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Wenzel Freiherr von Wurm

Wenzel Wurm was born in Karolinenthal in Bohemia on 27 February 1859.  He studied for a military career, following in his father's footsteps.  Obst Wenzel Wurm was appointed to be chief of staff for the V. Corps in April 1900, replacing Obst Karl Schikofski.  Wurm maintained this appointment until October 1906, when he was succeeded by Obst Ludwig Fabini.  Then, FZM Wurm was elevated to command the XVI. Corps in place of FZM Blasius Schemua in February 1914.  This position he kept for more than three years, until he was succeeded by GdI Rudolf Kralicek in March 1917. Wenzel von Wurm had the pleasure of seeing the whole of WWI from beginning to end.  He started ranked as a Feldzeugmeister, but after only two years on the Isonzo Front, he was elevated to the rank of Generaloberst.  When General Boroevic took command of Army Front Boroevic on 23 August 1917 and left the Isonzo Army, it was broken into the I. and II. Isonzo Armies.  General Henriquez was appointed to the II. Isonzo Army, while General Wurm took command of the I. Isonzo Army.  This remained until 6 January 1918, when the two forces were reunified into the Isonzo Army, with General Wurm in command.  This lasted until the end of war, with the national units of the Isonzo Army deserting en masse to catch the trains home to their respective countries as the Empire collapsed. GWS, 1/01 Attention: Visit FEEFHS map room for a Map of the Southwestern Theatre including placenames mentioned here, except for Caporetto.  Be sure to open in a separate window to toggle between this page and FEEFHS.

Orders of Battle:  Bosnian Front, August 1914 Immediately preceding the first invasion of Serbia 6. Armee, FZM Oskar Potiorek      16. Korps, FZM Wenzel v. Wurm          18. inf .div., FML Ignaz Trollmann Orders of Battle:  Serbian Front, Mid-September 1914 Immediately following the Second invasion of Serbia Southern Front, FZM Oskar Potiorek, Commander 6. Armee, FZM Potiorek      XVI. Korps, FZM Wenzel v. Wurm         Chief of staff, Obst Paul v. Loefen              1. inf .div., FML Stefan Bogat v. Kostanjevic                     9 geb. brig., Obst Josef Hrozny                     5. geb. brig., Obst Maximilian Nöhring                     4. geb. brig., GM Theodor Konopicky                     7. geb. brig., GM Otto Sertic                     6. geb. brig., GM Heinrich Goiginger                     support, brig. Snjaric, GM Lukas Snjaric              18. inf. div., FML Ignaz Trollmann                    1. geb. brig., GM Guido v. Novak                    13. geb. brig., Obst Anton Graf v. Berchtold                    2. geb. brig., GM Theodor Gabriel                    109. Landstürm inf. brig., GM Johann Czeisberger South of GdI Michael Appel’s XV. Corps, Wurm’s force was ordered to assemble along the upper Drina, beginning where the Bosnian river called the Drinaca meets the Drina.  The sector in which the hundred thousand men of the XVI. Corps operated was only 12 miles wide.  However, the forbidding territory on the other side of the Drina ensured that even a great mass of men such as this would require every ounce of strength and fortitude.  Potiorek ordered the second invasion on 8 September 1914, two days after the Serbians had made a stunning invasion of the Empire from their northern border.  Such was the initial success of Wurm’s invasion that the Serbians called off their gambit and transferred all forces to meet the new challenge on their western frontier.  Within three days, the XVI. Corps reached the ridge of the Sokolska range, which runs pretty much parallel to the upper Drina.  Against Wurm, the Serbian 3. Army threw part of the 1. Drina div. as well as all of the 2. Morava div., Misic’s div., the 2. Dunav div., the Ljubovija detachment, and units from the Sanjak of Novi-Pazar.  These forces held fast on the Sokolska, and two weeks of heavy fighting across this inhospitable terrain accomplished nothing more. Reverses against the XIII. And XV. Corps further north caused Potiorek to end this invasion, and on 16 September, he ordered Wurm to pull the XVI. Corps away from the ridges to fortified points further south.  Ljubovija remained under Austrian occupation after this.  In the last week of September, Wurm dispatched several brigades, including that of GM Snjaric, to Herzegovina, where numerous Serbian and Montenegrin units invaded.  Small but fierce engagements were fought all across eastern Herzegovina, but by mid-October, the enemy had been driven from Austrian territory and peace was reëstablished there. GWS, 9/04

