Romanian Campaign 1916 ,Over Carpathian Mountains

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Romanian Campaign of 1916

Chapter I

Over Carpathian Mountains

1.Romanian Offensive in Transilvania

Crossing the mountains

"In the night of 14/27-15/28 of August our troops have attacked the Austro-Hungarian frontier".With this sober sentence the first official communicate of the Great Romanian Hedquarter anaunced the event,epochal of crossing the Carpathian Mountains.The dungeon wall,which closed half of the Romanian nation,was demolished.The Carpathians were no more!Through the valleys ,eighteen centuries ago,passed the legions of great Roman Emperor Traian ,to bring the Latin civilization and Roman order in the country of simple and heroic Daci,through the same valleys were three centuries ago,have crossed the flags of the most heroic and unhappy Romanian voievod,to unite the sons of the same nation under the same scepter ,on the same routes was passing now the army of King Ferdinand,determined to make for eternity what Traian wanted,and Mihai the Brave has made only for a brief moment.

The covering Romanian troops occupied for some while the ridges of the mountains and the passes from Virciorova to Dorna.In the day of 27th of August they received the order that at 9 in the evening to cross the frontier and to attack the Austro -Hungarian troops ,which they will meet.In points of bigger circulation,like Predeal,Ghimes,the first detachment wich set foot cross the frontier had to begin by cleaning the terrain of the guards at the border,which was acomplished fast and with insignifiant losses.In other parts,the advance begun without encountering any resistance;only aftera few kilometers ,in the enemy country,the enemy appeared.The surprise have been complete.In this first night of our war ,fell ,as first victims ,amongst the officers;Lieut-Colonel Poenaru Bordea G.,the Commander of 30th Muscel Regiment,hit by an enemy bullet in Bran mountain Pass and Lieutenant Macarie N.,of 13th Stefan Cel Mare Regiment,in Oituz Pass.

The entering in Transilvania was made through 18 points.The resistance opposed by the Austro-Hungarian troops have been defeated very fast;the ROmanian troops were advancing impetuosly towards the fixed goals.This resistance was made in the beginning by small detachments,of one battalion at most,mostly they had numerous machineguns,nested in trenches and shelters ,hidden carefuly through the most narrow parts of mountains defiles,behind corners,at roads junctions,near the waters and under the mined bridges.Their aim was to make big gaps in the rows of our troops,and slow their advance.But the elan of the Romanian troops knew no obstacles.The cover Austro-Hungarian detachments,more and more numerous,were either crushed,or set to run away,either captured and the advance of Romanians was made without dificulty.

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Firsts objectives were quickly met.Tuesday,29th of August,in the afternoon,in less then 48 hours from the beginning of the war,the Romanain troops entered Brasov.In the same time ,on Jiu Valley.they occupied Petrosani,important industrial city,the center of mining industry in this valley.In the angle of Carpathians has been occupied Tirgu Secuiesc,and the whole Sesul Secuilor.Three days after war declaration,we were in front of Orsova and Sibiu,beyond Brasov,close to Miercurea Ciuc.All the mountain passes of Carpathian Mountains were in our hands;their heights were behind our front.We have taken from the enemy over 4000 prisoners.

The hurricane advance of the Romanian Army made a delirous enthusiasm in the Kingdoom and consternation between the Hungarians.The cities neighbour with Carpathians are quicly evacuated by the authorities.The Romanian elite,especially intelectuals,preasts and teachers,are arrested as hostages and dragged in the Hungarian prissons.Together with the authorities,runs away the wealthy Hungarian population and Saseasca,of which consciousness had some blame to make ,for itself.Ardeal(name of Transilvania) begins to know the tragedy of exod of population in front of the entering which,of the most happy provinces of the Central Powers ,under this aspect,than the states of the Antant,only Oriental Prusia and Galitia had known.The roads and driveways are full with the populaation of Hungarians and Sasi(German minority of Transilvania),which have left their homes,carrying in the carriages the own,loaded in haste,and sending ahead the herds of thousands of animals,running for fear of Romanian advance,which they think vengeful and plundering,when in reality is a silence and respectful one of life and own.*

The Romanian columns advance cheerfuly,in a highness of soul easy to understand.It is the day of triumph,of millenar sufferings.And the victory seems easier than hoped for,our boys,handsome in their beautiful new uniforms.Not thoughts of plunder and violence close the minds of these enthusiast and gentle liberators;they are content with the thankfulness of the soul of victory.Because in the Romanian villages they go,people come their way with tears of joy,and the priests rise hot prayers to the sky"four our wellhigh King Ferdinand I" and for the victory of his soldiers!

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War Declaration.

After the famous second Crown Council on the morning of 14/27 August 1916,presided by King Ferdinand, at 4 in the afternoon the decrete for the state of siege was on the streets of Bucharets.By evening the pedestrian geandarms announced the general mobilization(of the army).

At 9 in the evening ,our minister at Viena presented himself at the Pallace of Foreign Ministry in Ballplatz,and in the absence of the minister ,he put in the hand of the service-men a document of extreme importance.It was the war declaration which the Kingdoom of Romanian was making to Austro-Hingarian Empire.The declaration made the entire process of connections with the Triple Alliance,numbering the deceptions and vexations endured ,the entering of Italy in war against Austro-Hingary,which implicated the obligations of Romania,talked about the barbar treatment of the Romanians and attempts of breaking the Romanian Nation in the A-H Monarchy,inspite of the alliance and friendship of the two states...etc"From these motives ,Romania considers herself ,from this moment ,in a state of war with Austro-Hungary"

The army

Getting on foot of war in the night of 27-28 August, 1916,our army mobilized 833 758 men of troops,commanded by 18000 officers.Made out of 378 Infantry battalions,299 Artillery Batteries and 104 Cavalry Escadrons,281 240 Horses.The reserve was made of 416 000 men.So the total was 1083000 men called under the flag,representing 15 procents of the poulation of the Kingdoom,the totality of men between 18-45 years of age.All these forces mobilised 23 Infantry Divisions,and two Cavalry Divisions.Divisions 1-10 were old Divisions,with active officers ,strong divisions:made out of three Brigades of two Infantry Regiments each,at wich it was added a Hunter Regiment,a Brigade of two Artillery regiments with qiuck firing ant other troops of services.Divisions 11-15 were new units,made in 1914-1916,by transforming the old teritorial commandments.they were made of two Infantry Brigades,made of reserve-men,with a weaker artillery-a Regiment for each Division-and reduced services.Divisions 16-23 made of Regiments taken from old Divisions,from the fourth Battalionof the Infantry Regiment and with some new Units.These Divisions were weaker;Reserve officers mainly,their artillery made out of old cannons of 87 and 75 with slow firing-very reduced services.Divisions 1-10 one machine gun section per battalion,11-15 one section per Regiment,16-23 some of them not at all.

So Divisions 1-10 were good Divisions

Divisions 11-15 were medium Divisions

Divisions 16-23 were weak Divisions

Cavalry -made out of 22 Regiments which made two Independent Divisions,in six Rosiori Regiments each, with mounted artillery,75 mm batteries and cyclers.The Calarasi Regiments which were weaker as combative value have been united two by two,making five Brigades ,one for each Army Corps.

