Ensign of the Southwestern Front
Much has been written about them - and this is not accidental. After all, out of the total mass of officers produced during the First World War - about 220000 people - 108970 graduated from the warrant officers' school [Volkov S. The tragedy of the Russian officers. M., 2002. C. 9]. The total combat losses of the Russian officer corps were 71298 people - including the chief officer 67772, of which 37392 warrant officer [Ibid.]. It was the wartime officers who were the backbone of the officer corps during the 1916-1917 campaigns, and they led their soldiers forward during the Offensive of the South-Western Front 1916, of which the 9 and 11 armies were.
The 9 Army is a participant in the Galicia and Warsaw-Ivangorod operations, the Carpathian Battle and the Offensive of the South-Western Front 1916.
11-I army was formed in September 1914, and was called the Blockade. The task of the new operational association is the siege of the Austrian stronghold of Przemysl. In October, the army becomes 11. The army’s assets included successful actions in the Carpathians, victory in the battle of Zuravnen and finally victories in the Offensive of the South-Western Front 1916.
We want to recall the exploits of the three ensigns of the 9 and 11 armies of the South-Western Front - wartime officers, whose efforts largely succeeded the Russian weapons - one of the most brilliant for his history. 3 feat is a drop in the sea of courage and heroism manifested in those days, but they are very significant.
The commander of the reserve company.
Officer of the 5 Infantry Regiment of the 2 Infantry Division Ensign Vladimir Voskresensky in battle 23 May 1916 of the places. Olyka commanded the 4th Regiment Company. The company was in the reserve of the 3 th battalion and moved forward - following the battalion. Having overcome the enemy's wire barricades under a strong rifle and machine-gun fire of the enemy, together with the 3 battalion, the company broke into the first line of the enemy fortifications.
V. Voskresensky, dragging his subordinates behind him, rushed to the second line of the enemy defense. The company rushed after the brave commander and, overcoming the wire obstacles, broke into the second line. After a fierce bayonet battle, the 2 line was also taken.
Seeing that the enemy began to bypass the right flank of the Russian units that broke into the 3 line of enemy trenches on high. 113.0, an enterprising ensign, despite the fact that his company lost a junior officer and many shooters, despite the completely open terrain and flank rifle and machine-gun fire, at the head of the remnants of his company rushed forward. When approaching the wire barriers of the 3 line of enemy trenches, struck by an enemy bullet, the brave warrant officer died the death of the brave — but the enemy's detour maneuver was thwarted.
Heavy battery Ensign Gusak.
In the 15 battle on June 1916, the 10 th Zaamur border infantry regiment with a swift attack knocked the enemy out of the trenches in the area of the town of Gvozdets and continued pursuit. At the western outskirts of the village of Gvozdets (small), the regiment came under heavy rifle and artillery fire from the enemy, moreover from close range.
When carrying out the order of the regimental commander to pursue the enemy, the commander of the 1 battalion of the regiment, Lieutenant Gusak, going to the hill in front of the village, saw the enemy battery. The battery was in the garden - beyond the road connecting Kolomyskoe highway with der. Turk.
Lieutenant Gusak put forward a 1 company under the command of Ensign Gusak, his son. The company moved to the right of the highway in order to cut the road and prevent the battery from retreating to the Turk village. It was evident how to the front of the battery rushed the front end, and the gunners hurriedly shot their last shells. Seeing the approaching men of Zaamur, the cover company opened indiscriminate firing, joined by artillery crew fire from revolvers and carbines.
Ensign Gusak with his personal example carried away his company, and overcoming various obstacles, she quickly stepped onto the road to the village of Turk, cutting off the battery. The front has already been at the battery - and the ensign, having fired the battery in volleys, led the company into bayonets. After the bayonet bout, the cover dropped the weapon and surrendered, and with it the battery gave up.
Thanks to the actions of Ensign Gusak, the 4-gun 150-mm heavy battery was taken in full - with officers, gun crews, horses and ammunition, a company of the 150 cover was taken. Commander P. A. Lechitsky introduced Ensign Gusak to the Order of Saint George of the 4 degree for the displayed initiative, discipline and "the brilliant feat of selfless courage."
50 Wounds Ensign Orlovsky.
27 in May 1916 in the 10 o'clock in the morning went on the offensive 16 Infantry Ladoga Regiment. The offensive was conducted in waves under the cover of the fire curtain of the plot's batteries - at the head of the first wave, groups of reconnaissance and grenadiers moved. Despite the completely open terrain, on which the regiment had to attack, despite the force of hurricane artillery, machine-gun, rifle and mortar fire, hundreds of squinting fighters of the advanced battalions, companies with a friendly onslaught rushed at the stubbornly holding enemy, and after a bloody battle, smashing his resistance, seized the first line of enemy trenches.
The bitterness of the bayonet battle was unparalleled - hundreds of corpses pierced with bayonets filled the trenches. And the task - by all means to seize the almost impregnable height of the 389 - the regiment, together with the 13-m Infantry Belozersky Regiment, performed brilliantly. Not only frontiers strongly fortified by the enemy at this height were taken, but also a series of persistent and violent counterattacks to two infantry regiments were repulsed.
At this height, Ensign of the 16 Infantry Ladoga Regiment Joseph Orlovsky had a chance to distinguish himself. In the battle of June 4 at der. Sparrow he commanded the 9-th company of the regiment. Occupying trenches on the heights. 389 on the left flank of the battalion, the company repulsed three powerful enemy attacks. When the enemy broke through the front of the right-wing 8 of the company, I. Orlovsky, at the head of his fighters, rushed into a bayonet attack - and rejected the enemy. Then the ensign organized the flank defense of his plot and, despite more than fifty wounds he had received (!), Personally led the defense of his plot until the arrival of reinforcements.
And there are hundreds and thousands of such episodes.
At the end of the article, we look at the faces of some of the ensigns of the Russian army who distinguished themselves in the 1916 campaign
Victor Alekseevich Govorov. He was badly injured on the Southwest Front 16. 07. 1916. Died of wounds.
Boris Nikolaevich Artemyev, 25 years. Fell in battle 21. 06. 1916 was awarded the Order of St. George 4 degree and St. Stanislav 3 degree.
P.V. Stanitsky, famous Petrograd architect engineer. In a battle on the South-Western Front, he died a brave death.
At the observation post
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