Battle of Limanowa | |||||||
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Part of the Eastern Front during World War I | |||||||
![]() Austro-Hungarian troops advance in Limonova, December 1914 (illustration by A. Heyer) | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Units involved | |||||||
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Strength | |||||||
Only combat troops:[1] III Army 68,698 infantry 7,458 cavalry 231 machine guns 551 guns IV Army 74,584 infantry 7,222 cavalry 233 machine guns 616 guns |
Only combat troops: 194,930 593 machine gun 907 guns | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
10,265 KIA 36,875 WIA 59,332 MIA Total 106,472[2] |
14,100 KIA 63,348 WIA 67,200 MIA Total 144,648[3] |
The Battle of Limanowa-Łapanów took place from 1 December to 13 December 1914, between the Austro-Hungarian Army and the Russian Army near the town of Limanowa (40 kilometres (25 mi) south-east of Kraków).
The Austro-Hungarian high command had assumed that the German success would weaken Russian forces in the north and that the Galician front would remain quiet. Both these assumptions were incorrect.
Though the Habsburg 2nd army offensive opened on 16 November and met early success, the Russians proved stronger than expected and their 4th Army yielded little ground. Meanwhile, further south the Russian 2nd Army advanced across the San river and moved into the Tarnów area by 20 November. Further north, the Habsburg 4th Army, supported by the 47th German Reserve Division, moved onto the offensive in the last days of November.
In fierce battles around the towns of Łapanów and Limanowa, the Russian 3rd Army was beaten and forced to retreat east, ending its opportunity to reach Kraków. To avoid being surrounded, the Russian 8th Army also had to retreat, stopping its advance toward the Hungarian plains.
The confrontation was one of the final battles won unilaterally by the Austro-Hungarian Army. Most of its later victories during the war were dependent on German assistance, and it ceased to exist with the disestablishment of Austria-Hungary at the end of the war.[4]
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