The number of officers was increased in 1916,from 8500 to 20000.

The Artillery

227 batteries(one battery=four cannons) of heavy and light :one Regiment of mounted artillery,25 Regiments of Light Artillery(75mm),Five Regiments of light Shells(105mm),one Regiment of Mountain Artillery 63mm and one divizion of 75mm;four Regiments of heavy Artilley

The Plan of Military operations.

A.The Carpathians Front

the I-st Romanian Army....134000 men

the II-nd Romanian Army....127000 men +the general Reserve 51000men

B.Southern Front-the III-rd Romanian Army-Western Group(in Oltenia)-20000 men,Central Group(between Olt and Arges) 50000 men,Eastern Group(Turtucaia Silistra and Dobrogea Detachment) 72000 men

Enemy countermeasures

The enemy was watching with unrest the unfolding of the events in Romania.The raports of their official representatives or spies ,the public opinion and the failure of tratatives ,did not leave any doubt over the end.Still,the governments and the headquarters hoped for a delay ,provoked by the terithorial offers of Austro-Hungary,in which time a favorable turn on the Eastern Front to change the situation.The Hungarians,the most direct and grave threatened ,took airs of bravade.Count Karoly[151] declared in the Hungarian Chamber that Romanians attacking Hungary,would find in Carpathian Mountains not soldiers,but tigers ,to defend it,and Tisza assured that the Romanians would not put their hands not even on a Hungarian tree.In reality the weaknes of the forces-engaged in totality on the fighting fronts-the dificulty to find new forces ,to be opposed to the new enemy,made the rulers of the Central Powes to wait with great fear the threatening decission of Romania;in the case in which it would be unavoidable ,it was expected arround the end of September .

When our war declaration arrived,unexpectedly ,in the evening of 27th of August,it has produced a considerable emotion at headquarters of the enemy armies.Especially in the conducting circles of Germany it was thought that "it is impossible that a Hohenzollern to attack another Hohenzollern"."over Emperor Wilhelm-writes General Cramon-this news fell as a lightning strike out of blue sky"*.

The grave turn,which the situation was taking ,critical enaugh,of The Central Powers,imposed to the German rulers heroic measures.The first one was replacing the the Chief of the Great German Headquarter .Falkenhayn,which came to the Supreme Command of the German Army,in the wake of Marna defeat ,and which have conducted the war for two years ,lost his big post,because of entering of Romania in to the war.He was accused that he has not foreseen our entering in the war,and has not taken all the measures of precaution for this eventuality.In reality a coalition of adversaries risen against the overpowerful generalisim.The ruining offensive at Verdun it was imputed to him as a grave personal failure.The strong adverse current asked to bring in the head of the German Army of Marshal Hindenburg[152],which had in front of the German soldier and public something which touched idolatry.The Romanian declaration of war gave the Emperor the awaited ocassion .Hindenburg was named chief of the Great German Headquarter in the place of disgratious Falkenhayn.Ludendorff[153],the inseparabil mate of the old Marshal,was atached to him ,in the function of "prim-quartier-maistru.Germany was breathing again;her trust came back.

In the day of 29th of August ,second day after the war declaration made by Romania to Austria,the German Government invoke the Federal Council of the Empire and,in the same day,Germany calls back her Minister at Bucharest,and declares war to Romania.Germany acomplished to Austro-Hungay the role of accomplice.In front of Romania was rising the formidable military power of the Two Central Empires .Our war declaration surprised the Central Powers;it hasn't arrived all by surprise though,and did not find them unprepared.The Austro-German espionaj managed to track down the tratatives, Romanian-Antant-ist and Count Cezerin could announce in time ,with a small edge of error,the decission of Romania,as well as the aproximative date of entering the war.These informations were considered,at the headquarters of the enemy,as exagerate;especially it was beleived that Romania will not enter the war before the harvest,meaning end of September.

Still,at 29th of July,exactly a month before our entering in the war,was held at the German Headquarter of Pless(Silezia),a conference between Falkenhayn and Conrad von Hotzendorf,Chief of the Austro-Hungarian Headquarter and Colonel Gancev,Bulgarian military delegate,pretaining of the eventuality of entering of Romania in to the war against Central Powers,and of the measures to be taken in this situation.It has been closed a military convention at which adhered after seven days also,Enver-Pasa,in the name of Turkey.the lines of this plan have also been kept by Hindemburg-Ludendorff.It was forseen that our offensive will aim the thick of the Romanian Army to Carpathian Mountains.The line of Danube River and Dobrogea will remain uncovered,thus.based on this judicious hypothesis the plan of the enemy was scetched:he will respound by attacking our back in Dobrogea ,and defending in Transilvania,till big forces will be brought there too.So as Makensen was available due to occupying of Serbia,he has been detained at Sofia,announced that he will use all the Bulgarian,German and Turkish forces available in the North-East of Bulgaria.In the same time Austro -Hungarian General Arz von Straussemberg was tasked with dfending Transilvania frontier.

*Princess Blucher,on of the intimates of the Court in Potsdam,writes:"Somone who happened to be at his Majesty Kaiser Wilhelm,in the moment when Romania declared war and also that when the news of the American war declaration has been known,assured us,that about Romania,the Kaizer came into the room agitated ,white at the face as a piece of papier ,with the knees shaking and said:"Everything is lost,it would be better for me to abdicate imediately" as about America,even the ones arround him were joyful"no problem,because America would never be able to transport her troops ,because of the submarines".Princess Blucher,>>An English Wife in Berlin,London,1920.

The Romanian Intervention saves Verdun

Painful sacrifices and of other nature were imposed to the enemy.The offensive against Verdun have been stopped.In this way,the Germans were sealing one of the biggest failures suffered on the Western Front and they were giving up at the battle on which they made so many hopes ,but which gave them after six months of bloody fights,imense piles of dead bodies.

The situation of the imense fortress has become ,lately,critical.

At 17th of August 1916,the French Ambassador at Petrograd,Paleologue,asked the Foreign Russian Ministry that the Russian Government to quicken up the decoration of city of Verdun with St,Gheorghe Cross,because ,"he has received from his government,informations which made him consider the fall of the fortress as possible in the actual moment".So the decoration of Verdun with the Legion of Honor and other foreign decorations ,could take place ,finally at 13th of September.And in a few days the French were starting the offensive against the weakened German forces.Mangin[154] reconquered in a great attack ,Daumont[155]."in four hours -says beautifuly Joffre-our troops have reconquered a terrain for which the Germans fought four months to take it,from us"

In this time ,though,the ceremony of giving the city the French Legion of Honor ,which was supposed to take place at 31st of August,with a great assistance,by the President of the Republic,with the Ministers and Military Chiefs,was suspended,as to not celebrate the defense of a fortress ,of which fall was probabil.

Verdun was saved by the intervention of Romania.The effects of our entering in the war have started to be felt ,even from the second day.The French were relieved by one of the biggest burdens.Romania was stepping in the bloody arena ,giving France ,in a supreme moment a priceless helpping hand.It was the first proof of gratitude ,which by our martyr,we were bringing to our noble sister nation.Five German divisions of infantry and a cavalry division,taken from the Western Front and from the Eastern Front,with powerful modern means of fighting-heavy artillery,aviation,a.s.o.-have received the order to embark in trains even on 29th of August,and to start towards the new Front of Ardeal(Transilvania).Germany was starting the role of stalk for her rotten ally(Austro-Hungary).

