Gorlice breakthrough

Gorlice breakthrough
Part of Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive in the Eastern Front during World War I

Gorlice-Tarnów breakthrough
and Russian withdrawal
Date1–10 May 1915
Location
Eastern bank of river Dunajetz from river Vistula to Bartfeld village (in Slovakia) and east along Carpathian mountains to river Pruth; south-east of Kraków
Result Central Powers victory
Belligerents
Russian Empire  German Empire
 Austria-Hungary
Commanders and leaders
Grand Duke Nicholas
Nikolay Ivanov
German Empire Erich von Falkenhayn
German Empire August von Mackensen

German Empire Hans von Seeckt
Units involved
III Army German Empire XI Army
Austria-Hungary III Army
Austria-Hungary IV Army
Strength
On May 1:[1]
401,041 men
525 machine guns
729 guns
On May 1:[2]
700,299 men
734 machine guns
1,691 guns
Casualties and losses
100,000 prisoners
80 guns and 250 machine guns captured
Unknown but very large number of KIA and WIA[3]
36,570[4][5]–90,000[6]

The Gorlice breakthrough occurred in the May 1–10, 1915 as part of the Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive during World War I. The German 11th Army led by General August von Mackensen, with the support on the flanks by the 3rd and 4th Austro-Hungarian Armies, defeated the 3rd Russian Army. For the first time in the history of the First World War a heavily fortified and long-term defensive position was broken through during the Gorliсе offensive.

  1. ^ С.Г. Нелипович, 2022, p. 289
  2. ^ С.Г. Нелипович, Русский фронт Первой мировой войны. Потери сторон 1915, 2022, p. 289 calculated according to: Oesterreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg 1914–1918. Bd. 2. Beilage 14: Oesta-KA. AOK – Quartiermeister-Abteilung. Karton 1522. Op. 50500 (1915): Karton 2694. Op. 102017 (1915): Karton 2699. Op. 23900 (1915)
  3. ^ С.Г. Нелипович, 2022, p. 307
  4. ^ Rotkirch, Graf von, Trach. Freiherr von, L. Gorlice-Tarnow. pp. 78–79: Sanitaetsbericht ueber das Deutsche Heer (Deutsche Feld – und Besatzungsheer) im Weltkriege 1914/18. Berlin. 1936. Bd. II. p. 43
  5. ^ С.Г. Нелипович, 2022, p. 307
  6. ^ Bichanina 2018, p. 78.