The Year 1915

The Russian Western Front was headed by General Evert, HQ at Minsk; with Russian 1st Army, led by General Litvinov, HQ at Krulevshchizna, with I Cavalry, Tumanov's Cavalry, Kaznakov's Cavalry, IV, I, I Siberian, III Siberian, XIV Corps, with the VI Siberian in Reserve, holding a front line south of Dvinsk to Lake Naroch.

The Russian 2nd Army, led by General Smirnov, HQ at Minsk; with XX, V, XXVII, XXXIV, XXXVI Corps, with IV Siberian in Reserve, holding the front line Smorgon to Krevo.

The Russian 10th Army, led General Radkevich, HQ at Izyaslavl, northwest of Minsk; with XXVI, III Siberian, II Caucasian, II, XXXVIII, and the Osovets Corps; reforming in Reserve are the I Guard, II Guard, and V Caucasian Corps; holding front south of Smorgon to the Niemen River.

The Russian 4th Army, led by General Ragoza, HQ at Nesvij; with I Turkestan, V Siberian, XXXV, XVI, XXV, XV, and Grenadiers Corps, holding the Baranovichi front.

The Russian 3rd Army, led by General Lesh, HQ at Slutsk; with IX, X, XXIV, III Caucasian, XXXI, and IV Cavalry Corps, holding the Pinsk front.

The Russian Southwest Front was headed by General Ivanov, HQ at Berdichev; with Russian 8th Army, led by General Brusilov, HQ at Rovno, with XXX, XXXIX, XII, VIII, XVII, and VII Corps, holding the front south of Pripyat Marshes to Kremenets.

The Russian 11th Army, led by General Shcherbachev, HQ at Tarnopol; with VI, XVIII, and XXII Corps, holding the front line west of Zloczow to Niziniow.

The Russian 9th Army, led by General Lechitskiy, HQ 25 miles south of Proskurov; with XI, II Cavalry, XXXIII, XXXII, and III Cavalry Corps, holding front along the Zbrucz River to the Romanian frontier.

On the Southwest Front, Russian 8th Army cavalry forded the Styr River, taking Chartoriski on the following day.

On 17 October, on the Northern Front, the Germans attacked near Jakostadt in the Riga sector.

On the Southwest Front, the Russians advanced on the middle Styr River in southern Polesia.

On 18 October, the Tsar denounced Bulgarian treachery against Serbia. The Tsar received a letter from the Empress, in which she thanked him for telling someone on his staff to send her “the papers” every evening, which she eagerly read and returned after sealing them herself.

The Year 1915

On 18-19 October, in the Baltic Sea, British submarine E.9 sank three German ore-carrying ships in the Bay of Norrkoepping.

From 18-25 October, in the Black Sea, German submarines UB.8 and UB.7 arrived at Varna from Constantinople.

On 19 October, on the Northern front, there was heavy fighting around Mitau in the Riga sector.

On 20 October, on the Southwest Front, the Russians took 7,000 prisoners near Tarnopol. The Russian 8th Army threatened Kolki, where the Germans knocked out a Russian armored train, and occupied Yablonka and Kulikovich. The Austro-Germans were hard pressed to stem the Russian advance. The Germans transferred their Oberost HQ to Kovno.

From 20-22 October, in the Black Sea, a Russian battle squadron, with four battleships, two cruisers, ten destroyers and four large minesweepers, bombarded Euxinograd and Varna with little effect.

From 20-29 October, in the Baltic Sea, six Russian submarines begin operations against German coal steamers in the Gulf of Bothnia. The Alligator sank a steamer on the 24th, while Kaiman captured another on the 29th.

On 21 October, on the Northern Front, the Germans crossed the Dvina River 16 kilometers east of Riga.

In the Black Sea, Russian warships bombarded Varna and Burgas on the Bulgarian coast.

On 22 October, on the Northern Front, two Russian gunboats landed over 500 troops near Petragge, behind German lines in the Gulf of Riga. The Germans were forced to briefly evacuate Domesnes. The Russian landing forced the Germans to transfer a cavalry division there for coastal defense.

On the Southwest Front, the Germans advanced west of Chartorysk, capturing Kolki.

On 23 October, in the Baltic Sea, British submarine E.8 torpedoed and sank the German armored cruiser Prinz Adalbert off Libau, with a loss of 672 men.

On the Northern Front, the Germans attacked at Illukst. There was fierce fighting near Postavi, south of Dvinsk.

On 24 October, on the Northern Front, the Russians repulsed the Germans on the Lower Aa River near Riga.

The Year 1915

The Tsar visited Berdichev and Rovno to inspect troops on the Southwest Front. It was the first visit of his son the Tsarevich to the front.

On 25 October, on the Northern Front, heavy fighting continued in the Riga sector near Illukst, Uxkull, Chartorysk, and the Lake district.

On 27 October, there was indecisive fighting along most of the Russian front. In the Baltic Sea, Russian submarine Alligator captured a German steamer near the Aland Islands and brought her to port at Raumo on the Finnish coast.

In the Black Sea, Russian warships, supported by flying boats from seaplane carriers Almaz and Nikolai, bombarded Varna on the Bulgarian coast for two hours. German submarine UB.7 failed in an attack on the Russian battleship Panteleimon off Varna. The Tsar and his son were visiting in Kiev.

On 28 October, on the Northern Front, the Germans were concentrating troops near Riga.There was heavy fighting on the Dvina River.

On 30 October, on the Southwest Front, the Russians had some success near Tarnopol in Galicia, claiming some 8,000 prisoners.

On 31 October, on the Northern Front, the Germans ended their offensive against Riga and Dvinsk. Soon after the Germans captured Kemmern, a Russian gunboat bombarded an advance by the German left flank.

During November, in North Russia, the Arkhangelsk railway line to Vologda was being double-tracked. A new ice free port was being constructed at Kola.

During October, Rasputin played a key role in having the Tsar appoint Pitirim, who was believed to be a corrupt homosexual thief, as Metropolitan of Petrograd.

On 1 November, there were serious disruptions in the supply system, causing food shortages in Petrograd.

On the Northern front, the Russians almost broke through in heavy attacks in front of Dvinsk.

In the Baltic Sea, Russian destroyer Moskvityanin knocked down a German seaplane and captured the crew of two southwest of Tserel, off Oesel Island.

On 1-2 November, at Helsingfors, there were mutinies on the Russian battleship Gangut and armored cruiser Rurik.