Romanian Campaign of 1916,Defending the Carpathians

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The next day in the morning ,all the peaks from the ridge of the frontier were in the hands of the enemy ,together with Vilcan Pass .Muncel Mountain has been taken by the enemy at 24th.Our few troops were retreating from height to height ,resisting with stubborness to the assaults which were given uninterrupted by the enemy,drunk with success and sure by his imense superiority

An unfortunate episode happens in the morning of 24th of October.At Vama Veche(Old Border),on Buliga driveway ,at North of Schela ,Homoriceanu Detachment ,made out of two Battalions of Infantry ,a Cyclists Company and an Escadron of Calarasi(Cavalry),is surprised by the enemy ,on a thick fog and a dense rain ,and it is captured entirely ,without firing a shot.By the empty space produced,teh Bavarians advance and pour over the Romanian batteries of artillery from the left wing of the position.Romanians fight with despair ;the servants fire the cannons from the mouth of the guns ,as the Commander of a battery gathers the soldiers in retreat and throws them into the fight with bayonets.The two adversaries bring in great haste all the reserves of the sector.A big and very bloody fight coocks up on Poiana lui Mihai Viteazu(The Clearing of Michael the Brave).The Romanians have here only the 41st Infantry Regiment ,and the Germans have eight Battalions with a superior artillery .The Romanian Regiment ,atacks by the front and by the flank ,overwhelmed by greatly superior forces ,suffers very grave casualties and is forced to retreat towards Schela ,saving ,however,the whole artillery without the two batteries invaded by the enemy.

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(The box in which was preserved the head of Prince Michael the Brave,1558-1601, of Wallachia,at Dealu Monastery,Dimbovita County)

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The Romanian Commander is making great efforts to dam the pouring of the invasioneers and to organize the retreat.At Horezu,is improvised a defence of geandarms and peasants ,with a few mountain cannons ;it keeps the enemy to a stand still making possible to evacuate the services and the entire aparatus of the Commandment of Jiu Group which otherwise would have fell in the hands of the enemy .The advance of this one was now favorized by the terrain ,which was descending in floors from the mountain to the field.The Romanians were continuously dominated by the enemy ;their moves were seen by this one.The howitzers and field cannons of him were pouring ceacessly rain of fire over our groups .At 25th of October ,at the Western wing ,the Austrian avanguards were occupying Brostenilor Peak ,from which the sight in the Romanian field stretched unobstacled by nothing.On the road which takes along Bistrita Valley ,the first columns of the 6th German Cavalry Division started ,at 26th,the marching to the fields.

At the Eastern wing ,in Surduc Pass (Jiu Valley) and at East of her,the advance was slower.The enemy held only the Western shore of Jiu River and some few positions on the Eastern one;the driveway was clear.On the right side ,though ,have considerable advanced ;the heads of his columns descended the last of the heights fron North-West of Tirgu Jiu and,in the evening of 26th of October,they were at Vadeni,few Miles from Tirgu Jiu!

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Difficult days

The situation looked extremely critical.It was now evident that the enemy is searching ,by a strong blow,to break our front in this region and that he is on the brink to succeed .Alarmed by the telegrams which he was receiving from the Commander of the 2nd Romanian Division -General Cocorascu-knowing that the weak forces at his disposal are powerless to stop the waves of the invasioneers ,General Culcer,Commander of the II-nd Romanian Army ,proposed to the High Commandment a radical measure:the retreat of Jiu Group from Jiu and Cerna behind the line of Olt River,and evacuating Oltenia(region).The ideea of abandoning Oltenia has entered a couple of times in the calculus of the Great Romanian Headquarter ,in moments of crisis of the unfolding of the War.General Culcer has studied and prepared this plan ,being convinced that,by organizing a strong defence line on the Eastern shore of Olt River ,our resistance ,being thus made on a shorter line and well strengthened will be more effective.Our Supreme Commandment did not admit the way of seeing things of General Culcer considering that ,in the actual circumstances ,abandoning Oltenia would have been a too painful sacrifice and which was not indispensable.In consecuence,it has been taken from General Culcer the Command of the II-nd Army ,which have been given to General Dragalina,the Commander of the Division at Cerna.