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Constituting of the great commandments

The geographic conformation of our mountaineous frontier has imposed the Romanians,from the beginning a strategic dispozitive very disadvantageous and risky.The ROmanian Army was spread through all the parallel valleys of the mountains.So it was needed that the gathering of the columns and focusing them in units to be made before the enemy could have gathered suficient forces as to organise its defensive and -maybe-even offensive.This was the task of the great commandments which,after a few days from entering the campaign,have received the command of their units.The isolated and ,here and there ,columns ,had to advance with energy,get out of the mountaineous region in to the field one,defeating the enemy resistance and to focus,establishing connections between them,as well as with the Russian left flank.

In the initial campaign plan,it was established that at the back of the covering curtain,which occupied the passes in Ardeal(Transilvania),the concentration of the thick of the army to be made ,exactly ,in the mountain passes .Face with the weakness of the enemy,the Great Headquarter ,decided at 31st of August to push the covering groups further,such as the concentration of the units to be made even in the enemy terrain.This strategical operation has been tough criticized by General Averescu,which considered a big mistake to combine the cover of the mobilising with the unfolding of the operations;the result was that,befor the strategical operation to be plotted ,our army in the mountains has found herself stretched on a continuous cordon,without availabilities in the depth.

At 1st of September ,the situation of the Romanian troops on the Carpathian front was as follows;from Virciorova to Arges water flows was stretched the I-st Army(General Culcer) with the Headquarter at Craiova.This army had advancedth 1st Division in Cernei Valley and she was founding herself in front of Orsova;with the 11th Division on Jiu Valley,were she has occupied Petrosani and Merisor Pass;with the group Lotru-Olt-latter the Divisions 13th and 23rd-has went out of Olt Defile and spread in Sibiu field.As reserves of the I-st Army,were destined Divisions 2nd and 12th.

At the center,the II-nd Army(General Averescu),after occupying Brasov,has prepared to cross Olt River to advance in North -West direction,towards line Fagaras Mountains -Sighisoara.It was the most compact group which,thanks to the terrain,could concentrate in a bundle the divisions in its composition.They were;3rd Division at the left,4th Division at the center ,Divisions 5th and 6th at the right side.As reserves ,formed in the back Divisions 21st and 22nd.

At the right wing of the Romanian front ,was the IV-th Army(Northern Army),General Prezan.Through the transversal valleys of the Carpathians of Moldavia advanced in continuous fights towards the superior valleys of Mures River and Olt River,Divisions 7th,8th and 14th,rejecting continuously the enemy;on the left of the army,was advancing the 2nd Cavalry Division,trying to connect with the II-nd Army.

It hasn't yet been established a connection between the three Romanian armies ,neither between the Romanian front and the Russian one.

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The enemy forces

The enemy forces which were trying to opose the Romanians advance,were those which constituted the I-st Austro-Hungarian Army,Commanded by General Arz von Straussemberg,of sas(Germans in Transilvania) origin,from the surroundings of Sibiu.The I-st Army was part of the Group of armies of archduke inheritter Carol,and was in foundinf herself along VII-th Army(General Koevess),which occupied the Galitian and Bucovinean Carpathian Mountains.The forces that Arz disposed in the first days were not numerous.In the first line were 30 infantry battalions and Landstrum[1] ,three battalions of militarized miners, 12 battalions of stage,8 escadrons and 18 batteries.The reserve was made of 6 battalions of stage with four and a half batteries ,2 escadrons and 5 batteries concentrated between Alba Iulia and Sebesu Secuiesc,as an atom of the 51st Division,on way of reconstituting herself.Every day,though,Arz was receiving reinforcements,Austro-Hungarian and german ones.Even from the first days the Germans send few commandments,then troops begun to arrive,so it can be said ,that even from the beginning,the commandment of the troops in Transilvania (Ardeal) was in the hands of the Germans.

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The greatest resistance has been organized by the enemy from the beginning,towards the Moldavian Carpathian Mountains were it seemed to them the most threatened sector,because the neighbouring with the Russian front and of the danger of turning the Galitian front.Here was constituted the North-East Group,under the Prusian General von Morgen,Commander of the I-st Reserve German Group.Morgen was considered a good soldier.He has commanded a division in Tannenberg[2],and then the I-st Reserve German Corps in all the battles given on the Russian front,from 1914 to 1916.After the end of the campaign against Romania ,we find him in France at Lile and Cambrai,in the generar deroute of the German armies.From Morgen Group were:the 61st Infantry DIvision Austro-Hungarian in the Norther sector,and the 71st Division a little to the South;between them was a Husar Brigade de Landstrum.Morgen Group stretched in Dorna region ,until the region between Sighisoara and Brasov.

In the Southern part,Morgen Group continued with the Southern Group,Commanded by Prusian General von Staabs,Commander of the XXXIX-th Corps of Reserve.This group was ,in its turn,made out of two parts:at its left wing,stretching to West of Sibiu,was a group made out of 1st Austro-Hungarian Cavalry Division,3rd German Cavalry Division,brought from the Russian front,the 143 Austro -Hungarian Brigade and 51st Hanovezi Division.Commander was the German Cavalry ,Count Schmettow.A little to the right,in Hateg land,opposing to the advance of our troops which were comming from Jiu Valley,was the 144 Austro-Hungarian Brigade.Behind this one ,were arriving from Vosgi front[3],even from the first week of the war,the first elements of the 187 German Division.At Orsova was the 210th Brigade ,changed after few days with 145th Brigade of reserve,strenghtened with the so called the Danube Group(Grupul Dunarii),made out of 5-6 companies .Important units of help were disembarking every day in Cluj,Deva and Timisoara,from where they were send to the fighting fronts.For Morgen Group,were destined the 37th and 39th Hanovezi Divisions,72nd Austro-Hungarian and 89th Prusian,brought from Lithuania;Morgen remained with the command of the right wing,and the command of the left wing was given to Austrian Feldmarshal Fabini.For Staabs Group were destined:the 76th German Division,called from Curlanda,the Bavarian Alpine Corps,brought from Verdun,and the Mountain Brigades 2nd and 8th Austro-Hungarian,from the Italian front.With this face ,the adversary was strenghtening every day that past,such that,after twoo weeks from entering the war,the Austro-German forces from Ardeal were up to 11 Infantry Divisions*,two and a half Cavalry Divisions,ballancing the Romanian forces almost Division by Division.

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* The 143 Brigade from Sibiu has enterd later in the made up of the 72nd Austro-Hungarian Division,which belonged organically

A program which cannot be acomplished

As the military situation presented itself at the beginning of the war declaration,the Romanians possesed in Carpathian Mountains the advantage of initial superiority.The greatest part of the Romanian Army was on the front line ,as the enemy needed time to bring the forces from other European fronts .Will the Romanian succeed ,that by an energic action to profit from this superiority and give the enemy big blows ,disorganize their covering forces and to obstacle him from making necessary concentration of forces,acomplishing in this time the Romanian one?By this depended the success of the first campaign in Ardeal(Transilvania).

