Battle of Humin

Battle of Humin

Part of: Eastern Front , First World War

Course of the battle between December 11th and January 30th

date	January 31 to February 2, 1915
place	Humin
output	Breakthrough fails
consequences	Cessation of the offensive

Parties to the conflict
German Empire	Russia
Commander
Curt von Morgen Günther von Pannewitz Erich Freyer Friedrich Karl von Witzleben Kurt Kruge	Nikolai Nikolajewitsch Vladimir Smirnow Vasily Gurko
Troop strength
I. Reserve Corps XVII. Army Corps 49th Reserve Division 1st Reserve Division 36th Reserve Division	VI. Army Corps V. Siberian Army Corps VI. Siberian Army Corps
losses
unknown	unknown

The Battle of Humin in World War I was another and final attempt to reach Warsaw from the west with the 9th Army . During this fighting, the Germans used poison gas extensively for the first time on January 31, 1915 near Bolimów . After this attack stalled, trench warfare began again.

prehistory

After the Battle of the Vistula was lost, August von Mackensen was assigned to lead the 9th Army on November 2, 1914 . While the 8th Army remained defensively in East Prussia, the 9th Army was supposed to fall offensively into the right flank of the Russian units and thus bring about a relief attack for the 8th Army. Mackensen gathered his bandages between Thorn and Hohenzalza and tried to advance on Warsaw in the battle of Łódź . But this company also failed at the end of November. Therefore another attack was started further north. On December 5, 1914, at the end of the Battle of Łódź, the northern section of the battle also came to an operational standstill.

Course of the battle

Fight on the Bzura and Rawka

On December 8th, however, the XVII. Army Corps in front of Łowicz and was initially housed in Lenczycz and subordinated to the I. Reserve Corps for further combat. From December 10th, attempts were made to continue towards Warsaw. But the attack could not build momentum because the enemy positions in front of Łowicz were too strong. Finally, from the XIII. Army Corps provided a battery of 21 cm mortars and Austrian 30.5 cm M.11 mortars were also used. By December 12, around 8,000 prisoners had been brought in. On December 15, the I. Reserve Corps under General von Morgen occupied Łowicz, evacuated by the Russians, without a fight. For this victory, von Morgen received the Pour le Mérite . On December 17, the north wing of the 9th Army reached the positions of the Russians on the Bzura . The Mackensen Center, the Pannewitz and Morgen groups, awaited renewed resistance at the Rawka . After trying in vain to cross the small river until mid-January 1915, the troops received the order for a new major attack on January 19th. An advance from East Prussia was planned for mid-February 1915, with the Gallwitz army group heading south across the Narew. Before the Battle of Przasnysz was to begin, the 9th Army was ordered to advance east of the Rawka.

The battle of Humin

On January 30, 1915, the artillery shot in. 98 batteries were deployed at a width of 6 kilometers between the village of Szydłowiecka in the south and Dołowatka in the north. A lot of snow had come off the night before. On January 31st at 7:30 am, the artillery started shooting from all field cannons, long-barreled guns and howitzers. At 11 o'clock, the ready-made infantry stormed the enemy positions, which were ready to be assaulted. But after overcoming the first ditch, the attack was halted. Even as night fell, the fighting continued doggedly. On February 1st, the artillery was used again. In the afternoon the 1st Reserve Division succeeded in taking possession of Height 98 north of the Wola estate; but even now the decisive breakthrough did not succeed. The second night there had been heavy snowfall again. The third morning was very cloudy and the effects of the projectiles could hardly be observed properly due to the poor visibility; it only cleared up in the afternoon. Thereupon General Vladimir Smirnov , commander of the Russian 2nd Army ordered a counterattack. The attack was led by the Russian VI. Army corps under Lieutenant General Gurko . The front could only be defended with tremendous efforts; a further advance was out of the question. On February 4, further attacks on the German side were finally given up. Both sides dug into their positions; the German troops remained there until February 15, 1916.

“The attacks of the 9th Army east of the Rawka had probably brought nice tactical successes, but the breakthrough had not been achieved. The gas projectiles used here for the first time, filled with T and Ni materials, did not have the desired effect. The captured Russians probably complained of watery eyes and headaches, they were not incapacitated. "

- Tomorrow's Kurt

Poison gas was used experimentally in this battle. Bullets filled with xylyl bromide were used. 18,000 gas grenades had been provided, but the cold almost negated their effect.

consequences

The advances in the direction of Warsaw were abandoned.

Memorials

• German military cemetery Humin in Humin , a small road village
• Wólka Łasiecka German military cemetery
• Graves and cemeteries in Bolimów Park

photos

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  German military cemetery Humin

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  Joachimów-Mogiły German Military Cemetery

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  individual graves in Wólka Łasiecka: Ernst Harder, gef. February 13, 1915 (shortly before the end) in Nieborów , 5 battery of the 1st Guard Reserve Field Artillery Regiment

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  Russian and Polish cemeteries in Kamion

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  German cemetery in Kamion

Individual evidence

1. ↑ The German Army Division of February 16, 1915 stated succinctly “In the foreign press the most adventurous rumors about immeasurable losses of the Germans in the fighting east of Bolimov (beginning of February) found acceptance. It is found that the German losses in these attacks were small in relation to the success achieved. "( Stahlgewitter )
2. ↑ Curt von Morgen writes of enormous losses, he estimates the number of prisoners to be 4,000 in My Troops' fights by February 4th. Berlin 1920, p. 48. The German Army Area of ​​February 5, 1915 announces: “Strong Russian attacks against our newly won positions east of Bolimov also failed. Since February 1st the number of prisoners there has totaled 26 officers and almost 6,000 men. "( Stahlgewitter )
3. ↑ Kurt von Morgen: My troops hero struggles. Berlin 1920, p. 44.
4. ↑ The place Humin was in the center of the battle and therefore it is named that way in German literature. The place Bolimów was the next larger town, which was not included in the event. The name Battle of Bolimów is therefore mostly used in Anglo-Saxon literature .
5. ↑ Max Meyhöfer, The Reserve Field Artillery Regiment No. 1 in the World War (1914–1918), Berlin 1926, pp. 63–67.
6. ↑ R. Leopolod, reserve infantry Directed Movement no. 3, Oldenburg 1926, pp 65-66.
7. ↑ a powdery combination of dianisidine chlorohydrate and dianisidine chlorosulfonate (Ni mixture) see Walther Nernst
8. ↑ Kurt von Morgen: My troops hero struggles. Berlin 1920, p. 48.
9. ^ The World War from 1914 to 1918. Volume 7: The operations of 1915. The events in winter and spring. Berlin 1931, p. 166.