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Battle of Strypa - Czernowitz
1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
or "STRYPA - CZERNOWITZ, Battle Of. - The fighting in the area between the River Strypa and Czernowitz (the capital of the Bukovina) in the winter of 1915-6 comprised an important series of operations on the eastern front between Russia and the Central Powers.
In the middle of Nov. 1915 the fighting activity in the Russian theatre of war had died down (see Eastern European Front Campaigns). Both for Austria-Hungary and for Germany the war against Russia became of secondary importance in proportion as the war of annihilation against Serbia progressed.' The Central Powers had for the moment no offensive in view against Russia, who was exhausted after the heavy fighting which had gone before. Both belligerents now settled down to a war of position, which enabled them to restore their armies. This lasted until Christmas.
In the middle of Dec., Ivanov, who was in command of the Russian S.W. front, prepared for a new great offensive. This was, no doubt, with the view of raising their fallen prestige and regaining the confidence of the wavering Balkan States; above all to relieve Montenegro, whose overthrow by Austria-Hungary was imminent; and not least to serving the advantage which a Russian victory would have in influencing Rumania, which was still vacillating, to join in against the Central Powers.
Three Russian armies - the VIII. under Brussilov, the XI. under Shtcherbachev and the IX. under Lechitski, with 32 infantry and 13 cavalry divisions as well as some Reichswehr formations - attacked the Austro-German front S. of the Polesic in E. Galicia and in the Bukovina. From N. to S. there stood opposed to the Russians the main body of Linsingen's group of armies, Bohm's group of armies and Bothmer's and PflanzerBaltin's armies, counting roughly 40 infantry and 13 cavalry divisions. The approximate strength expressed in rifles was in the proportion of 450,000 Austro-Hungarian to 480,000 Russian. The Austro-Hungarian infantry divisions were on a lower establishment than the Russian.
Whereas on the N. wing and in the centre no particular actions took place, the main attack, assigned by Ivanov to Lechitski's and Shtcherbachev's armies, was delivered against Pflanzer and Bothmer on a front stretching from the Rumanian frontier to BurkanSw on the Strypa. The main burden of the attack fell on Pflanzer-Baltin's army, which was fighting with 8 infantry and 5 cavalry divisions against the Russians' to infantry and 6 cavalry divisions.
Not without reason had the Russians selected the S. wing as the point of attack. A success which should give them back the capital of Bukovina could not have failed in its effect on Rumania. And besides, an advance into Bukovina was the shortest cut to the Carpathians, the reacquisition of which was among their most cherished ambitions. They hoped, by defeating Pflanzer's army, to roll up Bothmer's and Bohm's fronts.
The preparations for the attack on the Bessarabian front had been evident since the middle of December. Lechitski had during that month assembled 4 corps in front of Pflanzer's S. wing between the Pruth and the Dniester. A sharp watch was kept on this section by the XI. Corps under von Korda, general of infantry, with 3 infantry divisions and 1 of cavalry. Pflanzer was prudently preparing for the anticipated attacks by organizing the positions so strongly as to compensate for the deficiency in numbers. Reinforcements did not arrive until later.
On Dec. 23 an attack on Papp's brigade was repulsed with heavy Russian losses. In the following days small enemy attacks multiplied themselves at numerous points of the front. On the 26th heavy artillery fire began, and on the morning of the 27th, heralded by a heavy bombardment from at least 200 guns, the Russian mass attack was launched on the Bessarabian frontier and to the N.E. of Zaleszczyki, having as its centre of gravity the positions N. of Toporowce. In the afternoon also the Russians flung themselves six times on the Austro-Hungarian positions, 15 or 16 rows deep, but in vain. They were driven back with heavy losses either by artillery fire or in hand-to-hand fighting.
On the 28th they repeated their ruthless attacks, which, as at Toporowce and Bojan, became exceedingly violent. The S. wing of the S. army was attacked on the same day by the Russian XI. Army, now commanded by Gen. Sakharov in place of Shtcherbachev. At Burkanow an Austro-Hungarian outpost on the Mogila height had to be brought back to the main position. On the 29th the battle reached its height. Not only the XI. Corps but also the VI. Corps and the 36th Inf. Div., defending the heights on the E. bank of the Strypa, were furiously attacked.
The Russians had brought up fresh forces from Odessa and Kherson for the attack on the N. wing of Pflanzer's army. The Russian VII. Army, with 5 to 6 divisions of the Caucasian V. Corps and the II. Army Corps, pushed in between Lechitski's and Sakharov's armies, and in addition the II. Ca y. Corps came over from Lechitski's S. wing. Considerably reinforced by these new forces, Ivanov continued to bring fresh masses into the attack on the Austro-Hungarian VI. Corps and the 36th Inf. Div. But as on the previous days all these attacks, courageous as they were, broke down. Sakharov's S. wing met with the same fate in attacking the Burkanow bridge-head. Here the 132nd Inf. Bde. of Hoff mann's Corps heroically repulsed one onslaught after another and brought goo prisoners behind the lines, leaving as many Russian corpses in front of the obstacles.
