The front remained quiet and we were not even bothered by Rumanian scout squads. Toward 2200, Major Sproesser informed me that the brigade had ordered an attack with artillery support against Mount Cosna for 1100 the next day, and was asking for suggestions.
Judging from the terrain, an attack from the west and northwest seemed most promising to me, for here the highest parts of the mountain ridge were not wooded and artillery and heavy machine-gun support would be easily secured. Moreover, the numerous folds of the terrain north of the ridge road offered good avenues of approach for the attacking troops.
Major Sproesser then requested me to remain with him an additional day in spite of my wound, and to take over the command of the group attacking from the west and northwest. The 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th Mountain Companies, the 3rd Machine-Gun Company, and the 1st Machine-Gun Company of the 11th Reserve Infantry Regiment were assigned to me. At the same time the southern attack group under Captain Gossler (1st and 4th Mountain Companies, 1st Machine-Gun Company, 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 18th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment) was to attack Mount Cosna from the south or southwest via Hills 647 and Hill 692. The new and difficult task was most attractive so I remained with the outfit. (Sketch 28)
I got little sleep during the night because my wound smarted and my nerves were on edge as a result of the day's activities, not to mention my preoccupation with the next day's work. Before day-
Sketch 28
Attack plan for August 11, 1917.
Break I woke Lieutenant Hausser and we went forward to the 5th and 6th Companies and, in the early morning light, studied the terrain and prepared our attack plans.
The enemy positions were astride the ridge road on the next ridge half a mile to the east of our forward positions. His sentries were hidden behind trees or in the undergrowth. North of the road we located a fairly compact skirmish line in recently dug positions. Elements of the garrison stood in groups. Neither side disturbed the quiet of daybreak with shots. Our positions were well concealed and scarcely perceptible to the enemy.
The avenues of approach were less favourable than I had thought. Bare grassy slopes in front and to the south offered no protection against hostile fire. The terrain seven to nine hundred yards north of the ridge road appeared more favourable. On the grassy slopes of the ridge leading to the Piciorul numerous fairly large and dense clumps of bushes were scattered about. The Piciorul (652), located a mile north of the ridge road on the flank of the 5th Company was covered with large deciduous trees.
Sharp and dominating, the Mount Cosna summit loomed on the horizon in the rays of the rising sun. It was the objective for the attack on August 11. Would we be able to do it? We had to! My wounded arm was forgotten for I had six companies to lead against the enemy. I went about the difficult and responsible work with confidence and new strength.
I planned to use the companies already in position to pin the enemy down starting at 0800, to mislead him and prevent him from reconnoitring the ravines northwest of his positions. During the course of the morning, I would move the bulk of the assault force south of the Piciorul, using the thick brush there for concealment, to within storming distance of the enemy position north of the ridge road. Once in position I expected to attack with artillery support at 1100, hoping to breach the position and drive through to Mount Cosna in a single movement. The units located on Hill 674 were to launch a frontal attack coincidental with ours.
The 5th and 6th Companies, with Aldinger's machine-gun platoon, were given to Lieutenant Jung, whom I instructed through Lieutenant Hausser, as to my plan and the tasks of his formation in the attack on Mount Cosna. I left Lieutenant Hausser with Jung's detachment, in order to secure communication with the Sproesser group and cooperation from the artillery.
At 0600, I moved off to the north through dense shrubbery with the remaining four companies. Telephone wire with Jung's combat group was laid at the same time. After about seven hundred yards I turned the head of the column eastward and we approached the ridge between Hill 674 and the Piciorul by climbing up a shallow draw. The ridge was sparsely covered with lone trees and clumps of bushes. Now and then we halted and studied the terrain, and I was amazed to see that the enemy had combat outposts along the entire ridge. The Rumanians had pushed combat outposts out in front of their new position. Neither the 5th Company, on whose left flank the outposts were located, nor the scout squads of the reserve companies had located these outposts.
Under these conditions a surprise attack from the northwest against the Rumanian main position seemed almost impossible. If I overran the hostile outposts, then the enemy in the main position east of Hill 674 would be alerted and my attack would no longer be a surprise, which would materially reduce the prospects for success.
We halted concealed from hostile view. Thorough consideration of the terrain round about led me to decide to outwit the combat outposts in front of us. We retraced our steps and, after going a short distance, turned to the north and reached the dense zone of woods on the northwest slope of the Piciorul without encountering the enemy. Again we turned to the east and moved through the dense underbrush of the tall forest toward the Rumanian combat outposts.
