- Joffre issues General Instruction No. 2 today, which outlines the French strategy in light of the defeat in the Battle of the Frontiers. The forces on the French left, including the BEF, are to retreat to the line Amiens-Rheims-Verdun, a retreat of over one hundred kilometres. The massive fortress complex around Verdun is to serve as a hinge, anchoring the centre of the French line, while the left moves counterclockwise like a door. This means the BEF and the French 5th Army, as the units furthest on the French left, will have the farthest to retreat. During the retreat, French forces are to fight a delaying action, using quick counterattacks with artillery to keep the Germans off-balance. As this retreat is underway, additional French forces will be concentrated at Amiens, drawn from the existing French armies between Verdun and the Swiss border. Once this force is assembled, it would attack the exposed German flank as it passes south and, in conjunction with the BEF and other French armies on the left, envelop and destroy the invading German armies.
- The German 4th Army penetrates Sedan today, and is counterattacked by the French 4th Army to prevent the Germans from crossing the Meuse Rivier. After bitter fighting and bayonet assaults, the French withdraw at nightfall, and blow the bridges over the river.
- The French launch a major counterattack in Lorraine today, directed towards the German forces advancing between Toul and Epinal. From the north, 2nd Army's attack is led by Foch's XX Corps, which has already covered itself in glory in earlier fighting, and today retakes three towns and advances ten miles. From the south, 1st Army achieves similar gains. Despite earlier victories, the German 6th and 7th armies have sustained heavy losses, and they are thrown back across the Mortagne River and away from the gap at Charmes. The Germans have no intention of giving up the fight - a breakthrough here might allow the envelopment and destruction of the entire French army - but the wooded and hilly terrain is ideal for the defensive, and the French also benefit from extensive pre-war fortifications. In essence, the advantages that lay with the Germans when the French invaded Lorraine are reversed now that it is the Germans invading French Lorraine.
- General Joseph-Simon Gallieni is appointed today Military Governor of Paris. The French government has become suddenly aware that the German advance may threaten the capital itself, and discover that its defenses have been woefully neglected. Gallieni promises to bring energy and action to the fortification of Paris, and also insists that Joffre assigned several corps to ensure the city can be held. Joffre demures; he needs all the corps he can to execute his retreat and counter-attack operation, and can hardly afford to have any tied down defending the capital.
- The Belgian army makes a sudden sortie today, fighting the German corps detached from the German 1st Army to cover the city. Elements of the German corps are thrown back in confusion to Louvain before the sortie is contained and the Belgians retreat to Antwerp. The sortie, however, would indirectly have an even larger impact on Louvain itself. This small university town, known as the 'Oxford of Belgium,' had been occupied peacefully by the Germans for almost a week, but in the confusion tonight after the Belgian sortie German soldiers moving through the city believe they have been fired upon by Belgian civilians. More plausible is that panicked Germans fired on each other in the darkness. Regardless, German soldiers begin the destruction of Louvain, burning buildings and shooting civilians, which continue for several days.
- General Samsonov of the Russian 2nd Army is informed today that two corps of the German 8th Army have retreated to the fortress of Königsberg, far to the north, convincing him that the only substantial enemy forces before him is the German corps since yesterday. Samsonov is thus encouraged to continue to advance with his centre, and when the German XX Corps comes under pressure on its flank, withdraws to the north. Samsonov interprets this as part of an ongoing German general retreat, and continues to orders his forces to pursue.
Unintentionally, Samsonov's advance exposes the flanks of 2nd Army to the Germans. Most of the German I Corps arrive today on the western flank of XX Corps, though General François ignores an order by Ludendorff to attack, arguing that his artillery has not arrived and an advance would be suicidal. Meanwhile, XVII and I Reserve Corps continue to march towards their position on the eastern flank of XX Corps.
- Since the Battle of Gumbinnen on the 20th, Moltke has remained concerned about the Russian invasion of Prussia. Despite the replacement of Prittwitz with Hindenburg and Ludendorrf, it is not yet clear if their plans for operations against the Russian 2nd Army will be successful. Under pressure from Junkers whose East Prussian estates lay in the path of the Russians, Moltke decides that reinforcements must be sent. His initial impulse is to take corps from 6th and 7th Armies, engaged in Lorraine. However, the continued fighting between Toul and Epinal suggests that the armies cannot spare any corps, and moreover the Bavarian corps of 6th Army may not fight with sufficient ardour to save East Prussia. Instead, Moltke looks to the right wing. The fall of Namur has freed the two corps that had been beseiging the city. Instead of rejoining the advance of the right wing, orders are issued for their redeployment to East Prussia.
