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Remus von Woyrsch | ||||||||||||||||||||
Remus von Woyrsch was born in 1847. According to Stephen Pope and Elizabeth-Anne Wheal's The Dictionary of the First World War, veteran German infantry officer Remus von Woyrsch was recalled from retirement in August 1914 to command a corps on the Eastern Front. Woyrsch had fought against the Austrians in the Seven Weeks' War of 1866. Of the Austrians' fighting capability and army command he said "They haven't learned a thing since 1866." His forces were attached to the Austro-Hungarian First Army for a short time before becoming part of Army Section Woyrsch on the Silesian sector of the front in October. Woyrsch remained in Poland until the end of the war on the Eastern Front, commanding Army Group Woyrsch, which covered the south of the country from August 1916 until its disbandment at the end of 1917. After the disbandment of his command, Woyrsch was promoted field marshal and returned to retirement. General von Woyrsch died in 1920. GWS, 1/01 |
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Orders of Battle: Polish Front, January 1915 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Immediately preceding the battles for the Carpathians Army Group Woyrsch, Generaloberst von Woyrsch Öst. II. Armee, General der Kavallerie Eduard von Böhm-Ermolli Gallwitz Korps, Preußisch General der Artillery von Gallwitz XXXV. inf. div. Feldmarschalleutnant Fox XXVII. inf. div. Feldmlt. Kosak Öst. IV. Korps, Gen. d. Kav. Karl von Tersztyanszky XXXI. inf. div., Feldmlt. von Lütgendof XXXII. inf. div., Feldmlt. Goiginger Öst. XII. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. Kövess von Kövesshaza XVI. inf. div., Feldmlt. Schariczer Deutsch XXXV. res. div., Generalleutnant von Schmettau III. kav. div., Feldmlt. von Brudermann VII. kav. div., Feldmlt. von Korda IX. kav. div., Feldmlt. von Hauer Armee Woyrsch, Generaloberst von Woyrsch Landwehr Korps, Genlt. von König III. Landwehr div., Genlt. von Rieß IV. Landwehr div., Genlt. von Wegerer Bredow Landwehr div., Genlt. von Bredow I. Armee, Gen. d. Kav. Dankl II. Korps, Feldmlt. Johann von Kirchbach XXV. inf. div., Feldmlt. Erzherzog Peter Ferdinand IV. inf. div., Feldmlt. Stöger-Steiner von Steinstätten I. Korps, Gen. d. Kav. Karl von Kirchbach auf Lauterbach V. inf. div., Feldmlt. Habermann LXVI. inf. div., Feldmlt. Brandner Martiny Group, Feldmlt. Martiny XIV. inf. div., Genmj. von Willerding CVI. k. Öst. Landsturm inf. div., Feldmlt. Kletter XCI. Schützen brigade, Genmj. Urbanski von Ostrymiecz II. kav. div., Feldmlt. von Ziegler |
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Winter Wonderland War GO von Woyrsch saw much action during the many manoeuvers in Poland by both the Russian and German armies. His Army group contained all Austrian forces managing the Carpathians from the Jablunka pass northward into Poland. By January, he gave independence to Böhm-Ermolli's II. Army, which was transferred to the Central Carpathians. Meanwhile, things were not at all slow on the plains of Poland. The Grand Duke threw three armies toward Breslau, with the intention of wheeling around Lodz and capturing the German armies defending that place and Warsaw. Woyrsch was forced to the southwest to defend the road to Sosnowitz and Upper Silesia. The planned Russian invasion of Silesia was foiled in part by the flank attacks of Woyrsch's group in support of a double envelope attack attempted by the German IX. Army. This failed and the Russians were able to extricate themselves, but not before inflicting severe casualties on the Germans and especially on the snow-draped countryside. The Austrian I. Army and Woyrsch pressured the Russians during their push through the Carpathian passes, but the Russians were adamant in succeeding in this treacherous theatre, and the Grand Duke Nicholas sent sufficient reinforcements to the Russian IX. Army to fend off the few assaults against the flanks of the V. and III. Armies by Woyrsch. Summer Cometh Woyrsch's army group moved upon Mackensen's breakthrough on the Dunajec in early May 1915. Through the rest of the month, Woyrsch marched to the fortress city of Ivangorod and crossed the Vistula, efffectively surrounding the city, which surrendered on 4 August 1915. Woyrsch's army moved parallel to the newly formed Army of the Bug under General von Linsingen and the I. Army of FZM Puhallo. This involved a move due east and then immediately north, although the wheeling was confined to the Army of the Bug on Woyrsch's right. Brest-Litovsk was captured on 26 August, and further advances to the river Jasijolda in the Pinsk marshes slowed what was already a deadly slow advance. Fighting ensued on the swampy, still banks of the river Szczara throughout September and finally conflict in the wooded region of Baranowice in late October. It was here that a majour offensive