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UNIT COMMANDERS ON NOVEMBER 11, 1918 FOURTH ARMY, B.E.F.
GENERAL SIR HENRY RAWLINSON II CORPS, A.E.F.
MAJOR GENERAL GEORGE W. READ 27th INFANTRY DIVISION, A.E.F.
MAJOR GENERAL JOHN F. O'RYAN
53rd Inf Brigade
BG. Charles I. DeBevoise
105th Infantry, formerly 2nd Regt, Inf; 71st Inf and detachment of 12th Inf, NYNG. Commanded by Col. James M. Andrews
 A SHORT HISTORY AND ILLUSTRATED ROSTER OF THE 105TH INFANRTY complete in PDF
106th Infantry, formerly 23rd Regt, Inf; 14th Inf and detachment of 12th Inf, NYNG. Commanded by Col. Franklin W. Ward
A SHORT HISTORY AND ILLUSTRATED ROSTER OF THE 106TH INFANRTY complete in PDF
54th Inf Brigade
BG Palmer E. Pierce
107th Infantry, formerly 7th Regt, Inf; 1st Inf and a detachment of 12th Inf, NYNG. Commanded by Lt. Col. Mortimer D. Bryant
108th Infantry, formerly 3rd Regt, Inf; 74th Inf and a detachment of the 12th Inf, NYNG. Commanded by Col. Edgar S. Jennings
A SHORT HISTORY AND ILLUSTRATED ROSTER OF THE 108TH INFANRTY complete in PDF
52nd Field Artillery Brigade
BG. George A. Wingate
104th Field Artillery (75MM Gun), formerly 1st Regt, FA and a detachment of 12th Inf, NYNG. Commanded by Col. Merritt H. Smith
105th Field Artillery (75MM Gun), formerly 2nd Regt, FA and a detachment of 14th Inf, NYNG. Commanded by Col. Dewitt C. Weld, Jr.
106th Field Artillery (155MM Howitzer), formerly 3rd Regt, FA and detachments from the 1st, 71st and 74th Inf, NYNG. Commanded by Maj. Lewis H. Eller
102nd Trench Mortar Battery, formerly Troop I, 1st Cavalry, NYNG. Commanded by Capt. Charles Pearson, Jr.
NOTE: The 52nd Field Artillery Brigade did not serve in the field with the 27th Division. They were detached upon arrival in France and were attached to the 33rd Division in the Verdun-Fromeréville Sector and the 79th Division in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.
Divisional Machine Gun Brigade
Lt. Col. Edward McLeer
104th Machine Gun Battalion (Divisional Reserve), formerly detachment of 1st Cavalry, parts of Headquarters and Supply troops of Troop F and all of Troops A, B, C, D and M, NYNG. Commanded by Maj. Chester H. King.
105th Machine Gun Battalion (attached to 53rd Infantry Brigade), formerly Squadron A and a detachment of 1st Cavalry and separate Machine Gun Troops, NYNG. Commanded by Maj. Kenneth Gardner
106th Machine Gun Battalion (attached to 54th Infantry Brigade), formerly a detachment of 1st Cavalry, parts of H & S troops of Troop F and all of Troops E, G, H, L and K, NYNG. Commanded by Capt. Abner H. Platt.
102nd Divisional Trains Headquarters
Col. Kirby Walker
102nd Ammunition Train, formerly Ammunition Train and detachments of 1st Cavalry and 12th Inf, NYNG. Commanded by Lt. Col. James C. McLeer.
102nd Supply Train, formerly Supply Train and detachment of 12th Inf, NYNG. Commanded by Major Charles M. Tobin.
102nd Regt, Engineers, formerly 22nd Regt, Engineers and detachments of 1st, 12th, 71st, 74th Inf and Engineer Train, NYNG. Commanded by Lt. Colonel Willian S. Conrow.
102nd Engineer Train, formerly Engineer Train, NYNG. Commanded by Capt. William F. S. Root.
102nd Sanitary Train, formerly Sanitary Train, NYNG. Commanded by Lt. Col. Robert P. Wadhams.
105th Ambulance Company
106th Ambulance Company
107th Ambulance Company
108th Ambulance Company
102nd Field Signal Battalion, formerly 1st Field Signal Battalion, NYNG. Commanded by Maj. Arthur L. Howe.
Headquarters Troop, formerly Division Headquarters Troop, NYNG. Commanded by Capt. Tristam Tupper
27th Military Police Company. Commanded by Capt. Juan Ceballos
The AEF operated with what was called “The Square Division” containing four infantry regiments of thirty-six hundred men each. Two of these regiments would make up an infantry brigade, giving each division two brigades of infantry. In addition to the infantry regiments there were twenty-four other units in each division giving a total complement of twenty-eight thousand men. This was two to three times the size of a British, French and German division. These numbers were rarely achieved as can be seen in the chart below.
