20 – Battle of Tannenberg (2)
August 29, 1914, Tannenberg, East Prussia.
Samsonov had learned from his experience in the Russo-Japanese War that decisive maneuvers do not come easily.
“If only our reconnaissance is done well, our army can avoid the Lennenkampf’s railway.”
While Samsonov spent three days fortifying his defensive position, the situation changed once again.
“What? The 1st Army has been annihilated? Immediately, dismiss that fool!”
As soon as Grand Duke Nicholas of Warsaw confirmed through the mouths of his Hussars that the 1st Army of Lennenkampf had been annihilated, he immediately relieved General Zhilinsky, the commander of the Northwest Front.
Instead, he appointed Nikolai Ruzsky, who preferred the typical Russian continental warfare, to hold the position and buy time.
After reviewing the orders given by his predecessor, Zhilinsky, Ruzsky decided to revoke the order prohibiting the 2nd Army from retreating.
“The 1st Army has been annihilated, and it doesn’t make sense for the 2nd Army to remain on German territory. It’s absurd. Deliver the order to retreat to General Samsonov.”
Ruzsky was prepared to abandon Warsaw, or even Belarus, if necessary to preserve his forces.
The new commander’s orders aligned perfectly with Samsonov’s intentions.
“Exactly.”
Samsonov rallied his spread-out forces and began the withdrawal from Tannenberg, starting with the slowest artillery units.
Due to the extensive deployment of the field army, the retreat of the main forces was not executed quickly.
Therefore, it wasn’t until the morning of the 26th, nearly a month later, that Samsonov’s main forces reached the small village of Orlau, southeast of Tannenberg.
Up until this point, the surroundings of the Russian army had not changed much. Large-scale radio communication interceptions, constant sightings of aircraft in the same area.
Based on all these circumstances, it was merely an illusion to think that Samsonov himself was being watched.
“Perhaps the German army is still recovering from the losses of the Battle of Gumbinnen and is still undergoing repairs.”
It was a valid point.
If it was a battle that annihilated the 1st Army, then the German losses must have been minimal.
“It’s the 10th Division. They report that there is no movement from the German forces to the east.”
“That’s a relief. Lennenkampf, that bastard, seems to still be alive.”
The 10th Division’s intelligence unit, which had been eavesdropping on Gumbinnen’s surroundings out of concern that the German forces might move towards Warsaw, also provided information of that nature, so Samsonov lowered the level of his vigilance.
However, the moment when the tense atmosphere was easing was the most dangerous moment.
To let his guard down in front of German Commander Alexander von Kluck, who had an animalistic sense of smell in finding the enemy’s weakness, was the most dangerous action.
Surprisingly, at this very moment, the German forces were preparing to launch an offensive with far fewer troops than the 2nd Army.
Of course, it wasn’t that Kluck had insight into Samsonov’s psyche and chose the moment to attack.
Kluck simply wanted to seize the opportunity before Samsonov’s retreat to the south, to engage in battle at Tannenberg, a battlefield where the Russian army had difficulty with supply and retreat.
“We have insufficient troops. Will that be alright?”
In response to the concerns of his staff, Kluck chuckled.
“Is it enough or not? When facing a dispersed enemy, what’s the point of waiting for the entire army to gather?”
Due to the rush of the offensive compared to the initial plan, Kluck’s available forces were only the 1st Corps of Hermann von François, who had just arrived from Gumbinnen, and the 2nd Corps (3rd and 4th Divisions) of Alexander von Linzingen, who had rushed from the west, and the 2nd Cavalry Corps (2nd, 4th, and 9th Cavalry Divisions) of Georg von der Marwitz.
Kluck moved with insufficient troops in three directions.
“Today, we will sweep away the Russian beasts from this land!”
“Zeig Reich!”
François’ 1st Corps moved southward from Allenstein in the north of Tannenberg, Linzingen’s 2nd Corps moved from Deutsch-Eylau in the northwest of Tannenberg, and Marwitz’s 2nd Cavalry Corps moved eastward from Strasbourg in the southwest of Tannenberg.