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The new Commander of the Ist Romanian Army was one of the most valuable officers of Romanian Army.He was from Banat(region),and has served at the beginning of his career in Austro-Hungarian Army.Thrust in the highest grade of the sense of duty,he knew to make himself respected ,by a conduct full of kindness and friendship.The Officers adore him:"Father Dragalina " has been Commander of military school of most of the young generation.The soldier did not had in him a Chief but a kind parent .The Division at Cerna,which he Commanded to this moment,had become an elite corps by the trust the Commander knew to inspire to the soldiers .He was the man indicated to face danger.And he has made it with the price of his life.Unfortunately,Dragalina did not had the chance to demonstrate his beautiful qualities in this difficult moment.Taking the Commandment of the I-st Army ,he barely had time to have an exchange of opinions with his predecessor ,relativ, about the ripost which had to be given to the adversary.The fundamental ideea of this plan was:a vigorous counteroffensive with the available troops of the 2nd Romanian Division,which to hit by the front the enemy,and in the same time ,an attack in the right flank ,uncovered ,of the enemy,with the aid of a Mixt Detachment ,which had to arrive from Cerna through Baia de Arama.After expediting the necessary orders ,General Dragalina left for Horezu,where he has gave the Command of the troops of Jiu Group to Colonel Anastasiu,because General Cocorascu ,the Commander of the 2nd Division ,has left in the same day to Pitesti,where it was organised the 2nd Division as General Strategic Reserve.

Although tired ,after a night of work,in the morning of 25th of October General Dragalina leaves in Jiu Defile ,to fully realize the situation ,and to manhood the demoralized fighters.Arrived in to the heart of the Defile ,at Lainici,he is newsed that enemy patrools have appeared in his wake into the Defile,between Bumbesti and Lainici and have opened fire over the groups of men and wagoons in retreat.Going back on the driveway in the narrow Defile ,the General automobile have started with maximum of speed to rove quick the dangerous place.The enemy patrols ,firing over the automobile ,the General is hit at the right arm.Evacuated ,and operated too late ,he dies in the Hospital of the Royal Pallace in Bucharest,in the day of 9th of November.He was ,after General Praporgescu,the second General fallen on the honour field.Death was kidnapping the most capable sons of the Kingdom,when they were most needed.

The Defence Army at Jiu received a painful blow,which was shaking more the moral.The situation was very serious and threatening.In the afternoon of 12th of October ,the roads taking from North towards Tirgu Jiu ,as the city itself ,were filled with the crowds of convoys in retreat.The civil population,soldiers and even officers did not see other solution but the retreat.The death of General Ion Dragalina heve left the I-st Army ,and the Division at Cerna without a Chief.The Group of Jiu has changed the chief even in the same day and a great move of troops had to begin for regrouping imposed by the Supreme Commandment.The 1st Division,incorporates in her battle order the Jiu Group as well.Between the Commander of the 1st Division and that of Jiu Group cannot be established a unity of seeing things ;the dispozitions taken,independent one of the other ,are not concordant.Susceptibilities and frictions obstacle and threaten the success of the action.Still,the grouping of the Romanian troops for counteroffensive is operated.And as the groups assume the positions decided for fight,the trust comes back and the stubborness and determination increases in the souls of Romanians.

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In the eve of the battle

The enemy continues its advance .In the evening of 26th the bulk of his infantry was exiting the mountain paths ;the heads of the columns were getting close to Tirgu Jiu.Kneussl reports to Falkenhayn that"the situation is extremely favorable ".The orders of operations for the day of 27th foresee ,amongst others,ocuupying of Tirgu Jiu City by a Battalion of the 12th Hunters Regiment and advancing of the 6th Cavalry Division on the roads of West of driveway Buliga ,with direction Filiasi-Strehaia.The reserves of Kneussl Group had,in their turn ,to enter in action:the 7th Cavalry Division had to begin the advance from Petrosani on the driveway of Jiu Defile ,opened by the movement of going around executed by Germans towards West ,and the Battalion of Alpiners Wurtemberger puts in to marching from Pui towards Petrosani.

But around the enemy,which believed in the superiority of his forces and Command,the Romanian troops have gathered ,making a semy -circle ,in which concavity was finding now the enemy.In the center of Romanian dispozitive ,in Turcinesti region,one side and the other of Jiu River,is the 22nd Mixt Brigade -Colonel Obogeanu-of which mission is to attack the enemy front in direction Tetila-Simbotin-Schela.At the right wing ,on the Eastern shore of Jiu,untill Bumbesti,are the troops of 21st Mixt Brigade ,Colonel Jipa,of which mission is to attack the left flank of the enemy,fighting facing West.At the left wing ,a Battalion ,Major Trusculescu ,had to cover the city Tirgu Jiu and to make the connection with Dejoianu Detachment -four Battalions ,an Escadron and two batteries -which were arriving in forced marchings from Cerna through Baia de Arama(Copper Bath),with the mission of falling in the right flank and back of the enemy.

