Summer Offensive 1915 Update

At the time of writing, there have been 1,137,028 Central Powers losses, to 1,143,957 Entente casualties. Almost a 1:1 ratio, with a minor lead for the Central Powers... it could still easily go either way. The Summer Offensive 1915 campaign will continue to run until Monday 22nd of June. We'll see how the battle went historically on the Eastern Front below, but how were things on the Western Front? Find out on our Verdun Steam Hub.

The Gorlice-Tarnw Offensive

On the Eastern Front the Austro-Hungarians had done poorly in their battle against the Russians, losing territory including the fortified town of Przemyl in an extended siege. They demanded support from their German allies, threatening to make peace if no aid was forthcoming. General August von Mackensen was tasked with leading the newly formed Eleventh Army in supporting the Austro-Hungarians. What was intended to be a relatively minor relief effort quickly became a major offensive. The Russians facing the Eleventh Army had 141 light artillery pieces and four heavy guns at their disposal. This was woefully insufficient compared to Mackensen's 457 light guns, 159 heavy pieces, and 96 mortars. The German artillery advantage would prove decisive. From disrupting Russian infantry and counter-battery fire to the heavy mortars used to demolish the defenses of the recently captured fortress at Przemyl, the German guns were significant everywhere.
The pattern became familiar - the Central Powers would begin with a heavy artillery barrage, and follow up with infantry that would capture the Russian positions. Any Russian counterattack would likely be ill-supported and suffer heavy casualties. The Russian Tsar was slow to authorize any withdrawal, and chose not to start work on constructing better fortifications in the rear. Russian reinforcements were brought in, but were devastated by the German artillery. Today in 1915 the Russians were only a matter of days away from the Grand Duke Nicholas ordering a complete abandoning of Galicia on 21st of June. Total casualty estimates for the Russian forces range between 250,000 and 400,000, compared to about 216,000 total soldiers deployed to the fight by the Germans and Austro-Hungarians. They would go on to lose around 80,000 to 100,000 men, while advancing hundreds of kilometers. In Tannenberg and Verdun, the Summer Offensive 1915 is still very much undecided. You have until the 22nd - the battle rages on!

[ 2020-06-15 14:45:20 CET ] [ Original post ]