Romanian Campaign of 1916,Defending the Carpathians

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3.The Second Battle Of The Passes

a)Preparing Of The New Offensive

The first battle for conquering of the defiles has brought to the German Commander a defeat on the whole line of the fighting front ,but also the gain of a stretch of land along this front.It has brought though a more important gain:a useful experience.Falkenhayn has given blows of drill in all the points of passing;if the drill did not break through in either place,it showed very clearly where is the weak spot of resistance and the greatest chance of victory.Although at Jiu has been the greatest failure ,still there was the biggest oportunity to succeed.There the mountain was most narrow than anywhere else;there ,were most of the lateral roads and paths,parallel with the principal driveway in the defile(Jiu Defile) ,and this was now, almost entirely in the hands of the enemy.The new trial has to be made in the same place,trying to avoid the mistakes at the first one.Firstly,the Command will be more circumspect .the German Commander started to admit that the opinions he has made over the raport of forces between the ally armies and their adversaries ,were too optimist.Impressed by the speed with which they took out the Romanians from Ardeal,they underapreciated the value of the Romanian troops.From here,the confidence that the passes could be forced only in a few days and that the barrier of the mountains will be crossed by surprise in the same time with the Romanians.In reality,there has been surprise,but for the German Commandment.The heroism of the Romanian soldier was so great ,his love for his Kingdoom has multiplied his forces so much ,that with all the technical superiority of the enemy ,he(the enemy) has been throw back almost enywhere.The German official communique has to notice* that"the Romanian troops defend with dtermination the enterances of their Kingdom".

The new offensive will be prepared and executed with the most of care.The German give up to surprise.Secondly there will be used superior forces.What could not have been obtained by surprise ,must be looked to be obtained by"making use of forces ,regardless of any economy".writes Falkenhayn.the Big German Headquarter newsed the Commander of the IX-th Army that there will be send three German Divisions ;he will use them all at Jiu .The new attack will be given,thus,in the same place,but with seven Divisions.It must,by any price,to be forced the entering in the Field from the Mountain,before the winter to force the enemy to cease operations.

When the preparatives of the new offensive to be over,Falkenhayn gave the order that the fights to follow their course in Valleys of Olt River and Prahova.In these two sectors was not about a breakthrough anymore ,much less of a surprise action,but a slow action and continuous which,supported by the big masses of artillery which the enemy had in these sectors ,to harass the Romanians ,weaken their forces and conquer the terrain step by step.When the preparations of Jiu will be over ,the offensive will be retaken at all the passes(or mountain passes),to mask the principal strike.The masses of men and cannons ,as the method,will have to bring the victory,which could not be brought by surprise and presumption.

*Communicate from 22nd of October.

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The Russians take over a part of the Carpathian Moldavian front

The repeated interventions of the allies in the West over the Russians have become more and more pressing ,up to the point when these ones ,with all the repulssion they manifested for such an operation ,decided ,finally ,to take over a part of the fighting sector which comprised the Moldavian Carpathian Mountains.Decissive, was not the wish to come in the aid of Romanians ,but their own safety in the left flank of the Russian Front of Bucovina.So,Russian units will replace in this region the Romanian ones ,exhausted in a fight without break ,which laste for a few months already ,against an enemy refreshing his forces all the time .That is why,during November ,the Russian Front in Bucovina Mountains started a slip movement to the South ;the Army of General Lecitki stretched the left wing in to the Mountains of Neamt and of Bacau,until Ghimes Pass ,replacing the Romanian troops taken out from the fighting line ,to constitute reserves .In the same time ,the Russians have send to Dobrogea important forces-almost four Corps of Army -under the Command of General Zaharov ,to reject the enemy and free Dobrogea .At least this was the goal announced by the High Russian Commandment .How the Russians aquited by this mission and what was the real action ,of this important force ,will remain to be seen latter.

Tightening the colaboration on to the fighting field necessitated realities more tight of Commandment.General Beleaev-latter War Minister of Russia-has been named representative of the high Commandment of the Russian Army attached to the Romanian Commandment.A mission of superior officers ,artillery technicians ,lead by General Vinogradski arrived in Romania at 3rd of November ,as a technical advisers to help the Romanians, with their experience earned during two years of War;the mission has been separated in to three groups ,attached to the three armies of operations .These measure had the defect that they came too late ,to straighten a situation which started to slide on to a dangerous slope ,and the participation of the Russian Armies to the operations has not been,in any way,up to the expectations of the mission they headlined when they have been send ,in the first place.

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(Austro -Hungarian Army howitzer,Skoda,quick firing,model 1916 ,305 mm,firing distance 11100m,projectile weight 308 kg,weight without postament 23000 kg,captured by Romanian Army during the Great War)

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(Romanian Army Officers uniforms)

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The second battle at Oituz

The defeat suffered by Austro-Hungarians in the Battle for the Passes of Moldavia put a stop for a while to the warior veleities of Archduke Carol .The I-st Austro-Hungarian Army had given up at any new trial.The cold rains transformed in to snow and blizzards.That is why,for 14 days ,it has been on the Moldavian Front a kind of silent truce ,interrupted only by small local attacks for occupying of some more proeminent elevation ,which the next day was counterattacked and retaken by the adversary which had lost it.

An important change took place at the right wing of the I-st Austro-Hungarian Army.The 71st Division ,together with the 1st Cavalry Division Austro-Hungarian and with the 8th Bavarian Division ,formed up in the region of Oituz a new Group,of which Commnd had been given to German General von Gerock,the former defender of Kovelului[11],brought from the Front of Podolia Galitian.In the Reserve of the group,gathers a new Austro-Hungarian Division ,the 24th ,at Tirgu Secuiesc,and the 3d Division of Cavalry ,German is at Brasov.The group had received the order to maintain ready for a new offensive ,which had to unleash together with the great blow planned at Jiu.In waiting of this offensive ,the Northern wing of rhe Army of von Arz had to defend itself against the attacks of the Russian troops ,which have replaced the Romanians in Sector of Bistricioarei and of Bicaz .The fights had not given any important result ;they went around some few elevations.

