My War Memories, 1914-1918
General von Scholtz attacked with the 75th Reserve Division and the loth Landwehr Division.
In preparation for the attack we had concentrated, especially in the area of the rath Army, what was then for the Eastern Front a very large amount of heavy artillery.
Both armies began the attack on July isth. Thanks to the careful organization by the Army Headquarters Staff, and the excellent spirit of the troops, it was entirely successful.
General von Gallwitz's divisions gained ground, got right into the enemy's system of defences and continued to press forward. On the I5th, after heavy fighting, a strong rear line of defence was stormed, and by the iyth the Narew had been reached, whilst the right wing had arrived north-west of Novo Georgievsk, The Field-Marshal and I were present with the I2th Army at the battle of the I3th and I4th ; we were most favourably impressed by both leaders and troops. The 12th Army, like the nth Army in West Galicia, had gained a great deal of ground in the first attack.
On the Narew, as had been the case on the San, a pause in the operations now ensued. Pultusk and Roshan were stormed on July 23rd. Ostrolenka was taken on August 4th, and thus the crossing of the Narew on a wide front was secured. Other forces moved against Sieroc and Segershe, so that as soon as these works were taken, Novo Georgievsk could be cut off from the north-east.
The 8th Army, in line with the I2th, had reached the Narew between the Schkwa and the Pissa, but had only managed to place a weak force on the southern bank of the river near the confluence of the Schkwa.
The Russians offered stubborn resistance everywhere and suffered very heavy losses.
The gth Army and General von Woyrsch's Detachment had also gone forward in the Polish bend of the Vistula. Woyrsch's Detachment had beaten the Russians on the Ilshanka and at , Radom, occupied Radom on July igth, and forced the Russians ,t,o retreat behind the Vistula. As a consequence of this, on e Russians north of the Hica also retreated behind 150