Romanian Campaign 1916 ,Over Carpathian Mountains

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On the sky the clouds gather more and more ,the rain becomese denser ,the night falls quickly.The fight stops;Romanians dose not pursue anymore.

Falkenhayn and Morgen admit,one and the other,that the situation of the group is critical:"If the Romanians would continue the pressure further,the group could not maintain on positions,and would have to retreat in the mountaineous region,very difficult and without roads,between Hirtibaciu and Tirnava Mare".It would be a desaster:this would mean the ruining of the offensive plan of Falkenhayn.Fortunately,for the enemy in the evening,at 6 o'clock,the Romanian Army have received the order to break up the fight and to begin the retreat towards Olt River.The breaking off from the enemy,could not be done without loss.The wounded spread all over the field could not all be collected;the patrols and flank detachments could not be found in the dark and told about,or could not find in time their units.That is why,the enemy could find them on the battlefield and make a number of prisoners of the 3rd Romanian Division.In this way,a sad fatality made us at Barcut ,as at Prumbacu,to not be able to make use of our victories."the Romanian never pursue his victories until the decissive"-writes a German historian.The German Commanders breath esily now;they have the sincerity to admit that not their reinforcements,but the retreat of Romanian Army have saved their situation,almost desperate in which the Romanian victory threw them.

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[Neil Mackenzie]

Razu.

Many thnaks for posting all this information on something I knew absolutely nothing about.

Best wishes.

Neil

[razu]

Razu.

Many thnaks for posting all this information on something I knew absolutely nothing about.

Best wishes.

Neil

Neil,

Thank you.

Andrei

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The fourth offensive of the Northern Romanian Army

Battle of Praid-Sovata

In the same time with the II-nd Romanian Army begins the offensive movement of the Northern Army,with West direction with the same mission;thereatening to fall in the back of the IX-th German Army,to ease the situation of Olt Romanian Corps,caught in Sibiu battle.For the Northern Army,this offensive had other importance as well.In the wake of the last three victorious offensives,General Prezan(Romanian),masterd the row of heights -Gurghiului Mountains and Harghita Mountains -which separate the superior valleys of Olt and Mures(rivers),by the flat of Tirnavelor and middle Mures River.One more forcing and the last one of natural obstacles ,which favoured the enemy,being in this way aside,the army could unfold the plenty of her forces in a battle,given in a flat field.

The Northern Army had to start the move in the day of 27th of September,on her entire front,of Tirnavei Mari Valley until Mures Valley.At the left wing,the 2nd Romanian Division of Cavalry will make the connection with the II-nd Army,advancing towards Sighisoara;at the right wing ,the 14th Division will form the pivot of the manoeuvre ,keeping solid occupied the Mures River Valley in Rastolita Region.The principal action will be given at the center,by the 7th Romanian Division,between Tirnava Mare and stream Corund and by the 8th Romanian DIvision,between Corund Stream and Gurghiului Valley.

The Commandment of the enemy army realises as well as our Hedquarter, the importance of the game which was starting now.Falkenhayn had to be free in his movements;by no means he had to be troubeled by the action of the two Romanian armies.Arz received the order to resist by any means to any trials of the Northern Romanian Army.He has met here ,under the Command of Feldmarshal von Fabini,brought from the Italian front ,all the forces he could summon ,up to now:Divisions 61st,39th,72nd ,a Brigade of 37th Infantry and 1st Brigade of Husars de Lundstrum,to oppose them to the Northern Romanian Army,as the new group,made out of thr 89th German Division and 71st Austro-hungarian,under the Command of General von Moyen,has been moved towards right in Sighisoara region,between armies Ist and Ix-th ,to oppose to an eventual advance of the II-nd Romanian Army.

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The battle between the Northern Romanian Army ,under the Command of General Prezan and the group of Austro-Hungarian Divisions,Commanded by Feldmarshal Fabini,will be ,thus,given between 27th of September -4th of October;she carries the name Battle of Praid-Sovata,after the name of the small town with the old salt mines and beautiful localities for baths,on the Tirnavei Mici(Small Tirnava),in the center of the fighting front.The troops of the 7th Romanian Division begin the offensive advance of Odorheu towards Cristur,on two columns ,along Tirnava Mare(Big Tirnava).After hevy fights,in which most of the times,the last word is of the bayonet ,the northern column occupies ,at 28th of September ,Villages Forteni,tarcesti,heights Bisericani and Mihaileni,strongholded,with heavy losses ,but taking numerous prisoners.Criseni locality has been taken ,after a hard fight,by the combined action of the two Romanian columns ;the enemy troops of Szabo 's brigade had very heavy casualties.

The Southern column operates in tight connection with the 2nd Cavalry Division which,advancing to left,veils from the South the enemy positions of Ulies,which troops of the 7th Romanian Division attacks them by the front .The Village of Dirjiu is attacked in the day of 29th of September by a column of the 27th Regiment with machineguns and artillery,coming from North,from Nicolesti,and by a cavalry brigade with a mounted (of cavalry) battery and a Cyclists Company,coming from the East,from Daia.The fight goes on till evening;the enemy ,defeated,rretreats ,pursued by Romanians ,which occupy at 30th of September the heights which dominates Villages Alunis and Lutita.

In the wake of these successes,the last heights between Odorhei and Cristuru Secuiesc and the whole defile Tirnava Mare are in Romanian hands,in front of which is closing now the flat field of Transilvania.The 2nd Cavalry Division is attached now to the II-nd Romanian Army,to begin the operations against Morgen.

Szabo's troops ,dug out of their strenghtened positions,are throwed towards Cristur.In their pursiut, begin the Romanians the marching of advance in the 1st of October.In the afternoon of 1st of october though,the 7th Romanian Division receives the order to stop;the right side of the II-nd Army has been attacked and was in a difficult situation.

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At the right side of the 7th Division the troops of the 8th Division hit hard the enemy,along Valleys of Tirnava Mici and Gurghiului.The 8th Romanian Division is a strong unit:six infantry regiments,two of hunters,three of artillery and one calarasi(horsemen) brigade.The fight is given at the right flank by 37th Brigade and at the left one,by 16th Brigade;the 15th Brigade is kept like a general reserve of the Northern Army.

At the right wing of the division,the Romanian troops attacks Hettinger Group in the defile of Gurghiu River,which flows from East towards West and falls into Mures River at Reghin.The enemy troops resist strong,in positions strenghtened solidly with nets of barb wire fence defended by numerous artillery.The impetous attacks of Romanians manage to take them out of their positions;at 30th of September the troops of 77th Regiment have taken with assault the Nicolii Hill,the key to the enemy positions.Vilages Ibanesti,Hodac,Casava,train station Orsova are conquered one by one.In the next few days the fights continue ,with ferocity,supported both sides by artillery.A cold and dense rain makes the operations difficult.The Romanian troops counquer at bayonet the strong fortified hills and repulse towards West the enemy.Units of 72nd Division and 37th Division are added day by day to the enemy,defeated and his resistance is afirmed more and more stuborn.The Romanian troops have to seize trench by trench,to cut the nets of wires one by one,fighting with bayonet under the rain of machinegun bursts and grenades.A Battalion of the 69th Regiment(Dorohoi) has heavy casualties ,but makes numerous prisoners ;another one advances West of Gurghiu and cuts over the rail way.Romanians are 6 miles of Reghin.

