Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes | |||||||
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Part of the Eastern Front during World War I | |||||||
Eastern Front, February 7–18, 1915 | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
German Empire | Russian Empire | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Paul von Hindenburg Erich Ludendorff Max Hoffmann Otto von Below Hermann von Eichhorn Georg von der Marwitz |
Nikolai Ruzsky Thadeus von Sievers Pavel Plehve | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
8th Army 10th Army |
10th Army 12th Army | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Total: 275,261 men[1] 400 machine guns 1082 guns |
126,000 total[2] 11.5 infantry and 2 cavalry divisions[3] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Official German medical reports: Total 31,827[4] (including 1,706 prisoners) 8th Army 3,497 KIA 1,588 MIA 11,163 WIA 10th Army 3,013 KIA 3,188 MIA 9,378 WIA Lost:[5] 15 machine guns 6 guns |
Official Russian medical reports: 56,000 total casualties[6][7][8] other 100,000 prisioners |
The Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes or Winter Battle of the Masurian Lakes, known in Germany as the Winter Battle in Masuria and in Russia as the Battle of Augustowo,[9] was the northern part of the Central Powers' offensive on the Eastern Front in the winter of 1915 during World War I. The offensive was intended to advance beyond the Vistula River and perhaps knock Russia out of the war. It was the last major battle fought on German soil during World War I.[9]