Silesia (Schlesien in German) was an area that stretched along the 220 mile long Oder River valley and had been part of Prussia since the 1740s. It was divided into two sections: the northwestern part known as Lower Silesia and the southwestern part known as Upper Silesia; home of IR63. IR63 was part of the 12. Division which also included IR23 and IR62. The Division saw its first action in the battles of Rossignol les Bulles and the Artois sector.
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On July 1, 1916, the 12th Division took the brunt of an attack by a large part of the British 4th Army in the Somme. In just one day of defensive action, the division suffered severe losses amounting to just over 60% of its effectives. The unit then received a short rest before being sent into action at Cambrai, Ancre River, Ostfront (Eastern Front) and KleinZillebeke in Belgium. The unit was then reorganized and sent to the Italian Front.
The 12th Division had a key role in the German-Austrian joint operation known as the Tolmino offensive. The 12th, 117th and Alpine Corps was assigned the task of executing the main attack intended to roll up three entrenched Italian positions. The 12th Division's assignment was to break through to the town of Karfreit by moving along both sides of the Isonzo Valley. With the aid of fog and rainy weather, the 12 Division made excellent progress against the Italians. The Division had passed their original goals and were into the Natisone Valley.
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On October 25-26, 1917, elements of IR63, IR23 and the Württemberg Mountain Battalion attacked and captured critical Italian positions on Mount Della Colonna and Mount Matajur. The fall of these commanding positions made it possible for the combined German and Austrian forces to inflict a decisive defeat on the Italians in the 12th Battle of the Isonzo or Battle of Caporetto.
On November 3, 1917, Kaiser Wilhelm decreed that Kaiser Karl would become the ceremonial regimental chief of certain units that had distinguished themselves in the cooperative actions with Austria. This decree bestowed the honor of receiving the shoulder boards with the royal cypher of Kaiser Karl; a double-crowned "K". Along with these boards, the unit was renamed "Infanterieregiment Kaiser Karl von Österreich und König von Ungarn (4. Oberschlesisches) Nr. 63". The unit was then engaged in heavy fighting near Vis en Artois until the armistice.
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After the armistice, the 12th Division was eventually moved back to Silesia. Following demobilization, many former 12th Division members were involved in Freikorps activity and the fighting along the Polish Border. Apparently some ex-12th Division soldiers also served with Polish forces fighting the Bolshevik Russians.