At the left wing of the Division fights the 16th Brigade ,in the region of streams of Tirnava Mica,against Csecsi Group,strenghtened with the 39th Austro-Hungarian Division.At 29th of September ,the 8th Hunters Regiment takes in vigorous assaults with bayonet,Villages Corund and Atid,defended by a strong artillery,which has everywhere observers and telephone lines.The next day,the fight carries on with vigor,the 29th Regiment seizes Atid,and the 8th Hunters Regiment occupies in heavy fight Siclod.At 1st and 2nd of October ,ferocious fights are given for occupying the formidable position of heights Bichesu-height 1079m-by the 37th Infantry Regimentand 8th Hunters Regiment.At 3rd of October is brought to in to the fighting line,also,the 4th Hunters Regiment.The enemy positions were dominant,with concrete strongholds and with 5-6 rows of barb wire fence.Under the rain of projectiles of artillery and bomb throwers,by machinegun fires and weapons ,the Hunters have given violent attacks ;the enemy trenches go from one hand to another.At 3rd of October,in the evening,Romanians are masters on one part of positions on Bichesu.

In full fight with an enemy which becomes stronger ,more and more,incapable,though,to resist to the 8th Division 's soldiers attacks,the Romanian troops receive at 4th of october the order to cease fight.The 8th Division has to close the count on the battle of Praid-Sovata with the loss of 10 officers and 320 soldiers,dead,33 officers and 1300 soldiers wounded.But the seven officers and 1205 enemy soldiers,prisoners and forcing the barrier of Gurghiului Mountains ,is the undoubtful confess of victory.An important strategic result have,thus ,been obtained by the victorious action of the Northern Army.She has crossed,finally,the last barrier of the mountaineous region in which she operates and descended in to the Transilvanian Field.Liberated from the narrow and isolated mountain passes,the brave army of General Prezan seemed now to be obstacled by nothing to focus and proceed to decissive manoeuvres.In 35 days of continuous heavy fights,against an enemy which was strenghtening all the time and on a terrain which was becoming more difficult ,the front of this army had advanced on a depth of 50-63 Miles in to the heart of Ardeal(Transilvania).She has reached at 20th of September on the line (aproximativ) Ibanesti-Magherus-Cristur,at 6-12 Miles of Reghin and Sighisoara.

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The retreat of the Romanian armies

The offensive of the II-nd Army and Northern Army ,Romanians,have pushed the Romanian occupation on the most advanced line they touched in Ardeal(Transilvania).This line ,the cord of Carpathian Mountains arch,drew an easy curved line ,leaning with the left on Carpathians,in the region between Fagaras and Sibiu,with the right on Calimani Mountains ,closing in ,few Miles to Sighisoara,Cristur and Reghin .The occupied territory by the Romanian armies represented one third of the total surface of Ardeal.But this line of maximum advance was only for a brief moment;the moevment of reflux of the Romanian wave it has produced faster than the one of flux(tide).

The II-nd Army has started in the night of 2nd-3rd of October the retreat on this side of Olt.This move had to determine ,automatically,an analogue move of the Northern Army.Because the war has its inexorable laws.It ties the faith of the armies not only by their successes or failures,but also of those of the neighbour armies with which colaborates.

Surprised in the midst of its successes by missfortuned events,which took place on the other fronts,just in the moment when,with the price of great efforts and of some beautiful victories ,has managed to acomplish a great deal of its mission,the Northern Army has been forced to bow her head in front of the unforgiving faith and to martyr herself on the war felloship altar.At 4th of October,in full victory,she has to suspend her advance and begin retreat.Confused by this retreat,which followed after a campaign in which they reputed victory after victory,with the hearts overwhelmed by sadness,silenced and grimaced,have started the soldiers of the Northern Army to walk again,this time in opposite direction,the mountains and valleys which witnessed of their bravery.Praid,Barcut,Porumbacu,brilliand victories but without effect....So much heroism unfolded,how many efforts wasted without use,so much spilled blood with plenty!To defeat the formidable enemy,and instead of seting the flowers of victory on your forehead and step forward with pride and trust,instead ,turn back humiliated on the undeserved way of defeat,this is the greatest hit which can endure the spirit of an army.The soldiers of the II-nd Army and Northern Army,Romanians,victorious with the arm,were broken inthe spirit.Turtucaia and Sibiu were giving their crops.

The retreat was made in painful circumstances.Through the Romanian villages ,which saluted with enthusiasm the advance of the liberating army the population,afraid of the perspective of the Hungarians might come back,greeted with distrust the retreating army.The priests,teachers and the elites take the road of exile,leaving their houses and own.With vengeance for the brotherly behaviour of the locals towards the Romanian Army the Hungarians,when reoccupying the Romanian villages ,set fires to the Romanian houses ,hang on spot ,without trial, those guilty of brotherly behaviour towards Romanians.

Along the columns of the Romanian Army in retreat,is aligning the sad column of the refugees.Pain and silence can be read on the faces of the refugees ,shame on the soldier's faces,which feel responsible-without their will-by the missfortune they brought upon the heads of their brothers.

The retreat of the two Romanian armies is going in two divergent directions .The link,between them,which was made in the region of Odorheiu Secuiesc,must break.Between the two Romanian armies and behind ,the 2nd Cvalry Division makes the connection and covers the retreat.As Prezan's Army is going over Harghita Mountains and Gurghiu Mountains towards Moldavian Carphatians,General Crainiceanu starts the regrouping of the troops of the II-nd Army on the heights which guard Brasov geographical pool.

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8.The Offensive Marching of the Germans from Sibiu to Brasov

Falkenhayn organizes the offensive against the II-nd Romanian Army

Falkenhayn was a Commander with to much military experience as to not try to profit to maxim of the victory at Sibiu.Exploiting the situation created by this battle ,he sets to apply to Romanians a decissive blow,which was supposed to take them out of Ardeal(Transilvania).The situation of the enemy was now,as advantageous as possible.The Romanian Olt Corps was taken out of the fight,now,and throwed over the mountains.Its remains did not concern now the German Commander ;he leaves the Alpine Corps in the mountains ,arround the mountain pass Turnu Rosu(Red Tower),with the mission to defend the conquered positions ,meintaining for the time being ,into defensive.Later on,when it will receive the reinforcements,which were on their way,will begin here as well, the offensive.To safe his back ,from an attack which could surprise him from Jiu Valley,he proceeds,with the help of the troops ,freshly arrived of the 2nd Alpine Brigade,Austro-Hungarian,to offensive move which ends at 2nd of October,with the rejection of Romanians on to the mountaineous ridge.

The principal attention of the German Generalisim ,aims towards the II-nd Romanian Army,in his face.In the following days after the Battle of Sibiu,Falkenhayn had two goals:on one hand to barrier as muchas possible the blows of the armies of General Prezan and General Crainiceanu,which were threatening his left and back.This was the mission given to General Arz and General Morgen.In the same time,in Sibiu region,behind the cavalry curtain of General Schmettow,the German Commander proceeds at the regrouping of the thick of the IX-th Army.The three divisions which were forming Staabs Group were concentrating,exchanging front with the face to the East,to make up the army which will take the offensive against the II-nd Romanian Army,in Fagaras -Brasov direction.

In Falkenhayn conception this action,threatening the Southern flank of the Romanian Army,will determine the retreat of the advanced elements of this army from Sighisoara direction and with this face will ease the situation of Morgen Group and of the Austro-Hungarian Army of Arz,which were forced to retreat all the time under the pressure of the two Romanian armies.The advance of the IX-th German Army,on Olt River line and threatening of the communication line of Predeal,will intimidate the Romanian Commandment "which did not had the nerves ironed enaugh of war".Threatened with lossing his principal line of communication-because the second communication line ,Ghimesul,because of the damages made by Hungarians,had not the value of the first one-the Romanian Commandment will be forced to retreat both armies from Ardeal(Transilvania).The German Commander had now assured also the numerical superiority.Against the II-nd Romanian Army,made up of three divisions of infantry and one cavalry brigade ,Falkenhayn sends the three divisions of Stabbs,the two divisions of Morgen and also two cavalry divisions of Schmettow.