The composition of the Romanian Group at Jiu was very mixed.It has been suspended the move of regrouping of the 2nd Romanian Division and it has been brought all it could be gathered from the neighbour groups;mostly troops of second hand ,Battalions and Companies of Militia and from the sedentary parts.Some companies arrived without weapons,centurions and cartridges .The total of troops of Jiu Group rose up to aproximatelly 14th Battalions ;it was also forming up a general reserve of about three Battalions ,which have arrived in the night of 26-27th and during the day of 27th,in Capacioasa Train Station.As artillery ,Jiu Group had eight batteries ,of which most of them were old cannons of 87 mm -with smoke powder -and small cannons of 53 mm.The Command of Jiu Group was in the hands of Colonel Anastasiu ,installed at Copacioasa ,and the operations directives of Dejoianu Detachment were given by the interimary Commander of the 1st Romanian Division,General Christu,installed at Bradiceni.

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(Machineguns used by Romanian Army during the Great War)

(Romanian fighting position with machinegun adapted for aerian shooting-during Marasesti Battle 1917)

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The victory at Jiu

The day of 27th of October has to decide not only the fate of a battle and of a city ,but the fate of the War and Kingdom.The two adversaries are face to face,redy to fight.The German is sure of victory.For four days now,ever since he wiped out the weack defence line on the mountains ridges ,he went from one success to another.He only met Detachments which could not resist,he has taken prisoners ,captured cannons.Has made 19 Miles into the Kingdom of the adversary,across the mountains,climbing hills and descending valleys ,through cold ,wind and fog.Now he is at the edge of the field .Wide roads opens up in front of him and enticing villages for shelter.It has ended with the War over ridges and through sockets of mountains.How could the Romanian resist in open field ,when he was unable to do it in mountains?Souled by success and confident in definitive victory ,full of despice for the enemy which they learned to overlook,the Germans advance now in groups ,without tight connections between them.The artillery climbs hard the quick slopes ,descends slow the dangerous inclines and has been left behind.The soldiers of the patrols enter through the wineyards and through the mansions of the lands and start to plunder and drink.

In this time,Romanians have occupied their fighting positions .They are from Gorj County filled with grief at the sight of their fields and homes plundered,they are from Olt County which put their chests as barrier against the invasion which threatens their villages and lands.They are few and the enemy is numerous;they are badly equiped ,armed and the enemy has numerous machineguns and strong cannons ;their Commanders are young and unexperimented ,and of the enemies are old and trialed maisters of war.But the love of the peasant-soldier for the land of his Kingdom ,the impetuosity of the Chiefs and the blind arrogance of the enemy will unite their effects ,such that ,together ,to place the day of 27th of October amongst the great days of our history.

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Early in the morning ,the enemy begins the advance .On the right shore of Jiu ,where he has entered more deeply into the Romanian positions ,the advance is made on to a larger front.On the left side of Jiu ,he has occupied few points of crossing over Tetila,Ciineni and Vladeni and turned,forming up bridge heads.The Romanian troops retreat a little more ,to Vladeni and towards Birsesti.The morning fog disipates and,at 10 in the morning ,begins at once ,the counterattack by the front and by the flanks ,as well.The Romanian artillery installed on the hills East of jiu ,opens over the enemy flank at Vladeni and Turcinesti.The precission of the Romanian cannon provokes the congratulations of French Colonel Fain ,which finds himself at the Commander Headquarter.From Preajba Hill,the infantry dashes into an impetuous attack.Surprised,the enemy is looking to resist.The assault of Oltean-ers is ,though,so fiercely ,as the Bavarians have to back off.From the East ,over Jiu and from South,along the river,the Romanian soldiers attack with rage.At 4 in the afternoon ,the mansion and the mill of Turcimnesti are occupied by Romanians .By evening ,the village itself is conquered.The Bavarians are running away towards Simbotin and Schela,abandoning in the hands of Romanians numerous prisoners and machineguns.

The same way ,things happen a little to the North.The artillery of Jiu Group has bombarded the driveway on Jiu Valley ,and the infantry has attacked and repulsed over the river the enemy Detachments.Following tight,the Romanian soldiers have occupied on the right shore Simbotinul and Porcenii,driving away the enemy towards the mountains.

