Woyrsch had fought against the Austrians in the Seven Weeks' War of 1866. Of the Austrians' fighting capability and army command he said "They haven't learned a thing since 1866." His forces were attached to the Austro-Hungarian First Army for a short time before becoming part of Army Section Woyrsch on the Silesian sector of the front in October. Woyrsch remained in Poland until the end of the war on the Eastern Front, commanding Army Group Woyrsch, which covered the south of the country from August 1916 until its disbandment at the end of 1917.
After the disbandment of his command, Woyrsch was promoted field marshal and returned to retirement. General von Woyrsch died in 1920.
GWS, 1/01
Army Group Woyrsch, Generaloberst von Woyrsch
Öst. II. Armee, General der Kavallerie Eduard von Böhm-Ermolli
Gallwitz Korps, Preußisch General der Artillery von Gallwitz
XXXV. inf. div. Feldmarschalleutnant Fox
XXVII. inf. div. Feldmlt. Kosak
Öst. IV. Korps, Gen. d. Kav. Karl von Tersztyanszky
XXXI. inf. div., Feldmlt. von Lütgendof
XXXII. inf. div., Feldmlt. Goiginger
Öst. XII. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. Kövess von Kövesshaza
XVI. inf. div., Feldmlt. Schariczer
Deutsch XXXV. res. div., Generalleutnant von Schmettau
III. kav. div., Feldmlt. von Brudermann
VII. kav. div., Feldmlt. von Korda
IX. kav. div., Feldmlt. von Hauer
Armee Woyrsch, Generaloberst von Woyrsch
Landwehr Korps, Genlt. von König
III. Landwehr div., Genlt. von Rieß
IV. Landwehr div., Genlt. von Wegerer
Bredow Landwehr div., Genlt. von Bredow
I. Armee, Gen. d. Kav. Dankl
II. Korps, Feldmlt. Johann von Kirchbach
XXV. inf. div., Feldmlt. Erzherzog Peter Ferdinand
IV. inf. div., Feldmlt. Stöger-Steiner von Steinstätten
I. Korps, Gen. d. Kav. Karl von Kirchbach auf Lauterbach
V. inf. div., Feldmlt. Habermann
LXVI. inf. div., Feldmlt. Brandner
Martiny Group, Feldmlt. Martiny
XIV. inf. div., Genmj. von Willerding
CVI. k. Öst. Landsturm inf. div., Feldmlt. Kletter
XCI. Schützen brigade, Genmj. Urbanski von Ostrymiecz
II. kav. div., Feldmlt. von Ziegler
GO von Woyrsch saw much action during the many manoeuvers in Poland by both the Russian and German armies. His Army group contained all Austrian forces managing the Carpathians from the Jablunka pass northward into Poland. By January, he gave independence to Böhm-Ermolli's II. Army, which was transferred to the Central Carpathians. Meanwhile, things were not at all slow on the plains of Poland. The Grand Duke threw three armies toward Breslau, with the intention of wheeling around Lodz and capturing the German armies defending that place and Warsaw. Woyrsch was forced to the southwest to defend the road to Sosnowitz and Upper Silesia.
The planned Russian invasion of Silesia was foiled in part by the flank attacks of Woyrsch's group in support of a double envelope attack attempted by the German IX. Army. This failed and the Russians were able to extricate themselves, but not before inflicting severe casualties on the Germans and especially on the snow-draped countryside. The Austrian I. Army and Woyrsch pressured the Russians during their push through the Carpathian passes, but the Russians were adamant in succeeding in this treacherous theatre, and the Grand Duke Nicholas sent sufficient reinforcements to the Russian IX. Army to fend off the few assaults against the flanks of the V. and III. Armies by Woyrsch.
Summer Cometh
Woyrsch's army group moved upon Mackensen's breakthrough on the Dunajec in early May 1915. Through the rest of the month, Woyrsch marched to the fortress city of Ivangorod and crossed the Vistula, efffectively surrounding the city, which surrendered on 4 August 1915. Woyrsch's army moved parallel to the newly formed Army of the Bug under General von Linsingen and the I. Army of FZM Puhallo. This involved a move due east and then immediately north, although the wheeling was confined to the Army of the Bug on Woyrsch's right. Brest-Litovsk was captured on 26 August, and further advances to the river Jasijolda in the Pinsk marshes slowed what was already a deadly slow advance. Fighting ensued on the swampy, still banks of the river Szczara throughout September and finally conflict in the wooded region of Baranowice in late October. It was here that a majour offensive was being planned for by the Russian High Command in the next summer.
The Russians Prepare
The winter and spring were spent in positions about Baranowice due south to Brest-Litovsk. The Russian guns were heard from the northernmost lines during the Lake Narocz offensive of March 1916. The largest concentration of artillery in history up to that time should have heralded to the Ober Ost that Russia was no longer the insufficiently equipped backward steamroller that had lumbered out of Poland the summer before. The guns of Narocz did not effect the lines of Woyrsch's front, but an offensive at Molodeczno slated for July would have been only a little north of the juncture of the Austrian and German command theatres.
