Battle of Komarów ends
- Category:
- Military operations
- Front:
- Eastern Front
- Date:
- 2 September 1914
- Author:
- Łukasz Skowroń
- Battle:
- Battle of Komarów
On 2 September 1914 the Battle of Komarów in the Zamość region (PL) came to an end. On the night of 1/2 September the Russian Fifth Army of General Pavel Plehve, threatened with encirclement, broke contact with the enemy and withdrew north-east towards the Bug. The battlefield remained in the hands of the Austro-Hungarian Fourth Army of General Moritz von Auffenberg.
A trap that did not close
The fighting had been going on since 26 August. After several days of see-saw engagements the wings of Auffenberg’s army began to outflank the Russians on both sides. Plehve lost Komarów, and his corps were pushed back towards the river Huczwa (PL). The Austrians hoped to repeat the German success at Tannenberg, where Samsonov’s army had been destroyed a few days earlier.
That did not happen, however. The commanders of the Austro-Hungarian wings, alarmed by reports of Russian forces on their own flanks, halted their advance. The Fifth Army managed to withdraw through the gap between them. It lost many soldiers, prisoners and guns, but escaped destruction. Figures for the losses vary widely: according to various estimates between 10,000 and 20,000 Russians were taken prisoner, and the Austro-Hungarians also suffered heavy losses.
Victory without a decision
Komarów was, together with Kraśnik, the greatest success of the Austro-Hungarian army in the first weeks of the war. Auffenberg became a hero of the monarchy, and in 1915 he received the title of baron with the predicate “von Komarów”. The victory did not, however, change the course of the campaign. In eastern Galicia the Russians defeated the weaker Austro-Hungarian armies on the Złota Lipa and Gniła Lipa and were approaching Lviv. Conrad immediately turned Auffenberg’s tired troops south, towards Rawa Ruska, to save the capital of Galicia.
War in the Zamość region
The battle was fought on the territory of the Kingdom of Poland, between Zamość, Komarów and Tomaszów Lubelski. For several days the front rolled through Polish villages and small towns, and their inhabitants suffered from shelling, fires and requisitions. Many Poles fought in the Austro-Hungarian and Russian ranks, often facing each other. The fallen left behind numerous war cemeteries, which can still be found around Tomaszów Lubelski and Komarów today.
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Meanwhile
(04)Elsewhere in the same days.
- 2 September 1914 · Western FrontFrench government moves to BordeauxOn the night of 2–3 September 1914 President Poincaré and Viviani's government left Paris, threatened by the Germans, and moved to Bordeaux.
- 1 September 1914 · AfricaFirst Indian contingent arrives at MombasaOn 1 September 1914 the first unit of Indian Expeditionary Force "C" reached Mombasa, sent to aid the weak forces of British East Africa.
- 1 September 1914 · Western FrontGermans occupy SoissonsOn 1 September 1914 German troops entered Soissons on the Aisne. The occupation lasted under two weeks, until the German retreat after the Battle of the Marne.
- 1 September 1914 · Western FrontGermans take CraonneOn 1 September 1914 German troops pursuing the French reached the Chemin des Dames heights and took the village of Craonne in the Aisne department.
Related events
(04)The same battle, people or subject.
- 26 August 1914 · Eastern FrontBattle of Komarów beginsOn 26 August 1914 Auffenberg's Austro-Hungarian 4th Army attacked Plehve's Russian 5th Army near Zamość. The Battle of Komarów had begun.
- 7 September 1914 · Eastern FrontBattle of Tarnawka beginsOn 7 September 1914 the Battle of Tarnawka broke out south of Lublin. The reinforced Russians struck Dankl's Austro-Hungarian army and forced it to retreat.
- 9 September 1914 · Eastern FrontBattle of Tarnawka endsOn 9 September 1914 the fighting at Tarnawka south of Lublin ended. Broken by the Russians, Dankl's army began to retreat southwards towards the San.
- 25 August 1914 · Eastern FrontEnd of the Battle of KraśnikOn 25 August 1914 the Austro-Hungarian First Army took Kraśnik and the Russian Fourth Army fell back towards Lublin. It was Austria-Hungary's first victory.