Mackensen is eager for Lyubachev
The 24-th army corps kept its positions, (only its right flank moved away), but also suffered heavy losses - in some units they reached 70% of the personnel.
After powerful artillery preparation on the evening of the 31 of May, the Germans attacked the 29 Army Corps. In this battle, the enemy suffered heavy losses, but forced the corps to withdraw to the 2 line of defense at Surmachevka-Onishka-Kozaki.
Butt to butt
30 - On 31 on May, the Germans again applied their favorite trick - they struck a joint between the armies, squeezing the left-flank corps of the 3 Army.
Along with the left flank of the 3 Army, the right flank corps of the 8 Army were also attacked. The 2-th Caucasian Army Corps, having suffered significant losses, was discarded, but was still able to restore its front. K. Popov recalled how, on the night of May 31, the 2 battalion of the Erivanians was at work on position equipment. Rota Popova totaled 123 bayonet. The battalion was ordered to move forward and restrain the Germans, who broke through the front of the 2 brigade near the village. Tukhly and almost destroyed her. Met with the Germans at the edge of the forest, passing kilometers 3. Right-flank units of the regiment got involved in a fierce battle. Grenadier machine guns raged, spewing lead rain - and the Germans stopped. German artillery began to grope Russian machine guns. The 1th battalion brought prisoners with it, including a German wounded in the legs. Rota Popov was given an 2 machine gun and, for the rest of the day on the 31 of May and half the day of the 1 of June, the position was strengthened.
During the battle near the village of Tukhla on the 31 of May, the 13-th Grenadier’s Erivan Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich regiment lost 200 people.
The Description of the hostilities of the 36 Don Cossack Regiment contains the following lines: “After stubborn fierce battles of the 2 Caucasian corps with the Germans, which lasted from 19 to 31 on May in Galicia on the line of positions of the village of Zapalov - Kom ... - Kobylitsa - Godkovina, the German masses, supported by excellent artillery, on the 31 of May succeeded in bringing down parts of the corps, which were weary of battles, bombarded with live artillery of the enemy in the destroyed trenches, and the immortal grenadiers under pressure from German warriors had to give way to the battlefield I begin to retreat after 51-Infantry Division had already moved away from their destroyed and comparison with the land position to p. Lyubachevka ... ".
Other formations of the 8 Army by the morning of the 1 Army went to the front of Lubene - Khorosnitsa - Standing - Mokrzany - Kupnovice - Konyushi - Susulov.
The commander of the 3 Army moved his mobile reserve, the 4 Horse Corps, into battle. The corps was supposed to support the right flank of the 8 Army.
The Supreme Commander informed Nicholas II that the enemy, once again on the offensive, hit the 3 Caucasian Corps in lower Lyubachevka, capturing Senyav. Then the enemy began to actively develop the offensive eastward on the front of the 2-th Caucasian Corps - breaking through the villages. Tuhla (between Lyubachevka and Sklo) is the front of the Caucasian Grenadier Division. In other areas of the battle between the villages. Piskorovitsa and Mosciska, respectively, had to leave part of their positions, going to the trenches prepared in the rear. Re-discovered parts of the German Guards Corps and 119-th Infantry Division.
The Headquarters report informed that in Galicia on 30 - 31 on May a stubborn battle broke out again on the entire front of Sana'a - from Piskorovice to Mosciski. The enemy conducted attacks in thick masses on the front of the river. Lyubachevka (through the lower reaches he managed to cross) and between Lyubachevka and Vishnya (where he managed to capture the village of Tukhla).
On June 1, the enemy continued the offensive against the left flank of the 3 Army. Initially, the left flank of the 24 Army Corps became an object of influence (the 62 I Infantry Division, attached to the Army, leaned back), and then the entire Army. By noon on the 1 of June, the unit, having suffered heavy losses, withdrew under the pressure of the enemy on the front of Ivana - Khrapi - Buchina.
The 29-th Army Corps retreated to the front of Buchin-Sukha-Volya.
Attacks on the position of the 3 Caucasian Army Corps were unsuccessful for the enemy.
