Flămânda Offensive

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Flămânda Offensive
Part of Romanian Campaign (World War I)
Date October 1, 1916–October 5, 1916 Location Ryahovo, Ruse Province, Bulgaria (across the Danube from Flămânda, Romania) Result Central Powers Tactical Victory
Belligerents
Romania	Bulgaria German Empire
Commanders
Alexandru Averescu	August von Mackensen

The Flămânda Offensive (or Flămânda Maneuver) was an offensive across the Danube mounted by the Romanian 2nd Army during World War I. The battle ended as a tactical victory for the Central Powers.

[edit] The Battle

On September 15, the Romanian War Council decided to suspend the Transylvania offensive and destroy the Mackensen army group instead. The plan was to attack the Central Powers forces from the rear by crossing the Danube at Flămânda, while the front-line Romanian and Russian forces were supposed to launch an offensive southwards towards Cobadin and Kurtbunar (today Tervel, Dobrich Province). The idea was to cut off Mackensen's army from its bases in northern Bulgaria.

On October 1, two Romanian divisions crossed the Danube at Flămânda and created a bridgehead 14 kilometer-wide and 4 kilometer-deep. On the same day, the joint Romanian and Russian divisions went on offensive on the Dobruja front, however with little success. The failure to break the Dobruja front, the attack of the Austro-Hungarian Donau Flotilla, which, combined with a heavy storm on the night of October 1/2, caused heavy damages to the pontoon bridge, led General Averescu to cancel the whole operation.

[edit] Aftermath

The Danube remained a barrier to military operations until half of Mackensen's army crossed it in late November, 1916.

[edit] External links

• (English) The Flămânda Maneuver on worldwar2.ro