Today In History

I watched Indy's TGW episode today and he says he doesn't have enough details
about the Battle of Mărășești . Someone commented below and posted a longer
description and a link to the battle. It was probably the greatest win in Romanian
history, against all odds.



The Romanian 2nd Army's success at Marasti forced the Central Powers to revise their plans.
The offensive planned in the Namoloasa area was abandoned and the bulk of the forces were
moved in the Focsani area. The new offensive was going to be launched west of the Siret River,
on the Focsani – Marasesti – Adjud direction, with the German 9th Army (general Johannes von
Eben) and on the Oituz Valley with the Austro-Hungarian 1st Army (Archduke Joseph). The objective
was to encircle and destroy the 2nd Army.

On the other side, the Romanian General Headquarters decided to cancel its attack in the
Namoloasa area. The Russian 4th Army had to be pulled out from the front in southern Moldavia
and moved north, where it could threaten the flank of the Austro-German forces advancing in
Galicia. The Romanian 1st Army was going to replace the Russian troops departing the area.

For the offensive, the German 9th Army was strengthened with units brought from the French
(the Alpine Corps, which arrived on 6 August) or Italian fronts. General von Eben decided to
deliver the main blow with the German 1st Corps (6 divisions), while to its left the German
18th Reserve Corps (3 divisions) had to pin down the Entente troops opposite it. The right
wing of the 9th Army was manned by the Ramnic Group (2 divisions). The reserve was made
up of one German and one Austro-Hungarian divisions and the Alpine Corps, which arrived in
the area during the first day of the battle. The German forces in the attack sector were 102
infantry battalions, 10 cavalry squadrons, 24 pioneer companies, 2 armored cars, 1,135 machine-guns,
356 mortars, 223 field guns and 122 heavy guns and howitzers.

Opposite the German 1st Corps was the Russian 4th Army, which had in contact with the
enemy only two corps: on the right the 8th (3 divisions) and on the left the 7th (2 divisions).
The reserve was made up of one infantry and one cavalry divisions. These totaled 84 infantry
battalions, 52 cavalry squadrons, 280 field guns and 36 heavy guns. The bulk of the Romanian
1st Army was at Tecuci and was getting to cross the Siret River and replace the Russians.

The German 9th Army's offensive was preceded by a powerful artillery preparation, which
began at 0430 hours on 6 August 1917. At 0730 hours the 1st Corps (general Kurt von
Morgen) started the attack, with the 12th Bavarian, 76th and 89th Infantry Divisions in the
first line and with another two divisions in the second echelon. The front defended by the
Russian 13th and 34th Infantry Divisions was broken and 10 km breach was created. The
Russians started a disorderly retreat east of the Siret River. At the request of the Russian
command, general Constantin Christescu, CO of the 1st Army, ordered maj. general
Eremia Grigorescu, CO of the Romanian 6th Corps, to intervene west of the Siret with the
5th Infantry Division and with the 9th Infantry Division to defend the river's eastern bank.
The 32nd Dorobanti Regiment Mircea and the 8th Dorobanti Regiment Buzau counterattacked
and stopped the Central Powers offensive on the line Moara Alba – Doaga – Furceni.

Seeing that the chances to force the crossing over the river are minimal, in the morning of
7 August, the German command redirected the offensive to the north, with... [Read more here]