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At his right wing ,the enemy has received another decissive blow.Dejoianu has arrived in the eve at Pestisani,after a marching of 63 Miles ,made in two nights and a day ,unfolded in fighting formation between Pestisani and Bradiceni.The next day in the morning ,he begins the advance in direction Arcani-Dobrita ,attacking the troops of the 301st Austro-Hungarian Division ,which formed the right wing of the Invasion Army,opening up the road to the Cavalry.Under the violence of this unexpected blow ,the enemy begins the retreat.The Detachments ,which have occupied the villages ,are one by one attacked ,repulsed,captured.A Romanian Battalion attacks Dobrita ,throwing the enemy in the mountains ,in Muncelului direction.Another one ,occupies at South-East Stroiestii,pursuing the enemy which has entered the village.Valari Village is attacked and occupied by a Company of Romanians.A Battalion attacks the position at Rasovita-Ursatei,which is attacked from the South by Trusculescu Detachment ,of Jiu Group.The position is defended by strong Bavarian forces ;an enemy column manages to sneak through the empty space between the two Detachments ,Romanian,and advances towards Tirgu Jiu.The enemy position is seized in heavy fight by Romanians ,which also take couple of hundreds of prisoners and capture machinguns.Ahead of one of the Companies of attack has fallen Captain Lepri ,which was leading his soldier in to the spin of death rested, with the cigarret in his mouth.

The enemy has been defeated on the whole line of the Front.His columns have lost contact one with the other ,and the isolated detachments have lost the connection with the bulk and with the Commandment .By evening has started thick and cold rain.The roads transforms in mudbanks tracks.Through the rain which whipes the chicks and through the drarkness which begins to fall ,the enemy detachments retreat on the whole line ,back,towards the mountains,abandoning the material of War,which makes heavy his retreat .Here and there,small groups have lost the way and try to resist with despair,fighting all night ,retrenched through a village or over an elevation.

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The Batteries at Arsuri

In other parts the pursuit is made without rest.A reservist Sub-Lieutenant of 18th Gorj Regiment ,Patrascoiu V.Nicolae,asked permission from the Commander to try to capture the enemy artillery,which was bombarding the Romanian troops from direction of Arsuri(Burns) Village,just the birth place of the young Ofiicer.He constitutes a small troop by a handful of men,courageous and decided as himself and starts ,through darkness and rain ,sneaking by the waterside of Jiu.Through Simbotin Village ,still filled with Bavarians in retreat ,on the paths so well known to him.Small groups of enemies met in the way,are terrified by the shouts and attacked with fires.The Bavarians,demoralized by the defeat,not being able to realize the force of the attacker ,run in all parts .In Arsuri,poor hamlet,with houses scattered on marshes ,the daring Romanians discover a battery of howitzers of 105 ,placed in firing position in the middle of the village,and a second battery is formed up on the lane.An enemy Officer is downed just in front of the parents house gate of Patrascoiu;the other officers and soldiers storm in to the houses and barns where they sheltered their horses and run in grate haste.

The capture of the two batteries ,all with their ammunition waggons,was of a great importance ;the cannons had though to be put in safety.Patrascoiu had around him only a few soldiers ;the rest of them have been left as guards and alarms in different point of the walked road.One of the cannons have been just turned towards the enemy and few shots fired in the dark of the night,newesed the deed of Romanians.The cannons are left in the guard of few men ,and Patrascoiu turns back to the Commandment of the Battalion .Roving again through enemy lines through riversides,through the place of the river ,in darkness ,wind and rain.After twelve hours of marching and adventures ,Patrascoiu comes back the next day in the morning in Arsuri with artillerists and horses ,with which he transports the eight howitzers captured and surrenders them,with receipt ,to the Artillery Commander of Jiu Group.

