World War I Chronology
Delatyn & Nadworna


Localities mentioned in the chronology and Information Sources for each event are listed after the chronology.


Date Event Source
1914
4 Aug WWI starts. Declaration of war between Russia, & Austria-Hungary & Germany takes affect. 1
  With the outbreak of WWI part of Nadworna was burnt down including most of the Jewish homes. 2
1 Sep Front lines to the north & east of Stanislau. 4
11 Sep Front lines run through Nadworna. Czernowitz & Kolomea already in Russian hands. 4
10 Oct Polish Legion (Austrian) moves from Königsfeld through Pantyr pass via Rafailowa to Zielona. Skirmishes with Russian 1st Terek Cossack Division (CossD) along the way. 4
18 Oct Austrian 56 Infantry Division (ID) moves to Körösmezö. 4
22 Oct Austrian 52 ID moves north from Felso Vissó. 4
23 Oct Polish Legion reaches Nadworna. 4
24 Oct Austrian 54 ID in Kirlibaba. 4
27 Oct 54 ID reaches Kuty. 52 ID breaks through Jablonica pass to Tatarów. 56 ID reaches the front at Nadworna via Jablonica pass, Tatarów, Mikuliczyn, & Delatyn. 4
27-29 Oct Polish Legion in Solotwina. Clashes with 1st Terek CossD at Bohorodczany. 4
28 Oct Instructions from Austrian General Pflanzer-Baltin to pull back on Oct 30. 56 ID & Polish Legion to Delatyn. 52 ID to Tatarów. 4
29 Oct Russian 71 & 78 Reserve Divisions (RD) of Brusilov's Dneister Group attack the Polish Legion & 56 ID north of Nadworna before the scheduled pullback is implemented. 56 ID retreats to Mikuliczyn via Delatyn. 4
31 Oct Austrian 52 ID in Tatarów. 4
2 Nov Planzer-Baltin attempts to encircle 1 Terek CossD, & 71 & 78 RDs in Dora. 4
3 Nov 54 ID moves north out of Tatarów towards Delatyn into rear of Russians in Dora. 4
4 Nov Russians retreat from Dora to Delatyn. Polish Legion moves towards Nadworna via Pasieczna. 4
5 Nov 54 ID break through to Prut River at Zarzecze. Polish Legion takes Pasieczna. 4
6 Nov Russian reinforcements in Nadworna area. Polish Legion retreats to Zielona. 56 & 52 IDs reach Delatyn from the south. 54 ID crosses Prut R. at Zarzecze. Russians retreat from Delatyn to Nadworna. Austrian right flank exposed near Kuty. Austrian 54 ID moves towards Kuty. Austrian 52 & 56 IDs pull back to Mikuliczyn. 4
Nov 6-
Dec 4		 Front lines between Delatyn & Mikuliczyn, & between Pasieczna & Zielona. The roads leading to Hungary were protected from the Russians by the 54 ID under FML. Schultheisz at Kuty, the 52 ID under FML. Schreitter at Mikuliczyn, & the Polish Legion under FML. Durski at Zielona. 4
1915
12 Jan 1st use by Austro-Hungarian army of a radio in an airplane for artillery support by Aviator Co.1 attached to the 4th Army in Brzesko. 3
1 Feb Most of the Austro-Hungarian 42nd Honved Infantry Division (HID) & part of the 52nd Infantry Division (ID) break thru Tataren Pass into the Prut valley as far as Worochta & Tataröw. 5
11 Feb Delayed by heavy snows, 42nd reaches the area south of Delatyn. Austro-Hungarian 6th Infantry Division reaches the area south of Nadworna. 5
14 Feb Austro-Hungarian army reaches Delatyn and Lanchin. 42nd HID. & 6th ID. join up. Russians fall back as far as Nadworna.  5
Early Feb Aviator Co.1 joins 2nd Army Pflanzer-Baltin stationed in Nadworna-Delatyn to provide air reconnaissance. 3
16 Feb Pflanzer-Baltin's assembled troops in Delatyn & Nadworna attack Russians in Dolina via Solotwina. Russians counterattack toward Solotwina & Lanchin. 5
15 May Battle in area between Delatyn & Lomnica, south of Nadworna. 5
16 May Russians push back on Austro-Hungarian bridgeheads at Delatyn & Lanchin. Kaiser Regiment loses about 1000 men in a few hours. 5
20 May Battle ebbs after heavy losses on both sides. 5
28 May Russians cross the Prut at Kolomea & as far as Lanchin. They are unable to maintain bridgeheads south of the river. 5
5 Jun Battle continues in area of Delatyn-Lanchin road. 5
6 Jun Russians forced back below Kolomea. 5
9 Jun Austro-Hungarians attack Russian positions in Ottynia, Korszów, and Zadubrowce. The front moves away from the immediate Delatyn-Nadworna area. 5
1916
Street in Delatyn in Galicia after it was retaken by our troops under the commander of the Bukovina war sector, General Pflanzer-Baltin.
1916
4 Jun Brusilov offensive begins. Russians attack along a 200 mile long front from the Pripet marshes in the north to Bukovina in the south. Front lines are to the east of Czernowitz. 1, 6
1 Jul Russian Gen. Letschitzki moves on Benigni on both sides of the Prut R. taking the heights from the 51st HID & 24th ID southeast of Peczenizyn. Other Russian forces break thru the 30th ID at Tlumacz, penetrating to its rear. By evening, Austrian troops continue yielding westward in the Prut R. valley.
Attacks towards Delatyn expected. Parts of the Austrian 7th Army were at risk of being completely cut off. Pflanzer-Baltin directs 44th Schützen Division & 59th ID to prevent this.		 6
3 Jul Russians attempt to encircle Austrian forces in the Prut valley by taking the railroad line leading across Jablonica Pass to Hungary. Parts of the Russian XI & XII Corps attack at Tatarow & Mikuliczyn, while Letschitzki attacks further north in the Prut R. valley. 6
4 Jul Russian cavalry reinforced with infantry break thru & win the road & railway line leading to Jablonica Pass near Dora. Austrian 59th ID exhausted, with heavy losses, now in Delatyn. German 129th Infantry Regiment (IR) & Austrian 18th Feldjäger Battalion threw themselves into the breach & re-establish lines where Russians had broken thru the 30th ID. 6
5 Jul 1st Don Cossack Division & XI Corps infantry move on Tatarow & Mikuliczyn threatening the entire Prut valley. To counter, Gen. Pflanzer-Baltin has 12 battalions from 4 divisions attack Russians towards Lanchin. 6
6 Jul Russians temporarily renew attack south & enter Mikuliczyn. The 9th Infantry Brigade & the exhausted 8th Cossack Division hold Mikuliczyn. Austro-Hungarian Gen. Pflanzer-Baltin forms a defensive line between Delatyn & Lanchin. 6
7 Jul After 4 weeks of continuous fighting with heavy losses, with the Russians before Delatyn & threatening to penetrate Hungary thru the Jablonica Pass from Mikuliczyn, the Austro-Hungarian 44 Schützen Division & 59 ID desparately needed reinforcements. The 34 ID on the Italian Front was chosen, due by 12 July the earliest. The German 1 Reserve Division (RD) was to be shifted to the Austrian 7th Army but came under attack before this could occur. 6
8 Jul Austrian 8 Cavalry Division (KD) driven back from Mikuliczyn to Tatarow by superior Russian forces. Vanguards of the Russian XI Corps penetrate into Delatyn. 1, 6
9 Jul Austrian 3 KD cross mountains to strengthen defense at Jablonica. Lack of ammunition causes Russian Gen. Letschitzki to pause the attack. Smaller battles at Delatyn & to the north. A 20 km gap opens between the Austrian VIII Corps on the heights west of Delatyn & Brudermann's Cavalry Corps to the south, with only the weakened 5 ID between. 6
10 Jul Brudermann attacks at Jablonica. Fighting intensifies at Delatyn as Russians try to circumvent VIII Corps' right flank at Dora. The 59 ID & remnants of the 5 & 24 IDs move from Nadworna to the heights northwest of Dora. 6
11 Jul Brudermann's attack continues. German 129 Infantry Regiment (IR) & units of the Austrian 105 ID & 209 Brigade move to Nadworna as a reserve. In the evening Pflanzer-Baltin orders an attack on the Russians in Delatyn. 6
12 Jul Rain further hampers the difficulties of supplying artillery in mountains. Austrian attack delayed. 6
14 Jul Artillery battles initiated by the Russians east of Nadworna, at Delatyn, & against the Pirs Dora (a dome-shaped mountain, the cornerstone of the front). 6
15 Jul Fresh Russian forces, the 117 RD advance on Luh. The Austrian 5 ID holds Pirs Dora. 6
16 Jul Russian XI Corps break thru Austrian 8 Cavalry Division (KD) on the heights northwest of Tatarow. Austrian 202 Honved Infantry Brigade hold Worochta. 6
18 Jul 5 ID & 18 Mountain Brigade attack Russians between Delatyn & Dora. 6
19 Jul 8 KD, under continuous Russian attack, hold heights south & west of Tatarow. 5 ID & 18 Mtn. Brigade push Russians across Prut R. Over 500 Russians & 2 machine guns captured. In the evening, 8 KD pushed back into the forest north of Jablonica. 6
21 Jul 202 HID in extremely precarious position due to mountain battles & bad weather. Russians break thru in the evening & push the Austrians from the heights above the Prut. 8 Cavalry Division's (KD's) men were in torn uniforms, its horses weak, & many of its weapons useless. 6
22 Jul Russian raids against 202 Honved Infantry Brigade (HID) in Worochta wavers. 6
23 Jul Russian Gen. Letschitzki's advance comes to a halt. 6
27 Jul Front lines at Delatyn. Nadworna under Austrian control. Lanchin in the hands of the Russians. 6
Last week Jul To stop Brusilov offensive, German Gens. Hindenburg & Ludendorff take command of much of Austrian front. Austrian Gen. Pflanzer-Baltin forced to accept German officer as his Chief of Staff. Mixed German-Austrian battalions created. 1
7 Aug Russians capture Stanislau, taking 7000 Austrian & 3500 German prisoners. Nearing maximum western advance of Brusilov offensive. 1

Locations:

Shtetl
Coordinates
Distance in Miles From
Current Country 
other than the Ukraine
(G) = Galician Shtetl
Latitude/Longitude
Delatyn
Nadworna
Bohorodczany
48°48' / N 24°32'
 19.0 NNW 11.6 N (G)
Brzesko
49°58' / N 20°37'
 206.3 WNW 200.2 WNW Poland (G)
Czernowitz
(Chernivtsi)
48°18' / N 25°56'
 61.7 ESE 66.7 ESE  
Delatyn
48°32' / N 24°38'
 0.0 7.5 SSE (G) elevation 1486 ft., 453 m.
Dolina
48°48' / N 24°01'
 33.6 WNW 27.6 WNW (G)
Dora
48°28' / N 24°35'
 5.1 S 11.5 S (G)
Felso Vissó
(Felsoviso - Arsita)
47°43' / N 24°26'
 57.1 S 63.6 S Romania
Jablonica Pass
 see Tataren Pass


Kirlibaba
(Cirlibaba)
47°35' / N 25°08'
 69.5 SSE 77.1 SSE Romania
Kolomea
48°32' / N 25°02'
 18.3 E 22.4 ESE (G)
Königsfeld
(Ust'-Chorna)
48°19' / N 23°56'
 35.4 WSW 36.3 SW  
Körösmezö
(Yasinya)
48°16' / N 24°21'
 22.5 SW 27.2 SSW  
Korszów
48°39' / N 25°01'
 19.3 ENE 20.6 E (G)
Kuty
48°16' / N 25°11'
 31.2 SE 37.9 SE (G)
Lanchin
48°33' / N 24°45'
 5.5 ENE 10.2 E (G)
Luh
48°31' / N 24°35'
 2.6 WSW 8.1 S (G)
Mikuliczyn
48°24' / N 24°36'
 9.3 S 16.2 S (G)
Nadworna
48°38' / N 24°34'
 7.5 NNW 0.0 (G)
Ottynia
48°44' / N 24°51'
 17.0 NE 14.6 ENE (G)
Pasieczna
48°34' / N 24°26'
 9.4 WSW 7.6 SW (G)
Peczenizyn
48°31' / N 24°54'
 12.2 E 17.2 ESE (G)
Rafailowa
 48°05' / N 24°15'
 35.7 NNE 40.7 NNE (G) (Note: Location approximate)
Solotwina
48°42 / N 24°25'
 15.2 NW 8.2 NW (G)
Stanislau
(Ivano-Frankisk)
48°56' / N 24°43'
 27.9 N 21.8 NNE (G)
Tataren Pass (aka Delatyn Pass, Körösmezö
Pass, Jablonica Pass, and  the Magyar route)		 48°3' / N 24°45' 34.9 SSE
(G) elevation 3300 ft., 1006 m.
Tatarow
48°20' / N 24°34'
 14.1 SSW 20.7 S (G)
Tlumacz
48°52' / N 25°00'
 28.4 NE 25.5 NE (G)
Worochta
48°17' / N 24°34'
 17.5 S 24.2 S (G)
Zadubrowce
(Zadubrovtsy)
48°32' / N 25°27'
 37.3 E 40.9 E (G)
Zarzecze
48°31' / N 24°39'
 1.4 SSE 8.9 SSE (G)
Zielona
48°32' / N 24°20'
 13.7 W 12.7 WSW (G)


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Sources :

  1. Gilbert, Martin. The First World War. Henry Holt & Co.;New York : 1994.
  2. Carmi, Israel. Nadvurnah : sefer 'edut ve-zikaron. Hotsa'atha-irgunim shel yotse Nadvurnah be-Yisra'el uve-Artsot ha-berit. Tel Aviv : 1975.
  3. Czernin-Chudenitz, Franz, ed. "Erster Einbau eines Funkgerates in ein Flugzeug der K.u.k Armee", Der Dolomitenfreund : Mitteilungen fuer unsere Mitglieder und Freunde. (Friends of the Dolomites : Notes for Members and Friends). Dolomitenfreunde; Vienna : Number III, 1997.
  4. Austria, Bundesministerium für Landesverteidigung, Österreich-Ungarns Letzter Krieg, 1914-18. Verlag der Militärwissenschaftlichen Mitteilungen. Vienna : 1930-8.
    5. Band 1 : Das Kriegsjahr 1914. Vom Kriegsausbruch bis zum Ausgang der Schlacht bei Limanowa-Lapanow.
  5. Austria, Bundesministerium für Landesverteidigung, Österreich-Ungarns Letzter Krieg, 1914-18. Verlag der Militärwissenschaftlichen Mitteilungen. Vienna : 1930-8.
    6. Band 2: Das Kriegsjahr 1915, erster Teil. Vom Ausklang der Schlachbei Limanowa-Lapanowbiszur Einnahme von Brest-Litowsk.
  6. Austria, Bundesministerium für Landesverteidigung, Österreich-Ungarns Letzter Krieg, 1914-18. Verlag der Militärwissenschaftlichen Mitteilungen. Vienna : 1930-8.
    7. Band 4: Das Kriegsjahr 1916, erster Teil. Die Ereignisse vom Janner bis Ende Juli.