Two causes came to make in an unfavorable manner the rapid acomplishing of the Romanian operatios plan.First,the Romanian columns ,flowing through the numerous mountain passes ,were parted one of the other, by mountain massifs ,which were sometimes 100km thick.Fighting with the heavy terrain ,but also with enemy resistance,before he could concentrate its forces,our detachment have to construct resistance positions over the mountain ridge and strenghten within them,untill the arrive of the thick of the army,by the fear of eventual attacks by surprise, with superior forces ,from the enemy.The difficulty of convoys arriving,made tougher by the destroys made by the enemy,have forced the troops to advance with precaution,such that the enetering of the Romanians in Transilvania did not had the thunder character ,manifested in the first two days.To this,came the second cause more determining than the first one.The unfortunate events,happened at the Southern border,made their effect quick.Important forces ,destined to the Northern front,have been turned from their way and send South.This causes have paralized from the beginning the elan of the ROmanian offensive in Ardeal and compromised the entire campaign.

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2.The operations of the I-st Army

The isolation of the I-st Army

Of the three Romanians armies on the Carpathian frontier ,the I-st Army was the most isolated.By the II-nd Army ,she was parted by the formidable massif of Fagarasi Mountains,which is the thickest and has the highest peaks from the whole chain of Romanian Carpathian Mountains .The isolation was not only towards the neighbour army,but also the own units were parted themselves by mountain massifs of over 70-80 km thickness.The three groups ,disposed on the mountain frontier,Virciorova,Jiu and Olt could not communicate on the sides and direct;the connection between them could be made only by big going arrounds,on the railways and driveways of the Kingdoom.

The fourth group-20th Division-was stretched along Danube River ,from Virciorova to the mouth of Olt River,with the mission of guarding the Bulgarian shore and to reject the eventual crossing attempts over the River.

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The Fights of Cerna Group

At the left extremity of the I-st Army and of the entire Carpathian front,was "Cerna Group",made up of the troops of the 1st Division ,Commanded by General Dragalina.From Banat,starting his career as officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army,Dragalina was to Command the army to liberate his birthplace.

The mission of this group was from the biginning limited ,to a local action,because of the pivot role of the great strategic move which had to be acomplished, by the army of operatons, in Transilvania,as the operations plan.It was also imposed by its excentric situation,alltogether outside the operations zone,but also because of the very bad terrain,made out of a mountains succession,high,parted between them by steep valleys ,altogether improper for unfolding tactical operations.That is why,the Division has only to occupy solidly the Northern shore of the Danube River and Cerna Valley,were she flows into the Danube.,to make impossible a passing through here of the enemy,which would have threatened the left flank of the I-st Army dispozitive.With this face,it was also completely stopped the traffic on the Danube.This mission have been acomplished with success by the troops of the 1st Division and by her eminent Commander.

The fights in this region will be very difficult because the lack of roads and special equipment for transporting the provisions,food and munition.They were brought from big distances ,by small mountain horses ,mounted with samare,on narrow and serpent paths,with many rocks.Transporting the cannons constituted a real problem of ingenuity and forcings for both human and animals.Even more penible was the evacuation of the wounded at the sanitary posts and from there to the hospitals ,organised in the first poor small villages(smaller than a village),at the mouths of the valleys,far and away from the operation lines.

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The hostilities have begun in this sector even from the first day.The Austrian auxiliary monitor "Almos",comming from Cladova,on Danube,has bombarded the city and the military commandment ,making small damages then retreated to Orsova.The troops of the 1st Division have occupied the heights of the frontier ,giving heavy fights for Tudor,in front of Toplet.The position was conquered by a hurricane assault given by the soldiers of the 57th Mehedinti Regiment,which in the fever of the first attack given by them in this war,were pulling by hand the poles of the barb wire fencees,in the middle of the bullet rain of the enemy machineguns.

This operation made possible for the Romanian Commander to notice that the Hungarians have constructed a system ,strong,of strongholds on the heights over the frontier.The central of these strongholds was Alionu Mountain .It is a dear Mountain to the Hungarians .At his feet,in 1848,the partizans of Kossuth[4],after the smashing of the Hungarian Revolution,have hidden the crown of Saint Stefan[5];on this spot have build later,Emperor Franz Joseph a chapel.Alion ,together with the heights that follow towards North,Ozoina and Drenecul,were very heavy strenghtened;concreted trenches and covered disposed on levels,nets of barbwire fence,on metal frames.The reconnaisances and the information of the Romanian Commander ,have priced at three to four battalions the troops occupying the position.In truth,Colonel Fiebich,the Commander of the enemy sector,had four and a half battalions,a cavalry escadron and four batteries of the 210th Brigade.Obviously,after receiving other reinforcements the position would have been very hard to take.And this was indispensabil for mastering Cernei River Valley.

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The fight for conquering Alion Mountain was given in the day of 1st of September.General Dragalina has send a secondary group to attack North of Padesul hills and Padeglava hills-which was executed without success-keeping under his command the thick -seven battalions-for the principal action.So,as at 5 in the morning,four batteries installed on Duhovna Hill have started the bombardment of enemy positions,the infantry attacked on several columns.In the center of attack,the soldiers of the 1st Hunters Regiment have taken with assault Culmea Ozoinii,the key position.In the middle of the furious bombardment,beaten by the enemy machineguns,the Hunters have to cut with scissors the barbwire fence,row by row and through them,to make space to advance with the bayonet ahead.Many remain hunged between the nails of the wires,many are thundered by the explosions of the underground mines.But one by one heights 287 and 314 fall in to the hands of the Hunters.At 2,30 pm the whole position is conquered.

The column which attacked Drenecul has been held on place by the strongholds of wires ,which our artillery did not break;the hunters ,though ,have surrounded Drenecul by South and managed to occupy it by evening.In the same time ,the soldiers of 17th Mehedinti Regiment,with the help of a Hunters Company,have conquered Alion Mountain.The romanian troops pursued the enemy without stop up to Cerna Valley,taking him out af all the strong positions and running him away in disorder.The Monitor "Almos " has tried to intervene,bombarding the Romanian troops ,without effect,but was set on the run by the batteries on Duhovna.

The Austro-Hungarian defeat was decisive;they have left in the hands of Romanians 9 officers and 645 soldiers,prisoners,ahead with Major Wolff,the Commander of Alion sector,as well as an imense material:seven cannons,machineguns,horses,a reflector,ammunition and provisions in great quantity.

Pursuing with energy the enemy beaten,Romanians have occupied at 4th of September Orsova and both shores of Cerna,close to Ieselnita;to North they have occupied the localities on the left shore of Cerna:Coramnic,Toplet,Birza strenghtening on positions on the heights which domminates the shore,close to Mehadia.

After occupying Orsova things have quiet on Cerna.At 1st of october,Colonel Szivo,the Commander of 145th Austro-Hungarian Brigade (seven battalions,one escadron ,six batteries),which occupies now the sector ,thought it is the moment to reconquer Orsova.Well informed that the Romanian troops have been weakened,by sending two Regiments(1st Hunters and 57th Jiu),he has attacked on the whole front from Toplet to Orsova,helped on the right side on Danube River also by three monitors.The enemy attack had in the biginning whatever success;at the left side the enemy has occupied Birza and Toplet,and at the right side he managed to enter the Western partof Orsova.In the afternoon of the same day,the Romanian counterattack,eecuted with troops of the 17th Mehedinti Regiment,has repulsed the enemy back on his starting positions,reconquering orsova by violent street fights,with hand grenades;have been also taken 165 prisoners.

