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Anton Goldbach Edler von Sulitaborn

Obst Anton Goldbach was made chief of staff to the XII. Corps in May 1911.  He retained this responsibility until April 1914, when he was succeeded by Oberleutnant Egon Freiherr Zeidler-Daublesbky von Sterneck. In September 1914, shortly after war's beginning, GM Goldbach took control of the 16. Infantry Division from FML Franz Paukert.  This hardly lasted a month, and he was soon replaced by FML Georg Schariczer.   GM Anton Goldbach was given control of the new Gendarmerie Truppen Division in June 1915, which he led until it was dissolved in October.  Then, he led the 70. Honved Infantry Division until August 1916, when he was tranferred over to the 53. Infantry Division, which was renamed the 71. Infantry Division.  With this force, Goldbach was in charge of defending six important Transylvanian passes. No other forces were committed to defending this extremely long frontier, from whence a possible crushing invasion could occur (see below).  And yet, the real threat of this was not evident until summer 1916, when GdI Artur Arz was dispatched to Transylvania as head of the new I. Army, and given very few more troops. Goldbach remained in charge of the 71. Honved infantry division until August 1917, when he surrendered the division to FML Béla Sorsic von Severin. After this, FML Goldbach was appointed to lead the new 71. Infantry Division, which was reorganised as the 53. Infantry Division in November 1917. In October 1918, FML Anton Goldbach Edler von Sulittaborn was granted command of the newly formed Gruppe Siebenbürgen, which he led until wars' end.  GWS, 3/02 [rev. 9/03]

Orders of Battle:  Eastern Front, 1 May 1915 Immediately preceding the Dunajec offensive Armee Woyrsch, preuß. Generaloberst v. Woyrsch Army Group Kövess (XII. Korps), Gen. d. Inf. Hermann v. Kövess        9. kav. div., Gen. d. Kav. Frh. v. Hauer                 1. kav. brig., Genmj. Ostermuth                 9. kav. brig., Oberst Frh. v. Sessler                 32. IBrig. (Gruppe) Genmj. Goldbach Orders of Battle:  Volhynian Front, June 1916 Linsingen Group, Gen. d. Inf. von Linsingen IV. Armee, Generaloberst Erzherzog Josef Ferdinand   VII. inf. div., Genmj. von Felix   LXX. Honved inf. div., Genmj. Goldbach Orders of Battle:  Volhynian Front, July 1916 Army Group Linsingen, Gen. d. Inf. von Linsingen IV. Armee, Generaloberst von Tersztyanszky Szurmay Korps, Genmj. von Szurmay   LXX. Honved inf. div., Genmj. Goldbach Orders of Battle:  Volhynian Front, August 1916 IV. Armee, Generaloberst von Tersztyanszky Szurmay Korps, Feldmlt. Szurmay   LXX. Honved inf. div., Genmj. Goldbach Orders of Battle:  Transylvanian Front, September 1916 I. Armee, Gen. d. Inf. Arz von Straußenberg   LXXI. inf. div., Genmj. Goldbach In September 1916, Goldbach's division was initially all alone in defending difficult terrain from an army sixteen times its size.  By 6 September, however, his western flank was secured by the arrival of von Schmettow's Cavalry Corps, which divided its attentions between the Alt Army and the 2. Army.  Goldbach was then ordered to defend the town of Schässburg from an ever tightening cone of advance by several divisions of the Roumanian 2. Army.  The North Army was also pressing down on Goldbach's sector, thanks to its capture of the Gyimes Pass.  The VI. Corps to the north of Goldbach was being pinched by the Russians and the Roumanians in the first week of September, and things did not look good unless the full German 9. Army assembled and carried out their offensive within days.  As it was, the Germans did launch their counteroffensive, but Goldbach still lost some 35 km, and the Roumanians came very close to seizing Schässburg in the Saxon lands.  In the last week of September, Goldbach was able to launch his own counteroffensive, while the Roumanians were distracted by the Red Tower disaster, and recapture a 20 km wide swath sometimes 15 km deep. GWS, 9/03 Orders of Battle:  Moldavian Front, November 1916 Army Front Erzherzog Karl, Generaloberst Karl Franz Josef I. K.u.K. Armee, Gen. d. Inf. Arz von Straußenberg Stein Group, Genlt. von Stein   VII. K.u.K. inf. div., Genmj. Goldbach Orders of Battle:  Volhynian Front, July 1917 Army Front Erzherzog Josef, Generaloberst Erzherzog Josef I. K.u.K. Armee, Generaloberst von Rohr VIII. Korps, Feldz. von Begnini   LXXI. inf. div., Genmj. von Goldbach Orders of Battle:  Tirol Front, June 1918 XI. Armee, Generaloberst Scheuchensteuel XV. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. Scotti Res., LIII. inf. div., Feldmlt. von Goldbach Orders of Battle:  Ukraine, October 1918 Ost Armee, Gen. d. Inf. Alfred Krauss Siebenbürgen Group Command, Feldmlt. Goldbach von Sulittaborn   I. kav. div., Genmj. von Haberman