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Sinca Battle

At 2nd of October,Staabs Group,finishing his regrouping ,facing East,starts to move.It is made out of the three divisions which have given the frontal attack in the Sibiu Battle.At the right is the 76th German Division,between Olt River and Fagaras Mountains;at the center is 51st Austro-Hungarian Division,and at the left the 187th German Division.The two cavalry divisions of General Schmettow begin the marching behind Morgen Group,to go between this one and the army of Arz.The Group is advancing fast,with West -East direction,along Olt Valley,towards Fagaras and Brasov,on the tracks of Romanians,which are retreating now.All the roads are full by the crowds of troops and convoys of the enemy.It is an imposant military force;armies trialed in big battles on all the fronts of European War,veterans of Somme and from Ancre[21],from Flandra and Verdun,from Narew[22] and Isonzo,and they were lead by expeienced generals ,big specialists in the art of war.Behind the army are coming huge convoys of formidable weaponry.A numerous artillery ,from easy cannons for mountain,carried on mules back,to the heavy cannons of 210 mm,unpieced in four pieces each,dragged by huge Pomeranian horses,trucks ,automobiles heavy loaded with munitions ,provisions,ambulances ,aviation parks.The rains have ended,now and the beautiful autumn days favorized the advance of the formidable phallanx.At 4th of october ,Fagaras,evacuated by the Romanian troops in the eve,has been occupied by the enemy.At 5th of october Staabs was in front of positions from Sinca-Persani,occupied by Romanians.

Even from the time of our advance in Ardeal ,has been taken the decission to strenghten some positions,to be able in case of need ,to be used as defensive lines.Such a line was the one at Persani-Sinca,on the Western versant(side) of Persani Mountains.It is a mountain massiff with peaks over 1000 meters (Magura Codlei 1300 meters),very forested ,stretched in a direction almost North-South,separating Fagaras Country of Birsei Country.

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Two main roads ramble the mountain masiff as two defiles:one,followed by the driveway,leaves from Persani,going in large serpentines through the huge forest,for then to ,through Vladeni and Tintaru ,open up,at Codlea ,in Birsei Country.The other one,a bit to the South,starts from Sinca Veche and climbs up the defile Sinca towards the high region of Bran and in the Southern part of Birsei Country,through Poiana Marului(Apple Clearing) and Zarnesti.The two roads are dominated completely by Persani-Sinca position,this being in this way an excelent strategic line.The defend works could not yet be completed ;they were in course of execution.Still ,General Crainiceanu took the necessary dispozitions for defending the line which,worse case scenario,permited him to cover,behind it ,the flow of the thick of the troops and occupying the mountain passes.

The Romanian positions of Persani-Sinca are occupied by the troops of the 4th Romanian Division,in retreat from Porumbacu.They are attacked by the whole army of Staabs.The German Commander distributes his troops in the following manner:the 76th Division ,sustained by a powerful heavy artillery,to which he ads also the heavy artillery of the 187th Division,attacks the Romanian left wing,towards Sinca Veche,with the aim to make his way up to Sinca Valley,to go inside Bran region.The aim of this division is forcing Bran Pass.The Romanian position,South of Sercaita to Plesului Hill,is defended by 2nd Hunters Regiment with two artillery batteries.The 51st Austro-Hungarian Division attacks the center ,which comprises the positions on Plesului Hill(height 550m) and Ulmilor,defended by 6th Infantry Regiment with two batteries.The 187th Division is send north,to go round the right wing of the Romanian dispozitive ;the position on Bataturii Hill(height 563m) is defended by 21st Infantry Regiment and a battalion of 6th Hunters Regiment with one battery.The 2nd Brigade of the 6th Division was retreating on Persani-Vladeni driveway;units of infantry and artillery of this brigade took part in the battle.The Battle of Sinca-Persani is given with great fury by one side and the other.The heavy German artillery,installed at Vad,aims with precission.The line of hills on which Romanian positions find,constitute a perfect target.The projectiles are making considerable ravages.In the crystal clear atmosphere of this beautiful autumn day the rays of sun,which fall directly from West,reliefs out ,all the ridges and terrain crests.The Romanian positions are seen like ina panorama.The works of redoubt,undone,are easily destroyed.The superiority of enemy artillery is overwhelming as number of mouths of fire,calibers,richness of munitions and lenght of firing range.The enemy grenades and shrapnels beat from great distances,falling also behind the Romanian front,producing panic ,killing horses and servants of Romanian cannons,disorganizing the services.It is an unequal fight,in which the powerful mens of destruction of the Germans crush from distance the weak means of defence .The field of battle has the aspect of a section of dug out terrain by artillery,of the fight theatre of the Western Front.

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The enemy infantry occupies the Romanian trenches ,which are pulverized and filled with cavalry,but the Romanian counterattacks manage to away the attacker.Violent fights are given,especially for mastering Plesului Hill,the key of the region,which dominates both roads.The hill has been occupied by the enemy.Violent counterattacks given by Feldioara Regiment(Romanian) through the South and by troops of Regiments 24th and 6th Hunters through the East,are destroyed in the concentrated fire of the heavy artillery.*One of the attack waves have reached 50 meters from enemy line.Romanians manage to seize and keep only Poiana Tilharilor(Robbers Clearing),behind Plesului.The bravery with which ROmanians fight attracts the atention of the enemy:"the Romanian proves yet again in this fight that he is not a weaker man",confesses a german correspondent,witness to the battle.

But all of a sudden begins to thunder the cannon at the right.The troops of the 187th german Division have managed to acomplish their go arround move,from Parau,through Grid.They have turned from the north the Romanian front and attack facing South,in the flank and the back of our right wing.A panic is produced within the Romanian troops at this wing.Excited by the fires of the heavy artillery,to which they are not able to respond,the soldiers leave Bataturii Hill.The 16th Artillery Regiment(Commandr Colonel Gorgos) leaves his cannons on position,and runs with the horses .The panic propagates from the right to the left and back,behind,at the trains and civilian population,were the projectiles of enemy artillery begin to fall.

The resistance is defeated .The Romanians have to begin a hard retreat through Defile Persani-Vladeni with the group of Division 4th and with the Brigade of the 6th Division,as the left-fractions of the 4th Division-retreats through Sinca Defile,towards Poiana Marului.A great number of dead remains on the terrain ,searched by the German shells,witness of Romanian martyr,in fight with the crushing power of mechanical means of the adversary.We lost a big number of cannons ,too.Only a couple of hundreds of prisoners remained in the hands of the enemy.The Gerrmans,infuriated by the stuborn resistance of Romanians,and deceptioned by the small number of prisoners they could make,retaliate,slaughtering the prisoners,defenceless.Falkenhayn himsel confess with cinism:"Our soldiers don't like much to take many prisoners"

Chevaliery of civilised people,with glorious warior traditions!

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*The attack is described by one of the officers of the Quarter of 76th German Division:"This last one attack is also the biggest.With a surprising elan,without counting the losses ,attack the Romanians,not in rare lines of shooters,but in crowds are descending the slopes of the hill 620.But,as at the other two attacks,is this one as well rejected in the fires of heavy and light artillery;especially the projectiles of big mortiers make frightening ravages in the compact masses of the attackers"

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The fight of Tintaru

The pursiut of the Romanian troops,by the enemy, in retreat-towards Brasov-is made in the day of 6th of October,through Codlei Forest,which is rove through from West to East ,in large serpentines,by the driveway Persani-Vladeni-Tintaru,along Homorod Defile.Near the exit of the defile,towards East,in Brasov Field,the Romanian troops have stopped ,to delay the enemy,giving in this way time to the bulk of the II-nd Romanian Army to concentrate in Birsei Country.There are remains of Feldioara Regiments,26th,4th and 21st Infantry,2nd and 6th Hunters;alltogether 4000 men,very tired ,having also four artillery batteries.Around 4,the enemy attacks the troops of arierguard at Vladeni with the mass of the 51st Austro-Hungarian Division ,forcing them to retreat in disband to Tantaru(Mosquito).It is asked for the intervention of the 3rd Division,which is in Birsei Country,but the division is to far away and the only Regiment,30th which is close by,is to tired by marchings and fightings,to be of any use.After rejecting the arierguard at Vladeni,the enemy attacks the principal position ,between Vladeni and Tintaru,by a bombardment ,which holds from 5 to 7 in the evening;Vladeni village is in flames .At 7 begins the attack of the infantry,on whole front ,especially at the left wing of the position,wanting to turn this one.A strong Romanian counterattack ,given over the right of the enemy ,with troops of the 6th Hunters and 24th Infantry Regiments,has throwed this one in disorder into the interior of the defile.

