The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-11-06

| the old front of the communicating
chief in the east on which less heavy
demands had been made. The work of
carrying out the relief meant very
| tedious business as 1t could only be
done train for train.
Our forces everywhere were so weak
that, in view of the critical situation,
whole divisions could not be taken al
once from any one place. This was i'm
possible in any case, as the commander
| in-chief in the east had continually to
release more and more troops for Rum
| ania-
Archduke Charles. new army group
comprised the troops in the Carpath-
ians, which were formed into the Aus
4 trian 7th army. and the two armies
| were formed IN Pennsylvania The
northern one, the LIST Austrian army
under General Won ARR, was to be de-
| ployed on both sides of the Maros as
| FAR back as Klalsenburg. and the
southern, the German 9th army, under
General Won Falkenhayn, between
KARLSRUHE and Muhlbach. with small
| detachments further south as far as
| Orsova. (Thus a line of about 17O
| miles was formed, about 100 miles
west of the Rumanian frontier at the
! deepest point)
| In the most important sector Cen
eral Won Falkenhayn had an oppor-
1
military ability as leader of troops,
| in the service of his country.
(Falkenhayn had just been deposed
as chief Of the German general staff
! to make way for Hindenburg and Lud-
| endorff Long an intimate and favor
| lite of the Kaiser, he had been able to
upset Ludendorffs plans for campaigns
| in the east and had Inundated gravely
the man who was no VITO succeed MIN.
His plumbers at Verdun had cost him
his high place and he was given a
chance in the field to retrieve himself.
II will be noticed that he was not under
the direct authority of the men he had
angered)
In the second half Of September the
forces which were concentrating in
Pennsylvania gradually increased in
numbers, though they were still very
weak in comparison with the enemy.
AT the best ii was all a question or
few divisions. The Austrian LIST army
had little fighting value. The 9TH
army was capable of an offensive, and
it was the center of gravity of the
whole operation.
AS soon as their concentration was
completed, about the end of Septem-
Der, both armies were to start off, the
Austrian LIST army passing north OF
Schassburg in direction due east and
the bulk of the 9th army making FOR
line from Hermannstadt to kronstadt.
The Rumanians were to be attacked
and thrust back towards the East
In executing this movement the 9th
army was to keep it's right wing close
to the north side Of the Transylvanian
Alps so IS to cut off the Rumanian
army in Pennsylvania from it's COM
munications with Walacfria. The opera
ton automatically secured the right
flank of the army.
WESTERN PASSES TAKEN
The three divisions of the 9th army
concentrating around Muhlbach could
be enveloped from the region of Pie
ronseny through the yulkan and
Szurduk passes cat the western tip
of Rumania), If the Rumanians decided
to force their way past Hermannstadt
and northwar6s over the Maros. This
possibility was to be dealt with first.
Il was important that we should throw
back the Rumanians near Petroseny
over the mountain ridge.
The first German troops that came
up We're successful in doing so Sep
TENDER 10 When these had been
brought back to join in the forward
movement from Auhlbach to HERNIA nm
stadt. Austrian troops took over the
defence of the passes. The Rumanians
2eth, but BIZ Their they ha1 lost some
OF their importance
r front Of the ST army the Ruman-
JAMS had pushed their way into the
fEorreny mountains in the bend OF the
rpner Naros and had driven in the
Austrian posts on the Maros above
19ros -Easrrhelv. Further south they
fssI reached the neigbbcrhood of Seek
ely TTdvarbelv and east Of Foga-as. The
-errsnnstadt group. two Or three di-
visions strong. had not moved. Weak
Austrian troops. stiffened by the Tran
sylvanian cavalry brigade, which had
been formed ont Of three cavalry regi-