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WarChron - Black Sea Seaplane Carriers - Russians Seize Przemysl |
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The Year 1915
On 10 March, on the Northwest Front, German attacks were repulsed on the Niemen River and west of Grodno. German Brieftauben Abteilung Ostende (BAO), a heavy bomber unit arrived at Deuthen, near Allenstein in East Prussia.
At Warsaw, Russian Podpolkovnik Miasoyedov, attached to the 10th Army's Intelligence Service, was hanged for treason. He was accused of sending secret reports over time on Russian military movements, supply conditions and morale to the enemy. He had been supported in his career by War Minister Sukhomlinov.
In Finland, the Tsar inspected the Baltic Sea Fleet's base at Sveaborg and visited hospitals at Helsingfors. He returned to Tsarskoe Selo the following day.
On 11 March, the German High Command (OHL) ordered reorganization of the Luftstreitkräfte (Air Force), placing all aviation, airships, balloon units and weather services under the command of Major Leith-Thomsen, as Chief of the Air Service in the Field, reporting to the Supreme Command. Anti-aircraft artillery was not included. The Luftstreikträfte had 72 Feldfliegerabteilungen (FFA), two Fortress Fleigerabteilungen, one BAO (bombing unit) and 16 Armeeflugparks.
On 12 March, on the Northwest Front, German attacks were repulsed near Augustovo Woods and north of Przasnysz.
On the Southwest Front, the Russians stormed the Austro-Hungarian fortress at Przemysl.
The British government received Russian assurances which supported their designs on Constantinople and the Straits. In return Russia agreed that the neutral zone of Persia (all of the central part of what is now Iran), shall be incorporated in the British zone. On the 13th, British Ambassador George Buchanan informed the Tsar that his government had consented to the realization of Russia's aspirations.
On 13 March, on the Southwest Front, Austro-Hungarians attacks failed in the Carpathians and east Galicia.
In the Black Sea, Russian seaplane carrier Imperator Nikolai I, with six to eight flying boats, sortied for the first time, carrying out operations off the Turkish Rumelian coast. She would become inactive after April 1917.
Russia's elder statesman Count Sergius Vitte ( Witte ) died of a cerebral tumor. He was nearly 67, known as an intriguer and had long been out of the Tsar's favor and out of office. The Tsar left Tsarskoe Selo for an extended visit at Stavka.
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The Year 1915
On 14 March, on the Northwest Front, the Russian 1st Army continued their successes in the region of Przasnysz. The Tsar arrived at Stavka.
On 15 March, in northern Poland, the Russians opened a counter-offensive against German Armeegruppe Gallwitz along both banks of the Orzec River.
On the Southwest Front, Russian counter-attacks broke the Austro-Hungarian center near Smolnik in the Carpathians.
At Petrograd, French Ambassador Paleologue was instructed by his government to inform the Russians on the compensation France expected to receive in Syria, Cilicia and Palestine when considering peace terms to be imposed on Turkey by the Allies in the event of their victory.
On 16 March, Paleologue visited Tsar Nicholas at Stavka, finding that he was in total agreement with French expectations. Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich pressed the French Ambassador on the urgency to secure the participation of Italy and Romania in the war on the Allied side.
On 17 March, on the Northwest Front, German troops under von Lauenstein made inroads in attacks near Memel and Tauroggen.
On the Southwest Front, having been reinforced, the Austro-Hungarians attempted crossing the Pruth River in Bukovina. The Germans now had forty seven Corps in Russia, with another forty seven facing the British, French and Belgians in the West. In the Black Sea, Russian seaplane carrier Almaz (a hybrid yacht-cruiser) carried out her first operartions off the Bosporus and the Turkish Rumelian coast. She had been commissioned at Sevastopol sometime during January – February. She would serve until November 1917.
On 18 March, the Russian Northwest Front HQ issued a stand fast order to its 10th, 12th, 1st, 2nd and 5th Armies to hold the line and fortify their positions. The Russians were able to briefly occupy Memel on the Baltic coast. The Baltic Fleet was unable to support their troops along the coast because their support bases were iced up. On the Turkish Front, there was failure of an Allied attempt to force the Dardanelles Straits. Turkish mines and gunfire sank four capital ships and damaged three others. Violent weather halted all operations.
In the Black Sea, the German cruiser Breslau bombarded torpedo factories at Feodosiya and managed to escape her pursuers due to high speed.
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The Year 1915
The Treaty of London was signed between Great Britain, France and Russia. Russia was ceded the right to annex Constantinople, the Bosporus, the Dardanelles, and more than one half of Turkey-in-Europe.
On 19 March, on the Southwest Front, an Austro-Hungarian sortie from Przemysl failed. Their commander, General Hermann Kuzmanek despaired of any relief and prepared to surrender.
At Stavka, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich issued a directive that the Northwest Front was to resume the offensive while the Southwest Front was to drive through the Passes in the Carpathians towards Budapest.
The Russian government decided to increase the capacity of the Arkhangelsk – Vologda railway line, currently narrow gauge, to broad gauge. Plans called for completion by the end of July 1915.
On 20 March, on the Southwest Front, the Russians took 2,400 Austro-Hungarian prisoners in hard fighting southwest of Baligrad and Smolnik.
On the Caucasian Front, the Russians succeeded in clearing Adzharia of the last Turkish troops and their irregular partisans.
On 21 March, on the Northwest Front, the Germans finally abandoned attacks on Osovets.
French Ambassador Paleologue visited Russian Chief of the General Staff General M.A. Belyaev, requesting information on the supply of artillery shells. He was informed that current daily output was 20,000 rounds per day.
Belyaev explained that if orders placed abroad were delivered on time then Russian artillery would have 65,000 rounds per day, of which 26,000 were still expected from Britain and America. There would still be a daily shortage of 19,000 shells.Belyeav cited the need for a fundamental change in Russian industry. Paleologue then urgently wired Paris to urgently send technical instructors to Russia.
On 22/23 March, on the Southwest Front, the Austro-Hungarian fortress of Przemysl fell to the Russian 3rd Army after a siege of 194 days. The Russians captured four Army Corps, nine generals, 2,600 officers, and 117,000 rank and file, in addition to most personnel of Flik 11 (flying company). Three Russian Corps were now freed to reinforce the Carpathian Front.
On 23 March, on the Northwest Front, German forces reoccupied Memel in heavy fighting.
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