The Supreme Commander wrote to the Emperor that parts of the German 22 Reserve Corps, considered in Belgium, were discovered. Russian troops suffered heavy losses - from artillery fire and in hand-to-hand combat. In many regiments, less than a thousand bayonets remained, and the 48-th Infantry Regiment of Odessa Emperor Alexander the First regiment of the 12-Infantry Division of the 12-th Army Corps of the 8-th Army was consolidated. Mosciska left. On the morning of the 1 of June, there were no major front disruptions. The enemy also suffered significant losses.
New Army Group
Given the special importance of the junction of the 3 and 8 armies (it was also located on the important operational line to Vladimir-Volynsky), an army group of the infantry general V. A. Olokhov was created from the formations of the two armies to cover it on 1 on June . The group included the 29 and 23 army, 2 and 5 Caucasian army and 4 Horse (7 and 16 cavalry, 3 Don and 2 Consolidated Cossack divisions) corps. The group was included in the 3 Army and was supposed to provide a direction to Vladimir-Volynsky, acting in contact with the right flank of the 8 Army (it was located in the direction of Rava Russkaya, Ruda and Lvov). This operational association was of particular importance in light of the aforementioned disintegration of the 3 Army — the latter split into northern and southern groups. The Russian official description of the 1915 campaign noted that the enemy’s perseverance only towards 1 in June brought tangible results - the latter again advanced somewhat in the Yaroslavl region, in the direction of Lyubachev (the right flank of the positions that covered the approaches to Lviv), which entailed in early June withdrawal of Russian armies in 2's diverging directions: troops on Sana'a retreated to the river. Tanev, and the troops stationed in the Lviv direction - to Gorodok positions near Lviv. In addition, the group of V.A. Olokhov was instructed to defend the right flank of the 8 Army if it was circumvented by the enemy.
The remaining corps of the 3 Army (15, 9, 10, 14, 24 and 3 Caucasian Army) covered the Lublin direction.
Fierce battles were fought and 2 - 3 June.
If on the front of the 9, 14 and 15 army corps battles of local significance took place, then a different situation developed in the defense zone of the 10 army corps. On the 2 of June, his 9 I Infantry Division was thrown back to the right bank of Sana'a. Due to the withdrawal of the 3-th Caucasian and 24-th army corps, the 10-th corps was forced to bend the left flank to Dombrovitsy. Subsequent Austrian attacks on the 9 infantry division were repelled.
Attached to the 3 Caucasian Corps, the 81 I Infantry Division of the 2 June retreated to the common front with the 9 Infantry Division. Significant enemy forces went on the offensive on both flanks of the corps. By the morning of 3 on June, the corps moved to the front of Dombrowice - Adamovka - Tsevkow.
On the 2 of June, the 48 and 49 I Infantry Divisions of the 24 Army Corps repulsed the Austrian attacks. But, having entered reserves into battle, the enemy again attacked the corps on the whole front — the Russian troops began to retreat to the Dobcha-Molodych front. By the morning of the 3 of June, the corps moved to the Dombrovitsa – Adamovka – Tsevkuv – Dzikuv Stary line, aligning with the 3 Caucasian corps.
Продолжение следует ...
- Oleynikov Alexey
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Lyubachev battles, May-June of 1915
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Battle of Radymno. First round
Final of the Battle of Yaroslav. Will we hold on to Sana'a?
The struggle for the initiative in the battle of Yaroslav. Two counterattacks
The apogee of the 1915 battle of the year near Yaroslav. Canceled order of Radko-Dmitriev
Heavy May Day under Yaroslav
Battle of Yaroslav. Key position of the Third Army
Battle of a Polish city with a Russian name. CH 1. Bridgehead at Yaroslav
The 3 Caucasian Corps is on the path of a strategic hurricane. Part of 4. Calculations and prospects
The 3 Caucasian Corps is on the path of a strategic hurricane. Part of 3. Day of disaster
The 3 Caucasian Corps is on the path of a strategic hurricane. Part of 2. The backbone of the army group
The 3 Caucasian Corps is on the path of a strategic hurricane. Part of 1. Elite entered into battle
Under the blow "ram" Mackensen
Information