The Germans get ,then, to the usual tactic of surrounding move:the left wing of the 187th Division stretches to the North;it occupyes Crizbav,North of Tintaru.The Romanian troops of Tintaru has to be retreated.At 9 in the evening the Romanians begin the retreat in order.By night fall,a Hungarian cavalry column ,thinking that the Romanians have completely evacuated the position ,advance with ambition and enter the village,to open up the road towards Codlea and Brasov.They are surprised and attacked by Romanians whith shots and bayonet.One part of the cavalrymen are exterminated ;the others run in disband,followed by Romanians to Vladeni.

Falkenhayn think himself victorious.he thinks he has in front of him only demoralized arierguards seeking escape into the mountains.He prepares,for the next day,7th of October the enter into Brasov and his only preocupation is to capure as many running columns as possible by daring and clever manoeuvres,made through the transversal valleys ,which cut perpendicular the retreating directions of Romanians.

The day of 7th of october reserves ,though,a big surprise.A big battle ,which engages the totality of forces of the two adverse armies ,will be given for Brasov posession,in the days of 7th and 8th of October ,new style(referes to the calendar).

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9.Battle of Brasov,7th-8th of October

In retreat

The victory of Sinca and the retreat in a hurry ,of Romanians on the whole front of the II-nd Romanian Army and of the Northern Romanian Army ,gives Falkenhayn tempting illusions.He thinks that the Romanian Army,completely demoralized ,is not able to oppose any resistance whatsoever and so he conceives the daring plan of prsuing with vigor the Romanian troops in retreat,to track them down and to cross the Carpathians mountain passes,in the same time with them.The orders are given in consequence.

In the morning of 7th of October,Staabs Army is all in Birsei Country.The 76th German Division,following the few units of the 4th Romanian Division,along Sinca Valley,has reached Poiana Marului and prepares to cross Birsei Valley in Zarnesti region,to climb the road of Bran,towards Cimpulung.At its left ,the 51st Hungarian DIvision,kept for a day and a night ,by the retreat of Romanian troops,to retake the advancing towards Codlea.At North,the 187th German Division which has bypassed at Crizbav,advances through Satu Nou and Halchiu towards Bod and Sinpetru.Further to the North,still,Morgen Group,back to its senses after the defeat at 2nd of October,has also started the advance on two directions ,coverd in the back by the 3rd German Cavalry Division.As the 71st Austro-Hungarian Division is going towards South-East,bypassing North the elbow of Olt River,the Division of berliners 89th,cuts in length the cord of the elbow of olt River with direction Feldioara to compete with Staabs Army at conquering Basov.The troops of this division,coming from Rupea and homorod,are detained all day of 6th of October in front of Olt,by the 28th Regiment ,in a fight of sacrifice,until the bulk of the 3rd Romanian Division flowed onto the bridges of Hoghiz and Comana,after which the regiment has broke the contact with the enemy from full battle,burning up the bridges.The Germans have succeeded in puting out the fire,though,and cross without fight;in the morning of 7th of October,they begin to gather at Feldioara.in this way Falkenhayn divisions descended ,concentric into Birsei Field,with Brasov as point of concentration.Nothing seemd to stand now in the way of the conquerer.Even in the morning of the day,the German Commander has send the avanguard detachment of the 187th German Division,made out of three battalions of infantry with artillery,cavalry and pioneers (Colonel Gundell),to seize the city counted as evacuated by Romanians.The detachment arrives in the afternoon in the Northern edge of the city and is received by lively shots:Brasov was defended.

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Retaking the offensive

The Commander of the II-nd Romanian Army,disencouraged by the defeat at Sinca and convinced he can no longer resist in Birsei Field,intends to evacuate Brasov without fight,to organize resistance on the slopes of the mountains,which have been fortified in the time of neutrality of Romania.That is why the Romanian troops countinue their retreat.During the night of 6th-7th of october they reach,broken down by exhaust and with mixed up units, the enterance in to the defiles:The 3rd Romanian Division was on the line Sacele-Tarlungeni,and parts of the Divisions 4th and 6th were at Timisu de Jos.The retreat of the troops was ,however,stopped .The orders arrived from the Big Headquarter changed the going of things.

The counteroffensive given by Romanians on Southern Front has finished with a failure at Flaminda and a local success at Amzacea.The Romanian Commandment,considering the enemy to be fixed on Dobrogea Front and having available a few divisions,by giving up operations at Flaminda,decided to retake the initial plan of operations in Transilvania(Ardeal).With this goal,all the available units had to concentrate into Olt Valley and Mures Valley,constituting there a mass of manoeuvre to strike the adversary.The offensive was supposed to be made in connection with the Russian troops which the Russian generalisim Alekseev engaged to send in elongation of the right Romanian wing,in Toplita-Praid region,replacing there the troops of the Northern Romanian Army.

The aim of the offensive was to push the Romanian-Russian line in Reghin-Sighisoara-Sibiu line ,for shortening the front at 75 Miles and fixing on to positions before the arrival of winter.General Iliescu,noticing the tendency of the enemy to attack and defeat one by one the Romanian armies,have send in help to the II-nd Romanian Army,gravely threatened ,the Divisions 21st and 22nd ,withdrew from Flaminda;at 6th of October they begun to disembark at Predeal and Cimpulung,train stations.In the same time,General Crainiceanu have received in the evening of 6th of October the order to suspend the retreat of the II-nd Army,the troops to return back from the way, and to assume the new fighting positions,from which to stop the advance of the enemy and to push the front of the II-nd Army on Persani Mountains,to connect to the right with the northern Army.For this,at the left,bits of Divisions 4th and 6th have to occupy the Brasov-Sinpetru front,covering Brasov with the artillery of the 21st Division,up to the heights over Risnov.In the center mthe 3rd Division has to occupy the front Simpetru-Olt.At the right,a brigade of the 6th Division was at Sfintu-gheorghe.The Romanian units,advancing to occupy the indicated sectors by the orders of operations,have found these occupied by the enemy ,which took them ahead.In this way the battle from Brasov -Field was biginning in the afternoon of 7th of October.

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First day

The South_western corner of Birsei Country,in Zarnesti region has constituted,in Brasov Battle a sector somehow isolated,by the principal theatre of the battle arround Brasov City itself.All day of 7th the fight has been tough in this sector.The troops of the 76th German Division ,pursuing the few units broken from the 4th Romanian Division after the defeat at Sinca,with the intention and hope to get their hands,by a daring hit,on Bran Pass(mountain pass) ,has found themselves stopped North of Birsa River.At the South of the river,Muncelu Hill which dominates Birsei Valley at the opening of the defile ,has been occupied by the firsts elements arrived from the aid Division ,the 22nd(General Aristide Razu),and this one has rose the moral of the Romanian troops,retreated from Sinca.The two adversaries were finding themselves,one side and the other of the Valley of Birsa River,rove through by the driveway and railway;the Germans to the North,Romanians to the South.