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The fight at Jiului bridge

A Bavarian column of a power of about a Company and a half ,has sneaked between the Romanian troops along the driveway Rasovita-Tirgu Jiu and appeared at once ,in the morning of 27th of October ,before the metal bridge over Jiu River,in the Western edge of the city.The Germans were after the acomplishing of the plan made in the eve:without considering the slowness of the fight ,by a daring blow,they had to size the city,behind the Romanian Front.The city is almost deserted ;the greatest part of the inhabitants have run away before the danger ,and all that was troop capable of fight,is on the Front.There was only a handful of old Militia ,scattered through the city to make guard at authorities and hospitals;they run in the edge of the city and assume position on the bank on the shore of the river ,near the Public Garden ,in the right side of the bridge.But the news made quick the surrounding of the "village".The few inhabitants ,which have remained behind ,in the city,gather quickly and discuss feverishly the threatening event.Indignation and revolt increasees more and more.A single thought and a single shout masters everyone :"To the bridge,to the bridge,to not let the enemy in!".A Subcomisar of Police gathers some ten guardists ,puts himself ahead of them and starts for the bridge.The students scouts of the highschool ,which made the service of messengers for the authorities ,take the guns of the wounded in hospitals and run ,they too,at the perilled place.Traders,women,children ,abandon the cohorts ,or leave the churches in which was officiated the service of ST.Paraschiva and,in an elan of enthusiasm ,start for the bridge.Everybody which remained still in the town is now at the bridge;on the empty streets are only the dogs shouting of death...From far away,from Turcinesti and from Preajba ,the wind blows the echoes of the cannons ,announcing the fight of armies.And at Jiu bridge cooks another fight:the fight of the citizens defending their homes and pride of their town.The defenders,stretched along the river bank like in trenches,fire with missfortune but without any rule towards the shore over the water ,where have appeared the enemy soldiers.The weapons,old models,of the militia rattle without the slightest of rest and their noise ,repeated by the echo ,fills the valley,and the river bed.The scouts,climbed into the trees ,stake out and signall the moves of the enemy.Hearted women carry munitions to the shooters ,which make great waste of bullets.Their shouts(of the women) boil up the shooters and increase the noise of the fight:"Don't give up you Gheorghita!fire good you Mielule!hang tight children!".

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(Heavy field cannon,system Skoda,105 mm,quick firing,model 1914,equipping the German Army during the Great War,captured by Romanian Army in 1916)

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The Bavarians are surprised by these unexpected resistance ,dizzied by the rattles of the shootings ,which gave the impression of a serious defence.Pinned down,they have to wiat the reinforcements which are late .For a few hours the fight had slowed ,the two adversaries shooting at echother ,across the rivver.A trial of the Germans to cross the river a little downstrem ,towards Balanescu Mill ,at the cover of riversides have been received with fires by the men who stood hidden through the bushes on the other shore.Enervated ,the enemy soldiers try to storm the bridge ,with a machinegun.But Romanians are on watch.In the moment when the Bavarians appear in the opposite head of the bridge ,the Romanians start a defening rattle of rifles ,mixed up with the shouts of the defenders ,with the scrams of the women and of the children.A group of militia ,scouts and guardists ,ahead with police Sub-Commissary Popilian ,dash on to the bridge in front of the enemy ,in shouts of urra! and repulse this one,back.The wounded are carried on brancards by the brave women ,which come into the fighting line ,to lift them up;one of the women is badly wounded by a bullet ,which smashes her shoulder .A Captain ,wounded to the leg ,gets out of the hospital and takes the Command of the "defence troop".He organizes with a group of 20-30 militia men a turn of the enemy position,crossing Jiu water at Balanescu Mill.But around four in the afternoon ,the rinforcements send by the Commander of Jiu Group have arrived .A company of the 59th Regiment runs to the bridge ,attacks the enemy ,rejects him and chase him towards East.In retreat ,the Bavarians are received by a small group of Cavalry of Dejoianu Detachment ,which was arriving from Birsesti.The German column is scattered ;most of them are made prisoners .An important number of Bavarian soldiers ,from the troop awaited as reinforcement,have been found and captured in the cellars of the wine yards from the vecinity.So ,in this way ,as the army,fighting on the field of battle after the rules of war,was winning the victory at Jiu ,in the same time the inhabitants of Tirgu Jiu ,peaceful citizens and old militia men ,women and children ,were winning a victory just as shining.Because ,if the fight at Jiu Bridge will not be recorded in the books of military art ,as an example of high strategic conception or of clever tactical execution ,it will remain in the souls of Romanians ,as a confession of the power which could be given by the love for the ancestral home and Oltenian pride.

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The second day and the third day of the battle.Acomplishing the victory

The Romanian troops have continued with vigor the offensive in the following days.The enemy have stopped in his retreat on to the line Valari-Rugi-Simbotin,on which he made powerful efforts to resist.It was though ,impossible.The combined action of the three Romanians Groups ,well supported by artillery ,have taken him out of this line and threw him back.At the right side ,the Romanians occupy Simbotin ,Porceni si Arsuri .The most violent fights have been sustained by the Central Group on the elevation South of Horezu.The Bavarian Regiment ,installed on this position,has suffered very heavy casualties ;he has been chased away by evening ,being forced to abandon his entire artillery ,which he has installed here.Eight cannons toghether with the nine Romanian cannons captured at 24th of October,on Poiana Mihai Viteazu(Mihai the Brave Clearing),have remained in Romanian hands.

