The Story of the Great War, Volume V (of 12): Neuve Chapelle, Battle of Ypres, Przemysl, Mazurian Lakes
History
The Story of the Great War, Volume V (of 12): Neuve Chapelle, Battle of Ypres, Przemysl, Mazurian Lakes
World War, 1914-1918
A violent bombardment began on June 12, 1915, and Austro-Hungarian
troops crossed the river and occupied both Sieniava and Piskorovice.
Next day the advance spread along the whole line, extending from
Tarnoviec on the Zlota to the Radymno-Javorov road, pressing north
and eastward against the Russian front. Pivoting on Sieniava, Von
Mackensen swung his right toward Mosciska, which Von Marwitz captured
on June 14, 1915. The same night the Archduke Joseph Ferdinand's
entire army was slowly wheeling from the San toward the Tanev,
facing due north.
On June 16, 1915, the left of this line was already inside the
borders of Russian Poland, and its right wing along the entire
Tanev front. By June 16 numerous towns and villages were taken
by the Germans. The Wolff Telegraphic Bureau announced that Von
Mackensen's army had captured 40,000 men and 69 machine guns, which
undoubtedly referred to all the Galician groups, for on June 12,
1915, Von Mackensen had "replaced" the Archduke Frederick as
generalissimo of the Austro-Hungarian armies. The "phalanx" was
pressing against Rawa-Ruska, Magierow, and Janov; Boehm-Ermolli
against Grodek, part of which he captured by a midnight assault
on June 16. In five weeks the Russian line or front in Galicia
had shrunk from 300 miles to about 100. Before Dunajec, when it
was united with the northern groups, it had represented the longest
battle line in the history of the world.
The Russians began to evacuate Lemberg about June 17, 1915, the day
Von Mackensen's right entered Javorov. On the 19th his advance guard
was approaching Rawa-Ruska. Boehm-Ermolli was meanwhile undergoing
severe punishment near Komarno, where an Austrian advance force
endeavored to get through the Grodek Lakes. The Russian artillery
drove them back; for three days there were furious bayonet and
cavalry charges and countercharges; despite the most terrific
bombardments the Austrian attacks were broken by the desperate
Russians. On this occasion, at least, the Russians were well supplied
with shells hurriedly sent by rail from Kiev, which enabled them to
repulse the Austrians on the lakes. Boehm-Ermolli is said to have
lost half of his effectives in his attempt to penetrate through
Grodek and Dornfeld, fifteen miles south of Lemberg.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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