At 10th of November ,in the eve of the new attack of Jiu,has started the offensive of Gerock in Oituz Pass.The fight is given on both sides of the Pass by troops of the 8th Bavarian Division (Regiment 225th Infantry and 10th Hunter)and of the 71st Austro-Hungarian Division.In the first day the bombardment of the strong enemy artillery has been of an unsaid violence;its infantry attacks went on till 1 in the night and had been all repulsed with great casualties on both sides.The second and the third day ,the attacks continued without losing nothing of their energy ;only in the Sector between Slanic and Oituz ,the enemy has made in the day of 12th of November eight attacks in direction Cernica Peak;all bloody repulsed*.

But the simple defensive it is not in the character of the brave General Eremia Grigorescu and of the heroic 15th Romanian Division,which he Commands .Romanians pass to counteroffensive .Fierce fights have took place especially on heights Cernica and Fata Moarta(Dead Girl),in which Regiments 8th Romanian Hunters and 13th Stefan cel Mare ,had considerable losses .Cernica Peak had went from one hand to another in the days of 13th,14th,15th of November.Protected by a very effective artillery firing range,the Romanians have attacked and seized Bradului(Fir Tree) Peak,Piatra Runcului(Runcu Stone) and elevation 1175 meters on Plaiu Fata Moarta ,on which they strongholded.The most fierce conterattacks were made by the enemy in the night 13-14th of November ,for reconquering of the lost positions.On Plaiu Fata Moarta(Dead Girl Field),Bavarian and Hungarian troops attacked with frenzy ,arriving at savage body fights.The 8th Romanian Hunters regiment hd lost four Commanders and 400 men and had to retreat a little.But in the evening of 14th ,the Rmanians attacked again in Oituz valley and succeeded in throwing back the enemy deffinitive over the border.250 prisoners and 12 machineguns were the trophies of the new victory at Oituz.The bad weather ,which set in at 18th of November ,the snow ,blizzard have put an end to operations.Besides ,the full attention of the enemy was now at Jiu,where it was given the decissive blow with the help of an imposant unfolding of troops .The second trial of the enemy at Oituz had collapsed just like the first one .It had no other result,but to devote the glory of Oituz and to ad new flowers in the crown of the 13th Stefan cel Mare** Regiment,which showed himself worthy of the great inherritance left by his ancestors,the turkeys(bird) of Plevna.(the soldiers had turkey feathers at uniforms and hat,Penes Curcanu=Feather the Turkey)

*Of the notes of a German medic officer of the 8th Bavarian Division ,over the fight of 11th of November on Lespezi Hill,near Cernica:"Ours talk with admiration about the despice for death with which Romanians fight ;they lack ,though ,circumspection and experience.Whenever they prepare an attack ,you can hear the voice of a Commander which keeps a speech ,then unleashes a savage march ,in the sounds of which the soldiers dash like crazy"

**Stefan cel Mare (Prince Stephen III of Moldavia,1432-1504)

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(Battles of Stefan cel Mare /Prince Stephen the III-rd of Moldavia;left-Battle of Baia 1467;middleBattle of Vaslui 1475;right -Battle of Cosmin Forest 1497)

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Sector Bratocea-Buzau

At 28th of October ceased the fights in the region of Buzau Pass;the enemy ,dissatisfied by insuccess,gave up to the offensive .No warior veleity spirited anymore the troops of the Divisions 89th and 187th,Germans.The sector will be quiet in awaiting of the important events from whereever.

The initiative of the attacks crossed on the part of Romanians .At 30th of October a Detachment of the 22nd Regiment ,made out of Battalion with four machineguns and two small cannons of 53 mm ,attack Rosca Mountain ,which rise up its ridge to 1425 meters high,above the streams of Tarlungului,and to the West of Bratocei Pass .The attack,made by surprise in the morning ,on fog ,was a complete success.The enemy Company occupying the position has been destroied;in only one trench has been found the dead bodies of two officers and 70 soldiers.The reserve Company could not get out of their shelters in time ,to come in the aid and has been scattered.The mountain has been lost the next day ,by a veiling move ,executed by the enemy on both flanks ,supported also by a strong bombardment of artillery.

At 31st of October ,the enemy has attacked on Prahovei Valley,the position on Clabucet.During the fights it has been noticed that have participated also troops brought from the 187th Division from Bratocea,weakening this front.That is why,the Commander of the II-nd Romanian Army decided to use this moment ,and to attack the enemy on the whole Front of Bratocea-buzau.

At 2nd of November ,the offensive action ,started by Romanians ,along three passes and on to the mountains in their vecinity .At the left wing ,in Bratocea Sector ,the troops of the 3rd Romanian Division attack Rosca Mountain ,from South-Est.The fights continue with violence also in the next day ,when the 22nd Regiment conquers Rosca Mountain ,taking 114 prisoners ,after which,sets foot also on Beldiei Mountain.At the center and in Tabla Butii Sector ,the attack of the Romanians is given in direction Tataru Mare which is conquered in the day of 4th of November .At the right side ,the troops of the 6th Division attack Siriu Massif ;but the soldiers of a Battalion of the 34th Regiment ,made out of Turks and Bulgarians from Dobrogea ,surrender without fight ,and the action does not succeed.

