Battle of Augustów (1914)
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Battle of Augustów (1914) | |||||||||
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Part of Eastern Front of World War I | |||||||||
General Flug, who defeated the main German forces and occupied Suwalki | |||||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||||
Russian Empire | German Empire | ||||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Evgeny Aleksandrovich Radkevich Vasily Flug | Richard von Schubert | ||||||||
Units involved | |||||||||
10th Army | 8th Army | ||||||||
Strength | |||||||||
9 infantry and 1.5 cavalry divisions participated in the battle[2] | 7 infantry and 1 cavalry divisions | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||||
20,000[3] | Very heavy[4][5][6] |
The Battle of Augustów or First Augustow operation was a battle on the Eastern Front of the First World War. It was fought between the Russian Empire and the German Empire in September 1914.
Prelude
Following the retreat of the Russian 10th army in the Battle of Tannenberg, Russian forces found themselves defending the parameter of Augustów. The 10th army set up position at the bank of the Neman river.
Battle
Fighting erupted against the German 8th Army on 12 September as the German force attempt to cross the Nieman River against the Russians led by General Evgeny Aleksandrovich Radkevich, whose force occupies the forest of Augustów. The German army's goal is to secure communications for the south of the bank.[7] Camouflaged Russian soldiers who had been transferred to the right bank of the Neman spotted German troops attempting to cross the river by constructing platoons and opened fire, sweeping hundreds of Germans into the river. A prolonged artillery duel followed, during which the Germans attempted to cross the river again over the pontoon bridge but failed.[8] The Germans then made a third attempt to cross the river in the evening, but were once again mowed down by Russian artillery. According to one report in the Evening Standard, approximately 20,000 German bodies were floating down the Neman. The Germans retreated eight miles, with the Russian Cossack soldiers in pursuit, leaving behind wounded soldiers, weapons, munitions and convoys.[9] Driven from the Neman, the Germans made desperate attempts to slow the offensive by Russian troops, and a battle took place near Augustów. The Germans were defeated by Russian artillery fire and bayonets, and were pushed back to the East Prussian border.
Aftermath
The battle ended with an important operational victory for Russia, the skilful actions of the command shackled parts of the 8th army, which helped win the Battle of Warsaw, and also invaded East Prussia, strengthening the positions of the northwestern front. The exact losses of the Germans are unknown, but they are extremely high, according to the participants of the battle, "The Neman was red with Blood after the battle" and "The entire German retreat path was littered with their corpses"[3]
References
- ^ Олейников 2016, p. 65.
- ^ Units of the 1st army (11 divisions) did not take direct part in the battle, and on September 18 they were transferred to Warsaw
- ^ a b Олейников 2016, p. 249.
- ^ The losses of the Germans at Suwalki, according to the testimony of the prisoners, are so great that in some of their units there are no more than 20 people per company. The entire German retreat path is littered with their corpses
- ^ Олейников А. Россия-щит Антанты. С предисловием Николая Старикова.-СПб.:Питер, 2016.-336 с.-( серия «Николай Стариков рекомендует прочитать») ISBN 978-5-496-01795-4
- ^ Битва на реке Немане и разгром немецкой армии генерала Гинденбурга. - М., 1915. С. 16.
- ^ "Русская армия в Великой войне: Картотека проекта. Радкевич (Родкевич) Евгений Александрович". www.grwar.ru.
- ^ "The Great European War. The Battle of Augustów. German Troops Crossing the Neman". Library of Congress. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
- ^ "BATTLE OF AUGUSTOW GERMANS ROUTED; RUSSIANS IN HOT PURSUIT". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
Sources
- Олейников, Алексей (2016). Россия-щит Антанты. С предисловием Николая Старикова. St. Petersburg: Питер. ISBN 978-5-496-01795-4.
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