I organized my own security in greater depth. Far in front an especially skilful technical sergeant of the 3rd Company was scouting, and I directed him by means of arm signals and low calls. Upon my request, his platoon leader, Lieutenant Hummel, was carrying his heavy pack on his own shoulders. I marched a few yards behind the technical sergeant, followed by the remaining ten men of the advance guard who marched at ten pace intervals. The four companies followed in single file 160 yards behind the advance guard. This distance was so arranged that when my signals halted the advance guard the companies could continue the march without giving telltale sounds. Naturally, absolute quiet prevailed in the whole detachment which was in a column about half a mile long. Each soldier avoided making the slightest noise. The troops knew that it was a matter of moving unobserved through the hostile combat outposts.
We halted and resumed the march on signal. By listening for some minutes we succeeded in determining the location of two Rumanian outposts. The hostile sentries talked, cleared their throats, coughed, and whistled, as we approached yard by yard. The hostile sentries were at 100 to 150-yard intervals but we could not see them because of the dense underbrush. I moved with the advance guard to the middle of a gap between two hostile sentries. We were on a level with them and held our breaths. The enemy to right and left did not diminish his conversation and I carefully moved the four companies through. At the same time a telephone line to Jung's combat group was being laid. This line also connected us with the command post of the Sproesser group. The adjacent enemy was most unobservant.
Always slipping through dense undergrowth, we reached the north slope of the Piciorul in the rear of the Rumanian sentries and field outposts who were still observing the front to the west. Meanwhile, on the right and according to our plans, Jung had opened with rifle and machine-gun fire.
A very deep ravine still separated us from the main Rumanian position and we had to negotiate this obstacle unobserved. In descending we crossed several paths, but fortunately we encountered no Rumanians. Up on the right near Hill 674 Rumanian artillery was plastering Jung's position with heavy fire. The Rumanians apparently suspected preparations for attack there, and were taking measures to forestall it.
Climbing on the steep slopes in a blazing August sun with the heavy pack, (the heavy machine gunners carried loads of almost 110 pounds on their backs) was a terrific exertion. It was nearly 1100 when we reached the lowest point of the ravine and began to climb the abrupt, rocky slope, sparsely covered with tall pine trees, on the other side. We proceeded slowly as the terrain caused great difficulties. Our artillery opened its preparation fire at 1100 sharp. To be sure, it seemed rather weak to us, and did not strike in the region where we were to attack. The volume of fire from 5th and 6th Companies increased and was answered by enemy artillery.
During this period we bent every effort in climbing the slope. My wounded arm hampered my climbing very much and my combat orderlies had to help me over the more difficult spots.
Our own artillery fire had ceased when, toward 1130, the technical sergeant of the 3rd Company who was out ahead as scout was fired on in a light forest and, as instructed, quickly took cover without returning the fire. I ordered the advance guard to halt and secure the ascent of the companies who came up silently until they reached a narrow space on the protecting slope about 160 feet below the advance guard. While this was going on I got Jung on the telephone and told him I intended to attack in half an hour. I also tried to get in touch with Major Sproesser and ask for artillery support but the wire went dead. Apparently the Rumanian detachments on the Piciorul had discovered the wire and cut it.
That the connection with the Sproesser group, the artillery, and the Jung combat group should give out just before the decisive attack was most unpleasant. To restore communication seemed barely possible and would take hours of hard work. I had to accept this misfortune.
The location of the enemy positions which we were to attack could only be surmised. I believed it to be in the region where the scout had been shot at by the Rumanian sentries. The configuration of the slope and the growth of bushes and high ferns made it possible to assemble in a well concealed area within rushing distance of the enemy. Support of the attack by machine-gun fire from elevated positions was out of the question, nor could Jung cover our front with fire for we had no communication whatsoever with him, but I hoped he would act according to his instructions.