The ambitious Prussian wolf intended to recreate the ancient battle of Cannae against his opponent Samsonov.
Samsonov didn’t sense the danger until the afternoon of the 26th.
Because the aerial reconnaissance capabilities were concentrated on the eastern side of Lake Masurian, it wasn’t until then that the air force realized that Kluck’s army was approaching Samsonov.
The radio interception unit also suddenly detected a surge in radio signals near their own forces and issued an alert to the commander.
Samsonov was astonished by the report that the enemy had approached so close that they were under his chin.
“This is a dereliction of duty. All of you should be held accountable in a military court!”
Samsonov called the reconnaissance officer in charge and the communication officers, shouting and yelling, but the situation was not calm enough for him to be angry.
He quickly regained his composure and ordered them to assume a defensive posture. There were too many enemy cavalry approaching from the west to escape like this.
As a general, he knew very well what it meant to show weakness to an enemy with a large cavalry force.
Now Samsonov had to make a decision.
Should he defend here, or should he go on the offensive and counterattack?
“As far as the reported enemy forces are concerned, we have nothing to worry about. But can we trust the reports of these incompetent fools?”
It was not easy to trust the reports of subordinates who had failed to grasp that the enemy was approaching so close.
At times like this, thinking about the worst-case scenario could surprisingly be accurate. Samsonov considered the pessimistic option.
“I don’t want to believe it, but the German army that destroyed our 1st Army in just one day had about 10 divisions. Logically speaking, the Germans wouldn’t have completely cleared our path.
In the end, it must be that Rennenkampf is so incompetent that he was defeated in just one day against 10 divisions.
Then, it would be right to assume that a few divisions remained in front of us. If we think that more than 10 divisions from the west have come to reinforce, after defeating Rennenkampf and bringing one division from Kumbin, we can easily surpass 15 divisions.
The enemy division could be 15 or maybe even more…”
From Noble mtl dot com
Considering that Samsonov’s 2nd Army had 10 divisions in its subordinate forces, it seemed possible to hold out just by looking at the numbers.
But the army had to consider not only the number of troops but also the quality and logistics. With the artillery power greatly reduced, the 2nd Army had no way to defeat an overwhelmingly large enemy.
Moreover, it was difficult to retreat with the enemy having cavalry.
If the enemy had a force of less than 10 divisions, Samsonov would have had confidence in fighting and retreating, but that was only when the reports from his subordinates were accurate.
As a result, Samsonov could not make a judgment. Considering the pessimistic option, he had to attempt to disintegrate the enemy as they moved separately.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have much time to ponder.
Samsonov made a decision after much deliberation.
“Yeah. They’ll probably have a force equal to ours. If we continue to fortify our defenses, we’ll end up like Lennenkampf. Instead of sitting here like an incompetent fool, I’d rather draw my sword and die fighting.”
Samsonov issued the order to attack to his staff officers.
Their target was the German 1st Army advancing from the north. While the main forces of the 1st, 7th, and 8th Army destroyed the German 1st Army, the 6th and 13th Armies were to protect the flanks.
The Russian command poured out a massive amount of radio transmissions, spreading the plan to each subordinate unit. When the hastily made operation suddenly reached the units through the radio, the unit commanders bombarded their superiors with questions.
“This is impossible. Our units are not in the positions that the headquarters is talking about. Our ammunition situation is not good, so how are we supposed to move the artillery?”
“Then report the current situation.”
The headquarters sent a long answer to the units.
Upon receiving this response, the units raised their questions again.
In the process, as communication was not happening quickly enough, the radio operators skipped the codes and sent messages in plain text. The commanders who should have stopped this also turned a blind eye because they were in a hurry.
It goes without saying that the German army could receive these messages simultaneously with the Russian army.
German army commander Kluge chuckled when he heard the reports from the interception unit.
“What a foolish brigade, falling into a trap.”