To take revanch,after three days ,at 4th of Ocober,the 17th Mehedinti Regiment has attacked the enemy position by the front and from behind,surprising the Hungarian soldiers sleeping in the trenches and runned them away ,beyond Iesalnita and Orjadin,capturing 4 officers and 216 soldiers.All the enemy position near Danube RIver have been conquered.The enemy behaved by this unfortunate result of his attempt,has remained quiet from now on.

With all the thinness of the front ,because of lack of units,Cerna Group has acomplished the mission.The Romanian cannon kept under his firing range Danube Valley.The important way to the Orient was thus closed;he will not be a way for the enemy troops to reprovision themselves,anymore,on the Dobrogea border.

Cerna sector will be from now on a relatively quiet secor.Sheltered in their trenches,the two enemies will look eachother in the eye and not enterprise any action of importance.The enemy will give from time to time attacks for fixation,to away the attention of what is going on in the neighbour sectors.In time the effectives of the two adversaries have diminished more,by sending troops in neighbour sectors,mor agitated.

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Robert,

Thank you.

Andrei

First map "Romanian offensive in Transilvania";last picture in Marasesti Battle is taken on this map from N-W direction;Omu=Vf.Omu=Omu Peak

Second map"Theatre of fights at Merisor and Petrosani"

Maps legend: dotted line =successive lines of the Romanian front,the arrows=principal directions of enemy attack

D=Division,Vf=Peak,but also at the second map D is only for hill,example;D Bran=Bran Hill and Pasul=Pass ex. Pasul

Vulcan=Vulcan Pass(mountain pass)

small white circle=locality

triangles=also peaks and heights

[Robert Dunlop]

Here are the maps, Andrei.

Robert

[razu]

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Jiu Sector

Another importance had Jiu sector.After the covering troops,Commanded by Colonel Cocorascu and made up by Gorjeni Regiments 18th and 58th,have occupied Petrosani,it was constituted the 11th DIvision,under the Command of General Muica,hahing 21st and 22nd Brigades,of infantry.The aim of this Division was that,by union with the divisions in Olt Valley,to form up the oak of the entire surrounding move,which the Romanian front was making towards West and North -West.That is why,the advance had to be smaller in this region,and the positions occupied near the frontier to be as much as possible strenghtened.The enmy had in this region 144th Brigade ,Austro-Hungarian with six battalions of infantry,with four Husari escadrons and with four batteries (Colonel Berger),at which it was added the three battalions of militarized miners ,from Petrosani and Lupeni mines,commanded by their chiefs and engineers.

The great Romanian Hedquarter has ordered the 11th DIvision to occupy the defensive positions North of Hateg.General Culcer ,the Commander of the I-st Romanian Army,counting this position as too advanced and risky,because it was leaving behind Hateg-Caransebes Defile,where it could have been turned(the front),taking into account also the enormous distances which separated him by the neighbour sectors,covered by strong mountain massifs and with very dificile communications,has decided to remain on a position less advanced,closer to the frontier.That is why the troops of the DIvision have occupied firstly Jiu Valley with important mining localities ,Vulcani and Lupeni,cleaning it entirely by the enemy.After this,the Romanians entered towards North-West of Petrosani,occupying solidly Merisor Pass.

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In Merisor Pass

Merisor Pass is a long corridor,tightened between Hateg Mountains (Muntii Hategului) ,on the left side and Sebes Mountains(Muntii Sebesului) ,on the right side.Through it,you have to cross Banitei Valley,afluent of Jiu River,which flows to South -East,in the valley of Strei River,afluent of Mures,which flows North-West,through Hateg Field.The dividing place of the two flows of water form the culminant point of the defile,of almost 1000 meters high.

At 7th of September ,the troops of the 11th Division,were in the defile,leaning on the near heights;Bran Hill,at South and Baloi Hill ,at North.The enemy made an attempt in the second day,at 8th of September,to take out the Romanians from these positions.With all the strong bombardment of their artillery,he did not succeed and was repulsed by the troops of Regiments 18th and 36th,which took over 300 prisoners,two cannons and other material ,as well.The Austro-Hungarian communicate ,describes this defeat under an eufemistic form:"...Our troops have send back the enemy at 4 km behind his positions;a new and strong enemy attack against the right wing ,of this group,determined us to reoccupy our start positions".The ROmanian line of resistance -almost perpendicular on the direction of the old frontier -was streched cross the pass from North to South,over the heights Angros,Muncel,Oboroca,turning then South-west,on the heights wich domminates from North Jiu,up to Fagetel Peak.The line was well strengtened .The Romanian avanguards have passed ,though,over the exit of the pass and have occupied in Streciului Valley ,villages Baru Mare and Baru Mic.The reconnaissance patrols descended to Crivadia and even close to Pui locality.They have come into contact at 10th of September ,with German patrols .There were the first troops of 187th Prusian Division and of the Alpine Bavarian Corps,brought from Verdun front.

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The German offensive

Battle of Merisor

The German commander was ,ofcourse,not knowing of the purely defensive Romanian intentions on this front.The advance of the Romanians was ,ofcourse ,considered to be extremely dangerous.It seemed that it threatenes with the entering in the Valley of Mures which,in this region,is closere than anywhere by the old frontier.Occupying this valley by the Romanian army meant the cutting of the most important line which goes along Ardeal(Transilvania),obstacling the concentration of enemy forces ,which was acomplished at Sasesc Sebes,and threatened in the back the principal direction of advance of the enemy to Sibiu.In front of this danger,the enemy decided that,before the complete arriving of reinforcements he was expecting,to attack us in the most periled point.Taking out the Romanians from Superior Jiu Valley would also had the great advantage that was giving back to Hungarians the possesion of the carbonifer pool of Petrosani,so pretious for the neighbour state economy.

For the planned counteroffensive,has formed in Hateg region a group,constituted ,outside 144th Austro-Hungarian Brigade,by adding six battalions of Divisions 187th and three battalions of the Alpine Bavarian Corps,in total eighteen battalions.A powerful artillery,comprising of heavy cannons and mountain cannons ,as well as an airplane squadron ,for bombardment,which were appearing for the first time in our war-and armoured cars ,have been put at the disposal of the said group;the Command was of German General Sunkel,the Commander of the 187th DIvision.Added to the superiority of the weaponry,the German commander had also excelent troops of Alpine Bavarians,especially trained and utilated for mountain warfare.

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The Romanian dispozitive front had the missfortune that the troops of the 2nd DIvision,were stretched in a cordon of 14 Miles,between Fagetel Hill and Baloi Hill,having only two battalions in reserve;was thus a line easy to breakthrough.