The enemy then,hangs himself with disperation by a second line ,which corresponded with the Southern edge of the last forested elevations of Carpathians ;he is looking to maintain with any price in the day of 29th of October on to this line.During this time,however,at the left wing was taking place one of the most important episodes of the battle.In the day of 28th of October had to take place the attack of the German Cavalry.The three Brigades of the 6th German Cacalry Division ,acompanied by two mounted artillery batteries ,forming up a lateral column ,at the right side of the German dispozitive ,have descended Bistrita Valley and were ready to enter the fight ,going around towards South -East to fall in the flank of Romanian lines.But the defeat in the eve and the retreat of the German center has changed the situation of the Detachments ,which did not correspond anymore to the initial plan,German.The Corps of the Cavalry Column ,advancing from Brosteni towards Frincesti ,found the locality occupied by Romanians.The troops of Dejoianu Detachment interrupted any connection between the Lateral Column of Cavalry and the thick of the Germans.Before the Germans could realize the situation a Romanian Detachment,made out of and Infantry Battalion and an artillery battery ,advanced towards Bilta and hit ,above Frincestilor ,the flank and back of the Enemy Column.The resistance of the enemy was short;he is beaten and throwed back.Romanians pursue with vigor the German Cavalry ,which is forced to retreat back in to the mountains ,with great casualties.

At the center ,the German could not maintain not even the second line ,in the day of 29th of October,at 2 pm,the restless Romanian troops have taken with assault in an irezistible elan all the enemy's positions on the elevations :Lesului Hill-height 1191 meters -Piva Hill,Grindului Peak ,chasing him away towards Drumu Neamtului(Neamt Road).

The Battle was deffinitively lost by the Germans.The enemy have started a precipitated retreat through bad terrain places with very steep ravines ,on muds ,whiped by a cold rain and chased away from behind by victorious Romanian.The retreat transforms in a general confusion.The cavalerists shoot their horses to be able to better sneak through the narrow paths.Cannons and automobiles roll over in to the abyssal ravines.Carriages with munition ,food deposits ,sanitary coaches ,intact automobiles or burned,kitchens,tents ,weapons ,stake the road of retreat and fall prey to the victorious.A whole week ,until 4th of November ,have continued the pursuit of the beaten enemy,gathering prisoners and war material.The tableau of the prey is an imposing one:1600 prisoners ,25 cannons ,together with the 17 cannons the enemy has taken in the first part of the battle and which have been taken back ,55 machineguns .The number of dead of the enemy buried by Romanians soldiers,goes over over 1500.

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The Romanian Victory described by the enemy

The Romanian victory is complete.The enemy tries to diminish it in his official communicates:"At South-West of Surduc Pass ,the enemy has pushed back with a few Miles one of our fighting Groups".Nothing more.The General is serious in his words when is forced to confess a defeat.It is true that the German pride has been hit hard.The goal aimed by the Battle of Jiu was of the most important and the troops,which have been beaten ,belonged to the elite of the German Army.It was the famous 2nd Bavarian Division*,which has given the assault at Przemysl,which advanced,ahead of phallanx of Mackensen on the Russian Front,until the ponds of Pripetului[10] and which has been ,next to the Alpine Corps ,the seed of the German Army in the Campaign against the Serbs.From here,the envy which sweats in the reports of their istoriographs.One of them writes:"Romanians congratulate themselves with the success in Jiu Valley over the Bavarian troops and trumpet this success in the whole World.The reality probes only that the Bavarian troops have advanced without prudence and with fury ,careless about the enemy counteroffensive .In such enterprizes it happens very easy ,in mountaineous regions ,that the heads of the invasion columns to collide by an enemy greatly superior and-and if this one realises the situation and attacks -naturally (!) suffers a momentarily failure .The official publicity of the German General Staff is more sincere in exposing the battle and of the result.It entangles ,however in long explanations and twisted over the bad weather and of the pretended numerical superiority of Romanians .The description of the German retreat is pitoresque and interesting one:"Under unusual great difficulties made the German troops the retreat on torential rain.Horses ,cannons and vehicles sliped and fel lin to the ravines.Torents of rain changed the snow cover on the mountains and valleys in mud .The horses,exhausted ,could not go on ,nor to move the cannons.They have been destroyed.At 30th of October in the evening ,the troops of Kneusll Group could finally maintain on the last line of retreat ,but how difficult!Fron 23rd of October it has rained and snowed continuously ,during the day.At night the temperature went below freezing.On the heights,a cold wind like ice was blowing strong;nor a bungalow to shelter the troops ,neither a fire to heat up them and dry.We also have to remind that the troops were broken by exhaust ,because of the efforts, over the human endurance made in marchings and fights between these difficult regions of mountains ,that they had to give numerous safety posts and because of the cold they could not even sleep.So,we can explain how they could be defeated by the strong superiority of Romanians ,which were helped also by a thick fog ,and had guides ,which knew well the roads.The justifications of the enemy could be taken into account ,with the rectification that ,the bad weather ,was the same for Germans as for Romanians,which fought together on the same Earth and under the same Sky.The only difference was that the Germans were equiped for mountain warfare ,as the Romanian troops have been gathered from the mountains but also from the valley and equiped however they could.The affirmation that the Romanians were superior in number,it is an untruth.In fact,Romanians have started the fight with nine Battalions and,only at 28th of October ,they could summon 20 Battalions ,the effective of almost a Division and a half-of which a good part troops were of gathering-the Germans had two Infantry Divisions -most of them carefully choosen troops -and two Cavalry Divisions ,having also a superior artillery.