- Fighting since the 23rd, the Austro-Hungarian 1st Army has turned both flanks of the Russian 4th Army, and the latter, having lost 6000 prisoners and twenty-eight guns, retreats northwards to the Kraśnik positions south of Lublin. Victory in the Battle of Kraśnik encourages Conrad in his belief that a decisive victory can be won through his invasion of Russian Poland, and he urges the Austro-Hungarian 4th Army, to the east of 1st Army, onwards. The Russian 4th Army, meanwhile, urges 5th Army on its east to attack southwest to disrupt the enemy 1st Army.
- In the early hours of this morning, the German commander at Kamina in Togoland destroys the nine masts and switchboard of the Kamina wireless station, and at daylight surrenders to the British and Imperial forces. The Germans are hopelessly outnumbered, but nevertheless surrender before absolutely necessary - for example, they still have over 300 000 rifle rounds. Moreover, German resistance has not been as stiff as it could have been - most of the colony had been abandoned without a fight, and much of the infrastructure had not been destroyed to impede the speed of the British advance. The approach of the German commander, instead, had been to concentrate on Kamina, the only vital point in the colony, and otherwise preserve the rest of the colony. There was only ever one possible outcome to the invasion of Togoland, and instead of destroying the colony in what would have been an obviously futile effort to hold it, a token resistance is instead offered, to preserve the 'benefits' (i.e. infrastructure, etc.) that have accrued to the African population of Togoland under German rule.
- Following its declaration of war on Germany, Japan today declares war on Austria-Hungary.
Showing posts with label Battle of Kraśnik. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Battle of Kraśnik. Show all posts
Monday, August 25, 2014
Saturday, August 23, 2014
August 23rd, 1914
- The French 5th Army fights a desperate battle for survival, as crises mount by the hour. The roads were choked with Belgian refugees, making rapid redeployment of units impossible. At noon news arrived that the Belgians were evacuating Namur, which was to fall to the Germans later in the day. The German 2nd Army launches a series of ferocious attacks which push elements of 5th Army southwards, while during the day the full force of the German 3rd Army is felt, as it seizes river crossings on the Meuse and directly threatens 5th Army's right flank. Bits of news arriving by telegram of action elsewhere on the frontiers suggest the Germans are gaining all along the line, leaving him without any support. He sees his worst nightmares coming true before his eyes - 5th Army trapped and annihilated between the two German armies, leaving France completely exposed to the German invasion of the north. Lanrezac feels that the survival of 5th Army is essential to the survival of France itself. At 930pm, Lanrezac informs Joffre that he has given the order to retreat.
As bad as the days events have been for 5th Army, they could have gone much worse. General Bülow of the German 2nd Army had instructed General Hausen of 3rd Army to attack directly westwards across the Meuse, in support of his own push from the north. Hausen complied with Bülow's order, instead of with a directive from OHL to move southwest towards Givet. Had 3rd Army attempted OHL's manoeuvre instead, they would have been able to advance into the French 5th Army's rear, cutting its line of retreat and forcing its destruction. By attacking frontally, Lanrezac's army is able to escape.
- When the commanders of the 3rd and 4th Armies report this morning on the devastating results of the prior day's fighting, Joffre at first cannot believe it. So much has been invested in Plan XVII, in the notion that French infantry with sufficient elan can sweep all before them, that he can hardly comprehend that the attacks have failed. Joffre orders both armies to resume the offensive. As both armies struggle to resume the attack, German counter-attacks worsen the situation. Just after noon, V Corps of 3rd Army is driven back eight miles, and to avoid envelopment the rest of 3rd Army retires the same distance. To the north, the battered Colonial Corps of 4th Army withdraws from Neufchâteau at 5am, uncovering the flank of XII Corps which is also forced to retreat. By the end of the day, all but two corps of 3rd and 4th armies have been driven back to the line from which they had started their offensive.
