15 – Episode 15 Eastern East Prussian Front (2)
August 20, 1914, German Empire, East Prussian Königsberg.
Kumbin was one of the important railway junctions in East Prussia.
If Russia wanted to advance to Königsberg, they couldn’t afford to not occupy it.
It was only natural that the Russian 1st Army had their eyes on Kumbin.
But the German army had given up this important Kumbin too easily.
“The Germans gave up Kumbin? Have they lost their minds?”
Rennenkampf was already angry from the failed Stallupönen attack a few days ago, but this unexpected news made him even more furious.
“Your Excellency! The occupation of East Prussia is progressing smoothly. I don’t know about Samsonov, but we are constantly advancing.”
He sent a report to the headquarters of the Northwestern Front, located in Bakhivisk, Belarus, hundreds of kilometers away, stating that everything was going smoothly.
Now, the German 1st Army in Stallupönen, which had been causing him headaches, was isolated from their homeland, and the rest of the German armies seemed to be scattered around in convenient sizes.
All they had to do was take advantage of the victory.
Rennenkampf thought so.
But his thoughts were somewhat different from reality.
Unfortunately, the German forces around Kumbin were much larger and stronger than Rennenkampf had imagined.
The German units, which Rennenkampf thought were confronting the Russian 2nd Army south of Lake Masurian, were all gathered around him.
The German reinforcement units that had arrived by train were also disembarking to the west of Kumbin.
Their number was a staggering 250,000.
Rennenkampf’s Russian 1st Army was half surrounded by a German force that was more than 1.5 times larger than their own.
If Rennenkampf had accurately assessed the situation, he would have either quickly retreated towards Lake Masurian or launched a preemptive attack on the German forces to attempt to break them apart.
But Rennenkampf didn’t choose either side. No, he couldn’t make a decision. It was because he didn’t know about the imminent threat.
“In the morning, I will have breakfast in Königsberg, lunch in Danzig, and dinner in Berlin!”
Contrary to the optimistic atmosphere of the Russian command, a crisis was looming.
“Your Excellency! All preparations are complete.”
German commander Alexander von Kluck, upon receiving the report that the offensive preparations were finished, sentenced the Russian 1st Army to death with just one word sent to the subordinate corps.
“Hunt down the bears and kill them.”
The first cannons to open fire were from the German 1st Army on the right of the Kempen. Due to their proximity to Lennenkampf, Kluck assigned them powerful artillery support.
For the first time, a massive number of mortars, which had not been used in the defense of Kempen before, appeared on the battlefield.
Boom!
With a deafening roar, 350 cannons spewed fire, tearing the earth and sky apart. The sudden downpour of steel ripped through the Russian soldiers who were huddled around Kempen.
“Artillery fire? Did the Germans have this kind of heavy artillery power?”
“Fire, keep firing!”
Facing the merciless barrage, the Russian artillery also opened fire, but they were outnumbered in terms of artillery pieces, observation, and sustainability.
“Keep firing! If we hold on a little longer, our infantry will push back the enemy observation units.”
The situation was so urgent that the artillery commanders ordered nearby soldiers, regardless of rank, to bring ammunition from the wagons.
But the situation worsened. Shells began to rain down from the western and northern forested areas of Kempen, which had been quiet at first.
With artillery fire pouring in from all directions, even well-trained artillery officers couldn’t regain their composure. They couldn’t determine where to start counterfire.
The areas that could be surveyed with reconnaissance lamps were limited.
If the elite artillery was struggling, there was no need to mention other units.
As the Russian army fell into confusion, the German army deployed infantry to drive in the wedge.
“Charge! It’s time to repay our comrades’ grudges!”
“It’s time to settle the score!”
For weeks, the soldiers of the 1st Army Corps, who had been exhausted from continuous fighting, were the first to move.
Under the command of the aggressive Corps Commander, Hermann von François, the elite infantry divisions launched an assault on the flanks of the Russian army, which had been decimated by artillery fire.
“Sir! The German army has broken through the defensive line!”
The Russian army’s organization was too weak to withstand the relentless onslaught of the German forces. The Germans easily pushed through the Russian trenches.
“Do not retreat! Anyone who shows their back to the enemy will be shot!”
Although some soldiers bravely fought back relying on the dwindling defense line, they were quickly overwhelmed by the grenade attacks of the German 4th Mortar Battalion, who charged with bayonets.
The Russian soldiers started to flee in order to survive.
Companies and battalions were divided, and communication between divisions and brigades was severed.
While the Russian 2nd Army Corps stationed east of Gumbinnen was collapsing in chaos, the 20th Corps of Friedrich von Schultze, hiding in the northern forest, poured out.
“Reinforcements from the German army have been deployed!”
“The German offensive is also happening in the west!”
Even the 1st Reserve Corps, which had just arrived in the west, joined forces with the 17th Corps to launch a fierce attack.