All day the Germans,from their position at Poiana Marului(Apple Clearing),bombard the Romanian lines ,then give in vain assaults;the Romanians counterattacks reject them back ,with heavy casualties ,in to the woods.The trials of veiling of the wings dose not succeed.German detachments are trying to go around the left wing of the Romanian position,through Zarnesti;the Romanians,though,elongate the front and the trial of the enemy fails.By evening,the Germans are trying the same manoeuvre,only this time by the right side of Romanians wing,with the aid of a lateral detachment which have descended from the mountains by Vulcan and attacks Risnov.The same countermanoeuvre from the part of Romanians,throws them back,from here,as well,by elongating the right wing it is established a continuous front with Brasov sector,namely.In the evening the situation is the same;the fight follows ferocious till 11 in the night,and the Germans have not been able to advance not one step in Zarnesti-Risnov sector.

At north,the 51st Austro-Hungarian Division ,coming finaly out from the defile of Tintaru,begins the advance in Birsei flat and occupies Codlea.The beautiful and rich village,which makes to the german war correspondents the impression of a village taken from Thuringia and transported to the foot of Carpathian Mountains ,it is again in the hands of the enemy.The poulation of Sasi(German minority) wellcomes the Germans with voices:the girls throw them flowers.

A death hate against Romanians masters the souls of these practical and well fed inhabitants of Birsei Country.Because they are,above all ,men of privileges .Ever since Andrei the II-nd ,King of Hungarians [23] has brought in the century XIII-th ,the Sasi, colonialists from the Rhine region of Germany,together with Teutons Cavalries,founder of the seven Burgs,and established them on the lands of Ilonti Wallachians,they have used to masteter undisturbed by anyone,all the riches of the beautiful Country.Codlea is the type of fluorishing village in which the contrast between the priviledged Sasi and greedy and the drifted and unclothed Romanian appears more evident than anywhere .To the Sasi belong the big and productive properties ,and the big forests,and fat meadows with beautiful herds.But up ,in ravines ,steeps and sockets,the poor Romanian village ,like a fatal foresight,are haired the houses more and more ,towards the valley.Soon the faith of neighbour Risnov,pecefuly conquerd by Romanians,will threaten the proud inhabitants of the village born around the fortress of Scwarzburg.Zeiden will become Codlea.,as Rosenau has been swallowed by Risnov.

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That is why the Sasi girls are throwing flowers on the way of "liberating brothers" and give looks of despy,drunk with the joy of success,towards the village on the hill,where the tears are hidden and the fist tighten in silence.Will ring in a short while the clook of forever victory.Then the Sasi wil wear friendly grimaces towards the despiced Wallachian....etc.

In the afternoon,the Hungarian division occupies positions around Ghimbav,with a lateral detachment at Cristian,were it connects with German troops at Risnov.The troops being tired,are left there in the evening and night for rest.

The principal attack over Brasov has been given in the afternoon of the day by the 187th German Division.With a detachment which occupied on the left Sinpetru and harman,and with another detachment on the right,has reached the edge of Brasov.But the Romanian troops returned from full retreat,although tore with exhaust by the marching and countermarchings which they have been executing for a week,attack the Germans on the whole line.Violent fight go on late in the evening and through the night.At North troops of the 3rd Romanian Division seize Harman ,Sinpetru-which they evacuated in the morning of free will-and Sinpetru Hill(height 704meters) which dominates from the North Brasov Field,with an elongated peak.The German detachment,which occupyed them,is throwed beyond Ghimbaselului Water,over the railway which takes from Brasov to Feldioara through Bod.At South,troops of the 4th Romanian Division have met the troops of the German detachment Gundell in the Northern edge of Brasov,along the railway which unites the big train station of the city with the small one(Bartolomeu),in the edge of old Brasov.Furious fights are going all evening especially around the instalations from the train station and in the vecinity of the Infantry Barraks .All through the night there were shots and bayonet fights between adverse patrols,which stumbled upon eachother.the Germans have been stopped and they coud not advance not one step further;they have retrenched in the edge of the city;at their right wing,they set foot on Sprenghi Hill,near Bartolomeu train station.

By evening have arrived on the battle field the first detachments of the 21st Romanian Division;they have been intercalated between Divisions 3rd and 4th North of Brasov.In the same time ,in Bran region have also arrived elements of the 22nd Romanian Division ,forming up a mixed brigade ,which have occupyed the mountaineous region Bran-Predeal-Magura.On enemy part,Morgen Corps was arriving ,as well,in the fighting zone;the heads of columns of 89th German Division entered in the evening in Feldioara,as the 71st Austro-Hungarian Division started to descend from Baraolt towards South.

The day of 8th of October will be the decissive day of the great battle;it will meet face to face the totality of forces of the two adversaries.

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The second day

The day of sunday,8th of October,is forcasted as a splendid autumn day.Erly in the morning the fight is ironing from one extremity to the other of the large field of battle.

At the Southern wing ,in Zarnesti -Brasov,the 76th German DIvision retakes the attacks against the Romanian positions.This time,a strong heavy artillery bombards the position of Muscelu Hill.Behind the German Front,a new enemy unit begins to arrive;it is the 8th Austro-hungarian Alpine Brigade,brought from Isonzo Front;the brigade has a numerous mountain artillery.It sets to move ,in Zarnesti region,executing a large go around in the left flank of Romanians.The Romanians find themselves forced to leave the position,so fiercely defended;they have retreated to Bran,then on to the heights South of Bran.

The German Commander occupies Risnov thinking he has found here the key of victory.He wanted to repeat the clever manoeuvre which gave him the victory at Sibiu.A detachmet of two battalions ,with mountain artillery and machineguns ,has been send through the Valley Risnoavei,to go around Postavaru through South and to get out into the Valley of Timis,behind the Romanian Army,and cut this one the retreat posibility through the narrow and steep Defile.But the lesson of Sibiu ,has come in handy for the Romanians ;the Valley of Timis was now much more well guarded than it has been Olt River Valley.From the troops of the 21st Division ,disembarked in the eve in Predeal train station,have beeen send seven companies to guard the Valley of Risnoavei.They have discovered and attacked convergent the enemy detachment,which was repulsed with big casualties;one of the two battalions have been ,nearly ,completely destroied.The turning of the Romanian left flank did not work out for the enemy.

In the center of the field of battle ,the 51st Hungarian Division unfolds at Ghimbav and starts in at dawns to the assault of the positions West of Brasov.Sprenghi Hill,occupied in the eve by the Germans ,helps them as a support point.The defence of the Hill is made with ferocity by troops of the 21st Division.they have been withdrew from Danube River,where they took part at Flaminda Offensive,and transported by train to Predeal.Disembarked at Predeal,they walked all through the night and,arrived at Brasov,they have been send onto the hills of Brasov,to defend the strongholds in the city,helping the retreat and withdrawal from fight the tired troops and decimated of the II-nd Army.At 2nd of October they were at Rahova ,in Bulgaria;at 8th ,they fight onto Brasov hills.

The 21st Division dose not opearate as a compact unit;arrived in the middle of the fights,its troops are throwed into the fire ,pakage by pakage.In the morning,only two battalions of the 45th Regiment with artillery have taken part into the right side of the 4th Division,making the connection with the 3rd Division.ferocious fights are given in the afternoon of the day for mastering Stejeris (Warthe) Hill.The Hill dominates the city,going in like a feather between old Brasov and Schei,inhabited by Romanians;the possesion of the Hill secures the mastering of the city.The 61st Regiment fights with fury against the masses of the 51st Austro-Hungarian Division,which overwhelmes the Romanians from all sides.The stubbornes of Romanians cannot overcome the advance of the enemy.The Romanians retreat step by step,fighting with bayonet.The Hungarians dominate the city from the height of the Hill and installs machineguns on the slopes and streets of Secheiu,in which they begin to descend.

