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The Battle of Tannenburg. August 22 – September 2 1914 Russian Empire vs. German Empire. The Battle 8 /22 Day 1. Russian forces were mobilized quickly by use of railways (the gauges on the trains were unique to Russia allowing them to only advance to German border)
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The Battle of Tannenburg August 22 – September 2 1914 Russian Empire vs. German Empire
The Battle 8/22Day 1 • Russian forces were mobilized quickly by use of railways (the gauges on the trains were unique to Russia allowing them to only advance to German border) • Russian’s to German forces ratio 16 to 9 • German could not cover the whole advancing Russian line Samsonov was in a position to surround the German army • The Russian forces managed to push back the Germans/retreated to Orlau-Frankenau for night • Fighting died down/Germans fortified positions
8/24 Day 3 • The Russian advance halted at Orlau-Frankenau • Germans retreated again to avoid being surrounded • Samsonov tries to cut off German army and surround them by ordering troop movements NW (intercepted by Germans)
8/26 Day 4 • Until now the First Russian Army had marched towards Königsberg uninhibited • The dispatched troops from the Russian Second Army then faced south and turned back to try and close the gap between the two armies • The First army had orders to maintain their advancing course Westward (intercepted by Germans) • The dispatched troops engaged German near Seeburg and Bischofstein, but were turned back • The Second Russian Army’s right flank was exposed to the Germans • The First Russian Army’s advance towards Tannenburg was being slowed by the Germans • Russian’s managed a victory in Allenstein after a small division marched in unopposed
8/27 Day 5 • Germans mounted another offensive on the Russian left flank • By night time the Russians were retreating • Samsonov ordered the troops in Allenstein to move SW to aid in the siege on Tannenberg • By the time the soldiers moved into position the entirety of the Russian Second Army was in the general area of Tannenberg
8/28 Day 6 • By the evening on the sixth day both the Russian left and right flanks were retreating • Center troops were still present but were suffering severe supply issues (couldn’t remain offensive) • Samsonov decided to move his entire army SE to the border and try to regroup • He also asked Rennenkampf to ignore his objective and move SW to help
8/29 Day 8 • While the Second Russian Army retreated the German armies moved into their path of retreat • Center retreating forces encountered them and realized the situation • Intense German artillery pounded Russian forces • Russian First Army was incapable of coming to aid the Second Army due to German Cavalry
8/30 The Final Day • The Russian Second Army was completley destroyed • 95,000 captured • 30,000 killed or wounded • 10,000 escaped • Samsonov committed suicide on the29, August • Germans Eighth Army - • 5,000 dead • 7,ooo wounded