Orders of Battle:  Italian Front, May 1915 Immediately following Italy’s declaration of war against the Empire Southwestern Front, GO Erzherzog Eugen V. Army, GdI Svetozar v.. Boroevic    XVI. Korps, FZM Wenzel Wurm    Chief of Staff, Oberst v. Loefen        58. inf. div., GM Erwin Zeidler                    4. mtn. brig., GM Konopicky                    5. mtn. brig., GM Nöhring                    58. field art. brig., Obstlt. Nadherny        18. inf. div., GM Eduard Böltz                    1. mtn. brig., GM Novak v. Arienti                    13. mtn. brig., GM Anton Gf. Berchtold                    18. field art. brig., Oberst Secullic         48. inf. div., FML Gabriel                    11. mtn. brig., GM Lawrowski                    12. mtn. brig., Oberst Felix Prinz zu Schwarzenberg

Orders of Battle:  Isonzo Front, October 1915 Immediately preceding the final invasion of Serbia V. Armee, GdI Boroevic von Bojna (Küstenland)      XVI. Korps, FZM Wenzel v. Wurm           XVIII. div., GM Novak von Arienti           LVIII. inf. div., GM Zeidler

Orders of Battle:  Isonzo Front, March 1916

Immediately preceding the Tirol Offensive Erzherzog Eugen Front, Erzherzog Eugen V. Armee, GdI Boroevic von Bojna      XVI. Korps, FZM Wenzel v. Wurm           LXII. inf. div., GM Novak von Arienti           LVIII. inf. div., GM Zeidler

Orders of Battle:  Isonzo Front, August 1916

Immediately preceding Roumania's declaration of war against Austria-Hungary Erzherzog Eugen Front, Erzherzog Eugen V. Armee, GO Boroevic von Bojna      XVI. Korps, FZM Wenzel v. Wurm           LXII. inf. div., FML Novak von Arienti           LVIII. inf. div., GM Zeidler

Orders of Battle:  Isonzo Front, November 1917

Immediately preceding the Caporetto Offensive Boroevic Armee Group, GO Boroevic von Bojna I. Isonzo Armee, GO von Wurm           CVI. Landsturm inf. div., GM Karl Kratky           LVIII. inf. div., FML Erwin v. Zeidler           LXIII. inf. div., GM von Soretic           XIV. inf. div., GM von Szende           Fiume Garnison, FML von Istvanovic      VII. Korps, FML von Schariczer           XLIV. Schützen div., GM Schönauer           XVII. inf. div., GM von Ströher           XLVIII. inf. div., FML von Gabriel      XXIII. Korps, FML von Csicserics           XLI. Honved inf. div., FML Schamschula           X. Honved inf. div., FML von Gologorski           XII. inf. div., GM von Puchalski           XXI. Schützen res. div., FML Podhajsky      Reserves: IV. inf. div., FML Pfeffer           XIII. Schützen div., FML von Kasler           XXXIII. inf. div., GM Iwanski

Orders of Battle:  Italian Front, June 1918

Immediately preceding the Piave Offensive Boroevic Armee Group, GO Boroevic von Bojna Isonzo Army, GO Wenzel v. Wurm      XVI. Korps, GdI  Kralicek           XXXIII. inf. div., FML von Iwanski           LVIII. inf. div., FML von Zeidler           XLVI. Schützen div., FML von Urbanski      IV. Korps, GdK Fürst Schönburg-Hartenstein           LXIV. Honved inf. div.,  FML von Seide           LXX. Honved inf. div., FML von Berzeviczy           XXIX. inf. div., FML von Steiger      VII. Korps, GdI von Schariczer           XIV. inf. div., FML von Szende           XXIV. inf. div., FML Urbarz           IX. kav. div., FML von le Gay           XLIV. Schützen div., FML Schönauer      XXIII. Korps, GdI von Csicserics           XII. inf. div., FML von Puchalski           X. inf. div., FML von Gologorski           I. kav. div., GM von Habermann      res., LVII. inf. div., FML von Hronzky

Orders of Battle:  Italian Front, October 1918

Immediately preceding the Battle of Vittorio Veneto Boroevic Armee Group, GO Boroevic von Bojna Isonzo Army, GO von Wurm           XXIX. inf. div., FML von Berndt           VII. inf. div., FML Baumgartner von Wallbruck      IV. Korps, FZM Tamasy von Fogaras           LXIV. Honved inf. div., FML Seide           LXX. Honved inf. div., GM Berezeviczy von Berezevicze und Kakas-Lomnitz           VIII. kav. div., GM von Donokal      VII. Korps, GdI Schariczer von Reny           XXXIII. inf. div., FML Iwanski von Iwanina           XII. inf. div., GdI Waitzendorfer           XXIV. inf. div., FML Urbarz      XXIII. Korps, GdI Csicserics von Bacsany           XLVI. Schützen div., GM Fischer von Potruzyn           LVIII. inf. div., GM Wolf von Monte San Michele      XXII. Korps, GdI Kletter von Gromnik           XIV. inf. div., FML Szende von Fülekkelecsény           II. inf. div., FML Jemrich von der Bresche      Army res., LVII. inf. div., FML Hronzy von Bojemil           XXVI. Schützen div., FML Podhajsky