The individual Russian corps and divisions could not withstand this overwhelming offensive with their own capabilities.
“Sir! We need support!”
“The German army has broken through the defensive line. Please send rescue forces.”
Despite messengers sent from various divisions and corps rushing to Lennenkampf in the midst of the chaos in Gumbinnen, the Russian 1st Army Headquarters was in complete disarray.
With units being destroyed and positions changing, even the staff officers didn’t know what orders to give.
It was truly a catastrophe.
“Sir! We need support. Please deploy reserves.”
“Now even we have reached our limit.”
“What is Samsonov doing? Request support from that bastard! Tell him to move his damn army!”
Lennenkampf felt anger. If that damn guy had done his part, there would be no reason for the 1st Army to be in this state.
Lennenkampf repeated the futile order to Samsonov to request rescue.
Unfortunately, Samsonov, who received the request for rescue, was a person lacking “resolve”.
He replied that he did not have the authority to arbitrarily relocate the field army and that he would only help if orders came from Jilinski.
As the meaningless requests for rescue continued, the staff finally delivered the orders that the commander should have given a long time ago.
“Each unit should maintain their formations and retreat as quickly as possible towards Lake Maruian.”
There was no opportunity to issue the order using codes, and there was no presence of mind either. The communication soldiers ordered the withdrawal of each unit in plain language.
“There is no order to retreat?”
“That’s correct. There has been no order to withdraw from higher-ups.”
Unfortunately, the units that did not receive the orders due to the command post being destroyed or losing communication soldiers held their positions until they received verbal orders, and suffered a tragic fate.
“The Ivan’s are retreating? Opportunity for a counterattack!”
The absurd fact was that the German army intercepted the wireless communication and confirmed the retreat order before the Russians.
“Comrades! For the retreat of our comrades, we will hold our positions!”
“Russia, Ura!”
While most of the Russian soldiers abandoned heavy weapons that hindered their escape and fled, artillery units equipped with positions refused to withdraw and remained in their places, protecting the retreat of their comrades until they ran out of ammunition.
However, it was difficult to change the situation with their bravery alone.
The German army had no intention of letting a single Russian soldier escape from East Prussia.
Even the German cavalry unit that was stationed on the west bank of the Angerapp River joined in this brutal slaughter.
The 1st and 2nd Guards Cavalry Divisions from the Imperial Guard, the 4th Augustus Division, the Imperial Guard Armored Division, and the 5th Blucher Division from the 17th Corps, as well as the 4th Hussar Division, all elite German cavalry divisions, charged towards the Russian army like demons in order to annihilate the well-prepared enemy.
“It’s a charge! Look, they’re charging!”
The German cavalry appeared suddenly, repeatedly firing into the Russian ranks and hunting the Russians like beasts. The Russian army was helpless against their merciless attacks.
“Take cover! If you expose your back to the cavalry, you won’t escape annihilation!”
The officers tried their best to rally the disorganized troops, but it was futile.
The Russian army, already reduced to disarray and retreating in confusion, had long lost the ability to resist the German cavalry.
Every time the large cavalry charged with the sound of hooves, Russian soldiers scattered in panic, losing all formation.
“Now we’ve made a mistake.”
Even the officers who tried to rally the soldiers until the end found themselves mixed among the soldiers tearing off their insignia and hats and fleeing.
Thus, the organization known as the Russian 1st Army was completely annihilated.
What remained were nothing more than prey without structure.
While his subordinate units were thoroughly destroyed, Lennenkampf remained alone in the barracks, letting out a hollow laugh.
“Samsonov, soon you will taste the bitterness of defeat. I will watch you lose in hell.”
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If he had any intention of escaping, he would have gone south with the soldiers, but there was not a trace of escape in the general’s mind.
Upon learning that the Russian commander was still in the barracks, Hermann von Francois, commander of the German 1st Corps, sent an officer to politely request his surrender, but Lennenkampf refused.
“A commander appointed for field command cannot surrender to the enemy. Your Majesty, please forgive this loyal servant.”
Bang!
Lennenkampf committed suicide, and within a day, the Russian 1st Army completely disappeared from the face of the earth.
Approximately 25,000 Russian soldiers were killed, and 123,000 were captured as prisoners. Only a few thousand lucky soldiers managed to avoid being captured and escape to Russian territory.
The German army had captured a massive amount of artillery, horses, carriages, and wagons, as well as a large quantity of military supplies from the Russian army. The amount was so vast that it would require an entire division just to clean up the battlefield.
The losses paid in exchange for this great victory amounted to only 3,500 casualties, including killed and missing.
Since the beginning of the war, this was the worst defeat experienced by the negotiating countries.
Instead of reveling in the victory obtained from Rennenkampf, Alexander von Kluck loaded his exhausted troops onto the wagons.
He had no intention of concluding this campaign with just one victory.
The gaze of the victorious Prussian general was now directed towards Samsonov in the south of Lake Masurian.