* By a curious coincidence ,Jiu Battle has been given between 11th Bavarian Division and 11th Romanian Division ;at the enemy 21st Artillery Regiment ,and at us the heroic Artillery Regiment with the same number.

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(Machinegun in full action in advanced position)

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The causes and follow-up of the German defeat

The causes of the Romanian victory at Jiu are other than the ones showed by the Germans.Firstly,to much confidence of the Germans, in their superiority and the depreciation of the fighting strngth of Romanians.This mistake of apreciation made them to execute an offensive with a missjudged daring -in columns lacking connection between them -and commit many imprudences ,counting on the intimidation of Romanians.

On the part of these ones ,the plan of the counteroffensive well thought and energically executed ,knew to take advantage of the adventurous situation of the German columns and to attack them in the most weak points.The proverbial resistance of the Romanian soldier at tireing marchhings and missgivings of all kinds ,as well as the elan with which they fought ,defending-most of them-their lands ,hills and villages ,have ensured the victory.

The Battle of Jiu is after the one at Oituz ,the second big victory of Romanians against the mighty adversary ,from the start of the offensive of Falkenhayn .It forms a title of legitime pride :for the heroic troops ,but also for the young Commanders which lead them.

With all the beauty of success,the victory at Jiu could not be exploited for strategic goals.The physical tiredness of the troops ,obstacled them to continue the pursuit of the adversary.Alarmed by the result of the fight ,this one made use of quick and strong reinforcements.Even at 29th of October ,as the 6th Cavalry Division,German,begun the desastruous retreat ,has been brought in great haste the Alpine Battalion Wurtemberger and the 7th Cavalry Division,German,to fill the empty space formed up by the breaking of the German Front at South of Virfu Negru(Black Peak).Two new Divisions disembarked behind the front;they could not be put in to the fight because ,with all the efforts made,the German Front could not maintain until their entering into the line.So,the fight ceased without the enemy to be chased beyond the frontier;especially Jiu Defile remained,in the greatest part,in his mastering.He installed here a battery of heavy howitzers ,with which started to bombard the Romanian positions ,pushing even his own line towards South ,in Surduc Pass ,until close to Bumbesti and on to the elevations East of the pass.

On the Romanian part,the increasing pressure of the enemy attacks in the other sectors necessitated the sending of reinforcements in thoughtless directions.The Jiu Group disorganized itself in this way ,and the unit incorporated in it have been send back to the groups they belonged ,in the first place.

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(Farman 40,airplane for observation and bombardment,in Romanian Army during the Great War)

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f)The End Of The First Battle Of the Passes.

The effects of the battle

The defeat at Jiu ends the row of the firs efforts made by the enemy to put his hands on the passes.The offensive started by Falkenhayn and by Arz at 11th of October ,ends at 28th of October with a total fiasco.The German Generalisim ,is forced to admit it without any doubt :"So the trial to cross over the mountains in the same time with the enemy ,did not succeed".The causes of this insuccess ,after the German Generalisim opinion,was:the bad weather which came in to the mountains at 18th of October ,the insufficient equipment of the troops for mountain warfare ,the impossibility of the Hungarian railways to ensure a quick service of transports and especially "the damn" ideea ideea of the Commandment of the Group of Armies of Archduke Carol to enterprize in the same time an offensive in an excentric direction ,at Oituz,which has smashed the forces and wekened the ones whith which it was supposed to give the principal blow.Falkenhayn revenges. afirming in bad temper ,but also with probable rightness ,that"anyone who knows the IstAustro-Hungarian Army,must say to himself that no decisseive success can be expected from this Army".