Battle of Merisor has started on 14th of September by a violent bombardment of heavy artillery.The Romanian soldiers had imediately the intuition,that they find themselves in front of another enemy than the one they were fighting.The strong bombardment of the ROmanian positions kept till 4 in the afternoon,when infantry attacks have produced.They have been given in front over the principal positions of Bran Hill and Baloi Hill,whic domminates the defile.The enemy attack has been repulsed by 18th and 26th Regiments;especially on Bran Hill,the fights have been very violent and made heavy cassualties both sides.Romanians had managed not only to repulse the enemy ,but a counterattack made by the troops from the left wing ,had successfuly pushed the Germans beyond Baru Mare.

In the attacks given by the enemy the following day,had the same insuccess.Bran Hill,for which ferocious fights have been given,went from one hand to another,remaining in the end in Romanian ones.In the third day of the battle ,after a very violent bombardment,given with all the calibers of the enemy,getting in to the line of fight all his troops,has succeeded to break the ROmanian front South of the Pass,between Bran Hill and Angros Hill.Retreating of the troops in here ,attracts also the evacuation of the position in the right side,of Baloi Hill.Merisor Pass was in the hand of the enemy.To protect Petrosani and the enter in Jiu Valley,are occupied positions in the right side and over to the left side of the metal road,on Fata(Girl) Hill and at Cetatea Bolii.The ROmanian front executes in its retreat,a conversion to the right .At the beginning of the battle ,the front had a direction almost North-South,mounted on the driveway Pui-Crivadia-Merisor.The driveway making in Petrosani region a n almost right angle,the new front of Banita has almost the West-East direction,parallel with the old frontier,covering Petrosani;the front leans,left, on the height of Tulisa and Oboroca,in the Valley of Jiu Romanesc.

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Fight of Banita and the retreat on the old frontier

In the next few days,the enemy continues the ferocious fight for taking the second Romanian line ,which would give him Petrosani.The attacks have been given on six columns,in two directions:one of front,from Banita towards Petrosani,along the driveway and railway;the second one ,in the flank of principal Romanian position,with North -South direction,facing Lupeni and towards Jiu Romanesc line.The columns of the exercised alpiners have succeded to make a surrounding move of the Romanian flank,on Tusila Mountain.To avoid the surrounding which was threatening,the Romanian Commander have ordered of evacuating Petrosani and retreating on the right side,towards the old positions on the frontier.With all the enemy pressure ,with all the pursiut he was making with his armoured cars ,the retreat was made with a lot of patience and with small losses.At 20th of September the German troops entered Petrosani.

By a mistake interpretation of an order given by the Commander of the 11th Division,the retreat of the Romanian troops was made to far behind,towards Bumbesti,leaving the ridges of the frontier weakly occupied.The enemy takes advantage of this situation and takes the more important peaks,occupying them,as well as the mouth of Vulcan Pass(Buliga) and of Jiu(surduc) Defile,together with heights Straja and Obirsia Merisor.Given the importance of these positions ,the Romanian troops had to give very violent fights ,to reconquer them.Especially Obirsia Merisor Peak have been taken and lost three times on 22nd of September until,arround four in the afternoon,in the wakw of a last attack made with the last available battalion,the peak remained to Romanians.With the help of a detachment arrived by forced marching from Cerna through Baia de Arama ,the situation along the old frontier has been reestablished.

After nine days of continuous and bloody fights ,the battle of Merisor and Petrosani came to an end.One part of the enemy troops were recalled to be used somewhere else.In the same time ,the Commander of the I-st Romanian Army was organizing his troops to begin a counteroffensive which will soon ,put him back in the possesion of Petrosani Pool.

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The battles of Merisor and Banita,although they were lost by the Romanians,and has brought with it the loss of the terrain conquered,has not been altogether a shameful defeat.The surrounding Manoeuvre,tried by the enemy,did not succeed,and the retreat,executed in time and with clever ,made that the number of prisoners and the pray made by the enemy to be insignificant.For the first time the Romanians were facing ,on the Carpathian front,with the strongest of their adversaries,and this encounter,with all the inferiority of their military prepare,has not alltogether been compromising.The adversaries have the ocazion to notice and addmit with sincerity their qualities and missgivings."The Romanians have showed themselves curageous and heroic adversaries ,which know how the use the smallest advantage offered by the bad terrain and steep of the mountains",writes K.Rossner."Because the adverse infantry defended bravely almost in all the points,she has suffered great losses ,especially on Bran Hill,where resisted longer.The numerous lively attacks prove tthe ROmanian infantryman it is a brave one",writes Ad.Koester.And the enemy Commander,General Sunkel,tells to General Falkenhayn,which comes to take supreme command,his impressions:"The ROmanian soldier ,as an individual,does not put a bad fight.The Romanian troop,however is resisting hard to veiling trials of the flanks and back,or to the concentrated artillery fire,probably,face with the command insufficiency ,feels without defense in such situations".

In the wake of the defeat suffered by the 11th DIvision,General Muica,a distinguished technician Officer ,but without the qualities and experience of a front commander,has been replaced from Division Command by General Cocorascu.

...

[razu]

The Romanian counteroffensive.

Re-occupying of Petrosani.

The enemy did not joy to much by the result of his breakthrough.The German battalions ,which belonged to 187th Division,together with their commander,have been called in the neighbour sector,from Olt River,where the new generalisim needed all the available forces ,to give a decisive blow.At Jiu has remained the 144th Austro-Hungarian Brigade,strenghtened with two battalions of infantry and two German batteries,and with an Austro-Hungarian battalion,brought from Cerna;the troops were under the Command of Austrian Colonel Berger.

Mastering the defiles in Jiu region and Petrosani Pool,was indispensable to Romanians ,for the solidity of the left flank of the armyThe enemy,installed here,we were under constant threat of a runthrough toward South.That is why,General Culcer decided to give a counteroffensive,with bigger forces ,to regain the lost terrainOf the troops brought from Cerna,in forced marching,through Baia de Arama and Dobrita,is constituted at Birsesti,Scarlatescu Detachment,with the mission to operate a move in the flank of the enemy,while the troops of the 11th Division will attack frontal.The effectives of the group have been lifted to 18 battalions,of which took part in the actual fights 16 battalions,many of them with decreased effectives in the wake of battles at Bran and Obirsia-Merisor;the other have been kept in reserve or in the fixed points which had to be supervised.General Cilcer has personally conducted the operations of the group.At 25th of September have started the operations.Scarlatescu Detachment,crossing the mountain at Muncelu,over Scurtu Hill and Coarnele Zanoagei,rejects the Austro-Hungarian and falls ,mounted over Jiu Romanesc Valley,between Oborocea and Barbatenii de Sus(Upper Barbatenii),facing East.The German battalions which were occupying Jiu Defile,attacked in front by the troops of 11th Romanian Division,turned West through Jiu Romanesc Valley ,with the retreat line threatened,are forced to leave the positions and to retreat North of Petrosani.The ROmanian troops have reoccupied the old positions of Cetatea Bolii,and the enemy established on a line leaned over the heights of Tulisa-Oboroca.