- The only decent news for the French comes from Lorraine where, despite its mauling, the French 2nd Army has managed to extricate itself and form a strong defensive line west of the Meurthe River, its northern flank anchored at Nancy and its southern linked to 1st Army.
- This evening, as the terrible news from along the front accumulates, Joffre struggles to understand the magnitude of what has transpired. In a telegram to the War Minister, he suggests that he has been only 'momentarily checked' and that the offensive will be resumed. The reality is that the French army has been defeated. All of its pre-war planning and training, its emphasis on morale and infantry assaults, its unyielding faith in elan and the offensive, has been for nought. In four days fighting, from Rupprecht's counterattack on the 20th to Lanrezac's order to retreat this evening, Plan XVII has disastrously miscarried. Over those four days, the French army has suffered more than 140 000 casualties, and is now in retreat.
- As the French army endures a series of defeats, the British Expeditionary Force sees its first fighting of the campaign. Acceding to Lanrezac's request, the BEF holds the line of the Mons Canal. They are significantly outnumbered - the German 1st Army bearing down on them has four corps and three cavalry divisions, to the BEF's two corps. Further, Smith-Dorrien's II Corps, on the left of the line, bears the brunt of the fighting, while Haig's I Corps on the right is not attacked at all. Balancing the numbers are the quality of the British soldiers. While the BEF is pitifully small compared to the armies of the Continental powers, it is also the only army composed of long-service regulars, instead of conscripts. These are men who have made soldiering their profession - they train constantly, with a particular emphasis on rapid and accurate rifle fire. Further, experience in the Boer War taught the British army the crucial importance of entrenchment and rifle accuracy. Together this means the BEF is able to punch above its weight despite being heavily outnumbered.
The battle opens at 9am when German artillery begin firing on the British entrenchments south of the canal, followed shortly by infantry attacks. Kluck's orders to maintain contact with 2nd Army to the east means he is unable to stretch his army westward to find and turn the BEF's flank. As a result, 1st Army spends the day throwing itself at the British in frontal attacks. Further, the attacks come in piecemail - 1st Army is still in marching formation, strung out along the Belgian road network, and is unable to concentrate when they stumble across the British. Two corps of 1st Army never even engage the enemy today. The German infantry who do enter the battle find themselves under intense rifle fire of such accuracy and frequency that some regiments report being halted by machine-gun fire instead. By afternoon sections of the British line are being painfully forced back from the canal line, but the BEF is able to execute an orderly withdrawal to a second line of prepared entrenchments. The Germans, for their part, are too exhausted to give chase.
As evening falls, the soldiers of the BEF take satisfaction in having blunted a major German attack. Though the British have suffered 1600 casualties, German casualties have been approximately 5000. Further, a day has been lost for 1st Army, which has the furthest to travel. Sir John French and his staff plan for a second day of fighting at Mons, continuing to cover the left flank of the French army.
- At 4am, the train carrying Ludendorff stops at Hanover station, where Hindenburg boards. It is the first time the two men have met. On the train Ludendorff explains the orders he has already issued, and Hindenburg approves, setting the pattern of the relationship between the two men. Later today they arrive at 8th Army headquarters in East Prussia. Meanwhile, I Corps completes its entrainment, an operation that has required precise coordination between five different railway stations. The corps now begins its movement to the south to face the Russian 2nd Army.
- Russian operations in East Prussia reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the strategic situation. Zhilinskii at North-West Front, as well as both Rennenkampf (1st Army) and Samsonov (2nd Army) believe that the Germans have been beaten, and are withdrawing behind the Vistula River. Thus Zhilinskii's top priority is to hurry the advance of 2nd Army, so it can cut off the German 8th Army before it can extract itself from East Prussia. To achieve this, one corps of 2nd Army is left in Poland to cover the western flank, and a second corps is detailed to the Masurian Lakes to cover the eastern flank. This reduces the strength of 2nd Army to three corps as its advance continues.
Meanwhile, Rennenkampf is in no hurry to advance westwards. Indeed, he fears that a rapid advance to allow 1st Army to catch up to the Germans would result in another German defeat that hastens their withdrawal from East Prussia before 2nd Army can close the trap. Thus, though 1st Army begins to move today, its progress is extremely slow, and its cavalry is completely unable to discern that the German 8th Army is no longer in front of them - indeed, there is only a single German cavalry division left. Moreover, Rennenkampf directs 1st Army northwestward towards the major German fortress of Königsberg in order to lay siege and potentially trap a portion of the German 8th Army he believes may have retreated there. This movement draws 1st Army even further away from 2nd Army, leaving the latter increasingly exposed.