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The heroic fight of Sinpetrului Field

The decissive action was taking place in the North of the city,in the field between Brasov and Sinpetru Village.The Germans are retaking the offensive at the left wing of the 187th Division,with Simpetru direction,to gain the terrain lost in the preceeding evening .The 3rd Romanian Division,attacked between Bod and Sinpetru,withdraws a little her right wing.

At once,the German becomes ,from the attacker -attacked.Troops belonging to the 12th Brigade ,of the 6th Romanian Division,advance towards Harman in Bod direction,taking place at the right of the 3rd Romanian DIvision,sustained by artillery,attack the left flank of the 187th German Division,repulsing it back over the railway.The attack movement propagates in the whole lenght of the Romanian Front;the 3rd Division attacks with vigor the enemy.The attack of the 3rd Division dugs out the enemy from the positions on the Northern and Eastern mounds of Cetatii(to the Fortress) Hill,throwing him back.The fight spreads to the edge of Brasov.Gundell Detachment,which have nested there,and which fought all through the night,is taken out of its positions and repulsed.The Romanians are in progress on to the whole line;the enmy is repulsed alltogether over Ghimbaselu Water and over the railway towards Bod;the German infantry and artillery have felt losses.Two counterattacks given by the Germans are rejected,General Sunkel,Commander of the 187th German Division,is forced to appeal to the neighbour division,Hungarian,to gather all forces in Sinpetru region,where the situation is critical.

Towards midday,the Romanians attack ,over the German divisions lines, rises more and more ain power.The sector in which the fight takes place,is comprised between Brasov,at South,the metal road towards Harman at East,Bod at North and the water of Gimbaselu at West.The ax of the field of battle is formed by the railway and driveway which go together from Brasov towards Bod.In the right,towards Sinpetru and Harman are the Romanians,at the left,from Ghimbav through Stupini towards Bod,are the Germans.The German Commander has been able to gather behind his front an enormous mass of artillery of all calibers ,especially heavy artillery;there are also six pieces of 210 mm.A crushing duel begins between the Romanain troops ,souled by an extraordinary elan,but weakly sustained by a mediocre artillery and the formidable German arillery ,ahead of them.The German infantry is taking part ,a little,to the fight;this fight is given almost exclusivelly between Romanian Infantry and German Artillery.From the tower of the church in Codlea,and from the terras of the inn from Birsei bridge,in the intersection of the driveways with Birsa River,North of Stupini,the German hedquarters and the German war correspondents are watching the picture.

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The aspect of the field of battle depicts,an impressive panorama of war.It is a splendid autumn day with sun.All around ,clouds of black smoke ,rove by toungues of fire ,make a dark decor to the tableau.Burns the petrol raffinery at Risnov ,burn the buildings and sheds of Brasov Train Station,the carriages on the rails, the factories in the vicinity of the Train Station.From South of Sinpetru with the direction towards Stupini and towards Steriu Villa,from the corn fields ,in large rows ,are Romanians hasteing to attack.There are infantry battalions ,unfolded on fronts of half a Mile.Behind them,other long columns of troops are going in search of their new fighting positions.Artillery batteries are brought in horses gallop near the infantry line ,to sustain it.The enemy infantry cannot face up the thundering attack;it is set to run away and leaves the fight.The Romanians are not able to pursue the defeated enemy,their artillery is too weak.And as much as it is ,completely disorganized by the powerful enemy artillery.Half of the cannons are out of service.And now the German artillery falls into the rows of Romanians a storm of metal and fire.The rows are breaking,thinned,but they are remade and the assault waves advance carelessly.Exclamations of surprise goes out from the moths of enemy chieftains which are looking at the scene.Then,shouts of admiration.With all the fury of the fight,the spectacle is so grandios in its dramatism,the Romanian heroism impose so much that,for a brief moment ,the fury of the enemy disappears,leaving room only to admiration of the pros:"The heavy artillery is executing a barrier firing range which,with a sinister precission breaks in the rows of Romanians.The line of attack is entangeled ,breaks ,hesitates.Retreats!No! The machineguns are filling thousands of times with death in their rows,but they gather ,attack again,dearing,brave.Bravo Romanian!The German knows to read heroism.But still,war is war!Faster are rorring the cannons,more lively sound the sheels over our heads to enemy.The grenades of mortiers explode now even in to the attack rows of the Romanians.clouds of smoke and smell of gunpwder rises allover to the sky.The firing range of the German artillery takes them now with power from all sides;the grenades seeding death,hit into the their rows .Then the assault stops,they throw themselves into the corn fields,stumble,fell.How many can escape unharmed beyond the mighty line?.Another two times,the Romanian ifantry starts to assault with an heroism worthy of admiration,both times in vain"

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The enemy concentrates the attack in the Northern edge of Brasov and on the city itself;troops of the 4th and 21st Divisions loose more and more terrain;the 4th Division looses 8 cannons as well;the 3rd Division changes position ,makes the conversion towards left;she fights now facing South-East.Of the 12th Romanian Brigade ,only 11th Siret Regiment continues the fight with the right wing towards Bod;the 12th Cantemir Regiment runs towards left,crosses the empty field and uncovered ,between driveway Prejmer-Brasov and Simpetru-Brasov,swept by the fire bursts of the enemy artillery.A divizion of obusiere (shells) acompany it.The soldiers of the regiment,fighting in the left of the 3rd Division,get close to Brasov train station,reject the enemy ,adavnced to the edge of Brasov,and reconquer the lost cannons by the 4th Division.

Ferocious fights are going on in the city itself.The enemy descends the slopes of Stejeris Hill,advancing along Sechelu.The machineguns installed on the heights,hidden through attics and roofs of houses ,in churches towers,are spreading death in the rows of Romanian soldiers,which fight with fury,but have to retreat step by step.Towards evening ,which was not possible to be made by the straight fight ,,with all the extraordinary unfoding of artillery,manages to acomplish the manoeuvre of surrounding.Morgen Group arrives ,in the end,on the field of battle and falls in to the flank and behind the Northern Romanian wing.The 89th German Division,advancing from Feldioara through Bod,attacks North of Simpetru in flank the troops of 11th Siret Regiment ,as,behind,the avanguards of the 71st Austro-Hungarian Division were arriving at Araci.Face to the veiling move of the enemy,the retreat of Romanians is imposed.The glorious phallanx of heroes ,have made their duty with plenty.

The 21st Regiment occupies the position of Dirste and covers the retreat of the rests of the 4th Division ,towards Predeal-Busteni.Divisions 3rd and 6th retreat through Valleys Tarlungului and Buzaului.The field in the edge of North of Brasov it is an old witness of Romanian bravery.More than three centuries ago,at 7th of July 1603,right at the edge of old Brasov,the Romanian Army,lead by Radu Serban Voievod crushed,to the last man,the Hungarian Army of Moise Szkely.The head of Moise,rambled in the spear head on the streets of Brasov,have then been nailed on the gates of Fagaras,as a sign of revenge for the murder of Mihai Viteazul(Mihai the Brave,first Voievod to unite Wallachia,Transilvania and Moldavia),which took place two years before.Eight years after this,in July 1611,Radu Serban beats again the proud Hungarian Army of Gabriel Bathory,between Sinpetru and Brasov,exactly on the same spot where,with 305 years later,the followers of warriors of Basarabu will rip the admiration of the enemy.

The Romanian blood of many generations have red the land of Transilvania(Ardeal).

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Death trench at Bartolomeu

During the eforts made by the Germans to enter the city by the North-West part,it took place one of the most dramatic episodes of the war.All the visitators of Brasov know Bartolomeu Train Station,the small station of old Brasov-North West neighbourhood of the city-from which the train for Codlea is taken,Fagaras and Sibiu,for Risnov and Zarnesti and for the beautiful places for vacantion of Bran.From the end of the Long Street,near the old Church St. Bartolomeu.

