Siege of Novogeorgievsk

The Siege of Novogeorgievsk was a battle of World War I fought after the Germans broke the Russian defenses at the Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive and approached Warsaw.

Siege of Novogeorgievsk
Part of the Eastern Front during World War I

Russian 8-inch mortars captured at Novogeorgievsk.
Date10 August – 20 August 1915
Location
Novogeorgievsk, Russian Empire (now in Poland)
Result German victory
Belligerents
 German Empire  Russian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Hans Hartwig von Beseler Nikolai Pavlovich Bobyr
Strength
80,000 90,000
Casualties and losses
90,000

The Russians decided to defend the fortress of Novogeorgievsk (now known as Modlin Fortress) in Poland at the confluence of the Narew and the Vistula River. It was garrisoned with 90,000 men when they evacuated Warsaw on 5 August. The German army led by General Hans Hartwig von Beseler approached Novogeorgievsk with 80,000 men including part of the powerful siege train used to capture Antwerp in 1914, six 16 in (400 mm) and nine 12 in (300 mm) howitzers.[1]

Novogeorgievsk was surrounded on 10 August and the bombardment began few days later and was concentrated on the north-eastern portion of the defenses, lying north of the Vistula River. The German assault was helped after the capture of the fort's Chief Inspector with detailed plans of the fort's defences.[1] After a heavy battering the Germans attacked 3 of the forts with 22 infantry battalions and captured two of them. The Russians were forced to the inner defenses north of the Vistula.

With no prospects of being relieved and with their inner defenses vulnerable to bombardment the Russians surrendered at the dawn of 20 August, losing 1,600 cannon and approximately 1,000,000 artillery shells.[1] Dead, wounded and captured came to approximately 90,000, which included 30 generals.[1]

  • German assault troops.
  • Russian fortifications at Novogeorgievsk.
  • A Russian 11-inch gun captured at Novogeorgievsk.
  • Russian prisoners.

References
  1. Kihntopf, Michael P. "The fall of Novo Georgievsk: End of Russian Dominance in Poland" (PDF). www.strategyandtacticspress.com. Christopher Cummins. Retrieved 14 December 2013.

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