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A closer examination of the situation has to show ,though that,if the enemy did not succeed to break the Romanian Front or to master one of the passes ,still,it have obtained important advantages .On the whole stretch of Carpathian Mountains of Muntenia ,from Jiu Valley to Buzau Valley ,the Romanian Front has been pushed on a depth which reached here and there 6 Miles away from the mountain ridges on the frontier.In the vecinity of the most important passes ,the peaks edging the enterances in these passes were in the enemy hands.The defence of Carpathians had to be made now on to a second line of elevations .All over ,the enemy held the Northern entrances of the Defiles ;the Romanians mastered only the Southern ones.

Another effect of the bloody battle given for 17 days was that the Romanian troops ,fighting hard ,with the enemy better equiped than them,and with the weather more and more deteriorating,were shortened as effectives ,tired,demoralized.Their power of resistance was weaker and weaker.No powere of refreshing the troops could not be seen from nowere.Almost the totality of the Army has been engaged from the beginning on the whole fronts and the soldiers have been,for two months now,in continuous fights with the enemy,without that in this whole time to be exchanged,for rest.The perspective of the future fights with an enemy which ,from his part,was strengthening all the time with new troops ,send from other fighting fronts ,concerned more and more the High Romanian Commandment.How long will it last this weakened and harrased soldier?

Regroupings of Romanian-Russian troops

Worn out ,and need of rest of ,the Romanian troops ,have become the most urgent matters.The plan of General Berthelot to take out from the Front the most tired Divisions and bring them in the interior to rest them and,in the same time ,to form up from them Strategical Reserves ,has been adopted by the Great Headquarter and put in to practice after long and tiring discussions with the allies ,especially with the Russians.These onse,consented to be concentrated in to Dobrogea ,three Corps of Army and to be brought to Moldavia . four Army Corps ,under the Command of General Lecitki ,with the intention to enterprize an offensive in Moldavian Carpathian Mountains towards Transilvania ,to push the Fighting Front on to the line of the Mountains of Harghita and Baraoltului.This action ease in the same time ,the Romanian Front and permittet taking out of few Divisions from the first line.The Sector which will be occupied by the RUssians will stretch from Calimani until Trotus River region.The replacement movement will begin in the last days of October;it will be made with much activity at the Armies in Moldavia and Dobrogea.The 14th Romanian Division ,goes out the Front ,to constitute in general reserve in region Bucharest-Ciulnita;a Brigade of the 2nd Cavalry Division is brought at South of Bucharest in Budesti-Curcani region;the 8th Romanian Division gathers at Adjud ,from where it would have to be transported towards Ploiesti.Divisions 2/5 and 9/19 ,very tired,retreated from Dobrogea wil rest in Buzau-Braila region taking in to their composition the sedentary parts of of the V-th Braila Corps.It is also reconstituted the 18th Romanian Division the one destroyed at Turtucaia,from the 4th Mixt Brigade of the 14th Romanian Division ,completed with other units,especially of taking the 4th battalion from different regiments.With all these troops retreated from Moldavia and Dobrogea ,it will be constituted at East of Bucharest also a strong Strategic Reserve at the dispozition of the Great Headquarter ,to be used as manoeuvre mass in defence or offens ,where it will be needed.

On a reduced scale ,it is started the making of strategical reserves in the other two armies.The II-nd Romanian Army will have to take out from Front two Divisions:the 16th Romanian and 10th Romanian ,the last one having the need to be completed ,the I-st Romanian Army was constituting at Pitesti the 11th Romanian Division,this one also very tired,as a reserve unit.

At 5th of November ,the Great Headquarter will succeed to gather around Bucharest a Strategic Reserve ,at its dispozition,made out of seven Divisions ,of which only one good Division,the 14th Romanian ;the others very tired and weakened because of the continuous fights they conducted(Divisions :2nd/5th,9th/19th,11th,21st,7th) needed rest and remaking.

An offensive of General Sarrail towards Monastir has to contribute at taking the burden of Romanian Front over which was visible now that the enemy centers all his interest and all strengths which he can make available from all European Fronts.

The operations of constituting of the reserves go hard because of the slow with which the Russians were arriving.Alekseev changes terms after terms ,postponing all the time the beginning of the offensive and asking to Romanian Commandment to hold the Front until the calculated dates ,considered safe for the advancing of the Russians on to the fighting line.But the Russians move hard,and the capacity of transport of the railways in Basarabia and Moldavia is weak.Frictions are produced ,upsets and incriminations by both sides.And during this tme,the enemy dose not give us a break, not one moment.He has brought new and important forces ,with which he begins a new offensive.

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