A German soldier relaxes with his pipe as old Russian generals flounder in the Masurian Lakes. By JB (?)
Freibad masurische Seen.Masurian Lakes swimming pool.Reverse:Krieges-KarteNr. 54Verlag: Neufeld & Henius, Berlin SW, Großbeerenstr. 94
September 9 to 14, 1914
Eastern Front
Having virtually destroyed the Russian Second Army in the Battle of Tannenburg, Generals Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff hoped to do the same to the Russian First Army under General Paul von Rennenkampf. The commander of Russia's Northwest Army Group, General Jilinsky, having just lost one of the two Russian armies under his command, warned Rennenkampf of the threat the victorious German Eighth Army presented to his southern flank. Von Rennenkampf retreated to a line running from the Baltic Sea to the town of Angerburg and the Masurian Lakes, and entrenched. From Angerburg to the border, a distance of almost fifty miles, much of the extension of the Russian line was a chain of lakes with two concentrations of Russian forces, one east of Lötzen, across a large lake from the rest of Rennenkampf's army, the other isolated to the south, west of Lyck. Rennenkampf had two divisions in reserve, but threw them into an initial encounter with the advancing Germans on September 8, where they were in the line near Lötzen. Hindenburg and Ludendorf struck at this southern end with it isolated Russian units.
On September 9, August von Mackensen's XVII Corps and François' I Corps struck the southern end of the Russian line near Lötzen, Mackensen attacking head on, and François on the flank of the same Russian corps, moving through the lakes to get behind the Russian line. To the south, the Germans attacked the southern outpost of the Russian line. The Russian defenders fled in disorder. By September 10, the Germans had taken Lyck and 5,000 Russian prisoners, and had smashed the southern end of Rennenkampf's line, the first step in the attempt to encircle and destroy the Russian First Army. Rennenkampf realized the danger his army faced, and ordered a general retreat late on September 9.
The Russians retreated eastward, more quickly than the pursuing Germans could keep up with them, through the night of September 9, and all day and night of September 10. To protect their retreat, the Russians counter-attacked in the center of their line on the 10th, striking out from Angerburg, driving back the German forces, and successfully delaying their advance. Ludendorff and von Hindenburg continued their pursuit. but more cautiously. To ensure his escape back to Russian, Rennenkampf's rear guard fought one final battle.
Von Rennenkampf lost 145,000 men in his invasion of East Prussia, 125,000 in the Battle of the Masurian Lakes, 20,000 in the battles at Stallupönen and Gumbinnen. Estimates of German losses are as low as 10,000. Jilinsky lost his command of the Northwest Army Group, replaced by General Ruzski, victorious commander of the Russian Third Army in the Battle of Gnila Lipa.
Start Date: 1914-09-09
End Date: 1914-09-14