On the 30th and 31st the Russians, after hours of preliminary bombardment, renewed their attempts to break through opposite the VI. Corps. But Arz, reinforced by the 38th Honved Inf. Div. which had been brought up from the S. army, repulsed all the assaults. On the 31st the Russians, having had no success, and considerably weakened by their enormous losses, withdrew in the evening. On the Dniester front and the Bessarabian frontier they confined themselves on both days to moderate artillery fire, being greatly exhausted by the preceding days. On the II., I. and IV. Army fronts also, only artillery duels took place.
On New Year's eve and the morning of Jan. I 1916 the attacks on Pflanzer's S. wing in Bessarabia increased in intensity. But Korda repulsed all the Russian IX. Corps attacks in handto-hand fighting, with the help of the 9th Inf. Bde., which had come up from the Italian theatre. In the afternoon 6 Russian infantry regiments returned to the assault at Rarancze, and succeeded in forcing back the Austro-Hungarian position by about 300 paces on a breadth of 1,200 paces. A counter-attack was at once put in hand, but could not penetrate owing to renewed Russian attacks. Arz's and Bothmer's S. wing, which was attacked by the Russian XXII. Corps at Sokolov, repulsed all attacks on New Year's day.
On the 2nd the Russians repeated their efforts to break through at Rarancze, but failed in each case. But in view of the Russians' superior numbers, the Austro-Hungarian higher command renounced the idea of winning back the lost position.
On the 3rd and 4th the battle burst forth again on the Dniester front. At Toporowce and Rarancze furious fighting again took place. But the Russians' efforts remained fruitless, their attacks being frustrated by the striking bravery of the defenders in close fighting. Here the brave Croats of the 16th Inf. Reg. played a most glorious part. At Ocna, too, and at the bridge-head of 1Michalcze, N.W. of Uscieczko, the front and flanks of which were already surrounded by the Russians, all attacks were untiringly repulsed. On the 5th, after these assaults, a short lull set in once more in E. Galicia and on the Bessarabian frontier.
On Jan. 7, the Russian Christmas Day, which was also the opening day of the attack on Montenegro, the Russian stormmasses again attacked the VII. Army. At Dobropole a counterattack by the 12th Inf. Div. drove the troops of the 3rd Turkestan Div. out of a captured line of trenches. At 11 A.M. the Russians opened a heavy bombardment on the Korda's XI. Corps, following it up at one o'clock with an infantry attack on the Toporoutz and Rarancze positions. But this again brought no success.
On the 8th, 9th and loth, it seemed as if the Russians had again to pause and take breath. Austro-Hungarian airmen reported the approach of new Russian reinforcements opposite the N. wing of Pflanzer's army. On all these three days, however, the Russians continued to fire on the positions. On the 10th the firing at Toporowce and Rarancze became considerably more vigorous, and when it reached its greatest intensity on the iith, and finally resolved itself into a bombardment, Korda again prepared for a most determined resistance. From three o'clock in the afternoon until ten in the evening, the Russian masses stormed the Austro-Hungarian positions unceasingly in the attempt to break through. But each new attack ended in a precipitate retreat, thanks to the excellent artillery defence.
Pflanzer's front had meanwhile been reinforced by the 40th Honved Inf. Div., the 2nd Ca y. Div. and the 24th Inf. Division. It was not until the 13th that the Russians girded themselves for a fresh attack. With their divisions filled by fresh troops, they launched against Korda's positions eight violent assaults before the evening of the 14th, but were obliged to retire each time with heavy losses. This was their last effort. Their strength seemed broken, and on the 15th, except for some firing on the positions, there was peace.
The failure of the Russian attacks, and the cessation of hostilities against Montenegro which followed on the 17th, indicated the close of the New Year's battle. There were still a few isolated: attacks in the next few days, but the need for rest on both sides brought about a speedy return to the war of positions. The embittered attacks of the Russian S. army persisted with only a few intervals for 24 days, ending in a complete victory for Austria-Hungary along the 130-km. battle-front of the VII. Army. At Rarancze only was a small portion of the front given up, whereas the Russian masses paid heavy tribute before the strong Austrian positions.
Thus the Russians failed to achieve their great aims. Their offensive was not able to save Montenegro from her fate, the Austro-Hungarian front had not been forced back, and the failure of the attack, which cost the Russians at least 170,000 dead and wounded and 6,000 prisoners, could not definitely influence Rumania's policy. (E. J.)
These files are public domain.
Chisholm, Hugh, General Editor. Entry for 'Battle of Strypa - Czernowitz'. 1911 Encyclopedia Britanica. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/bri/b/battle-of-strypa---czernowitz.html. 1910.
