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Battle of Sellenberk (1916)

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Battle of Sellenberk
Part of the Battle of Transylvania of the Romanian Campaign of World War I

The Romanian front north of the Red Tower Pass in mid-September, after the capture of Sellenberk
Date7 and 10 September 1916
Location
Sellenberk, Transylvania, Austria-Hungary (today Șelimbăr, Sibiu County, Romania)
Result Romanian victory
Belligerents
 Romania  Austria-Hungary
 German Empire
Commanders and leaders
Kingdom of Romania Ioan Culcer
Kingdom of Romania Constantin Manolescu [ro]		 German Empire Hermann von Staabs (10 September)
Austria-Hungary Arthur Arz von Straussenburg (7 September)
Austria-Hungary Béla Tanárky [ro]
Units involved

1st Army

  • Olt-Lotru Group (2 divisions)

1st Army/XXXIX Reserve Corps

  • 51st Honvéd Division
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown

The Battle of Sellenberk was a World War I military engagement fought between Romanian forces on one side and Central Powers forces (Austria-Hungary and Germany) on the other side. It was part of the wider Battle of Transylvania and resulted in a Romanian victory.

Background

Main article: Nagyszeben Offensive

On 27 August 1916, Romania declared war on Austria-Hungary and proceeded to invade the Hungarian region of Transylvania. The Romanian campaign plan called for the Olt-Lotru Group of the Romanian 1st Army under the command of General Ioan Culcer to secure the basin between Nagytalmács (Tălmaciu/Talmesch) and Nagyszeben (Sibiu/Hermannstadt). The area between Nagyszeben and the northern exit of the Turnu Roșu Pass was the designated assembly area for the 1st Army's Olt-Lotru Group. Opposing the Romanian invasion of Transylvania was the Austro-Hungarian 1st Army under the command of General Arthur Arz von Straussenburg.[1] Nagyszeben (Sibiu/Hermannstadt) was occupied on 2 September by advanced troops of the Romanian 1st Army. However, the Romanians evacuated the city on the following day.[2] Erich Ludendorff referred to this in his memoirs, stating that, after taking Brassó (Brașov/Kronstadt) on 29 August, "Rumanian patrols were soon seen in Hermannstadt.".[3] The Romanians were plainly apprehensive that, in order to keep Nagyszeben under occupation, they would have to extend their bridgehead-like formation beyond capacity.[4]

The Romanian forces in the region consisted of the 1st Army's Olt-Lotru Group (2 divisions), which was placed by General Culcer under the command of General Constantin Manolescu [ro]. Opposing the Romanians was the 51st Honvéd Division (commanded by General Béla Tanárky [ro]) of the Austro-Hungarian 1st Army.[5][6]

Battle

The battle for Sellenberk (Șelimbăr/Schellenberg) started on 7 September.[6] However, on 8 September, following the German-Bulgarian victory at the Battle of Turtucaia in Southern Dobruja, the Romanian High Command ordered a halt to the Transylvania offensive.[7][8] Also on 8 September, the XXXIX Corps of German General Hermann von Staabs assumed responsibility for operations in southern Transylvania.[9] One of the units placed under the command of von Staabs was the 51st Honvéd Division.[4] The battle was resumed on 10 September.[6] That same day, the Romanian 1st Army entered Sellenberk.[10][11]

Aftermath

Main article: Veresmart Offensive

On 10 September, the Romanian 1st Army captured Sellenberk (Șelimbăr/Schellenberg), two miles southeast of Nagyszeben. This marked the end of the Romanian advance in the area for the ensuing fortnight.[12][11] Sellenberk — where Michael the Brave had defeated the Hungarians in 1599 — became the center of the main Romanian position north of the Turnu Roșu Pass.[13][14]

References

  1. ^ Michael B. Barrett, Indiana University Press, 2013, Prelude to Blitzkrieg: The 1916 Austro-German Campaign in Romania, pp. 1-2, 4, 11 and 21-22
  2. ^ Cornélis De Witt Willcox, Edwin Roy Stuart, Cumulative Digest Corporation, 1918, International Military Digest Annual for 1917, p. 253
  3. ^ Erich Ludendorff, Harper & Brothers, 1919, Ludendorff's own story, Volume 1, p. 293
  4. ^ a b Encyclopædia britannica Company, 1922, The Encyclopædia Britannica: The New Volumes, Constituting, in Combination with the Twenty-nine Volumes of the Eleventh Edition, the Twelfth Edition of that Work, and Also Supplying a New, Distinctive, and Independent Library of Reference Dealing with Events and Developments of the Period 1910 to 1921 Inclusive. The First-third of the New Volumes, Volume 30, p. 915
  5. ^ Michael B. Barrett, Indiana University Press, 2013, Prelude to Blitzkrieg: The 1916 Austro-German Campaign in Romania, pp. 23-24 and 103-104
  6. ^ a b c Austria. Bundesministerium für Landesverteidigung, Verlag der Militärwissenschaftlichen Mitteilungen, 1930, Öesterreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg, 1914–1918, p. 92
  7. ^ Keith Hitchins, Clarendon Press, 1994, Rumania 1866-1947, p. 263
  8. ^ Jeremy Black, Bloomsbury Publishing, Mar 17, 2011, The Great War and the Making of the Modern World, p. 107
  9. ^ Michael B. Barrett, Indiana University Press, Oct 23, 2013, Prelude to Blitzkrieg: The 1916 Austro-German Campaign in Romania, p. 98
  10. ^ The Times, 1917, The Times History and Encyclopaedia of the War, Volume 11, p. 211
  11. ^ a b William Dunseath Eaton, Harry C. Read, Leonard Wood, C. Thomas Company, 1919, A Complete History of the World War: A Connected and Complete Narrative of the War on All Fronts, Covering All Events Between 1914 and 1924, Volume 1, p. 394
  12. ^ The Times, 1917, The Times History and Encyclopaedia of the War, Volume 11, pp. 211-213
  13. ^ The Times, 1917, The Times History and Encyclopaedia of the War, Volume 11, p. 226
  14. ^ Charles Upson Clark, Dodd, Mead, 1932, United Roumania, p. 143

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