The Battle of Humin-Bolimów was an inconclusive battle of World War I fought on January 14, 1915 - February 28, 1915 between Imperial German Army and Russia and considered a preliminary to the Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes.
Battle
January 16, 1915 the German 4th Infantry Division carried out several attacks on the sector of the front south of Borzymów, in the direction of Humin. After a two-hour artillery preparation (at the same time, tear gas shells were used for the first time - 2200 shots), units of the Russian 55th Infantry Division were knocked out of the trenches by a bayonet attack of the four German regiments. The commander of the 2nd Army, Infantry General V. Smirnov, ordered to organize a counterattack with all the forces of the VI Army Corps, Lieutenant General Vasily Gurko (4th, 16th, 55th Infantry Divisions and a brigade of the 76th Infantry Division - a total of 42,895 men, 68 machine guns, 130 guns). However, until nightfall, the Russian troops failed to recapture the lost trenches near vil. Humin and Dołowatka.
On the night of January 17, the Russian infantry, having made several attacks, took the enemy in pincers and knocked him out of the trenches he had captured the day before. Attempts by the Germans to resume the offensive until the evening were repulsed by machine-gun and artillery fire. The German troops managed to advance only 20 m in two days of stubborn battle; two regiments lost 3 officers and 297 soldiers, in the 14th infantry regiment was killed commander, and his attack failed. The casualties of the Russian side amounted to 725 killed, 101 missing, 3,019 wounded and poisoned.
For a new attack on Humin and Sucha, the commander of the German 9th Army, Colonel General August von Mackensen, concentrated the troops of the reinforced XVII Army Corps and I Reserve Corps - the 4th, 35th, 36th Infantry and 1st, 36th and 49th reserve divisions. On the left, the attack was to be supported by the 26th Infantry Division of the XIII Army Corps, on the right, forces of the group of artillery general Friedrich von Scholtz, the 11th and XX Army Corps. But in connection with the disclosure of the concentration of Russian troops south of Mlawa, Supreme Commander of All German Forces in the East Paul von Hindenburg ordered to strengthen this direction with the forces of the XX Army Corps (37th and 41st Infantry Divisions), the 1st Guards Reserve Division and the 5th Guards Infantry Brigade.
By January 31, 1915, the German troops concentrated six divisions (up to 40,000 men) and 92 batteries with 596 guns, 150 of them heavy and 2 Austrian 30.5-cm mortars, in the breakthrough area. 18,000 shells filled with tear gas and chlorine were prepared. Russian troops were also reinforced, but the Germans managed to create an overwhelming superiority in artillery. It should also be noted that the tactics of defensive combat on the eve of the war were not developed in any of the armies. Going on the defensive was seen only as a means to wear down the enemy and gather strength for a new offensive. Accordingly, even knowing exactly or approximately about the enemy’s offensive, the Russian command at all levels could only demand from subordinate troops “to hold their positions at all costs”, the creation of fortified zones of great depth was not practiced.
At 8.30 am on January 31, heavy fire was opened on the Russian positions near Humin and Wola Szydłowska. Then attacks began, mainly against the 4th and 55th Infantry Divisions. By 16 o'clock the Germans knocked out units of the 4th, 27th and 55th infantry divisions from the trenches. At night, a counterattack was prepared by the forces of the detachment of Major General Mikhail Sokovin, but it did not bring success. Vasily Gurko was also transferred the 13th Siberian Rifle Division. The commander of the 2nd Army, V. Smirnov, reported to the commander-in-chief of the armies of the North-Western Front: “According to the reports of the chiefs of the sections, the withdrawal of the battalions of the 13th and 14th regiments is due to the intoxicating effect of gases from enemy shells, from which people suffocated and could not look”.