Alarmed by this offensive,the enemy brings reinforcements and counterattcks on the whole front.After a violent bombardment ,he reoccupies at 4 Rosca Mountain.Because of the lack of connections between the different Detachments ,scattered through this mountaineous region ,the reserves intervene too late ;Beldiei Mountain is also abandoned.Violent fights are given in the following days .The 6th Romanian Division attacks on the whole front,rips from the enemy several elevations ,but cannot conquer Soimului Hill(Hawk Hill),which is formidable fortified .At 9th of November,the Romanian battalion occupying Tataru Mare is counterattacked and leaves the elevation.With these,the whole gain of the offensive of 2-4th of November is lost ,again,but also the Germans are exhausted .Both sides are happy to give up a fight which cannot bring any advantage to either one of them,to worth the losses.Falkenhayn begins to be convinced that his troops on this front may not make any deed so that is why he recommends "to suspend any attack and to cross to defensive ".He is afraid that these troops "might epuisate in a grave mode ,without having any perspective to gain ,by this,any success".The 187th Division ,is weak and lost any strngth whatsoever for fight;she is taken out of the front and brought in reserve at Brasov,to rest and remake ,being replaced with a new unit ,the 2nd Austro-Hungarian Division.

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The fights in Prahova Valley.

The attack of Clabucets line

After evacuating Predeal,the troops of Predeal Group,made out of Divisions 4th Romanian and 10th Romanian,under the Command of General Vaitoianu ,have occupied the line of heights Clabucetelor,which dominate from one side and the other Prahova Valley.the enemy have given up to the ideea of of a breakthrough ,through Prahova Valley ;the offensive action in this region tended to conquer in a methodical way, mountain by mountain ,position by position ,to prepare the exit from the Defile ,when the breakthrough will succeed, in whichever place possible.The position of Clabucets was the first obstacle ,which had to be sided ,to open up the road through Prahova Valley.It was not an easy thing though .Defended in flanks by big elevations -at West Bucegi Mountains,at East Paltinu ,Rusu(the Russian), Unghia Mare(the Big Claw)-strengthened by works of all kinds ,the position could not be attacked ,but only frontal.The hope of the enemy could be only in the crushing superiority of his artillery ,in front of which our primitive works of defence collapsed like toys.

At 26th of October ,has been occupied the peak in the middle of the massif:Clabucetul Taurului,by a triple attack ,frontal and on to the flanks ,through the valleys of the funicular(suspended transport)which goes towards Retivoiu.From this peak is aimed the next day ,a strong bombardment towards the neighbour peak,Clabucetul Azugai,which has been occupied as well.With this face,the superior valley of Azuga Stream was in the hand of the enemy.Azuga Village itself,dominated by elevations,could not be held by Romanians anymore.It has been evacuated ,without being occupied by the enemy.Emptied and desserted ,remained the fluorishing industrial center between the two adverse fronts,receiving blows from friends and foes.The buildings and instalations of the factories collapsed .The beautiful stone Church ,build by King Carol the I-st,took the looks of the glorious ruins of the French cathedrals of North-East.The school nearby the church,new ,as well "the effects of the cultural propaganda of the great German people".The houses collapsed one by one .Azuga was in ruins.

Towards West of Clabucetul Taurului the enemy managed ,with hard work,to occupy the entire Predeal Village ,assaulting house by house ,and to master the driveway until North of Azuga.Beyond the valley though,towards West,Clabucetul Baiului (height 1441 meters) was allways in the hands of our troops ,which defended it with stubborness.Few attacks have been bloody repulsed.The enemy decided to attack it methodically,from North-East,along a valley which opens up in front of Predeal Monastery ,with increased forces ,brought from 187th German Division from Predelus and Bratocea .Clabucetul Baiului has been attacked in the day of 31st of October by a fierce bombardment of the heavy Austro-German artillery ,which have turned upside down and pulverized all the works of defence and buried under rubble the cannons of the two poor batteries of light howitzers ,which Romanians had on Clabucet.Waves of axfixiant and tear gas have covered then with the thick myst the Romanian positions ravaged,preceeding the attack given by the soldiers of 188th German Regiment from Thuringia ,at the left side and the Hanovezi of the 51st Austro-Hungarian Division at the right side .The defence was made in a heroic manner by the soldiers of the 5th Vlasca Regiment and 33rd Tulcea regiment .Overwhelmed by the superiority of the means of attack of the enemy ,the defenders remained alive had ,after bloody fights,to back off ,leaving numerous dead bodies buried under the searched Earth ,through the pits dug by the shells.

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Amongst the acts of heroism done in the course of this fight ,worth to not be forgotten the conduct of major Munteanu Ion of 18th Howitzers Regiment .In the midst of the fight spin ,as one of the batteries of his divizion has been framed and buried under the rubble ,the infantry has been taken by panic and threatened with surrounding.To give time to the soldier to retreat in order,Major Munteanu pushes the other battery on the uncovered ridge and starts to shoot at the enemy ,which he brings to a stand still.The battery concentrates over itself,the fires of the enemy ,is framed and an enemy projectile tear both legs of the Major .Still ,he refuses to let to be evacuated and stays on spot to supervise personally ,the taking off the extenders from the cannons ,which buried ,could not be saved anymore,as well as the retreat of their personel.The last one ,remained in the battery,the Major ,remains there for eternity ,because a second shell smashes his head.

The next day,the Commander of Predeal Group enterprized a counteroffensive on the whole front.At the right wing ,troops of the 4th Division ,reject the enemy beyond Azuga Valley.At the left ,troops of the 10th Division reconquer Clabucetul Baiului ,together with all the heights above Azuga;the Romanians manage to ungrave one of the batteries, and save ,lost in yesterday battle.But the superiority of the enemy maintains;he rebrings new forces and uses a superior artillery.the Romanians are able to maintain on the position till 10 in the evening ,when they have to leave it again.

