I told earlier about my failed campaigns against the Central Powers, this time I came back with a vengence. Here is Round two of Central Powers vs. Russia.
Difficulty - Hard
Aggresiveness - Furious
Operation Hammerfall, as shown above, was put forth by Generals Brusilov and Yudenitch. After being review by the Grand Duke, who was most pleased with it, the plan was forwarded to The Czar. The Czar, impressed agreed and by January 1914 the plan was being put into affect.
The plan has two phases, the first is shown in green. The first phase is a major attack through Torun towards Elbing in roder to hack off East Prussia and the 15-20 German divisions stationed there. In order to keep the assualt secret, Brusilov will amass 33 divisions in Ostroleka behind Russian lines behind only 6 Russian divisions in Torun, this force will be called Army Group Prussia.
After Brusilov's army had engaged the Germans at Elbing Yudenitch's massive Army Group North would collaspe on Memel and Konigsburg, and eliminate all German troops there. Phase one, expected to take two weeks would elimiate 20 divisions from the German Order of Battle and shorten the Russian line considerbly, and also anchor it behind the Wisla River.
At the same time to the south the Grand Duke's Army Group South would take Lwow and Munhacs in order to shorten the line and provide a launch pad for phase two.
General Alexseev's Center Army Group will hold the Wisla River, surrendering Western Poland, in order to draw the Germans into the Phase 2 - The Hammerfall.
Yudenitch's Army Group North, renamed Army Group Ukraine will combine with the Grand Duke and assualt north, using the Wisla river to cover their northern flank and the Carpathian moutains, their southern flank. They will advance through Silesia into the heart of German, and threaten to take Berlin, the Germans will begin to fall back to counter this, when Alexseev's Army Group (heavily re-enforced by 3 Siberian corps and 4 corps from Brusilov) will launch an attack on Radom while Yudenitch will attack Krakow. Both Armies will begin pushing the Germans out of Poland. Hopefully reaching the Oder before the winter. Given a 3 month time period of combat, the Grand Duke knew the operation must go smoothly. Finally war came.
Phase 1 began on August 2nd, Lwow was taken easily and Brusilov's 35 odd divisions facing Crown Prince Rupprecht's 8 Bavarian divisions, later re-enforced by 3 more German divisions. Despite German bravery, Brusilov easily won, with light losses and the Germans began retreating into Konigsburg. Yudenitch's attack was now fully progressing, Memel was taken easily. Yudenitch's main force attacking Konigsburg ran into stiff resistance and the attack bogged down, to help 15 Russian divisions arrived from the north and victory was sealed.
The Germans were in shock, Landwehr began filling in around Danzig in order to cover the line, but the Germans were decieved, as by rail Yudenitch shipped 25 divisions south. Grand Duke's attack got underway in earnest.
Nikolai's attack blasted through 12 Austrian divisions, routing them and pressing for Silesia, they arrived at Dresden after 10 days, with no major German units in sight, at Dresden though, things began to get rough. 3 major German counter-attacks pounded Nikolai's weary troops and the Austrians attacked Munkacs and Lwow, but the Russians held. One German attack was carried out by General von Worysch.
With Nikolai being pressed hard and with 2 Siberian Corps finally ready for combat, Alexseev and Yudenitch hurled themselves over the Wisla river at the German defenders, who were moving west to defend Berlin. Yudenitch easily took Krakow, but Radom was a different story.
At Radom, Alexseev's initial 21 divisions faced off against 9 Germans, but the river and German resistance proved to bog down the attack. Brusilov was detached personally with 8 divisions from Elbing to re-enforce the assualt but 10 German divisions trickled into Radom. Brusilov's attack gained new purpose now, instead of taking Radom his job was to keep German forces in Poland tied up while Yudenich moved form Krakow on to Czest in Poland. The goal being to encircle the Germans at Radom from Czest.
German resistance was stiff, Czest was easily one but a combined Teuton-Magyar assualt inflicted many losse son Yudenich and his forces. The attack at Lodz bogged down and the Germans attacks at Krakow intensified, as well Brusilov pulled back his forces to prevent losses from getting out of hand. The Hammerfall was failed, but there was still one final fight in early November before the Russian Command suspended offensive actions.
With winter coming and the Germans most likely to launch spring offensives, The Grand Duke decided to extricate himself from his exposed position at Dresden and move into Silesia, troops in Breslau would attack with men of Yudenich from Czest on Oppeln to widen and consolidate the Russian bulge. This operation was total successfull. The Austrians launched a final desperate offensive at Cieszyn, and managed to take it easily be the light Russian garrison. The Grand Duke easily took the province back from the Austrians and offensive operations were halted, the armies recooped and new Moutain-Infantry Corps were being formed in Ukraine for the Spring offensive against Hungary.
The Russian High Command, after reviewing Operation Hammerfall called it a great success, the destruction of 20 German divisions in Prussia, the severe retardation of the German Western Offensive and the placing of the Central Powers in a weak position, Austria having lost no major natural boundaries for the rich Hungarian plain and Germany in a very exposed position in Poland.
Generals Brusilov, Yudenich and Alexseev were promoted to full Field Marshals as a reward.