Battle of Turtucaia(1916)
Background
By August 1916 the Central Powers found themselves in an increasingly difficult military situation – in the West the German offensive at Verdun had turned into a costly battle of attrition, in the East the Brusilov Offensive was crippling the Austro-Hungarian Army, and in the South the Italian Army was increasing the pressure on the Austro-Hungarians, while General Maurice Sarrail's Allied expeditionary force in northern Greece seemed poised for a major offensive against the Bulgarian Army. The Romanian government asserted that the moment was right for it to fulfill the country's national ambitions by aligning itself with the Entente, and declared war on the Austro-Hungarian Empire on 27 August 1916. Three Romanian armies invaded Transylvania through the Carpathian Mountains, pushing back the much smaller Austro-Hungarian First Army. In a short time the Romanian forces occupied Orșova, Petroșani, and Brașov, and reached Sibiu on their way to the river Mureș, the main objective of the offensive. In response the German Empire declared war on the Kingdom of Romania on 27 August, with the Kingdom of Bulgaria following suit on 1 September.
Campaign: Romanian Campaign 1916
Forces Engaged
The Battle
Catastrophic defeat in Dobruja. The entire garrison was killed or captured — 28,000 Romanian casualties.
The Battle of Turtucaia, also known as Tutrakan Epopee in Bulgaria, was the opening battle of the first Central Powers offensive during the Romanian Campaign of World War I. The battle lasted for five days and ended with the capture of the fortress of Turtucaia and the surrender of its Romanian defenders.
“"The defenders fought bravely but were overwhelmed on all sides; the fortress fell not from cowardice but from isolation." — Kiritescu, Istoria Războiului
Casualties & Outcome
~7,500 killed or wounded, ~28,000 captured (Romanian); ~5,000 killed and wounded (Bulgarian/German)
Bulgaria & Germany achieved victory over Romania.
right|300px|Dead Bulgarian soldiers along the Danube after the battle right|300px|Dead Romanian soldier The Romanians committed around 39,000 men for the defense of the Turtucaia fortress, and over 34,000 of them became casualties. Only between 3,500 and 4,000 managed to cross the Danube or make their way to Silistra. The attackers also captured all the military material of the fortress, including 62 machine guns and around 150 cannons, among them two Bulgarian batteries captured by Romania during the Second Balkan War. The heaviest fighting was in Sector II where the 79th Regiment, which in general was the unit that resisted the attacks the most, suffered 76% losses - out of 4,659 men some 3,576 were killed or wounded. Bulgarian casualties were heavy. From 2 to 6 September they totaled 1,517 killed, 7,407 wounded and 247 missing.
Historical Record
Significance & Legacy
Romania's worst single defeat in WWI. Opened the southern front.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When was the Battle of Turtucaia?
- The Battle of Turtucaia took place in 1916. Sep 1–6, 1916.
- Who won the Battle of Turtucaia?
- The Bulgaria & Germany were victorious against the Romania.
- What was the significance of the Battle of Turtucaia?
- Romania's worst single defeat in WWI. Opened the southern front.