At the right side of the station,a company of the 24th Tecuci Regiment had occupied the railway embankment,which has transformed it into an entrench ,defending the driveway in front and the street behind against the enemy attacks which were coming from the North,from Stupini,falling almost perpendicular on the railway.There were 168 men with a machinegun,stretched on a lenght of aproximatively 200 meters.The enemy kept to respect ,from distance could not close in all day of 7th and the next day 8th of October.In the fire of fighting ,completely absorbed of what was going on in front of them,the men did not realise that the left, had remained uncovered,that no friendly troop was defending them from this part.Enemy patrols discovered this weak spot.And a little after this,a German detachment with two machineguns sneaked in silence,into a ruined shed ,and abandoned of the train station,near the Romanian trench ,and set the machineguns on the windows of this one.The pipes of the machineguns had in front of them,at 5 meters the rows of Romanian shooters.Other enemy soldiers,with hand grenades took place behind the Romanians position.The Romanians did not feel a thing.The noise of the fighting and the darkness of the falling evening covered all the enemy preparations.At once,a short commnd.The machine guns start their sinister clicking.On the entrench a shout of fear.The men are are put to the ground like ear of wheat when harvested.The ones who manage to escape the unmerciful fires of machineguns are taken down by the grenades of those behind.Everything kept for two or three minutes.And the total silence of death went over the 168 dead bodies which covered the entrench."The dead company lays now in the ground of the road edge .Man near man sit now there as they have went down in the day of fight ,under the crushing fire of machineguns,with the expression of the formidable fear on their yellow wax faces and with the stretched hands as if they wanted to defend themselves by the missfortune which longed its claw towards them"The German correspondend ends the story of his impressions with the asumption:"Maybe even tomorrow it will be seen a wooden cross on this place ,with the inscription<<here rests a Romanian company>>.The foreign correspondent was half wrong.Not a poor cross of wood,timely and shy will hallow thy names of defeated and humiliated people,will be the sign of honoring the martyrs of German villainy.Because is villainy to kill a sourrounded troop which,after all laws of war,has to be taken prisoner.But the pious gratitude of a victorious people has made the trench of Bartolomeu one of the most impressives forever holly places of heroes.Between rows of flowers and well taken care paths ,an aligning of stone toombs and an imposant monument shows the passer by the place where has given up the soul and where rests forever,the bones of the company martired.In the same place with them have been set the remains of the heroes fallen of Simpetru Field.The martyr has not been in vain.It is the heavy price with which we bought back the land enslaved for centuries of our brothers.Souls of Mucenici(the 40 Martyrs) of the fallen soldiers at Simpetru and Bartolomeu will forever guard around Brasov,Romanian Brasov.

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The fall of Brasov

During the night ,Brasov is completely evacuated by the Romanian Army.General Crainiceanu is replaced at the Command of the II-nd Romanian Army by General Averescu,which in this way,comes again ahead of this army,with the mission to defend the Northern strongholds of the defiles.The General finds,though,the troops disorganized and demoralized,and the positions he must occupy are under the firing range of the heavy enemy artillery;he orders the retreat into the defiles ,on a line Giuvala-Postavaru-Piatra Mare-Buzau Valley .But the line cannot be maintained.Even in the morning of 9th of October,Falkenhayn sends his divisions in the pursiut of the Romanian troops,on all directions of their retreat.One column is advancing on Ghimbaselu Valley,with the intention to go around Postavaru;the heavy artillery bombards Predeal from Risnov.The Romanians have to continue their retreat towards the frontier positions.The arierguards bring to full stop the enemy.His frontal attacks ,as the surrounding attempts ,did not succeed.The assuming of Romanians ,of the frontier positions is made in good order.All that the German Generalisim can afford is the luxury of a triumphal enter in the evacuated city ,by the Romanians during the night.There are 40 days since the enterance of Romanians .And the history repeats itself,but with exchanged roles.The Hungarians and Sasi make"the liberators" of today the same triumphal wellcome,as the Romanians made at 29th of August to their brothers.But also the procedures are changed.The today liberators are the representatives of great nations;they want to prove to the barbarian enemy the superiority of their civilization.From all parts of the city screams of revenges are rising against the wallachian,whch had the nerve ,to be for 40 days master in his country.Under the shelter of the German soldier ,begins the vengeful acts."Already some wallachians hang at the gallows,others are taken between bayonets.".As-adds the German correspondent ,to underline more the distinction between the procedures of the civilised German and the barbarian Wallach-"at a street corner can be read a Romanian ordonance,which orders the bringing to death punishment,of those who steal things".

The German Generalisim is triumphant.He has to confess that he has not been able to surround and exterminate the Romanian Army.Because not so much the conquering of Brasov,neither the liberation of Ardeal(Transilvania) has not been the goal of the clever manoeuvres of the German Commander,but seizing the mountain passes,behind the fighters and capturing the II-nd Army.More than Olt Romanian Corps has been capable,the II-nd Army,thanks to the quick manoeuvres and of the heroism with which her troops fought ,has escaped from the surrounding circle of the enemy and will give him hell from the new and strong positions occupied in the mountains,on the ridges.

The Generalisim hides his envy,celebrating his triumph in a lying day order and impertinent.He affirms that"he defeated and exterminated the two enmy armies which were,each one,superior to his army!The shameful conqueror which enterd the heart of Transilvania,has been swept from our holly land".But in his recent memoires more objective and more sincere,he has to confess the deception for the poor tableau of prey :1175 prisoners and 25 cannons crushed."these figures did not correspond to my expectations;the delay of Morgen Corps intervention has caused it".Falkenhayn consolates with the ideea "of the bloody losses of the Romanians,which had to be extraordinarily big;our own losses ,without those of 187th Division and some units of the 76th Division(what happened with those?),was maintained within good limits.".The implacable enemy brings,whithout his intention,the most beautiful omage to the virtues of Romanian soldier.the Battle of Brasov,given under circumstances of tactical inferiority,numerical and especially technicaly,it is for our young army a glorious defeat.

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10.The End of Ardeal(Transilvania) Campaign

The retreat of the Northern Romanian Army

At 5th of October,the Austro-Hungarian General Arz noticed that he has in front of him only the Romanian arierguard.The bulk of the Northern Army have started in the previous night ,the retreat.Liberated by the pressuring Romanian offensive,which had tormented him for 36 days,the Austrian General breath now eased and starts,at once,against the Romanian arierguards ,a "victorious counteroffensive",on the whole line from Atid to Calimani!The I-st Austro-Hungarian Army was made,at this epoch,of three army corpses.At the right wing ,the VI-th Corps(Fabini),made out of Divisions 39th and 61st,gathered in Odorhei region,have started the pursiut of the troops of 7th Romanian Division,through Cicuiu region,in Uz and Ghimes direction.The Husar Brigade de Landstrum-Colonel Csecsi-preceeds the Austro-hungarian Corps.On the Romanian part,the retreat of the 7th Division was covered by ,towards South,the 2nd Cavalry Division,which was making the connection with the II-nd Romanian Army.At Petcu,the Division had to re trench and keep the resistance,in a very difficult region ,having as line of communication a road through the defile,until it has flowed ,North of it,the 7th Division.By the retreat of the II-nd Army and of the northern Army in divergent directions,the connection between them is,thus ,broken.The Cavalry Division,attached now to the Northern Army,has continued a hard retreat in direction Tirgu-Secuiesc-Oituz Pass.