The battle of Sibiu,which has started on 26th of September,reclaiming in that direction the atention of the German Commandment,Jiu action have been left on second plane.At the stubborn requests of reinforcements by the Command of the Austro-German troops of Jiu,Colonel Berger,Falkenhayn send him only one battalion of the troops from Cerna.Although the eventual advance of the Romanian troops was threatening the railway in Mures Valley,with all the great loss which represented for the Economy of the Hungarian State ,the loss of the mines of petrosani,the German Commander thought that no men should leave the principal operation of Sibiu,to be send in the secondary sector of Jiu.The decission was awaited from Sibiu;it could not be periled by passing and secondary as importance failures like the one in Jiu.Same considerations have determined the Romanian Commander to not follow the obtained success and,thankful with reoccupying Petrosani,to stop the fight in the day of 27th of September,remaining on the conquered positions.

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The enemy re-occupies Petrosani

Nor the Romanians have joyed for a long time by the victory;the raport of forces had to change again in the favour of the enemy.The 2nd Alpine Brigade ,Austro-Hungarian,brought from the Isonzo front[6],disembarked behind the front and has been imediately brought in Jiu sector.The enemy forces ,increased in this way felt,with special troops ,were put under the command of German General von Bussche,the Commander of Hedquarter of the 301st Division.

The fights restarted at 30th of September.The Austro-Hungarian Alpiners ,seated at the right wing of the enemy dispozitive,attacked left Romanian from the heights Fagetel-Oboroca,pressuring in the Romanian flank the same veiling movement,executed by ROmanians few days before,in inverse direction.Ferocious fights are given at this wing.The soldiers of the 1st Hunters Regiment succeed to reject ,by evening of 30th of Sptember,an enemy attack and take 80 prisoners.But at 1st of October the enemy attacks become violent;they are helped by a strong heavy artillery-which takes out of service our small guns-and axfixiant gas.The superiority of the enemy artillery is crushing;she makes behind our lines barrier ,thus making impossible the arrive of the reinforcements.A ferocious fight took place in the night of 1st-2nd of october ,on Oboroca Hill,between Austro-Hungarian Alpiners and the Soldiers of 18th Gorj Regiment.All night, dark as molasses and with thick myst,they were bloody fighting at bayonet.At 2nd of october ,face with the enemy superiority,left Romanian retreated ,in order,on the ridges of the frontier,after both adversaries have suffered heavy losses.For a week,day and night were given unstoppable fights for mastering of every hill and every height and every valley,till the ROmanians established along the whole front,on the ridges of heights on the frontier.Especially in the fights for Siglau Mountain and neighbour heights,Cornu Zanoagei and Muntele Negru(Black Mountain),1st Regiment of Hunters had bravely fought and suffered heavy casualties .Petrosani have been,for the second time abandoned in the hands of the enemy,after damages have been made at the installation of the coal mines,as to not be of any use for a while.

For almost a month ,Jiu sector has remained quiet.Violent clushes were permanently taking place for occupying or re-occupying of one or another domminat height;many bloody losses have suffered both adversaries on the heights beaten by winds and blown by snowstorms.Actions in great style have not taken place in this time;all the attention of the fighters was concentrated on the other sectors of the fighting front.

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[razu]

Olt Sector

The strongest group of the I-st Army was the one occupying Olt Valley.It was formed,during the mobilization as:"The Group of cover Olt-Lotru"(Both river names),under the Command of General Manolescu;latter it has transformed by adding of a new unit,in "Olt Corps",constituted of 23rd and 13th infantry Divisions and one brigade of Calarasi(horsemen).The mission of this group was to put mastering on Olt River Defile and on the Sibiu Field(Cimpia Sibiului),in which opens up this Defile,and to solidly strenghten the occupied positions,acomplishing ,together with the 11th DIvision the role of pivot of the movements in Ardeal(Transilvania)

From the old frontier,at the fall of Vad River into Olt River,Olt Defile sneaks,like a long corridor of about 6.25 Miles ,narrowed between Cibinului Mountains and Fagaras Mountains(tallest in Romania over 2000meters),until it opens at Boita,in Sibiu Field.A massive tower ,painted in red-with the blood of the turks,killed in one of their incursions in Ardeal,says the legend-was staying as guard at the Defile enterance,which takes the name from it.Along the defile ,on the dusk(west) shore of Olt River,it is the driveway build on the old Roman road;on the dawn (East) shore ,is the railway.The Defile is easy to put a cap on it and to defend agains a frontal attack comming from the South.

The enemy had in this region the 143th Brigade(Commander COlonel Barwik),made out of eight battalions ,with few cavalry and artillery.In reserve ,was gathering ,North of Sibiu,the 51st Hanovezi Division(General Tanarky).

The Romanians have attacked Olt Defile by siurrounding moves .In the night of 27th-28th of August a Detachment of the 1st Regiment of Graniceri(borderarmy),under the command of the heartly Lieut-Colonel Cantacuzino,which occupied the ridge of the Coti Mountain,on the frontier,East of the Defile,descended the North inclines of the mountain,attacked a Battalion of Hungarian Hanovezi,between Sebes and Porcesti and occupied both localities.An armoured enemy train,which was entering Porcesti train station,was hit and lighted up from the first blow ,by our artillery.The Hungarian Battalion have left almost 100 dead and 100 prisoners in the hands of the Romanians;the rest is twrown beyond Olt River.In the same time ,the troops of Olt Group(Regiments 42nd and 44th),starting from Titesti,were crossing the frontier West of Olt River,to turn the positions at Turnu Rosu(Red Tower) and Boita through Valleys of Lotrioarei and Sadului,and towards the West,Lotru Detachment(Regiments 2nd Vilcea and 5th Hunters)were passing at Voineasa,on the superior course of Lotru River.

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At 29th of August the troops of Olt Group have taken after lively fight ,Boita,at the Northern mouth of the Defile.The enemy had strongly strengheten North of Boita,with three battalions and with a strong artillery,having well repered the space between the tower and Olt River,with the driveway,through which the attack troops could pass.By evening,though,the Romanian troops ,fighting without cannons and machineguns,have turned the right wing of the enemy and forced him to leave over the night Boita,with great cassualties.Boita in the hands of Romanians ,meant the pass opened .On the way,now open,passes now the thick of the troops and the long colums of artillery,the mountains,provisions,luggage,flowing in Sibiu Ield .The Red Tower Pass has been forced.

The pursiut continues also in the day of 30th of August for occupying the region Talmaciu-Vestem.Cantacuzino Detachment occupies ,at East of Olt,Racovita and Brad.Olt Detachment attacks the enemy at Talmes.To obstacle the advance of the Romanians,Arz send in to the fight few battalions of the 5th Division,to strenghten the troops of Barwik.Faced with these forces the troops of Olt Group could not advance anymore.

In Cisnadie Field the enemy troops have occupied a line Cisnadie -Vestem,leaned at the East wing on Cibin River.The enemy line have been defeated by the action of Lotru Group.At the left side of the Romanian dispozitive the troops of Lotru Group,operating in the mountain region and forested ,vere accidented(bad terrain),West of Olt River ,climbing ridges and descending valleys ,were advancing along Sadului Valley and occupied Sadu.At 30th of August,Colonel Mosoiu,Commander of Lotru Group,leaving from Sadu with the reserve of the group-three infantry battalions and two batteries for mountain-advanced along road Sadu-Cisnadie and attacked the enemy strenghtened South of this locality.After a short fight,but violent ,the small city,an industrial sasesc center ,but fluorishing ,was occupied by Romanians.Has fallen during the fight ,COlonel V. Popescu,the COmmander of 2nd Vilcea Regiment,as he was in the first line of shooters ,with the gun in his hands,as well as 60 dead and wounded.The enemy had big cassualties ;he has left in our hands one Captain and 104 soldiers,prisoners.The entire enemy dispozitiv,stretched between Cisnadie and Vestem,being now turned by the right wing,had to leave the fighting line and retreat to Sibiu.