I took one platoon of the 3rd Company and Grau's machine-gun company and disposed them in the front line on a width of some one hundred yards. The 2nd Company was echeloned to the right rear and the remaining two platoons of the 3rd Company and the 1st Machine-Gun Company of the 11th Reserve Infantry Regiment were echeloned to the left rear. (Sketch 29)
My attack order was: “On my signal the forward line (1 platoon of the 3rd Company and Grau's machine-gun company) creeps forward silently through the ferns toward the assumed position up on the slope. As soon as hostile sentries or the garrison opens fire, Grau's machine-gun company combs the hostile position with continuous fire of all guns and stops on my signal after about thirty seconds. At this moment the platoon of the 3rd Company and the other units of the detachment, which have to be kept closed up, break in on the hostile position without shouting. Individual squads block the shoulders of the breach immediately and the main body breaks through to the defensive zone of the enemy and seizes the ridge as initial objective and prepares to advance to the southeast. To deceive the enemy as to the place of breakthrough and to disperse his defensive fire, the sectors of the hostile position on both sides of the breakthrough point are to be engaged by hand-grenade squads.”
All these preparations and discussions were carried out noiselessly within a hundred yards of the hostile sentries. Since I had left Lieutenant Hausser with the 5th and 6th Companies, I was obliged to do all the work myself.
We were ready a few minutes before noon. The Rumanians had done us the favour of not disturbing us. On the eastern slope of the Piciorul, Rumanian detachments of platoon size were crossing the path by which we had advanced. It was high time to attack and I gave the signal.
The detachment worked its way up the slope only to be fired on immediately from enemy positions near at hand. The enemy fire
Sketch 29
Preparations for the attack of August 11, 1917. View from the west.
Was quickly answered by all the machine guns in Grau's company. Hand grenades burst to the right and left as we lay ready to charge. The heavy machine-gun fire in front of us pinned the hostile garrison to the ground and left the enemy firing wildly from the right and left. I gave the signal to stop the heavy machine-gun fire and the mountain troops stormed up the slope, broke into the hostile position without any real losses, took a few captives, blocked off the area, and then charged forward to the right into the defensive zone. Everything went with the clocklike precision of a peacetime manoeuvre.
Soon the bushes in front of us began to thin out and we advanced another hundred yards before lively machine-gun fire hampered our advance against a slope rising gently to the right. The fire, coming from a wood located on the highest hill about six hundred yards away across a broad grassy surface, increased in violence.
The platoon of the 3rd Company and the heavy machine guns of Grau's company took up the fight, and the remainder of the 3rd Company and the machine-gun company of the 11th Reserve spread themselves out to the left. The enemy on the edge of the wood was being reinforced and we were soon engaged with several dozen machine guns. There was no question of continuing the advance across the grassy unprotected area for, in our tired condition, we were having trouble holding our own.
Hostile reserves counterattacked from the woods with artillery support and made their main effort against our left. The mountain soldiers clung desperately to the ground. They did not want to give way and their rapid fire stopped the hostile counterattack (Sketch 30)
More and more enemy machine guns began to hammer us and our losses began to mount at an alarming rate with the result that our predicament grew more perilous with each passing second. I was up in front on the right of the 3rd Company. On my left Albrecht's heavy machine-gun platoon was engaged in most violent combat. The 2nd Company was in reserve to the right rear of the bushes where it was protected from the hostile fire. Should I commit my reserve? Would its fire power turn the tide of battle in our favour? No! Should I order a withdrawal? No! For then our dead and wounded would have been left in enemy hands and we would have been driven from this position down into the ravine where the Rumanians would have annihilated us with ease. The situation seemed desperate, but we had to master it or. . . remain on the spot.
There were some clumps of bushes down the slope to our right. The idea occurred to me that we might use these to cover an advance against the enemy on the hill and I decided to commit my last reserves in a surprise blow against the left flank of the enemy who was pressing us so hard. This move could decide the issue.
I gave instructions to those near me and crawled back and in a few seconds the 2nd Company and I were rushing impetuously to the south. It was a case of do or die. We overran a weak enemy in the clumps of bushes before he knew what had hit him and in no time we had gained more than a hundred yards. We turned eastwards and I hoped that the remainder of the detachment was continuing to resist.
I was just about to launch the attack against the hostile flank when elements of Jung's group appeared on the right rear of the 2nd Company. Jung was continuing the execution of his mission of the morning and was about to attack the enemy astride the ridge
Sketch 30
Situation at Mount Cosna, August 11, 1917. View from the west.
Road. His arrival decided the battle in our favour for the enemy had committed his entire forces against the 3rd Company and the two machine-gun companies and he had nothing left to throw against the attack of three mountain companies against his flank and rear. The Rumanians hastily vacated the height leaving the greater part of their machine guns on the battlefield.
On the edge of the wood, seven hundred yards east of Hill 674, the exemplary, brave Lieutenant Jung, a leader respected by his company, received a fatal abdominal wound.
