My^WarfMemories, 1914-1918
cut off. The situation was certainly very critical. The enemy's enveloping movement was only stopped by a Turkish division, which was marching in the second line. The Rumanian attack was not pressed home; the right wing of the gth Army was brought up with all possible speed to meet it. On December 2nd the cavalry of the gth Army was in position on the action front of the Danube Army. On the 3rd we had infantry as well within reach and so the crisis was overcome. On the 4th we started a counter-attack, which was skilfully evaded by the Rumanians.
In the meantime, General Kiilme's left wing had effected a junction with General Krafft's Group and forced back the Rumanian ist Army eastward across the Arges. Henceforward the Danube Army and the gth Army fought side by side. The success of the operation was assured.
It had not been easy to bring the two armies into close tactical co-operation. At the last moment, on the ist December, the attempt had almost miscarried. Even in war, accidents of all kinds have to be reckoned with.
No sooner had this crisis been surmounted than we found ourselves faced with another. Would Bucharest be defended as a fortress or not ? Such a defence would have been very awkward for us, for it would have prolonged the campaign in Rumania considerably. The season was already far advanced, We had to make preparations for the following year. All kinds of material necessary for attack had been placed in readiness, and everything possible had been done to hasten the fall of the fortress. A great load was taken off my mind when, on the 6th, the report was received that our cavalry divisions had in the night of the 5th-6th December found the northern works of the fortress unoccupied and blown up. On the 6th we were in possession of Bucharest, Ploesti and Campina, The Rumanians, under English orders and directions, had effected a very thorough destruction of the oil-fields,
So far the Russians had not taken any serious part in the fighting. A Russian thrust on December 5th, south-east of Bucharest, was of no importance. It is not easy to understand why they let the Rumanians be beaten before they came in;
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