- The first major encounter on the Galician frontier begins today when the Russian 4th Army, advancing south, runs into the Austro-Hungarian 1st Army, moving north, in the Battle of Kraśnik. In the pitched battle near the San River just inside Russian territory, it is the Austro-Hungarians who draw first blood. Russian cavalry had completely failed to find the approaching enemy, and the corps of 4th Army were strung out and unable to provide mutual assistance. One Russian corps is badly mauled, one of its divisions losing half its strength. The Russians, however, do not view the Austro-Hungarian 1st Army as part of an invasion of Russian Poland, but rather the northern flank of the expected Austro-Hungarian concentration around Lemberg. Pre-war expectations thus sow confusion among the Russian command structure. In particular, there is no awareness that a second Austro-Hungarian army - 4th - is also advancing north on 1st Army's eastern flank.
- Their ultimatum having expired, Japan declares war on Germany. Japan feels no special attachment to the cause of the Entente - their war aims are limited to the Pacific, and indeed would have been equally pleased if Germany had acceded to Japanese demands peacefully. As it is, Japan begins preparations for a campaign against Tsingtao.
As bad as the days events have been for 5th Army, they could have gone much worse. General Bülow of the German 2nd Army had instructed General Hausen of 3rd Army to attack directly westwards across the Meuse, in support of his own push from the north. Hausen complied with Bülow's order, instead of with a directive from OHL to move southwest towards Givet. Had 3rd Army attempted OHL's manoeuvre instead, they would have been able to advance into the French 5th Army's rear, cutting its line of retreat and forcing its destruction. By attacking frontally, Lanrezac's army is able to escape.
- When the commanders of the 3rd and 4th Armies report this morning on the devastating results of the prior day's fighting, Joffre at first cannot believe it. So much has been invested in Plan XVII, in the notion that French infantry with sufficient elan can sweep all before them, that he can hardly comprehend that the attacks have failed. Joffre orders both armies to resume the offensive. As both armies struggle to resume the attack, German counter-attacks worsen the situation. Just after noon, V Corps of 3rd Army is driven back eight miles, and to avoid envelopment the rest of 3rd Army retires the same distance. To the north, the battered Colonial Corps of 4th Army withdraws from Neufchâteau at 5am, uncovering the flank of XII Corps which is also forced to retreat. By the end of the day, all but two corps of 3rd and 4th armies have been driven back to the line from which they had started their offensive.
- The only decent news for the French comes from Lorraine where, despite its mauling, the French 2nd Army has managed to extricate itself and form a strong defensive line west of the Meurthe River, its northern flank anchored at Nancy and its southern linked to 1st Army.
- This evening, as the terrible news from along the front accumulates, Joffre struggles to understand the magnitude of what has transpired. In a telegram to the War Minister, he suggests that he has been only 'momentarily checked' and that the offensive will be resumed. The reality is that the French army has been defeated. All of its pre-war planning and training, its emphasis on morale and infantry assaults, its unyielding faith in elan and the offensive, has been for nought. In four days fighting, from Rupprecht's counterattack on the 20th to Lanrezac's order to retreat this evening, Plan XVII has disastrously miscarried. Over those four days, the French army has suffered more than 140 000 casualties, and is now in retreat.
- As the French army endures a series of defeats, the British Expeditionary Force sees its first fighting of the campaign. Acceding to Lanrezac's request, the BEF holds the line of the Mons Canal. They are significantly outnumbered - the German 1st Army bearing down on them has four corps and three cavalry divisions, to the BEF's two corps. Further, Smith-Dorrien's II Corps, on the left of the line, bears the brunt of the fighting, while Haig's I Corps on the right is not attacked at all. Balancing the numbers are the quality of the British soldiers. While the BEF is pitifully small compared to the armies of the Continental powers, it is also the only army composed of long-service regulars, instead of conscripts. These are men who have made soldiering their profession - they train constantly, with a particular emphasis on rapid and accurate rifle fire. Further, experience in the Boer War taught the British army the crucial importance of entrenchment and rifle accuracy. Together this means the BEF is able to punch above its weight despite being heavily outnumbered.