The Unexpected Success
Brussilow launched his early offensive to test the lines around the IV. Army of Archduke Josef Ferdinand, and these collapsed, a big surprise to the Russian high command which had insisted the transfer of Brussilow's guns to the Molodeczno-Baranowice front in time for the planned offensive. Army Group Woyrsch held its positions as fighting flared up in the south as the Austrian I. Army collapsed and the Army of the Bug called in reinforcement to fill the gaps. The Austrian XII. Korps held positions north of the I. Army and so maintained the flank in spite of a desperate move by the Russians to seize Kowel before July was spent. However, the Russians could not exploit their success and the million men they had lost made little difference. In Woyrsch's sector, the war had been reduced to neverending sniperfire by sharpshooters hiding behind tall grasses of the swamps. It was hardly ever safe to leave one's shelter at night, for so many "hunters" roamed the woods and wetlands, searching for the enemy without regard for taking prisoners.
GWS, 10/02
Immediately preceding the Dunajec offensive
Armee Woyrsch, preuß. Generaloberst v. Woyrsch
Chief of Staff, preuß. Obstlt. Heye
Army Group Kövess (XII. Korps), Gen. d. Inf. v. Kövess
Chief of Staff, Oberst Frh. Zeidler-Daublebsky v. Sterneck
35. inf. div., Genmj. v. Podhoranszky
69. inf. brig., Genmj. v. Baitz
70. inf. brig., Genmj. Edl. v. Salmon
35. field art. brig., Genmj. Gröschl
16. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Schariczer
inf. reg. 2, inf. reg. 31
16. field art. brig., Feldmlt. v. Dobler
9. kav. div., Gen. d. Kav. Frh. v. Hauer
1. kav. brig., Genmj. Ostermuth
9. kav. brig., Oberst Frh. v. Sessler
32. IBrig. (Gruppe) Genmj. Goldbach
7. kav. div., Genmj. Ritt. v. Micewski
11. kav. brig., Genmj. v. Mold
20. kav. brig., Genmj. v. le Gay
Deutsche XI. Armee, preuß. Generaloberst v. Mackensen
Chief of Staff, preuß. Oberst Seeckt
Öst. VI. Korps, Kmdt. Feldmlt. v. Arz
Chief of Staff, Oberst Josef Huber
39. Honvéd inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Hadfy
77. Honvéd inf. brig., Genmj. v. Molnar
78. Honvéd inf. brig., Oberst Daubner
39. field art. brig., Oberst Nowotny
12. inf. div., Feldmlt. Kestranek
23. inf. brig., Genmj. Ritt. v. Metz
24. inf. brig., Genmj. v. Puchalski
12. field art. brig., Oberst v. Dobner
Deutsche Südarmee, Kmdt. preuß. Gen. d. Inf. v. Linsingen
Chief of Staff, preuß. Genmj. v. Stolzmann
Gruppe Szurmay, Feldmlt. Szurmay
Chief of Staff, Mjr. Röder
7. inf. div., Genmj. Blasius v. Dani
128. Honvéd inf. brig., Oberst v. Sarkany
14. inf. brig., Genmj. Baumgartner
71. inf. brig., Oberst Plivelic
field art. brig., Oberst Scheucher
40. Honvéd inf. div., Feldmlt. Plank
76. Honvéd inf. brig., Oberst Josef Huber
79. Honvéd inf. brig., Oberst Lengerer
80. Honvéd inf. brig., Genmj. Haber
40. field art. brig., Genmj. v. Hellebronth
Deutsche Bothmer Korps, Gen. d. Kav. Graf v. Bothmer
Chief of Staff, bayr. Obstlt. Hemmer
38. Honvéd inf. div., Feldmlt. Bartheldy
75. Honvéd inf. brig., Oberst Gombos
38. field art. brig., Oberst Werz
Hofmann Korps, Feldmlt. Hofmann
Chief of Staff, Oberst Gf. Lamezan
55. inf. div., Genmj. Fleischmann
129. inf. brig., Oberst Matasic
130. inf. brig., Oberst Witoszynski
12. Landsturm terr. brig.,Oberst Burggasser
131. inf. brig., Genmj. Blum
Deutsches XXIV. Res. Korps, Kmdt.. Gen. d. Inf. v. Gerok
Chief of Staff, preuß. Genmj. v. Mutius
19. inf. div., Feldmlt. Richard Mayer
37. inf. brig., Genmj. v. Richard
38. inf. brig., Genmj. v. Steiger
19. field art. brig., Oberst Regnier
Fortress Krakau, Feldmlt. Kuk
Chief of Staff, Obstlt. Edl. v. Haller
Orders of Battle: Eastern Front, early June 1916
Immediately preceding the Brussilow offensive
Armee Woyrsch, preuß. Generaloberst v. Woyrsch
Chief of Staff, preuß. Obstlt. Heye
Öst. XII. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. Ritt. v. Henriquez
Chief of Staff, Oberst Frh. Zeidler-Daublebsky v. Sterneck
16. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Schariczer
31. inf. brig., Genmj. v. Szende
32. inf. brig., Genmj. v. Koschatzky
16. field art. brig., Feldmlt. v. Dobler
