Tannenberg: August 20, 1914 — I Like to Hear Myself Talk History

Clash at Gumbinnen

***General Francois’ headquarters at Gumbinnen on 20 August, 1914***

After the initial setbacks around Stallupönen, General von Rennenkampf’s Russian 1st Army had been pushing its way into East Prussia, mainly attempting to bypass what he believed was the main German line near the village. By 20 August they had penetrated far enough as to threaten flanking the real German line along the Angerapp, although the Germans remained mainly unaware of this fact. The Russian troops were by now exhausted after days of forced march in the August heat, and as a result Rennenkampf ordered his men to rest for the day. Despite fears that the troops might refuse the order due to aggressive tendencies prevalent in pre-war exercises, they happily bivouac and settle in for a hot meal from the field kitchens.

Despite the hard march, they had not persued the German I Corps when it withdrew from Stallupönen on 17 August, and as a result the Germans had had two days to reorganize and prepare their defenses. Seeing the need for a rapid movement against one of the two Russian armies now threatening to envelop it, the German 8th Army had authorized a counterattack against the Russian 1st Army today, and overnight the German I Corps and XVII Corps had been marching into position, supported by the I Reserve Corps. In order to shore up the rest of the line, garrison troops from the fortress of Konigsberg had been requisitioned and deployed farther south.

The attack began at 0430, as troops of the German 2nd Division attacked the Russian encampments with bayonet charges and shrapnel shells from their field guns in the early morning fog. In short order, the Russian camp is in utter chaos, with many throwing down their weapons and surrendering, begging for mercy from fellow Christians. The German 33rd Fusilier Regiment soon had liberated Mallwischken, but soon after the attack stalls when the German infantry outrun their supporting artillery. Facing more determined rifle fire, the attack bogs down for hours.

***A Russian field gun battery in action in East Prussia***

At 0800 two battalions of the German 45th Infantry Regiment attempted a bayonet charge, but found themselves surrounded by the Russians and taking heavy fire. The larger number of machine guns in the Russian ranks quickly began to show its advantages, as they mowed down the attacking Germans in large numbers as the fighting devolves into brutal attrition warfare, with the Russians often resisting to the last man to hold their positions, even as the Germans clear them with bayonets.

Despite their earlier entrapment, the 45th Infantry had reached the village of Uszballen, where they where forced to clear the village with bayonets in a half hour of brutal combat. This being their first attempt at urban battle, the Germans stopped to regroup after taking the town, which by now was almost entirely engulfed in flames.

As the 2nd Division attacked that morning, so did General Richard von Conta’s 1st Division. The Germans advanced into the Russian lines, consisting here of fortified farms connected by trenches, with flying colors to a drum and bugle corps, as Russian snipers cut them down. As the fighting progresses, one Russian position raises a white flag before opening fire at close range, leading to the Germans adopting a take no prisoners approach, clearing every Russian strongpoint with bayonets.

Just as with the 2nd Division, the 1st encountered problems as the advance went on in the face of stiffening resistance. High casualties were also incurred among the German horses, with the cavalry being forced to fight dismounted and infantry runners being needed to relay orders and reports. Despite this, by 1100 the center position of the Russian 28th Division at Brakuponen had been taken, and the Russian force was beginning to collapse. Soon the division was in full retreat, with some elements routed as far as Kovno, some fifty miles into Poland. Over half of the division had been killed or captured.

Despite this victory, soon the German artillery began to bombard their own troops, forcing the infantry to withdraw in haste and disarray, their bugled calls for cease fire inaudible over the din. The advance was able to resume later, and managed to advance to the Gumbinnen-Kassen Road by 1500 before the Russian resistance again stiffened, this time halting them. An hour later Francois, taking into account the mounting heatstroke casualties and the general exhaustion of his men, ordered the end of the attack. Another factor pushing this decision was the fact that XVII Corps, which was supposed to cover the flank, had not yet arrived.

Mackensen and his corps had begun their attack at 0430, pushing toward Todszuhen and Walterkehmen, and this proceeded well enough, until the commander of the 87th Regiment, hoping to secure the glory of encircling the Russians, advanced without orders well away from the rest of the corps and ended up surrounded. This forced the 35th Division to divert more of its strength to extricate the regiment, leaving the 36th Division to attack two Russian divisions on its own. These Russians were dug into strong positions, and by 0800 the Germans were stalled.

The Germans had always placed an emphasis on leading from the front by agressive officers, and as a result the Germans were by now suffering a shortage of officers in their ranks. Despite this, many were indignant at orders to stop and dig in.

“The Prussian infantry does not entrench”

— Unkown German officer (Showalter, p.182)

The lack of leadership and the strong Russian resistance leads to a breakdown in discipline, and soon many German units are fleeing the battlefield. In some areas, officers even resort to shooting their own men in an attempt to stabilize the situation, but with mixed effects.

Just before 1300 XVII Corps ordered the 129th Regiment, the last of its intact units, to attack the Russian flank. This is quickly stopped by massed Russian artillery, and the movement of additional German machine guns to the area manage to prevent a Russian counterattack, but not to restart the advance. Even the arrival of additional German artillery does not save the situation, as the guns fire on friendly positions. Field guns also move up to assist the attack, but are quickly shot to pieces by the Russian snipers.

***A German field gun moves up*** *(location unknown)*

By the late afternoon XVII Corps units are running dangerously low on ammuniton, and soon are forced to commandeer Russian small arms to remain combat capable. Medical services are also poor. With medics being little more than a formality on maneuvers, the peacetime army has filled that service with misfits and incompetents, and when called into real action many failed utterly at their tasks. Problems of this nature were not exclusive to the field medics either; as most of the surgeons at field hospitals were recently drafted civilian doctors with little to no actual experience with combat trauma.

After hours of this carnage, XVII Corps began to retreat at 1500, and by 1600 the flood of retreating men reached the artillery batteries, forcing the gunners to join the route lest they be trampled. By 1700 the corps had pulled back behind the Rominte River, with a loss of 8,000 men. XVII Corps had effectively been destroyed as a fighting force for the time being. The corps began to pick up the pieces behind the river, with the field kitchens serving the hot meals prepared for the full force, allowing extra helpings to help morale.

One more German corps had been attack as well: the I Reserve Corps. Made up mostly of fresh local conscripts, they had been advancing on Goldap in the morning. Their objective was not the town itself, but rather to simply prevent the Russians there from flanking XVII Corps as it attacked to the nothwest. Thinking the situation was under control, the reservists set in for the day, but as they prepared their lunch aerial reconnaissance reports that the Russians have two full corps in Goldap.

Soon after, the German 1st Reserve Division is attacked by two divisions of Russian regulars, and despite pushing back the Russians with help of German reinforcements, the reservists are scattered by the end of the day.

In Nordenberg, General von Prittwitz was presented with reports that his forces had secured victories on the flanks today, but had suffered an utter disaster in the center. Only one full strength corps, the XX, remains, and intelligence repots today reveals that the Russian 2nd Army, now bearing down on XX Corps, has a force of five corps at their disposal. XX Corps reports that they can hold until reinforced after the destruction of the Russian 1st Army, but in light of the disaster around Gumbinnen today, Prittwitz finds himself facing a crisis.

Thursday, August 20

Clash at Gumbinnen

Friday, August 21

Wednesday, August 19

I Like to Hear Myself Talk History