Orders of battle for the German Attack on Vimy Ridge, 21 May 1916

Orders of battle for The German Attack on Vimy Ridge, 21 May 1916/Unternehmen Schleswig-Holstein (Operation Schleswig-Holstein), 21 May 1916. The operation was a local German attack on Vimy Ridge on the Western Front during the First World War. After the Third Battle of Artois (25 September – 4 November 1915) The French Tenth Army held positions on the western slope of Vimy Ridge and the German 6th Army occupied positions on the steeper eastern slope. The German attack was intended to capture British positions from which mine galleries were being dug under the German defences, to gain more defensive depth and to forestall mine attacks on the German positions. British divisions were still organising their defences on the ridge, having recently relieved the Tenth Army, which had been transferred south to take part in the Battle of Verdun (21 February to 18 December 1916). The German attack was a success and although plans were made for a British counter-attack, it was cancelled to avoid a diversion of effort from the forthcoming offensive on the Somme.

German
Northern Sector (Data taken from Rogers The German Attack at Vimy Ridge [2010] pp. 46–47 unless indicated.)
 * Commander: Lieutenant-Colonel Sick


 * 17th Reserve Division
 * Infantry Regiment 163
 * 5th Company and 8th Company
 * Pioneer Company, 268
 * Machine-Gun Section 71 (7 guns)
 * Machine-Gun Company 163 (7 guns)
 * One Company, Infantry Regiment 163 (local reserve)
 * 6th and 7th Company, Infantry Regiment 163 and 2 machine-guns in regimental reserve (Givenchy-en-Gohelle)
 * Brigade reserve
 * 9th and 10th Company, Infantry Regiment 163 (La Coulotte)
 * 11th and 12th Company, Infantry Regiment 163 (Sallaumines)

Central Sector 18th Reserve Division
 * Commander: Colonel von Wurmb

Right flank Left flank
 * Reserve Infantry Regiment 86
 * 1st Company, 3rd Company and 2nd Company, followed by 6th Company, 5th Company and 4th Company, as carriers
 * Half of 1st Company, Reserve Pioneer Battalion 9
 * 1st Company, Bavarian Pioneer Battalion 12
 * 4th Company, 1st Company, Reserve Jäger Battalion 9
 * 13th Company and 15th Company, Reserve Infantry Regiment 86
 * 10th Company, Bavarian Reserve Pioneer Battalion
 * Mining Company 293
 * 2nd Company, Reserve Jäger Battalion 9
 * 3rd Company, Reserve Jäger Battalion 9 and machine-gun reserve
 * 14th Company, Reserve Infantry Regiment 86 (brigade reserve)

[The column was arrayed to a depth of about 1100 yd]

(A cavalry machine-gun section with captured Russian guns had been added to Reserve Jäger Battalion 9.)

Southern Sector
 * 4th Guard Division
 * Foot Guard Regiment 5
 * 5th Company, 8th Company

British
25th Division (Data taken from Rogers The German Attack at Vimy Ridge [2010] p. 47 unless indicated.)
 * 7th Brigade
 * 10th Battalion Cheshire Regiment

Berthonval sector
 * 47th (1/2nd London) Division
 * 140th Brigade
 * 1/7th Battalion, London Regiment (City of London)

Central Avenue – Ersatz Alley sectors
 * 140th Brigade
 * 1/8th Battalion, London Regiment (Post Office Rifles)

Carency sector
 * 141st Brigade
 * 1/20th London Regiment (Blackheath and Woolwich)

Reinforcements (The 47th (1/2nd London) Division had replaced the 25th Division in the Berthonval sector by the night of 19/20 May).
 * 47th (1/2nd London) Division
 * 1/3rd, 1/4th and 2/3rd London Field Company Royal Engineers
 * 1/15th London, 1/18th London
 * 2nd Division
 * 99th Brigade
 * 17th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (Empire)
 * 22nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (Kensington)
 * 23rd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (1st Sportsmen's)
 * 1st Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps