Battle of Limanowa

The Battle of Limanowa-Łapanów took place from 1 December to 13 December 1914, between the Austro-Hungarian Army and the Russian Army near the town of Limanowa (40 kilometres (25 mi) south-east of Kraków).

Battle of Limanowa
Part of the Eastern Front during World War I

Winter battle in the Carpathians
Date1–13 December 1914
Location
Galicia Carpathian Mountains
Result Central Powers victory
Belligerents
 Austria-Hungary
 Germany		 Russian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Conrad von Hötzendorf
AD. Joseph Ferdinand
Svetozar Boroevic
Friedrich von Gerok		 Nikolai Ivanov
Radko Dimitriev
Aleksei Brusilov
Units involved
III Army
IV Army
47th Reserve Division		 III Army
VIII Army
Strength
Only combat troops:
III Army
68,698 infantry
7,458 cavalry
231 machine guns
551 guns
IV Army
74,584 infantry
7,222 cavalry
233 machine guns
616 guns		 Only combat troops:
241,000 infantry
41,736 cavalry
773 machine gun
1,493 guns
Casualties and losses
10,265 KIA
36,875 WIA
59,332 MIA
Total 106,472		 14,100 KIA
63,348 WIA
67,200 MIA
Total 144,648

The Austro-Hungarian high command had assumed that the German success would weaken Russian forces in the north and that the Galician front would remain quiet. Both these assumptions were incorrect.

Though the Habsburg 2nd army offensive opened on 16 November and met early success, the Russians proved stronger than expected and their 4th Army yielded little ground. Meanwhile, further south the Russian 2nd Army advanced across the San river and moved into the Tarnów area by 20 November. Further north, the Habsburg 4th Army, supported by the 47th German Reserve Division, moved onto the offensive in the last days of November.

In fierce battles around the towns of Łapanów and Limanowa, the Russian 3rd Army was beaten and forced to retreat east, ending its opportunity to reach Kraków. To avoid being surrounded, the Russian 8th Army also had to retreat, stopping its advance toward the Hungarian plains.

The confrontation was one of the final battles won unilaterally by the Austro-Hungarian Army. Most of its later victories during the war were dependent on German assistance, and it ceased to exist with the disestablishment of Austria-Hungary at the end of the war.

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