The attacks of the enemy stretches towards South-East along the frontier .Diham Mountain rises his backs like a saddle ,closing the bottom of Cerbului Valley(Deer Valley);the enemy wants to enter through this valley at Busteni ,to turn by South the entire defence of Prahova Valley.Terrible fights take place on Diham and Capatina Porcului(the Head of the Pig) in the days of 2nd ,3rd and 4th of November ,the heavy enemy artillery ,hidden in Ghimbaselului Valley ,sweeps in vertigos of fire the back uncovered of Diham .The soldiers of Regiments 33rd and 37th are scattered after bloody fights ;of the first regiment have remained eight oficers and 234 men;the second one has been reduced at six officers and 280 men.The Regiments ,originary from Tulcea ,have mixed population:Bulgarians,Germans and Turks are not men to count on ;almost all of them have surrended to the enemy.The Commander of the Brigade ,Colonel Popovat ,an elite Officer ,which is all the time on the line of fire ,wth despice for danger ,has been killed by the splinters of a grenade .The 6th Hunters Regiment and Feldioara Regiment ,which intervene in to the fight are one by one decimated by the formidable heavy artillery of the enemy and scattered .Romanians are force to give up to the defence of Diham.With this ,the entire line of the Clabucets is lost.

The Romanian troops occupy the third line of defence in Prahova Valley ,which leans over ,in the left side ,on to the proud Peaks of Bucegi Mountains ,Costila and Caraimanu defending Cerbului Valley,goes over Clabucet Hill,then crosses Prahova Valley between Busteni and Azuga and continues on the elevations East of Prahova Valley.The remains of Popovat Brigade are retreated from fight,bringing reinforcements from the right wing ,and the Commanders of Divisions 4th and 10th are replaced ,for lack of energy in conducting the operations of their units.

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On Bucegi Massif and in Cerbului(of the Deer) Valley

The greatest danger for the third Romanian line of defence ,threatened from the transversal Valley of Cerbului,is that the positions could be turned by West.The Valley was exposed to the artillery fires and machineguns of the enemy from Clabucetul Baiului and from Diham ,such that the replenishment services of the Romanian troops were made very hard ,with many risks and many losses in men.The Romanian soldiers had to make their shelters in the steep ribs of Bucegi Massif.Cannons had to be lifted by ropes on Peaks of Costila and Caraiman ,at over 2000 m(60000 feet) high.Ceaseless fights had to be given on excelent blizzards ,in fight with the snow piles covering the trenches ,with the snow storms which threw spins in the eye ,with the savage enemy in front which knock down any careless ,appearing on the ribs of Cerbului Valley.At the center ,along Prahova Valley ,the enemy could not make a step on this side of Azuga ;two long cannons ,mounted on platform carriages dragged by a locomotive ,were sheltered in the railway tunnel at Busteni,from which they went out only to fire very well aimed bursts in the enemy positions,after which they entered again in their excelent shelter ,where they could not be discovered by airplanes.Greatly troubled ,the German artillery fired over Busteni ,of which destroyed entirely the neighbourhood arround the paper factory ,of which high chimney they used as reference point.At the right side ,the elevations East of Prahova had been well defended and could not permit to the enemy any move of advance and veiling of the said wing.On the Mountain Unghia Mare(Big Claw) has given the end Colonel Lolescu,the Commander of 10th Hunters Regiment ,Romanian,hit by a bulet in the forehead ,as he was on the look out,as always from the most perilled spot.

The Romanian troops are lessened because of the heavy casualties of the fights ,especially because of the artillery fires ,by the heavy weather ,exhaust and sufferings of all kinds.Units of the 16th Division are brought to the Front ,to replace those of the 10th Division and 4th Division ,which have been destroyed or which cannot fight anymore .The troops of Predeal Group start an offensive in the day of 8th of November in region of Costila Clearing ,Cerbului Valley and Clabucetului,against the enemy which ,by occupying Omu(Men) Mountain ,have increased its circle around the end of Cerbului Valley.

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The 10th Romanian Division is strengthened with troops of the 14th Romanian Division ,which are brought from Sinaia,during the night ,by under the ribs of Jepilor,by West of Poiana Tapului(Goat Clearing) and Busteni(Logs),avoiding the driveway ,which was perfectly seen and beaten by the enemy artillery from Clabucet(the Lather) .

At 9th and 10th of November are given,day and night ,extremely violent fights .The enemy ,using a crushing superior artillery ,executes exterminating barrages of fire which produce disorder in our batteries occupying the fighting positions ,or are on the way to gather ,and demoralize the infantry soldiers.He takes the counteroffensive and manages to reject the infantry troops of the 55th Regiment at our left wing ,and enters in the position of Feldioara Regiment.With great difficulty the reserves run ,cover the breeches and reestablish the situation.It is again noticed that the means of Romanian troops are too weak ,to ensure the success of the frontal action .The 10th Division ,completely tired out of powers,reduced to humiliating effectives ,is retreated as well from the Front ,to remaking ;at the 33rd Regiment ,Commander is a Lieutenant.In the fighting line remain troops of Divisions 4th and 16th.

General Averescu plans to attack the enemy Front by a maneouvre of flank ,from which he hopes to obtain the success which he may not obtain by frontal attacks.The 21st Division ,which has been retreated from fight after Predeal Battle and has been remade at Baicoi ,received the order to set to marching towards Predelus Pass,between Predeal and Bratocea,to fall in to the flank and back of the enemy position in Prahova Valley.The transport of waggons and cannons of the Division on the slopes covered with deep snow piles or ice ,in the mountaineous region,is made very difficult.The operation is though suspended.Faced with the agravation of situation on other fronts ,a great sacrifice is asked to the II-nd Romanian Army:she has to cede to the Great Romanian Headquarter two Divisions .The 21st Division is turn from her way and ,together with the 10th Division ,send to Bucharest,to take part in defending the capital of the Kingdom,Bucuresti(Bucharest),in the battle on Arges.