STRENGTH OF THE 27TH DIVISION [1]
| UNIT |
JULY 31 |
AUG. 31 |
SEPT. 30 |
OCT. 31 |
NOV. 30 |
| 105th. Inf. |
2720 |
2599 |
1844 |
1239 |
1716 |
| 106th. Inf. |
3003 |
2794 |
1196 |
1293 |
1564 |
| 107th. Inf. |
2995 |
2705 |
1622 |
1211 |
1586 |
| 108th. Inf. |
3056 |
2888 |
1874 |
1487 |
1788 |
| 104th MG Bn. |
342 |
357 |
334 |
317 |
283 |
| 105th MG Bn. |
657 |
689 |
616 |
549 |
508 |
| 106th MG Bn. |
652 |
650 |
601 |
479 |
509 |
| Total Inf & MG |
13,461 |
12,732 |
8,152 |
6,621 |
8,003 |
| 104th FA |
1435 |
1479 |
1447 |
1442 |
1424 |
| 105th. FA |
1401 |
1414 |
1395 |
1399 |
1361 |
| 106th. FA |
1472 |
1491 |
1470 |
1467 |
1376 |
| 102nd TM Batt. |
228 |
230 |
235 |
235 |
141 [2] |
| Total FA [3] |
4536 |
4614 |
4547 |
4543 |
4302 |
| Trains |
6046 |
5731 |
5356 |
4844 |
4808 |
| 27th. Div. Total |
24,043 |
23,077 |
18,055 |
16,008 |
17,153 |
NOTES [1] Numbers reflect those present on given date; does not include absentees. At any given time a large percentage of the Division's officers and N.C.O.s were away from their units attending courses and schools. One of the reasons for the massive casualites suffered by the division during the Hindenburg attack was the large number of experienced leaders who were away for additional schooling at the time of the attack
[2] This number probably reflects transfers to other units or duties rather than casualties
[3] The 52nd. Field Artillery Brigade did not serve in action with the 27th Division. For a more accurate picture of the Division's strength the numbers for the FA should be subtracted from the Division's total strength.
| |
JULY 31 |
AUG. 31 |
SEPT. 30 |
OCT. 31 |
NOV. 30 |
| 27th. Div. Total |
24,043 |
23,077 |
18,055 |
16,008 |
17,153 |
| Total FA |
4536 |
4614 |
4547 |
4543 |
4302 |
| Division total less FA |
19,507 |
18,463 |
13,508 |
11,465 |
12,851 |
Source: 27TH DIVISION SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS IN THE WORLD WAR
AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMNETS COMMISSION
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, 1944
The basic combat unit of an AEF division was the 59 man platoon
Platoon Headquarters
1 Lieutenant
1 Sergeant (Armed with pistol & rifle)
4 Privates
6 Men
First Section (Hand Bomber)
2 Corporals (Armed with Pistol and Rifle)
3 Privates 1st. Class (Armed with Rifle and Pistol)
1 Private 1st Class (Armed with Rifle)
6 Privates (Armed with rifle)
12 Total Enlisted Men
Second Section (Rifle Grenadiers)
2 Corporals (Armed with Pistol and Rifle)
1 Private 1st Class (armed with rifle)
6 Privates (Armed with Rifle)
9 Total Enlisted Men (6 Rifle Grenadiers & 3 Carriers)
Third Section (Riflemen)
1 Sergeant (Armed with Pistol and Rifle)
2 Corporals (Armed with Rifle)
6 Privates 1st Class (Armed with Rifle)
8 Privates (Armed with Rifle)
17 Total Enlisted Men
Fourth Section (Automatic Riflemen)
1 Sergeant (Armed with Pistol and Rifle)
2 Corporals (Armed with Pistol and Rifle)
4 Privates 1st Class (Lewis gunners also armed with Pistol)
8 Privates (Armed with Rifle)
15 Total Enlisted Men
Total Platoon
3 Sergeants
8 Corporals
15 Privates 1st Class
32 Privates
58 Enlisted Men
1 Officer
59 Aggregate
4 platoons and a headquarters detachment to a company.
4 companies to a battalion.
3 battalions plus a machinegun company to a regiment.
2 regiments plus a machine gun battalion to a brigade.
2 infantry brigades plus 1 artillery brigade (2 artillery regiments) plus an engineer regiment, a machinegun battalion, signal battalion, supply and sanitary (medical) trains to a division.
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