Kluge changed his plans on the spot.
He ordered Herman von Francois’ 1st Army to deploy delaying actions as soon as they made contact with the enemy, and directed Alexander and Georg’s armies to turn back north to strike the Russian army’s flank at Tannenberg.
Kluge intended to defeat the divided Russian army from the north with hammer and anvil tactics in preparation for the attack.
Of course, if the Russian army responded properly, the German army would end up being trapped between the hammer and the anvil. But Kluge was confident.
There was a significant difference in the decision-making cycle between the German army, which based its mission-oriented tactics on the discretion of individual commanders, and the Russian army, which had a relatively rigid command system. Kluge believed in this time gap.
Under the same conditions, they would never lose.
Both Kluge and his staff officers thought so.
The enemy targeted their weaknesses and moved aggressively. The infantry, with heavy gear on their backs, ran until their breaths were labored, all to achieve the commanders’ objectives.
The scorching rays of the hot summer sun continued until late afternoon. Not even a drop of rain fell, and the parched ground sprouted cracks. Both sides were exhausted, but it seemed that the Russian army had little room for respite.
François’ German First Corps slowed down their march, as they were prepared to face the incoming Russian army, while Alexander’s German Second Corps, coming from the west, had an easier journey, having traveled comfortably by train until yesterday, and had less fatigue.
On the other hand, the Russian army had been on a forced march for several days, and their stamina was greatly depleted.
Nevertheless, the commanders could not allow any rest.
This battle would ultimately be decided by speed, and taking a brief moment to catch one’s breath could mean exchanging a minute of life for death.
As the sun began to set, a Russian pilot on his last reconnaissance flight discovered a large German army passing north of Tannenberg. Upon receiving this report, Samsonov realized that the Germans had outpaced them.
“Did they decipher our intercepted information and figure out our plans? If so, changing the operation would be futile.”
Samsonov once again ordered the 1st, 7th, and 8th Corps to reverse their direction to the west.
He also instructed the two corps slowly advancing from the south, guarding the flanks, to hurry up. This time, he added a plea to use codes for communication.
As the orders were once again reversed, curses erupted from the mouths of the division and corps commanders. They wasted a considerable amount of time confirming instructions from headquarters, frustrated and impatient.
There were even cases where confusion led to the wrong orders being conveyed.
To make matters worse, the transition of units became even more difficult and arduous due to the lack of proper visibility during the late hours of the night.
Each unit disregarded the principles of the light signaling system and frequently used signal lamps to confirm each other’s presence.
Samsonov thought it was a move to probe the Germans’ weaknesses, but his orders only confused the Russian army’s actions.
The units that quickly understood the orders moved according to the operation, while those who didn’t confirm the instructions followed the initial orders they received, and those who misunderstood moved in the wrong direction.
The Germans, paying attention to the sudden increase in wireless communication, realized that the Russian army might have changed their plans, but they did not change their own operations.
Kluck believed that frontline commanders would respond appropriately to the situation according to the mission tactics, so he proceeded with the operation. There were times when they couldn’t prevent attacks that were clearly visible.
It was when their hands and feet didn’t move properly.
The first contact with the Russian army was made by Alexander’s Second Corps. In the darkness, the corps, using signal lamps to confirm each other’s presence, encountered the Russian army and attacked without hesitation.
“Commence bombardment!”
“It’s the Germans! Return fire!”
“Damn it! Where are our allies?”
“If we continue fighting alone, we’ll be annihilated! Retreat!”
In the chaotic situation, the Russian 1st Division, which had been scattered, was caught off guard by this attack.
The cunning German commanders took advantage of the chaos and infiltrated the gaps between the Russian forces, effectively disorienting them.
“Charge, comrades!”
As German soldiers poured in from all directions, the Russian forces found themselves in a state of panic, unable to distinguish friend from foe. Though they had signal flares, they were useless.
The Germans intentionally left one side empty, making it easy for the Russian forces to flee.