The battle opens at 9am when German artillery begin firing on the British entrenchments south of the canal, followed shortly by infantry attacks. Kluck's orders to maintain contact with 2nd Army to the east means he is unable to stretch his army westward to find and turn the BEF's flank. As a result, 1st Army spends the day throwing itself at the British in frontal attacks. Further, the attacks come in piecemail - 1st Army is still in marching formation, strung out along the Belgian road network, and is unable to concentrate when they stumble across the British. Two corps of 1st Army never even engage the enemy today. The German infantry who do enter the battle find themselves under intense rifle fire of such accuracy and frequency that some regiments report being halted by machine-gun fire instead. By afternoon sections of the British line are being painfully forced back from the canal line, but the BEF is able to execute an orderly withdrawal to a second line of prepared entrenchments. The Germans, for their part, are too exhausted to give chase.
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| German infantry advance towards Mons in the dense formations that made them such easy targets for the British regulars, Aug. 23rd, 1914. |
As evening falls, the soldiers of the BEF take satisfaction in having blunted a major German attack. Though the British have suffered 1600 casualties, German casualties have been approximately 5000. Further, a day has been lost for 1st Army, which has the furthest to travel. Sir John French and his staff plan for a second day of fighting at Mons, continuing to cover the left flank of the French army.
- At 4am, the train carrying Ludendorff stops at Hanover station, where Hindenburg boards. It is the first time the two men have met. On the train Ludendorff explains the orders he has already issued, and Hindenburg approves, setting the pattern of the relationship between the two men. Later today they arrive at 8th Army headquarters in East Prussia. Meanwhile, I Corps completes its entrainment, an operation that has required precise coordination between five different railway stations. The corps now begins its movement to the south to face the Russian 2nd Army.
- Russian operations in East Prussia reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the strategic situation. Zhilinskii at North-West Front, as well as both Rennenkampf (1st Army) and Samsonov (2nd Army) believe that the Germans have been beaten, and are withdrawing behind the Vistula River. Thus Zhilinskii's top priority is to hurry the advance of 2nd Army, so it can cut off the German 8th Army before it can extract itself from East Prussia. To achieve this, one corps of 2nd Army is left in Poland to cover the western flank, and a second corps is detailed to the Masurian Lakes to cover the eastern flank. This reduces the strength of 2nd Army to three corps as its advance continues.
Meanwhile, Rennenkampf is in no hurry to advance westwards. Indeed, he fears that a rapid advance to allow 1st Army to catch up to the Germans would result in another German defeat that hastens their withdrawal from East Prussia before 2nd Army can close the trap. Thus, though 1st Army begins to move today, its progress is extremely slow, and its cavalry is completely unable to discern that the German 8th Army is no longer in front of them - indeed, there is only a single German cavalry division left. Moreover, Rennenkampf directs 1st Army northwestward towards the major German fortress of Königsberg in order to lay siege and potentially trap a portion of the German 8th Army he believes may have retreated there. This movement draws 1st Army even further away from 2nd Army, leaving the latter increasingly exposed.
- The first major encounter on the Galician frontier begins today when the Russian 4th Army, advancing south, runs into the Austro-Hungarian 1st Army, moving north, in the Battle of Kraśnik. In the pitched battle near the San River just inside Russian territory, it is the Austro-Hungarians who draw first blood. Russian cavalry had completely failed to find the approaching enemy, and the corps of 4th Army were strung out and unable to provide mutual assistance. One Russian corps is badly mauled, one of its divisions losing half its strength. The Russians, however, do not view the Austro-Hungarian 1st Army as part of an invasion of Russian Poland, but rather the northern flank of the expected Austro-Hungarian concentration around Lemberg. Pre-war expectations thus sow confusion among the Russian command structure. In particular, there is no awareness that a second Austro-Hungarian army - 4th - is also advancing north on 1st Army's eastern flank.
- Their ultimatum having expired, Japan declares war on Germany. Japan feels no special attachment to the cause of the Entente - their war aims are limited to the Pacific, and indeed would have been equally pleased if Germany had acceded to Japanese demands peacefully. As it is, Japan begins preparations for a campaign against Tsingtao.
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