Poland > The battles of the Masurian lakes

The battles of the Masurian lakes

The defeat of the Second Army was done almost in the eyes of the First Army which was only a day's march far from its elements in the critical phase of the battle. At this time, the German propaganda sought to present its success, known as the Tannenberg victory, as the new Cannae. It was a victory because of the used operational defense deployment, enabling, in the final phase, an attack by concentrated troops in a direction allowing to outflank, cut off and defeat a large part of the Russian forces. The tasks that awaited the Eighth Army in September 1914 required new decisions to be made quickly. A possibility of a manoeuvre leading to destruction of the First Army resulted from its deployment. The Russian army, facing west with its main force (III, XX, and XXVI Corps), was situated on the line of the rivers: Dejma (Deime), Lyna (Alle), and Guber.The rear of the grouping was defended by IV Corps, with its front line facing south and deployed on a fortified line between the Guber River and Lake Rydzowka. II Corps was located at the line of the Masurian Lakes, with one division near W^gorzewo (Angerburg), while the second one closed the eastern approaches from Gizycko.

A significant role in halting of the offensive operations of the First Army was played by the Boyen Fortress in Gizycko. Its defense caused the enemy to attempt, with a considerable respect, to breach individual fortifications. The fortress barred the westward route of the Russians, therefore they tried to circumvent it through W^gorzewo or Pisz.The defenders of the fortress fought particularly hard against the Russian troops advancing from W^gorzewo towards Kamionka, Pozezdrze and Kruklanki.

General Rennenkampf, commander of the Russian First Army, having been reported on the defeat of General Samsonov's Second Army, withdrew his forces behind the Great Masurian Lakes, arranging a cordon defense up to the Baltic Sea. The Germans, planning new offensive actions, assumed breach of the Russian First Army grouping and envelopment from the rear. It was possible in case of an advancement with all forces to the left wing of the Russian army, with only a small reserve left. The advance would be done by four corps.

Commander of the Eighth Army, General Hindenburg, finally approved the plan of operations consisting in an attack against the First Army deployed between Pregola River and W^gorzewo, performing an envelopment manoeuvre through Gizycko from the region of the Masurian Lakes. The south wing of the Eighth Army was to serve as a protection against possible Russian forces advancing from Osowiec and Augustow, fighting in two groups: on the line of the Masurian Lakes and to the south-east from them, on the line of Biala Piska-Elk. On 7 September, the first major engagement of the battle of the Masurian Lakes took place. The 3rd Reserve Infantry Division, having crossed the Pisa River below Pisz, advanced towards Biala Piska (Bialla), intending to cross the route of Russian forces thrown back from Pisz on the previous day. Simultaneously, divisions of I Corps circumvented Lake Sniardwy and halted in front of a fortified Russian position to the south and west from Orzysz (Arys). Meanwhile, XVII Corps advanced its leading 36th Infantry Division to the hills at the outskirts of Gizycko and reconnoitred the Russian positions on the line of Pozezdrze - Kruklanki.

On 8 September, two divisions of I Corps advanced towards Orzysz. Under a concentric attack of German divisions, the weak Russian defense, despite its perfect terrain positions, was quickly broken. XVII Corps enjoyed no successes on that day. Both of its first-line divisions only managed to push back the line of Russian outposts from Pozezdrze (Possessern) and Kruklanki (Kruglanken).

On 9 September, the German assault force, after obstinate fighting, broke through Russian defenses and opened the road to outflank General Rennenkampf's army from the rear. XVII Corps fought particularly hard near Pozezdrze and Kruklanki. The task was facilitated by I Corps trying to advance at the rear of the Russians near Wydminy (Widminnen) and Soft many.

Independent operations on that day were conducted by the 3rd Reserve Infantry Division with the attached 1st Cavalry Brigade. During a night stay in Drygaly (Drygallen), a large grouping of Russian forces was reconnoitred in Elk (Lyck), with elements advanced to the west towards Klusy.

On 9 September, the attack of the main force of the Eighth Army began. The Guards Reserve Corps was advancing by both sides of Alienburg (Russian: Druzhba); 1st Reserve Corps and XI Corps, by both sides of Gier- dawy (Gerdauen; Russian: Zheleznodorozhny); XX Corps - between Srokowo (Drengfurth) and W^gorzewo, with its front line facing north. The attack unfolded slowly, providing no successes that day. XX Corps, fighting hard, only reached the Srokowo-W^gorzewo road.

The Russian First Army, in a difficult situation already, had been additionally estranged by the retreat of the Tenth Army. Nevertheless, the front commander made such a decision because General Rennenkampf had assured him that he would handle this situation with his own forces. Yet the situation of the First Army had become so dangerous that it had to disengage and start an immediate retreat.

General Rennenkampf, finding his left wing to be in a difficult situation, as it was retreating under pressure of overwhelming German forces, opening their way to the rear and lines of communication of the main force, ordered the retreat of the entire army in the evening of 9 September. Overnight, its corps disengaged from the enemy and, not attracting his attention, began the retreat.

On 10 September at dawn, the leading German troops noticed that the enemy had abandoned his positions. An immediate pursuit did not result in contact, because Russian forces were still retreating hastily towards Augustow. At 10.00, the 3rd Reserve Infantry Division seized Elk without a fight.

Finally, on 15 September, the main force of the First Army managed to break off from the German forces and cross the Neman River. Germans took 45 000 prisoners of war and captured large quantities of equipment. , The units which had remained at the approaches to the northern gate of East Prussia were: 1 st Cavalry Division in Kalwaria, I Corps in Mariampol and Wylkowyszki, 1 st Reserve Infantry Division in Szaki, and the 36th Reserve Infantry Division near Ragneta (Ragnit, Neman). Other units of the Eighth Army were directed to loading stations to be redeployed to a new area of operations. The battle on the line of the Masurian Lakes ended in a success of the German Eighth Army. It was not a full success, since originally it was assumed to encircle and destroy the Russian First Army through a double envelopment manoeuvre.

After the battle of the Masurian Lakes, the German Eighth Army began construction of field fortifications along the Dejma and W^orapa rivers as well as in the quadrangle of Mikolajki, Gizycko, Kamionka, Ryn.They were neccesary because as soon as in early November 1914, Russian troops were approaching East Prussia again. The Eighth Army, weakened due to the transfer of most of its forces to the new Ninth Army being formed in late September, had to hold the pressure of the Russian Tenth Army, newly organized and reinforced with fresh manpower. In the first days of November, this army launched an offensive from the region of Kaunas-Grodno to the sector between Szyrwinty and Suwafki.

After successful beginnings, the advance of this army was halted on 12 November on the German fortifications by the Szeszupa and Worapa rivers, as well as on water and forest barriers stretching from Lake Mamry, through Boyen Fortress, to Lake Nidzkie. The frontline in this sector stabilized and the fighting turned into trench warfare. The Russian forces were finally thrown back in 1915 during the so-called Winter Battle of the Masurian Lakes. Russia suffered heavy losses in East Prussia, it was there where the Russian war plans broke down.