The mission of Group Olt-Lotru,beeing considered as finished,the Romanian troops have received in the night of 30th of August the order to remain on positions,strenghtening thus ,as to form a bridge head,leaned at the left on the heights of Magura near Sadu,in the right on the heights of Brad-Roscovita,and in the center ,passing North of Vestern,in Olt Valle.This strenghtened line,permmitted the gathering,behind ,of the troops of 13th Division.

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The fights arround Sibiu

In the day of 31st of August presents ahead of Lotru Group a dellegation of Sasesc(German population in Transilvania) Magistrat from Sibiu,made out of a Sas ,the great comerciant Borger,the most hevy contribuabil of the city and a Romanian ,lawywer Preda.The dellegation knowledge the ROmanians that in the city was no enemy troop,and to avoid the bombardment of the city,have come,in the name of the population,to surrender it to the ROmanian Commandment.They declare that they guarantee with their lives that the ROmanian troops will not be exposed to any agression from the part of the enemy.The dellegation was presented in front of General Castris,the Commander of the 23rd Division,which took dispositions for occupying the city,intervening at the Great Hedquarter ,to obtain the approval of this action,which was not written in the operative orders of Olt Corps.The operation was mant to be made with troops from Lotru Group which,advancing to the West wing ,had to surround the city and to occupy the heights of Sura Mare ,north of Sibiu,and with a Detachment of Graniceri(frontierarmy) which,advancing from South,had to enter Sibiu at 2nd of September.

In the day of 1st of September the Graniceri patrols,closing in to Sibiu,have been greeted with cannon shots by the Austro-Hungarian artillery,installed on Gusteritei Hill,by gun shots and machinegun,fired from the Southern edge of the city and by an armoured train.The Romanian Detachment,made out of two battalions of Graniceri,with a little artillery and cavalry,have not advanced to SIbiu,but remained in Selimbar Village,from where an order of the Commander of Olt Group,have called it back,on the line Vestem,"the role of Olt Corps not being offensive,but deffensive".Selimbar is the old historical locality where,317 year before[7],the briliant victory of Mihai the Brave over Andrei Bathory decided,for the first time,the faith of Ardeal(Transilvania).Over the night ,the Romanian soldiers have been attacked by the Sasi(German minority population of Transilvania) inhabitants of the locality wit revolver shots,shooted over the windows of the houses.The attacke repeated in the next morning,as the troops left the village.It was noticed ,that in the village have nested enemy patrols and a number of armed villagers.The detachment suffering whatever losses,the Romanian Commander,leaving the village have applied a severe repression.

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With all the defensive role which was imposed,the Romanian troops have executed operations meant to better the positions they occupied,especially that the enemy,encouraged by the Romanians inertia and thus interpreting it on a wrong manner ,was indeed very active ,bombarding the Romanian positions and making dear incurssions of patrols.At 4th of September ,Colonel Mosoiu has attacked the troops which were concentrating at the left Romanian wing and occupied Rasinarii,the big Romanian village,poplaca and Gura Riului,throwing the enemy to Orlat and Cristian.At 9th of September ,Olt Corps has enterprised a general movement on the whole front,to push the line of the avanposts further to Sibiu.It was ,necessary to occupy the villages ,which remained between the Romanian line and the enemy one and which have become nests,were numerous attacks were always prepared and started .The Romanian troops have occupied villages Selimbar,Bungard,casolt,Rosia,Nucet,Cornatel widening the occupation zone arround Sibiu,fixing on the heights between Olt Valley and Hirtibaciului Valley,East of Sibiu,along the driveway and narrow railway Sibiu-Sighisoara.The enemy retreated alltogether on the lines of heights North of Sibiu.The Romanian Cavalry occupies Avrig and Sacadate on Olt.In interval,Olt Corps have become the 23rd Division,under the Command of General Castris;in the back begun to gather the units of the 13th Division,destined to form the East wing of the Corps,of which Command was of General Manolescu.

The enemy activity has manifested continuosly by surprise attacks.At 13th of September ,he attacked with numerous artillery the left Romanian wing at Orlat,trying a turning of front at Gura Riului.In the ferocious fight given here,the violent counterattack of 5th Hunters Regiment has produced heavy cassualties to the enemy,taking also 130 prisoners of the 305th Infantry Regiment,Austro-Hungarian.A Battalion of 2nd Vilcea Regiment,and a Cavalry Escadron have intervened into the fight and throwed definitely ,back th aggressor.The Hunters occupied Orlat.The Cavalry Escadron has made an incurssion until close to Saliste.From the pretor of the region,Romanian by origin,the commander of the Detachment found out that at Miercurea(=wednesday),near Sebes ,disembark and gather German troops .There were prepared serious events.the Commander of the Olt Corps,feeling the need to strenghten its right,withdraw the 5th Hunters Regiment from Lotru Group,which makes Orlat to be reoccupied by the enemy.

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During the night of 15th-16th of Septemner,the enemy has executed an attack by surprise from Gusterita -Cornatel direction over Casolt Village,occupied by troops of the 42nd Regiment.The Romanian positions have been bombarded very violently by artillery with the help of reflectors.The enemy soldiers closed in the Romanian trenches ,cheating the guards with shouts"Don't shoot brothers we are Romanians of the Kingdoom!".Once near the position,begins the game of rockets ,machineguns and grenades.Taking advantage,then,of the panic,by the darkness and of the rain whichwas falling,the enemy sneaked through the Romanian lines and rejected them off Bucatei Hill,which domminates Casoltu.Towards morning ,aquainted with the situation,the Romanians have passed to counterattack,aided also by the troops of neighbour units.The fights,very ferocious,body to body,were given against the enemy,which was away-ed from the positions he has occupied and pursued up to Daia Saseasca.This fight has cost serious losses ;42nd Regiment had two Officers and 72 Soldiers dead,three Officers and 164 soldiers wounded.But the enemy had even bigger losses;only on the terrain he left 5 Officers and 150 dead Soldiers.

Now the circle of fire and metal of Romanians surrounds from dusk(West) from midday and dawn(East) Sibiu.The Romanian front is leaning at left on the heights South of Orlat,in Cibinului Valley,goes parallel with the valley and with the line of the metal road Sibiu-Saliste-Mures,passes South of Sibiu,through the cemetery of the city and the exercises field,surrounding by North, Mihai Viteazu Colina ,then makes an elbow toward Nort-East near Gusterita Hill,solidly occupied by enemy artillery,crosses La Fintina Rece(At the Cold Fountain) Forest,heading then by a large curve in South-East direction,near Daia,Cornatel,Glimboaca and the two Porumbace,to lean with the right flank over Fagaras Mountains.At this wing,the Romanain front was weaker occupied.

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