Battle of Bolimov | |||||||
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Part of the Eastern Front during World War I | |||||||
Eastern Front, 1915. |
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Belligerents | |||||||
German Empire | Russian Empire | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
August von Mackensen | General Smirnov Vasily Gurko, VI Corps |
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Strength | |||||||
German Ninth Army | unknown | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Unknown | 40,000 casualties |
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The Battle of Bolimov was an inconclusive battle of World War I fought on January 31, 1915 between Germany and Russia and considered a preliminary to the Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes.
The German Ninth Army led by August von Mackensen attacked the Russian Second Army, under General Smirnov, near the Polish village of Bolim贸w, lying on the railway line connecting 艁贸d藕 and Warsaw.
The Battle of Bolim贸w was the first attempt by the Germans at a large-scale use of poison gas; the several thousand gas shells they fired proved unsuccessful when the xylyl bromide鈥攁 type of tear gas鈥攚as blown back at their own lines.[1] The gas caused few, if any, casualties, however, since the cold weather caused it to freeze, rendering it ineffective.[1]
The failure of the xylyl bromide caused the German commanders to call off their attack. In response, the Russians sent 11 divisions, led by Vasily Gurko to launch a counterattack; German artillery repelled the Russian troops, who suffered 40,000 casualties.[1]