Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-12-14
IBY Associatsd Pressl


which future generations will study is
the one which led TO the complete rout
and DISCRIMINATION of the First Ru.
manian army southeast Of this city
For several reasons the battle in ques.
ton is by far the most interesting OF
the European war II caused the re.
treat OF the Rumanian forces which
had invaded Pennsylvania and called
for flank maneuver whose success
was possible only with an enemy Who
took too much for granted.
Ententes Face Hard Problem
When Gen. Falkenhayn's forces
reached the country north of Her
mannstadt, the general military situa-
ton was not favorable for the Central
Powers troops. The invading Ruman-
ian troops had occupied good positions
and had the advantage of numerical
superiority. Kronstadt and the coun-
t-y north OF that city had been occu-
pied. The entire valley of the Alt was
in the hands of the Rumanians, and
the Germans and Austro- Hungarian
troops depended for transportation
upon a few single-tracked railroads OF
little strategic value.
Gradually contact was established
v4h the enemy by advancing the
C&efal forces right wing. The Vul-
can Pass was taken. This done, the
Teutonic army passed slowly forward
along the Transylvanian Alps, driving
the Rumanians before them. The in
tention of the Rumanian general staff
TO push as far west as the Thesis river
was wrecked
RumanIans Show Lack OF Initiative
Hermannstadt had not been occu-
pied by the Rufnanians, failure due
to lack OF initiative. The city could
have been taken without much fight
ing. but already the Rumanians had
been given several good examples OF
Falkenhyn's strategy. The Ruman.
ians lay south Of the city in half
circle. refrained from offensive man
euyers, and so gave FaIkenhyn the
very opportunity he needed to set his
great drive In motion. Slowly the i'm
perial troops were advanced towards
the hills north OF the Alt, while
against the Ghost forest in the east
Central cavalry was thrown to protect
the left flank.
This was the situation on Septem.
Der %.
The Runnsnians had the Red Tower
Pass In their rear and frontal at
tack might do no. more than throw
them upon this. II was necessary to
close that pass. This could be done
only by sending troops through the
mountains west OF the pass. a very
difficult maneuver since the noun
tains have no roads of any sort. Ar
tillery and supply train were out of
the question.
Flank Movement Attempted
Gen. Falkenhyn decided to attempt
the flank movement with some Ger
man alpine troops, of which Bayarian
mountaineers were but q small con-
tingent, many Of the ralpine" soldiers
being in reality natives of Mecklen
burg men who in all their lives had
4t1,ar climbed q mountain.
Whree battalions set out The men
cy.rried food for four days and their
regular issue Of ammunition. Reserve
supplies were carried on hastily or
ganized pack train. Through the foot
hills of the mountains road could
be used, then paths were followed and
finally the crests near the Rumanian
border had to be gained through dense
forests and across boulder fields.
An odd feature of the maneuyer
was that the contact established with
the Rumanian border guards did not
result In the commander OF the FIRST
Rumanian army taking some precau.
tionary measure for the protection OF
his flank. The German flankers had
daily skirmishes with the Rumanian
border troops, but never met serious
opposition.
The Thanking force was to reach the
Red Tower Pass on September 20, on
which day frontal attack was to DC
made from the direction OF Hermann.
stadt. Despite great hardships ana
the abandonment at the village OF OCs
~ the pack train, the Germans sue
ceeded in reaching the heights above
the AIT defile on the morning of the
2eth. Some engineers descended into
the gorge and blew up the road at two
points where revetments made TINS
feasible. Even then the Rumanians
seem to have felt absolutely secure.
The fact that In their rear an enemy
was destroying their one direct line Oh
communication does not seem to have
troubled them much. Probably the
thought that the road through the Alt
Valley and to Kronstadt was open may
be responsible for this.
Original Program Postponed
+. The original program had called for
a. general attack at in the morning
IN the 26th. The flank troops were
"a telephone connection with head.
quarters, and so learned that the at
tack from Hermannstadt had been
postponed. The situation of the al
pine troops was far from reassuring. A
movement on their own flank might
be undertaken by the Rumanians at
any hour. The 26th passed. The
thanking body had been divided into
three columns, as the pass was ap-
preached. The one advancing close
10 the Rumanian border reached the
pass close to Riul Vatului, the Ruman-
ian border point. The central column
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