The 3rd and 2nd Companies, as well as elements of the machine-gun companies, continued to fire on the enemy as he swept back in complete disorder along the ridge road and through the broad hollow. At the same time I took the 5th and 6th Companies and pursued the enemy just south of the ridge road and across the highest part of the ridge. The other units of the Rommel detachment received orders by runners to follow the same route as soon as possible.
While the 6th Company took possession of the knoll half a mile west of Mount Cosna's summit—we called it Headquarters Knoll— the 5th Company was bagging more than two hundred prisoners in protected hostile positions west and south of the ridge road and was capturing several machine guns. A broad ravine still separated us from Mount Cosna itself.
Dense masses of Rumanians were retreating on the road leading down the western slope and they were soon being hit by fire from the 6th Company. Rumanian troops were standing on the summit of Mount Cosna and we began to receive lively machine-gun and rifle fire from there. During this fire, among others, my splendid adjutant Hausser received a chest wound.
Soon the companies arrived one after the other on Headquarters Knoll. They were completely exhausted. No wonder, for since 0600 they had been marching, climbing difficult terrain, or attacking.
The enemy occupied prepared positions on the steep height of Mount Cosna and could not have been attacked with exhausted troops. My decision was to rest the men and reorganize the units before considering an attack against the Mount Cosna summit position. The 2nd Company furnished the security details for our rest area and a reconnaissance detachment from the 6th Company with a telephone detail reconnoitred the avenues of approach into the Mount Cosna position. From Headquarters Knoll, we saw Tirgul Ocna lying northeast of us in the valley. The distance as the crow flies was not more than three miles, and we could see that heavy rail movements were in process at the Tirgul Ocna railroad station.
Toward 1300, the staff of the Sproesser group arrived together with the group reserves (2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 18th Reserve Infantry Regiment) just west of Headquarters Knoll. Major Sproesser had followed the attack of the Rommel detachment from his command post in the oak woods, and thought that we had taken Mount Cosna in one rush.
At that time nothing was known of the activities of Gossler's detachment. I announced my intention of continuing the attack on the summit position in an hour's time and asked for fire support from Headquarters Knoll by the machine guns of one of the two Bavarian battalions. My intention was to repeat the successful maneuver of the morning and Major Sproesser gave his consent.
At the agreed time, units of the 2nd Battalion of the 18th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment opened fire on the hostile positions. At the same time I climbed down into the ravine to the east and a hundred yards north of Headquarters Knoll with the 6th, 3rd, 2nd, and 5th Companies, the 3rd Machine-Gun Company, and the 1st Machine-Gun Company of the 11th Reserve Infantry Regiment. We followed the reconnaissance detachment's wire through thick underbrush and down an extraordinarily steep slope. Soon we were going up the opposite side and had caught up with the reconnaissance unit from the 6th Company. The hot noonday sun made the climb most strenuous and it required several hours to reach the top with my exhausted men.
With security precautions similar to those of the forenoon we felt our way nearer and nearer to the enemy and climbed up through light brush and small rills. The garrison of the summit meanwhile was engaged in a lively fire fight with the 2nd Battalion of the 18th on Headquarters Knoll and the fire from both sides whistled by high over our heads.
We could clearly see a Rumanian combat outpost some two hundred yards from the Bavarians on Headquarters Knoll and directly across from them. Finally we reached a small hollow some eighty yards from the summit. The Bavarians had ceased firing on the hostile position sectors above in order not to endanger us and the enemy's fire likewise had ceased.
I prepared my detachment for the assault with extreme care with two rifle platoons and six heavy machine guns in the front line and two companies echeloned behind each flank. The attack preparations were identical with those of the morning: creeping up, steady fire from the heavy machine guns, hand grenades on the right and left for diversion, and then the final assault.
Preparations were still incomplete when we plainly heard carbine fire in a southwest direction. Those sounds came from Gossler's detachment so I immediately gave the signal for the attack. After a short but continuous burst of fire the mountain troops smashed through the summit position and, in a few minutes, swept the west slope of Mount Cosna clear of the enemy. The enemy was so surprised that he failed to offer serious resistance in any portion of the position and the summit was ours at slight cost in casualties. We had several dozen prisoners and a few machine guns as our bag of trophies, but the major portion of the garrison of the position escaped and fled precipitately down the eastern slopes of
Mount Cosna. As we started in pursuit, very strong Rumanian machine-gun fire struck us on the bare eastern slopes. This came from positions lying six to seven hundred yards east of Mount Cosna summit on a ridge running through Hill 692 from north to south. These positions were particularly well developed and protected by wide obstacles. Strong artillery and machine-gun support were required before we could think of crossing the ridge and going down the eastern slope by daylight. We had to be satisfied with possession of the peak from which we could see far out into the Rumanian countryside.