At the center of Arz Army,the XXI-th Corps ,Austro-Hungarian-Lutgendorff-constituted of Divissions 72nd and 37th,has begun the advance on to the tracks of the 14th Romanian Division,along Valleys of Gurghiu and Mures River,in direction Bicaz and Tulghes-Prisacani.The retreat of the 14th RomanianDIvision was made in complete order,step by step,covering the retreat of the bulk of the 8th Romanian Division.The troops of the XXI-th Austro-Hungarian Corps,meet with great difficulties,the advance being permitted to it by the measure with which the Romanians evacuated the localities.More to the North,the XI-th Austro-Hungarian Corps, the left wing of Arz Army,stopping in Calimani region,was making the connection with the VII-th Austro-German Army.The change of the Romanian campaign plan ,and the ideea of retaking offensive in Transilvania ,after Flaminda,have stopped for a moment the troops of the Northern Army on to the heights West of the superior valleys of Olt River and Mures River.The Russian offensive,which was supposed to be produced on the same time ,have not given any result whatsoever,,and the Brasov Battle ended in total failure,swallowing ,in the same time,a part of the forces counted for the offensive action.The Romanian Army ,Norther,isolated ,pursiued and attacked strong by Arz Army,cannot maintain on the planned line,but has to start retreat,crossing the valleys of Olt River and Mures River,towards East.Miercurea Ciuc is evacuated at 9th of october .the Romanian troops are following the retreat along valleys Tulghes ,Bicaz and Trotus,to occupy the passes in Moldavian Carpathian Mountains.

Falkenhayn,which has taken now,as we know,also the Command of Ist Austro-Hungarian Army,has set to take all the possible uses from this retreat,so well comed.He orders Arz to attack and harras the Romanian troops in retreat and to try to close the way ,to these,towards Ghimes and Oituz,seizing the mountain passes.For this purpose,he puts to Arz dispozition,one by one,the 1st Austro-hungarian cavalry Division of Schmettow Corps,then the 3rd German Cavalry Division of the same Corps,and finally,the 71st Austro-hungarian Infantry Division.

The trials of von Arz to veil the Southern wing of the Norther Army,in direction Palos-Homorod-baraolt,are futile.The Romanian retreat is made in excelent conditions and the nemy blows only in the air.That is why,the enemy cavalry is happy only to flank the ROmanian Army in retreat,to obstacle it to send aids towards South,towards the II-nd Army,engaged in heavy fight at Brasov.At the Romanian left wing ,the 2nd Cavalry Division retreats in direction Oituz valley.The enemy thinks he has discovered here the weak part of the Romanian dispozitive .He forms,thus,a strong group of an infantry division and two cavalry ones,which then throws onto the tracks of Romanian cavalry,to seize the pass.An important strategig goal is given to this army.But the thing will not go easy here ,either.The guarding of Oituz Pass has been given to a brave troop.You shall not pass.

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Causes of Ardeal defeat

The Romanian campaign in Ardeal was over;it went on ,for 40 days.It has started in the last days of August,with the crossing of Carpathian Mountains ,in the delirant enthusiasm of the nation and ended in the first week of October,with the painful march of retreat of the Romanian troops over the same ridges of Carpathians,which become now,the barrier that had to defend the Kingdom from the enemy conquest.

The Romanian Offensive in Ardeal,the most important part of the war plan ,has been paralized from the beginning by the counterstrike received on the Southern Front.The defending of Dobrogea and the trial of Flaminda ,have summoned there,not only the general reserves ,but even units of first line,indispensable for the offensive in Ardeal.Weakened ,this army had to slow her pace,to diminish her action,to advance-as Ludendorff says-with steps of snail.So ,before touching the line of Mures River,first objective of our offensive,the enemy has gathered the available forces ,organized an offensive army and started the strikes.The Battle of Sibiu has been the first,and has been decissive.The initiative has passed into the hand of the enemy,in Ardeal as in Dobrogea.The retaking of the offensive in Ardeal has been decided when the situation was already compromised.It could not overcome the throwing of the Romanian armies,back,towards the mountains.

A moment of recolection is imposed ,thus,to resume and realise the circumstances which caused this crisis.

Our defeat in Ardeal is explicable by a complex of circumstances of psichologicaly and military order.Our Commandment,not used with the hardships of the war on two fronts,with a strong and experienced enemy,has been faced with,from the first moments,an extraordinary test.The first defeats in Southern Dobrogea,brought unrest in the spirits.The unexpected blows received at Turtucaia,Bazargic and in Southern Dobrogea,has affected taking countermeasures ,to barrier the menace from this part.The strong forces send to Dobrogea and at the Danube River has reestablished here the equilibrium between the two adversary armies.The front has been fixed and it has started to be counted on some sort of numerical superiority,which permitted to us,even to take up the offensive,South.

But the preocupation for the Southern Front,made our Commanders to deviate,slowly, from the initial plan of campaign.Seven divisions have been taken from the operation army in Ardeal,from the reserve of this one and from the general reserve,to be transported in Dobrogea and at Danube,with the intention of an offensive.Soon,though,after this under the pressure of the events from Ardeal,six of these division have been again retaken from the Southern Front and send to the Northern Front.With this face,these divisions have been missing in Ardeal in decissive moments,when Falkenhayn was giving here the big strikes .It is obvious,that the oscillations produced in the actions of our armies proove to some extent , indecissiveness and lack of cold blood.However painful were the blows received on the Southern Front ,it must have not been lost of sight ,the fact that this one was only a Secondary Front.On this premises has been made our campaign plan,in the first place.The strenghtening of the Southern Front had to have a purely defensive role.The principal action had to be continued ,further in Ardeal and,for realising the strategical objective pursued here-occupying the line Mures RIver and turning the Austro-Hungarian positions of the Northern Carpathians.-nothing had to be taken from the indispensable forces for this action.Not taking into account this fact,the Romanian armies from Ardeal have been weakened and their offensive power considerably diminished,just when the enemy prepeared its strikes.Even the moral courage of these troops was diminishing ,as the thin line of the fighting front,lacking depth,was going away from the operational base.From here,the hesitation,slowlyness,paralising of our movements,which let the enemy,slowly to go ahead us.

Not only that,but between the Romanian groups which operated in Ardeal,did not exist that unity of Command,that cohesion which makes the power of an army.This permitted to the German Commandment to attack,one by one ,our armies and beat them,without its neighbour amies to intervene.The II-nd Army did not intervene in time to help the Olt Corps ,in peril,and the Northen Army could not jump in the aid of the II-nd Army.At the enemy,this cohesion was perfectly ensured.The German units and the Austro-Hungarian ones,from Orsova to Dorna,were tightly grasped in the hand of the supreme commander,which dislocated them or regrouped them,function of the target he was after .So ,in this way the enemy,inferior numericaly to us,managed to have in the point where he was striking,superior forces,detaining our other forces by small secondary actions.The failures suffered by the enemy in such actions ,like the one at Porumbacu,at Barcut and on the whole front of the Northern Army didn't impress the seel nerves of the German Commandment,did not make him away not for one moment from the established plan,and to spread its forces.The history of the Great War show us episodes in which an abil and dearin Commander,knows how to exploit the lack of cohesion of the adverse armies.In the autumn of 1914 Hindenburg attacks and defeats ,one after the other the two Russian armies ,which have invaded Oriental Prusia .At tannenberg,the Army of Narewu,Commanded by Samsonov,it is the first one to be attacked ,surrounded and destroyed,without Nimen Army commanded by Rennenkampf,which was at 38 Miles distance,to intervene.One week later ,Rennenkampf is attacked and defeated ,in its turn.

Our young army was startting to learn the school of war ,in fight, with the most clever and experimented masters.In this way,the oscillation of thoughts and impressionability of the Romanian Commanders was showing the effects.As the Romanian divisions were in the train,transported from North ,South and then,South,North the strikes were flowing over our weakened army from Ardeal.Sibiu,Sinca,Brasov are the three stages of our defeat.the evacuation of Ardeal followe fataly.And the dream of liberating Ardeal, seesawed by secular longings,made for a brief moment,has suddenly broken .The awakening had been painful.Drifted from the holly land,were we have entered as liberators,we were pursued by a furious enemy,which was growing its powers.The storm came now threatening to the gates of our house.

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