The whole month of November,the two adversaries have wasted their strengths in attacks and counterattacks ,which coud not bring any important change in the position occupied,by both of them.The enemy remains fixed in the upper part of Cerbului Valley and on to the Southern edge of Azuga Village ,not being able to make any step forward .Exhausted as well,the enemy,by the great losses ,suffered ,convinced by the sterility of his efforts ,has retreated at Brasov the 187th Division and left only the 51st Austro-Hungarian Division ,to harass the Romanians ,keeping them in eternal tension by artillery bombardment.The great decissive offensive ,given by the Germans at 28th of November for forcing the crossing of Carpathian Mountains ,did not had any episode on Prahova Valley,which has been voluntarily evacuated by Romanians ,in the first days of December ,under the pressure of whichever events.

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The third battle of Cimpulung(the Longfield)

In the sector of Cimpulung ,two weeks of relative quiet have past.From the 27th of October ,when Morgen suffered a second defeat ,which closed its way towards Cimpulung ,the enemy did not attack.He contented with strengthening its positions occupied in the mountains ,protecting especially the wings.

At 10th of November,together with the great attack at Jiu ,Morgen received the order to take a determined offensive ,by which to conquer "finally" the pool of Cimpulungului.The terms of the order betrayed the deception and iritation of the German Generalisim for the defeats suffered just by the Group which at the beginning gave the highest of hopes..Morgen started the great ordered attack ,in the day of 11th of November ,over our left flank from Leresti until Cindesti ;the attack was sustained by a strong heavy artillery and by axfixiant projectiles.The troops of the 22nd Division resisted for five days with energy ;the fights have been very fierce through this region of mountains,hills and valleys,covered with woods;most of the time reaching attacks with bayonet.A column of Bavarians,made out of choosen men,foreseen with the most perfected means ,started from Rucar over Zanoaga on narrow paths ,in night marchings ,to strengthen the Alpine Brigade at the right enemy wing.At 11th of November Reitzenstein Detachment,made out of a Bavarian Battalion and a Bosniac one ,attacks the Romanian Detachment by the flank ,at Cindesti.The Romanians fight with disperation ,but overwhelmed by superior forces ,had to leave Cindesti Hamlet.The next day,the Bavarians and the Austrian Alpiners attack Albestii(the Whites),which they succeed to occupy after a ferocious fight ,which lasted for nine hours.The casualties are big ,on both sides ,especially at the enemy.More to the East,the elevation of Toaca has been attacked by two Battalions of Bavarians and taken after heavy fight,together with the remains of the small Romanian Detachment which defended it ,without ceding not a palm of Earth.At the center ,the enemy has entered in the day of 15th of November in Leresti,in Riul Tirgului Valley ,on a depth od 1500 meters.

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With these successes the enemy lost his breath.His victorious advance has ended.It was now the turn of Romanians.With all the suffered losses,the Romanian troops did not content to seat in defence.Namaesti Group ,made out of the 22nd Romanian Infantry Division,General Razu ,strengthened with some elements taken from the neighbour Division -the 12th -and with two Brigades of Calarasi,Cavalry,passed to counteroffensive ,attacking in the day of 17th of November the whole Front of the enemy ,between Argesel and Bratia .The 12th Division supported the action by demonstrative attacks .Full of elan ,with rose up moral because of the pressence on the Front of General Averescu ,the Commander of the II-nd Army ,the Romanian troops attack ,take out all over the enemy out of his positions ,make this one felt casualties ,and repulse him back.The terrain is covered by hundreds of dead bodies .Albestii and Cindesti have been reconquered by the troops of the 22nd Division .400 prisoners ,two officers ,cannons ,machineguns ,have remained in the hands of the victorious trops.The brave troops continued the fight in the following days attacking the enemy on the whole line ;away him successively from the elevations ,by which he serch to hang on ,and conquered his positions ,placed on high peaks.In these new positions ,they have repelled all the trials made by the enemy to reconquer them.

Falkenhayn admits in his memoirs the complete defeat of Morgen 's Corps.The 8th Austro-Hungarian Alpine Brigade ,which was at the extreme right German,and the 12th Bavarian Division ,which was at the left of the first one ,have been beaten ,lossing whatever power of attack they had and have disorganized the services .General Morgen ,admiting his grave defeat ,asked to his chief in the evening of 4th of November the premission not only to suspend the hostilities and retreat his troops on Bran driveway ,beyond the frontier ,but also expressed his opinion that any try to continue the fight in this sector is in vain and it is better that the troops to be used on other Front.

"Only with great difficulty -writes Falkenhayn-I could convince him that such a measure coud have had grave consequences ". The Supreme Commander realizes that as soon as his pressure would cease here,the Romanians would aim imediately their forces ,become available,to the neighbour sector,Olt Sector ,intervening there "with great effectiveness".

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(Romanian helmet of the Great War)

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(Howitzer of great power,380 mm,System Skoda model 1916,quick firing,weight 81700kg,projectile 740kg,firing distance 9,3 Miles,named Gudrun,belonging to the Austro-Hungarian Army captured by Romanian Army during the Great War;presented in marching with four carriages,pieced in port gun,port afet,port postament,has also rubber tyres as well for offtrack usage)

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The retreat from Cimpulung

The third victory of the Romanian troops from Cimpulung region coud not had ,though ,repercussions over the general situation.The fate of the War was decided somewhere else.The enemy succeeded to breackthrough with considerable forces the Romanian Front at Jiu ;he has crossed Olt River and the Danube River and followed his marchings towards East ,threatening from back the troops which defended with heroism the strengthenings in the mountains .Faced with this situation,quick decissions and painful were undoubtably necessary.