We soon had contact with the 1st Company (Gossler's detachment) which was climbing up the steep ridge from the south toward Mount Cosna's summit (788). The Rommel detachment dug in with the 1st Company (which I attached to myself) on the steep slope south of the ridge road. The 5th and 6th Companies were on the peak and north of the ridge road descending to the northwest. I split the machine-gun company of the 11th Reserve Infantry Regiment among the three companies in the front line and kept the 2nd Company at my disposal behind the centre. The 3rd Company and 3rd Machine-Gun Company were behind the left flank.
About an hour after the capture of Mount Cosna, Major Sproesser came up with both Bavarian battalions. Concerning Gossler's detachment we learned that after capturing the Rumanian positions near Hill 647, it came upon very strong enemy forces which, supported by numerous hostile batteries, attacked in dense masses from the east. Gossler's detachment had to be withdrawn because of heavy losses and was to halt on the east slope of the rocky ravine leading to Cosna's summit from the south. On the left, toward the Slanic valley, our neighbour, the Hungarian 70th Honved Division, was still several miles away and out of contact with us. During the evening hours we watched the artillery duel north of the Slanic valley from our summit and observed the attack movements of Rumanian infantry in the region of Hill 772.
I made arrangements for the night. Among other things, scouts were to establish contact with Gossler's detachment. The various companies were instructed regarding their responsibilities. I was so exhausted that I was unable to prepare my combat report for the Sproesser group. Through my new adjutant Lieutenant Schuster, I made a verbal report regarding the course of the day's fighting.
In spite of fatigue I found little rest that night. An hour before midnight, numerous hand grenades burst in the position of the 6th Company. Shouting, rifle and machine-gun fire resounded. Without waiting for a report, I counterattacked with the 3rd Company in the direction of the threatened place, but when we arrived the 6th Company was already master of the situation.
What had happened? Rumanian assault squads had surprised the company but were repulsed by the watchful soldiers. But during the attack some machine gunners of the Machine-Gun Company of the 11th Reserve Infantry Regiment were taken prisoner.
Observations: The plan of attack for August 11 was developed as a result of personal reconnaissance during the early morning hours. The normal attack astride the ridge road supported by heavy machine guns and artillery was rejected because of the open terrain. It would have been seen early by the enemy and would probably have been repulsed with heavy losses.
The Rumanians had learned something from the battles of the preceding days and had set up combat outposts to secure the main position. This was detected in plenty of time by sharp observation of the battlefield during the approach march.
Only with a unit accustomed to the strictest combat discipline could I dare to feel my way through the hostile combat outposts by day.
The time and space calculations of this type of flanking march are most difficult in the mountains. Here the unexpected appearance of the enemy was in addition to the terrain difficulties.
Cooperation with the artillery groups did not materialize during the attack, because the telephone connection broke down at the decisive moment. The artillery here would have been able to give good support to the difficult attack by the Rommel detachment.
The very difficult situation after the successful breakthrough was handled by means of the reserve company. The thrust in flank and rear of the superior enemy rapidly turned the tide in our favour. In this connection the “Attack Schedule” given to Jung’s detachment ahead of time proved to be extremely valuable, for even Jung was no longer in contact with us.
The fleeing Rumanians were not only shot at, but units of the Rommel detachment were immediately dispatched in close pursuit which was soon halted by hostile forces in commanding positions.
While the exhausted assault troops rested, a scout squad recon-nattered the avenues of approach into the submit positions on Mount Cosna. Again the telephone line proved most useful.
The breakthrough into the hostile position at noon, as well as the breakthrough into the summit position in the evening, took place without artillery or heavy machine-gun support from rearward positions. Only the machine guns located in the front line of the assault troops covered the breach with their fire. Again the fire of the hostile garrisons of the positions was diverted to hand-grenade squads. The losses in the breakthrough itself were extremely slight.
The garrisons of rearward Rumanian positions received the retreating troops both upon the breakthrough at noon and upon the capture of the Mount Cosna summit and halted our pursuit.
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