was being planned for by the Russian High Command in the next summer. The Russians Prepare The winter and spring were spent in positions about Baranowice due south to Brest-Litovsk. The Russian guns were heard from the northernmost lines during the Lake Narocz offensive of March 1916. The largest concentration of artillery in history up to that time should have heralded to the Ober Ost that Russia was no longer the insufficiently equipped backward steamroller that had lumbered out of Poland the summer before. The guns of Narocz did not effect the lines of Woyrsch's front, but an offensive at Molodeczno slated for July would have been only a little north of the juncture of the Austrian and German command theatres. The Unexpected Success Brussilow launched his early offensive to test the lines around the IV. Army of Archduke Josef Ferdinand, and these collapsed, a big surprise to the Russian high command which had insisted the transfer of Brussilow's guns to the Molodeczno-Baranowice front in time for the planned offensive. Army Group Woyrsch held its positions as fighting flared up in the south as the Austrian I. Army collapsed and the Army of the Bug called in reinforcement to fill the gaps. The Austrian XII. Korps held positions north of the I. Army and so maintained the flank in spite of a desperate move by the Russians to seize Kowel before July was spent. However, the Russians could not exploit their success and the million men they had lost made little difference. In Woyrsch's sector, the war had been reduced to neverending sniperfire by sharpshooters hiding behind tall grasses of the swamps. It was hardly ever safe to leave one's shelter at night, for so many "hunters" roamed the woods and wetlands, searching for the enemy without regard for taking prisoners. GWS, 10/02 |
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Orders of Battle: Eastern Front, May 1915 Immediately preceding the Dunajec offensive Armee Woyrsch, preuß. Generaloberst v. Woyrsch Chief of Staff, preuß. Obstlt. Heye Army Group Kövess (XII. Korps), Gen. d. Inf. v. Kövess Chief of Staff, Oberst Frh. Zeidler-Daublebsky v. Sterneck 35. inf. div., Genmj. v. Podhoranszky 69. inf. brig., Genmj. v. Baitz 70. inf. brig., Genmj. Edl. v. Salmon 35. field art. brig., Genmj. Gröschl 16. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Schariczer inf. reg. 2, inf. reg. 31 16. field art. brig., Feldmlt. v. Dobler 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 7. kav. div., Genmj. Ritt. v. Micewski 11. kav. brig., Genmj. v. Mold 20. kav. brig., Genmj. v. le Gay Deutsche XI. Armee, preuß. Generaloberst v. Mackensen Chief of Staff, preuß. Oberst Seeckt Öst. VI. Korps, Kmdt. Feldmlt. v. Arz Chief of Staff, Oberst Josef Huber 39. Honvéd inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Hadfy 77. Honvéd inf. brig., Genmj. v. Molnar 78. Honvéd inf. brig., Oberst Daubner 39. field art. brig., Oberst Nowotny 12. inf. div., Feldmlt. Kestranek 23. inf. brig., Genmj. Ritt. v. Metz 24. inf. brig., Genmj. v. Puchalski 12. field art. brig., Oberst v. Dobner Deutsche Südarmee, Kmdt. preuß. Gen. d. Inf. v. Linsingen Chief of Staff, preuß. Genmj. v. Stolzmann Gruppe Szurmay, Feldmlt. Szurmay Chief of Staff, Mjr. Röder 7. inf. div., Genmj. Blasius v. Dani 128. Honvéd inf. brig., Oberst v. Sarkany 14. inf. brig., Genmj. Baumgartner 71. inf. brig., Oberst Plivelic field art. brig., Oberst Scheucher 40. Honvéd inf. div., Feldmlt. Plank 76. Honvéd inf. brig., Oberst Josef Huber 79. Honvéd inf. brig., Oberst Lengerer 80. Honvéd inf. brig., Genmj. Haber 40. field art. brig., Genmj. v. Hellebronth Deutsche Bothmer Korps, Gen. d. Kav. Graf v. Bothmer Chief of Staff, bayr. Obstlt. Hemmer 38. Honvéd inf. div., Feldmlt. Bartheldy 75. Honvéd inf. brig., Oberst Gombos 38. field art. brig., Oberst Werz Hofmann Korps, Feldmlt. Hofmann Chief of Staff, Oberst Gf. Lamezan 55. inf. div., Genmj. Fleischmann 129. inf. brig., Oberst Matasic 130. inf. brig., Oberst Witoszynski 12. Landsturm terr. brig.,Oberst Burggasser 131. inf. brig., Genmj. Blum Deutsches XXIV. Res. Korps, Kmdt.. Gen. d. Inf. v. Gerok Chief of Staff, preuß. Genmj. v. Mutius 19. inf. div., Feldmlt. Richard Mayer 37. inf. brig., Genmj. v. Richard 38. inf. brig., Genmj. v. Steiger 19. field art. brig., Oberst Regnier Fortress Krakau, Feldmlt. Kuk Chief of Staff, Obstlt. Edl. v. Haller Orders of Battle: Eastern Front, early June 1916 Immediately preceding the Brussilow offensive Armee Woyrsch, preuß. Generaloberst v. Woyrsch Chief of Staff, preuß. Obstlt. Heye Öst. XII. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. Ritt. v. Henriquez Chief of Staff, Oberst Frh. Zeidler-Daublebsky v. Sterneck 16. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Schariczer 31. inf. brig., Genmj. v. Szende 32. inf. brig., Genmj. v. Koschatzky 16. field art. brig., Feldmlt. v. Dobler |
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