At 23rd of November ,the German artillery bombarded Cimpulung(Longfield) ,adding a new murder to the daily savages commited by the bombs of aeroplanes.It was the sign of impotent malice.

At 28th of November ,the Group at Cimpulung received the order to retreat .The undefeated Army had been forced to leave the positions and to start the retreat in Tirgoviste direction.The next day ,29th of November ,the enemy entered ,without fight and without glory in Cimpulung ,evacuated.Cimpulung was not seized by the enemy.He was abandoned to him because of the events happened on to the other fronts of fight.Time of 45th days a strong enemy ,well armed and with special equipment ,has exhaust himself in sterile efforts ,without succeeding to break the wall of rock opposed by Romanian chests.The troops of the 22nd Romanian and 12th Romanian ,Divisions ,as their dignified and competent Commanders ,General Razu and General Gaiseanu ,have made with honour the duty to the Kingdom.

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[JMcCulloch]

What an absolutely superb thread!

I really enjoyed this effort....especially the museum pictures.

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JMcCulloch,

Many thanks.

Andrei

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The second German offensive in Olt Valley

The first offensive of Krafft Group ended with two felt defeats ,on both shores of Olt River ,one on the right shore at Pietrosu -Veverita(Stonemade-Squirrel) ,and another one by left at Topolog.Still,the circumstances asked for Romanians ,although victorious,to retreat on the second line :Riglou-Mormintu(the Grave)-Zanoaga.

In this time,Kraftt Group strengthened considerable by the reinforcements arrived from Division 8th and 11th ,Bavarian,as the Romanian Front of the 23rd Division,Colonel Mosoiu,which has stretched to East until Arges Valley,has greatly thinned.Leaned over this superiority of effectives ,having excelent troops as the Bavarian and Austrian Alpiners ,perfect prepared for mountain warfare ,with a formidable artillery ,receiving also armoured automobiles and two Austrians mortiers of 305 mm ,placed in Olt Valley at Ciineni,Kraftt von Delmensiengen restarted the offensive against the new Romanian line .The principal action is given now on to the left side of olt River ,between Olt River and Arges River,where are concentrated all the newly arrived troops.The fights in this sector are of the most ferocious fights ever to be given on the entire Carpathian Mountains Front.The disproportion between effectives and of the weaponry ,formidable of the adversary and those of Romanians ,the difficulties of the accident-ed terrain ,on which the fights were taking place ,the bad weather -snowing and freezing-were giving to the War her,the aspect of tragedy ,which has not been touched anywhere else on the Carpathians Front.

At 24th of October ,the advanced posts on Calugaru(the Monk) and Carabunaru(the Coal-er) are violently bombarded by the enemy artillery and occupied by the Bavarian Alpiners ,by going around moves.In these two elevations,the enemy has now two points for support ,very solid for attacking of the principal position from Mormintu(the Grave)-Omu de Piatra(Stoneman)-Zanoaga.The heavy German artillery bombbards time of three days ,with the greatest of violence ,the Romanian positions.Numerous assaults are given in the days of 24th-27th of October;they are repulsed with bloody casualties by troops of 44th Arges Regiment,2nd Vilcea Regiment and 1st Graniceri(BorderArmy),-the Combined Brigade-which defended the position.The night ,of 25-26th of October ,when the enemy attacked by the front and also by the flanks ,from Olt and from Arges ,has been the hardest.In the day of 28th an attack of 2nd Vilcea Regiment ,given on a thick fog ,fells in to the concentrated fires of machineguns and grenades of the enemy and is surprised by the counterattack of superior forces.In the center of the fight,Major Ghermanescu is hit in full by an artillery projectile of the enemy,which smash him and throws his body into the valley.The soldiers are perplexed and demoralized by the death of their emminent Chief.It follows a bloody fight on the whole fighting line ,in which Romanians ,before they could regroup their units ,are rejected and forced to leave the position from Mormintu until Zanoaga.The Commander of the Olt Corps gives the order for evacuation of poll Greblesti-Titesti,which was occupied by the enemy;the Romanians have retreated on to a new line ,which is supported in the left on Olt River at Copaceni(Tree..),going to East on Magura elevation.Spinului Hills ,Miglele,Sule,until Topolog ,mounted on to the driveway Titesti -Salatruc.The key of the position is Poiana Spinului Massif(Thorn Clearing Massif) .The Commander of the 23rd Romanian Division,Colonel Mosoiu,is installed at Perisani.

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The enemy had made a felt progress;the piece of driveway ,which from Ciineni goes towards South-East through Greblesti-Gaujani-Boisoara-Titesti,together with these localities ,are in his hands(enemy).It will serve him for attacking Petrisani Pool,dominated at East by Miglele si Sule Mountains .The fights have taken a character alltogether special.The fighting terrain,very bad ,scattered with elevations in rows with different directions ,crossed by valleys ,covered with woods ,offered advantages for surprise to the enemy,which had a very accentuated superiority pretaining the prepare for this kind of war and of the foreseeing with the needed material.He could send his isolated Detachments ,going around by great distances our ,here and there, groups of defence,to threaten them in the back,as other Detachments attacked them in front .The operations resemble much like the Chess Game ,in which the attack is given when in front,when diagonal ,when behind.The defender,much weaker ,with means of reconnitoring insufficient,with weak artillery ,reduced numericaly,having to fight with the thick fog which was good for surprises ,with the big snow,which was making hard the movements,was thus forced to seek behind other positions for safety ,after fighting hoplessly on to the attacked position.The enemy brings to the bravery of the Romanian troops the well deserved omage.In an official report to the German General Staff he expresses in this way:"Generally,these fights,made in the mountains ,have been extraordinary ferocious.Untill the last moment of the assault,the adversary did not abandon the fight defending his ancestral land.At Perisani had to be slaughtered an entire Company of which escaped only two men.But also ,us, have great martyrs,in such fights made on covered with old woods regions.Many brave Germans ,Austrians and Hungarians sleep the eternal sleep in the beautiful mountains there".