“Don’t run away! Deserters will be dealt with immediately!”
Officers tried to stand their ground, holding their pistols, but they were outnumbered and unable to contain the spreading terror.
Feeling surrounded by enemies, the Russian soldiers lost their composure and began to flee.
Even the Russian soldiers who arrived sequentially, following orders amidst this chaotic situation, were swept away by waves of confusion.
Their allies were being annihilated in a large-scale attack, and they had no idea of the enemy’s numbers. This perception even shook units that had not yet come into contact with the Germans.
Now, the divisions were in disarray, and even the brigades and their subordinate units had no idea what their own forces were doing or where they were.
While François, like a wolf leaping into a flock of sheep, was wreaking havoc among the German troops, Georg’s 2nd Cavalry Division arrived on the battlefield.
“It’s time to reap, my comrades!”
The new German cavalry immediately trampled the disoriented Russian forces on the flank. Georg’s cavalry, armed with chaos and darkness, swiftly pushed into the Russian rear.
“It’s the German cavalry, Your Highness!”
“What? That’s absurd. This is the headquarters.”
The next day, the German army overwhelmed even the Russian 1st Division headquarters, which was trying to rectify the situation from behind. Even the staff officers, who took up arms to resist the cavalry that had infiltrated the headquarters, were of no use. The division commander perished silently amidst the chaos.
The Russian 7th and 8th Divisions’ subordinate units came to support, but in the midst of the entangled situation between friend and foe, they were also helpless. Given the circumstances, each unit shouted to the headquarters, desperately demanding orders.
However, Samsanov was also unable to properly grasp the overall situation and couldn’t issue accurate instructions.
On the other hand, the German army, being able to act discretionally within the scope of their initial orders, had less confusion and didn’t need to individually assess the situations of their subordinate units.
This difference allowed the German army to gain an overwhelming advantage despite being outnumbered.
Now, no matter how many units arrived, they couldn’t change the tide.
The German army created a massive wave, and the Russian army was at its limit to resist.
“The glory of victory awaits us!”
Almost simultaneously, Francois’ German army and the Russian 6th Division from the south revealed themselves on the battlefield.
Although the number of troops from the Russian side was far greater, the influence on the battlefield was overwhelmingly in favor of the German army.
As soon as Francois’ 1st Division appeared, the Russian 1st, 7th, and 8th Divisions, which had been heavily battered, couldn’t withstand the new pressure from the north and collapsed like dominoes.
The two Russian divisions tried to rally their fallen comrades, but it was futile to try and resurrect the divisions that were gripped by fear and chaos.
Samsanov, who had only received fragments of the situation throughout the battle, realized belatedly that his own army was being destroyed. Even in a half-dazed state, the commander called for his staff officers and ordered them to instruct the entire unit to escape.
“Escape will be difficult for the 1st Division. Tell the subordinate units of the 1st Division to resist until they run out of ammunition… Relay the message.”
Samsanov’s final order was gloomy.
While the staff officers relayed the commander’s orders, the intelligence officer entered with several soldiers, carrying field maps and documents, and left the barracks with them.
The general’s personal belongings, books and clothes, and photographs were thrown away haphazardly in one corner of the barracks.
Three days after the battle in Tannenberg, the winners and losers were clearly distinguished.
The badly defeated Russian army started to flee, leaving behind a large amount of weapons, supplies, numerous casualties, and stragglers.
Countless horses, abandoned wounded soldiers, and military supplies fell into the hands of the German army. The German army had to conduct battlefield cleanup over the course of several days in order to collect the spoils.
According to the German army’s tally after the Battle of Tannenberg, approximately 30,000 Russian soldiers were killed and 75,000 were taken as prisoners.
Although there were tens of thousands of Russian soldiers who escaped, they were nothing more than disorganized and weaponless stragglers.
As the victorious German army supervised the long procession of Russian prisoners, they turned their gaze eastward, where a vast expanse of land lay before them, raising doubts as to whether they could conquer it on foot.