsky"
Later reinforcements to the 14th Army
Austro-Hungarian 35th Infantry Division (Feldmarschalleutnant Eugen von Podhoránszky)[ 12] (from 2nd Isonzo Army)
69th Infantry Brigade
51st Infantry Regiment "von Boroeviċ"
63rd Infantry Regiment "Freiherr von Pitreich"
70th Infantry Brigade
62nd Infantry Regiment "Ludwig III, König von Bayern"
64th Infantry Regiment "Ritter von Auffenberg"
Austro-Hungarian 94th Infantry Division (Generalmajor Marcel Ławrowski Edler von Plöcken)[ 12]
Group Lesachtal
148th Landsturm Battalion
Salzsburg Volunteer Schützen Battalion
Styria Volunteer Schützen Battalion
25th Mountain Infantry Brigade
18th Schützen Regiment "Przemyšl" (1 bn. only)
8th Feldjäger Battalion
??? Ersatz Feldjäger Battalion
26th Landsturm Regiment (1 bn. only)
30th Landsturm Battalion
57th Mountain Infantry Brigade
26th Landsturm Regiment (2 bns.)
151st Landsturm Battalion
157th Landsturm Battalion
???th Sturmbataillon
Army Group "Boroević" (Generaloberst Svetozar Boroević )
Austro-Hungarian 2nd Isonzo Army (part) (General der Infanterie Johann Ritter von Henriquez )[ 31]
Austro-Hungarian Group Kosak (Feldmarschalleutnant Ferdinand Kosak)[ 11]
Austro-Hungarian 60th Infantry Division (Feldmarschalleutnant Ludwig Goiginger)[ 12]
2nd Mountain Infantry Brigade
8th Infantry Regiment "Erzherzog Karl Stephan" (1 bn. only)
52nd Infantry Regiment "Erzherzog Friedrich" (1 bn. only)
55th Infantry Regiment (1 bn. only)
70th Infantry Regiment "Edler von Appel" (1 bn. only)
12th Feldjäger Battalion
8th Bosnia/Herzegovina Feldjäger Battalion
10th Mountain Infantry Brigade
20th Infantry Regiment "Heinrich Prinz von Preußen" (1 bn. only)
21st Infantry Regiment "Graf von Abensperg und Traun" (1 bn. only)
47th Infantry Regiment "Graf von Beck-Rzikowsky" (1 bn. only)
90th Infantry Regiment "Edler von Horsetzky" (1 bn. only)
1st Bosnia/Herzegovina Feldjäger Battalion
4th Bosnia/Herzegovina Feldjäger Battalion
Austro-Hungarian 35th Infantry Division (Feldmarschalleutnant Eugen von Podhoránszky)[ 12] (later to 14th Army)
69th Infantry Brigade
51st Infantry Regiment "von Boroevic"
63rd Infantry Regiment "Freiherr von Pitreich
70th Infantry Brigade
62nd Infantry Regiment "Ludwig III, König von Bayern"
64th Infantry Regiment "Ritter von Auffenberg"
Austro-Hungarian 57th Infantry Division (Generalmajor Joseph Hrozný Edler von Bojemil)[ 12]
5th Infantry Brigade
22nd Infantry Regiment "Graf von Lacy" (less 1 Bn.)
57th Infantry Regiment "Prinz zu Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld"
2nd Landsturm Regiment (1 bn. only)
18th Infantry Brigade
87th Infantry Regiment "Freiherr von Succovaty"
34th Infantry Regiment "Wilhelm I, Deutscher Kaiser und König von Preußen" (1 bn. only)
69th Infantry Regiment "Freiherr von Leithner" (1 bn. only)
8th Feldjäger Battalion
References
^ Alpini were elite mountain warfare troops
^ Bersaglieri (marksman in English) were elite light infantry .
^ Original on Italian wiki shows 75th Infantry Regiment and 78th Infantry Regiment. Corrected as per Haythornthwaite 1996 , p. 254.
^ Original on Italian wiki shows 78th Infantry Regiment and 80th Infantry Regiment. Corrected as per Haythornthwaite 1996 , p. 254. Note Brigade "Napoli" (19th Infantry Division, XXVII Corps) also showed a 78th Regiment.
^ In this context, Schützen designates units drawn from the Austrian k.k. Landwehr . "Austro-Hungarian Land Forces 1848–1918" . Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2012 .
^ Jäger literally means "hunter " in German, in military contexts Jäger may be regarded as meaning "rifleman ".
^ Alpenkorps was a division sized unit, despite its name.
^ At this point, 2nd Isonzo Army also commanded XXIV Corps (24th and 53rd Divisions), IV Corps (43rd and 20th Divisions), and a Reserve (28th, 29th and 9th Divisions) – all Austro-Hungarian."The Leadership in Austria-Hungary during WWI" . Retrieved 8 November 2012 .
^ German and Austro-Hungarian ranks deliberately given in German language for clarity. At this time, for example, a Generalmajor was not the same as a Major General in UK or US armies.
^ Cron 2002 , p. 398
^ a b c "Corps Commanders and Chiefs of Staff 1883–1918" . Archived from the original on 28 January 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2012 .
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Divisional Commanders 1914–1918" . Archived from the original on 2 January 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2012 .
^ Kaiserjäger were specialist mountain troops of the Austro-Hungarian k. und k. Common Army . "Austro-Hungarian Land Forces 1848–1918" . Archived from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2012 .
^ Kaiserschützen were specialist mountain troops of the Austrian k.k. Landwehr . "Austro-Hungarian Land Forces 1848–1918" . Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2012 .
^ AEF GHQ 1920 , pp. 16–17
^ a b c Cron 2002 , p. 366
^ Schützen here means "Rifles", so similar to Jäger and part of the Jäger organisation.
^ "III BAK on The Prussian Machine" . Archived from the original on 11 April 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2012 .
^ Austro-Hungarian designation for Jäger .
^ Landsturm were 2nd Line units of the Austrian k.k. Landwehr or Hungarian k.u. Landwehr (Honvéd). "The Austro-Hungarian Land Forces as at August 1914–1918" . Retrieved 9 November 2012 .
^ AEF GHQ 1920 , pp. 211–214
^ AEF GHQ 1920 , pp. 609–611
^ AEF GHQ 1920 , pp. 8–11
^ a b c d e Cron 2002 , p. 365
^ Killed in action. "Berrer biography on The Prussian Machine" . Archived from the original on 20 December 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2012 .
^ "General-Kommandos on The Prussian Machine" . Archived from the original on 11 April 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2012 .
^ AEF GHQ 1920 , pp. 361–364
^ "Hofacker biography on The Prussian Machine" . Retrieved 7 November 2012 .
^ AEF GHQ 1920 , pp. 645–647
^ AEF GHQ 1920 , pp. 108–111
^ "Higher Commands and Commanders" . Archived from the original on 19 August 2017. Retrieved 7 November 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 .
Haythornthwaite, Philip J. (1996). The World War One Source Book . Arms and Armour. ISBN 1-85409-351-7 .
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 .