The fight for occupying Perisani Pool was given with unsaid violence.A Brigade of the Alpine Corps ,operating on Topologului Valley ,managed to occupy at 31st of October Miglele Mountain.The Commander of the 1st Romanian Army Corps has tried then ,an action in the left enemy flank ,to turn this flank and force the enemy to retreat in Titesti Pool.Sule Detachment,Romanian,under the Command of Colonel Badescu ,made out of four five Battalions ,in haste organized,with inssuficient ammunition ,had advanced in the day of 1st of November through Topolog Valley ,on a very difficult terrain.Attacked by the enemy from dominant positions,the Detachment has been rejected.

Aggressive fights went on for several days against Sule Mountain,defended by 5th Hunters Regiment,Romanian.From Miglele,the enemy turned with his face towards West,attacking with a Brigade the principal position of Romanians at Spin-Perisani in flank,as another Brigade ,German,helped by a very strong artillery bombardment ,attacks frontal ,along driveway Titesti-Salatruc and through Baiesti.the fight was given in the days 6-8th of November .The monstrous Austrian batteries with engine ,of 305 mm,blasted from Titesti big shells ,which crushed whatever power of resistance in Romanian positions.Time of three days ,the Romanian troops have fought with an heroism and spirit of martyr ,beyond any praise.At Mlaceni,North of Poiana Spinului ,a Company of 18th Gorj Regiment ,from the troops brought from Jiu,held chest to the enemy and sacrificied itself,awaiting for the reinforcements,to the last man.By Mamurile Mountain ,two German Battalions threaten to fall behind Romanians.A Company of the 1st Hunters Regiment ,Commanded by Lieutenant Leonte ,fights the entire night with the enemy,which he repulse;the Commander ,freshly out of the hospital,is again badly wounded.The casualties of the enemy have been also very painful.Two German Commanders of Regiments have found-amongst others-the death in this fight;on Magura fell Major Veith,and on Sule Mountain ,a Royal,Prince Henric of Bavaria ,the Commander of the Bavarian Guard Regiment of the Alpine Corps .This latter loss,have greatly pained the Germans .The Prince was considered as a militar of value and a chevalier spirit ;he woud have gave his soul exlaiming:"Noblesse oblige!".

The Romanians have to leave Magura ,the massif between Titestilor Stream and Baestilor Stream and to fortify on line Cozia -Surdoiu-Poiana Spinului,with the right on Sule Mountain.The defence is made harder and harder ;the effectives of the units are weaker and weaker,and the reinforcements brought from the other fronts were soon exterminated.For the defence of the important Cozia Massif ,it could only be send few Companies of 2nd Graniceri Regiment and from the troops brought from Jiu.

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Poiana Spinului is attacked at 8th of November and occupied by the Germans .Theh Commander of the Division ,Colonel Mosoiu ,sends from the Command post ,two Companies from Mehedinti,Commanded by Captain Cernaianu and Lieutenant Nadolu,which counterattack the Germans during the night singing"Wake up Romanian".The Germans are repulsed few Miles back.Cernaianu is killed ,and Nadolu gravely wounded At 9th of November ,the center of the Romanian position at Surdoiu is abandoned by the Battalion of Russu V. from 72nd Regiment*.The Romanian defence line is shaken .Cozia falls in the same day ,and after three more dyas of aggressive fights fells also the principal position at Poiana Spinului ,so heroicly defended.The new position of resistance of the 23rd Romanian Division is now on the line Daganesti-Radacinesti-North of Suici-South of Salatruc.In the aid of Olt Group ,decimated by these heavy fights ,has been send the 14th Romanian Division,withdrew from Moldavian Mountains ,where it has been replaced by Russians.The Division has been placed at the right wing of Olt Corps ,between Valleys of Topolog and Arges.It was ,in reality, a Brigade -Colonel Colori-made out of 67th Regiment ,two Battalions of the 54th Regiment and one Battalion from 77th Regiment.The arriving of this aid did not made a change in Romanian favour ofthe ballance of forces ,because ,in the same time ,the enemy,received himself,as well as reinforcement the 216th German Division;in the evening of 10th of November ,she entered in the fight one side and the other of the driveway Titesti-Perisani-Salatruc-Suici.The superiority of the enemy maintained unscratched.

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*Sued for unmotivated retreat during the fight ,Russu V. has been executed at Finta.

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( Romanian Army between 1877-1914)

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A heroic agony

At 10th of November ,the battle at Olt Valley as increasing in violence.Together with the offensive which Morgen restarted in Cimpulung (Longfield) the fights at Olt have to react over the decissive battle,which started at Jiu.The Fighting Front has streched long ,across the mountains ;at East it leans now over Arges River,at Arefu;at West ,goes beyond Olt River.The fights are given,without the smallest break,grinding day by day the decreasing strengths of Romanian troops.A grave peril pressures from this part the fate of the War.The Great Romanian Hedquarter has asked to Olt Corps to continue the resistance.He plans to bring up here ,troops available from Dobrogea and from Moldavian Mountains ,to gather at Curtea de Arges (Arges Court) and,replacing the tired troops of the Ist Army Corps ,which had to pass in remaking,to attack and turn over the enemy.But the fate wanted otherwise,The enemy,sur e of his crushing superiority attacks with fury ,supported all the time by his formidable artillery ,by his numerous machineguns ,by armoured trains and automobiles.In the snow filling the valleys ,through the frozen wind which whipes the chicks and stiffens the hands ,the Romanian soldiers wage the sacrifice fight ,ceding the terrain step by step ,giving numerous counterattacks and making the adversary to pay dearly each patch of land conquered.Some Battalion of a hundred men has to resist to attacks of Regiments ;some Company of 30-40 men is attacked by Battalions.And there are always the same people ,unchanged for weeks ,but fewer more and more ,which fight without any hope ,torn out of exhaust ,looking like beggars with the snow to their knees.Sometimes,entire groups ,ended with tired and surrounded are made prisoners;other times they give to the adversary painful strokes.A German Company,which descended from Cozia Mountain and occupied Stinisoara Hill,has been surrounded by Graniceri(Border Army) and destroyed till the last man.Falkenhayn writes about these fights:"Our progresses has to be made in very difficult fights .Romanians resist with disperation.Each mountain has to be taken with assault.And if we managed to take pray in men and material,we had,on our part to pay with grave martyrs".

