Battle of Dragoslavele
Battle of Dragoslavele | |||||||
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Part of the Romanian Campaign of World War I | |||||||
Map of the area of operations | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Romania |
German Empire Austria-Hungary | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Nicolae Petala | Curt von Morgen | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
| I Reserve Corps | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Unknown | 300 prisoners (27 October) |
The Battle of Dragoslavele was a military engagement fought between
Background
The Central Powers forces in the area were represented by
Battle
On 14 October, the Austro-Hungarian 8th Mountain Brigade of von Morgen's I Reserve Corps seized Rucăr, south of the Bran/Törzburg Pass. Marching through roadless, rugged terrain, the Austro-Hungarians caught the inexperienced Romanian 12th and 22nd Divisions by surprise, and turned their flank.[4] On 26 October, Morgen's forces attacked violently near Dragoslavele, but were repulsed by the Romanians. On 27 October, the Romanians counter-attacked at Dragoslavele, taking 300 prisoners.[5]
Aftermath
Von Morgen's efforts to press on faltered at Dragoslavele. Although his Corps was a tantalizing 8 miles from Câmpulung, Morgen's forces would make little further progress throughout the following month.[6] Having retaken the initiative in this sector of the front, the Romanians pressed on their attack and - on the following day (28 October) - recaptured the village of Lerești. The village had been taken by the Central Powers a short while prior.[7]
Câmpulung was finally taken on 29 November, but not because the Romanian defenses faltered. Despite repeated attacks, the Germans had failed to break through the Romanian lines. However, not allowing its western flank to be enveloped, the Romanian 1st Army retreated towards the east, and the unbroken Romanian defenses had to be abandoned one by one. Ultimately, it was the advance from the west of other German troops that finally allowed Morgen's forces to occupy Câmpulung.[8]
Von Morgen argued that much more of the Romanian Army could have been captured if a breakthrough had been achieved at Câmpulung. He insisted that this would have achieved "a real victory, a Cannae, a Tannenberg".[9]
Mausoleum
The
Bibliography
- OCLC 935411585.
- OCLC 1079085090.
- Serviciul istoric, Ministerul Apărării Naționale Marele Stat Major (1934). România în războiul mondial 1916-1919 Documente - Anexe (in Romanian). Vol. I. Bucharest: Monitorul Oficial și Imprimeriile Statului. OCLC 312195823.
- Olteanu, Constantin (1984–1989). Istoria militară a poporului român (in Romanian). Bucharest: OCLC 1087515443.
- Milea, Vasile; Atanasiu, Victor (1987). Istoria războiului pentru întregirea României: 1916–1919 (in Romanian). Bucharest: Editura Militară. OCLC 18616519.
- Atanasiu, Victor (1979). România în primul război mondial (in Romanian). Bucharest: Editura Militară. OCLC 164613813.
- Cioflină, Dumitru (1996). Marele Cartier General al armatei române: documente, 1916-1920 (in Romanian). Bucharest: Editura Machiavelli. OCLC 38234407.
References
- ^ Prit Buttar, Bloomsbury Publishing, Sep 22, 2016, Russia's Last Gasp: The Eastern Front 1916–17, p. 353
- ^ Michael B. Barrett, Indiana University Press, 2013, Prelude to Blitzkrieg: The 1916 Austro-German Campaign in Romania, pp. 12, 142, 158 and 172
- ^ Prit Buttar, Bloomsbury Publishing, Sep 22, 2016, Russia's Last Gasp: The Eastern Front 1916–17, p. 362
- ^ Michael B. Barrett, Indiana University Press, 2013, Prelude to Blitzkrieg: The 1916 Austro-German Campaign in Romania, pp. 158 and 169
- ^ The Year 1917 Illustrated, Headley Bros. Publishers, 1917, p. 17
- ^ Michael B. Barrett, Indiana University Press, 2013, Prelude to Blitzkrieg: The 1916 Austro-German Campaign in Romania, p. 158
- ^ The Times, 1917, The Times History and Encyclopaedia of the War, Volume 11, p. 442
- ^ Prit Buttar, Bloomsbury Publishing, Sep 22, 2016, Russia's Last Gasp: The Eastern Front 1916–17, p. 386
- ^ Michael B. Barrett, Indiana University Press, 2013, Prelude to Blitzkrieg: The 1916 Austro-German Campaign in Romania, p. 300
- ^ "Mausoleul de la Mateiaș". www.cjarges.ro (in Romanian). Argeș County Council. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
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Heroes's Mausoleum, near the scene of the battle
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Bas-relief from the mausoleum
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Artillery piece in front of the mausoleum
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German military cemetery in Dragoslavele