| Conflict: | Battle of Herkulesfürdő |
| Partof: | the Romanian Campaign of World War I |
| Date: | 6 - 10 September 1916 |
| Place: | Herkulesfürdő, Banat, Austria-Hungary (today Băile Herculane, Romania) |
| Map Size: | 300 |
| Result: | Romanian victory |
| Combatant2: | |
| Commander1: | Ioan Culcer Ion Dragalina |
| Commander2: | Arthur Arz von Straussenburg (6 - 8 September) Hermann von Staabs (8 - 10 September) Rudolf von Fiebich-Ripke |
| Units1: | 1st Army
|
| Units2: | 1st Army/XXXIX Reserve Corps
|
| Casualties1: | Unknown |
| Casualties2: | Unknown |
The Battle of Herkulesfürdő was a military engagement during the Romanian Campaign of World War I. It was fought between Romanian forces on one side and Central Powers forces (Austria-Hungary and Germany) on the other side. It resulted in a Romanian victory.
The Kingdom of Romania declared war on Austria-Hungary on 27 August 1916. On the following day, the Battle of Orsova commenced, the Romanians managing to secure the Danube port-town as well as the western bank of the Cserna (Cerna) River and a few other settlements by 4 September. In this sector of the front, the 1st Division (General Ion Dragalina) of the Romanian 1st Army (General Ioan Culcer) fought against the 145th Brigade (Colonel Rudolf von Fiebich-Ripke) of the Austro-Hungarian 1st Army (General Arthur Arz von Straußenburg). On 5 September, the first German unit to arrive in nearby Transylvania – the 187th Regiment of the 187th Division – promptly rushed its III Battalion to Herkulesfürdő (Băile Herculane/Herkulesbad), one of the settlements taken by the Romanian forces on 1 September (another such settlement was Mehádia). The aim of the Central Powers was to secure the Iron Gates.[1]
The battle took place between 6 and 10 September.[2] However, only on 6 September — the first day of the battle — did the Central Powers gain any ground. Their forces managed to secure Herkulesfürdő as well as Mehádia, but fell short of reaching Orsova.[3] Orsova was the location of the Iron Gates, and securing the Iron Gates was the objective of the Central Powers.[4] As early as 8 September, two days before the end of the battle, Vienna admitted that the Romanians had taken Orsova, five days after the town was seized.[5] Also on 8 September, the XXXIX Corps of German General Hermann von Staabs assumed responsibility for operations in southern Transylvania.[4] The units placed under the command of von Staabs included the covering troops at Mehádia.[6]
See main article: First Battle of Orsova. A mixed Austro-Hungarian and German force under the Hungarian Colonel Szívó had moved along the Cserna River in mid-November, during a general Central Powers offensive against Romania which started on 11 November, and captured parts of Orsova during fighting on 11–13 November.[7] [8]