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The Romanian troops are assigned in the following way:at the left wing ,on the Western shore of Olt ,is a remain of the 13th Division ;at the center ,between Olt and Topologului Valley ,are the remains of the 23rd Division ;at the right wing ,between Topolog and Arges ,is the 14th Division.

On the right side of Olt ,the Romanian troops of the 13th Division have enjoyed a relative calm for more than two weeks ,fixed on Riglou-Saracinesti Front.The greatest part of the troops of the Division have been crossed on to the left side of Olt River ,and has been smashed in the fights there.Of the 25th Brigade ,have remained only two Battalions of the 47th Regiment ,with diminished effectives and troops of the 57th Regiment (26th Brigade).The Front has remained much behind of the one on the left shore ,which has been pushed by the enemy until line of Cozia .At 10th of November ,the troops of the 10th Austro-Hungarian Brigade ,strengthened with the 36th de Landstrum Regiment ,German and with a Battalion of the 216th German Division ,under the Command of Feldmarshal Goiginger ,started the attack by a strong bombardment by the front.From the railway of Olt Valley ,an armoured train was firing bursts in to the flank of Romanian position.The Romanian Front,attacked by greatly superior forces ,is broke in the middle.There are no reserves to fill the break,so the next day the enemy enters ,turning the wings.Few Companies of the 47th Regiment are destroyed;the Commander himself is made prisoner.The position is lost.The rests retreat pursued by the enemy,which did not give them the chance to fix themselves solid on to new positions.Time of 12 days,the soldiers of the 13th Division,forming mixed units ,with very small effectives ,resist on to successive positions ,counterattacking all the time ;at 23rd of November they are at Rimnicu Vilcea .

At the right wing ,troops of the 14th Division manage at 10th of November to reoccupy Frunti(Foreheads) Mountain,but because of the lack of support on to the flanks they may not either widen ,nor maintain the success.Morover,because of the dezaster threatening the neighbour Group at Jiu,the Romanian Commander has to take some of the troops away from Olt and send them over the mountains ,towards Tirgu Jiu,to attack the left wing of the enemy ,which was exiting Jiu Defile.The enemy is installed on Poiana Spinului with numerous mortiers of 210 mm with which beats ,especially during the night ,Romanian positions,covering them with a curtain of light of grenades and rockets.The spectacle is impressive.At 17th of November ,troops of the 216 th Division ,brought with trucks automobiles until Salatruc ,give an attack in Topologului Valley ,with several Battalions,disposed in waves.Counterattacked by two Battalions of the 1st and 5th Hunters Regiments ,with a lively fire ,the Germans have retreated in to the woods.The resistance is more and more harder.The troops of the 23rd Division are completely extenuated.With difficulty gathers the soldiers from the scattered units and constitute Companies of 80-100 men which are send to counterattck the lost positions ,under barrages of machineguns and artillery.The line Calimanesti-Scaueni-Suici ,defended with ferocity ,has been abandoned in the hands of the enemy,only at 20th of November ,when the break made in Jiu Front,brought the invasion of Oltenia.Again the official German communicate has to record:"The Romanian have defended with stubbornes the land of his Kingdom on to the driveways going through Turnu Rosu(Red Tower) and Surduc"*.At 20th of November ,the remains ,desorganized and demoralized of the 23rd Division ,which have no combative value whatsoever are withdraw from the fighting line and brought to Pitesti,to rest and remake.They are replaced with troops of the 8th Division ,brought from Moldavia .In fact ,it is only the 37th Brigade -Regiments 66th and 77th-completed with a new Brigade ,made out of Regiments "Closca" and "Crisan"-former fortress troops.

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General Berthelot,Counceler of the Great Romanian Headquarter ,which has put great hopes onto preserving and using of this good Division ,as General Reserve,for a great strategic plan ,addmited "with death in his heart" to put her in to the Front,asking ,at least,to be retreated the remains of Divisions 11th and 23rd.

The 8th Division assumed position between Olt and Topolog ,on an oblique Front ,facing North-West ,in region Runcu-Valea Babei(Old Woman Valley),opposing to the advance of enemy towards Tigveni .The troops of the Division,only installed on position,are imediately attacked by the enemy with a formidable unfolding of artillery**.But the soldiers from Oituz have to keep their fame ,which is their title of pride.They have the conscience of the importance of the task given to them,and looking with pitty the remains of forsaken 23rd Division ,which they replaced,they are confident that they will know to save from invasion Country of Muntenia of the brothers,as they saved their Moldavia.

Three days, the fight follows with excellence on both sides.The enemy has noticed that he hasn't have in front of him the demoralized remains ,which had no more power of resistance ,but a fresh troop and brave.But also the Moldavians noticed ,in they turn,that they don't have to deal anymore with the Hungarians from Moldavian Mountains but with an elite troop ,excellent armed,which fights vigorous and methodically.

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*German communicate of 16th of November.

**The attack in direction Babei Valley-Tigveni is made by 122nd Infantry ,supported by the 54th Artillery Regiment of the 21th German Division.