| Conflict: | Battle of Limanowa |
| Partof: | the Eastern Front during World War I |
| Date: | 1–13 December 1914 |
| Place: | Galicia, Carpathian Mountains |
| Result: | Central Powers victory |
| Combatant1: | |
| Combatant2: | Russian Empire |
| Commander1: | AD. Joseph Ferdinand Svetozar Boroevic Friedrich von Gerok |
| Commander2: | Nikolai Ivanov Radko Dimitriev Aleksei Brusilov |
| Units1: | III Army IV Army 47th Reserve Division |
| Units2: | III Army VIII Army |
| Strength1: | Only combat troops:[1] 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 |
| Strength2: | Only combat troops: 194,930 593 machine gun 907 guns |
| Casualties1: | 10,265 KIA 36,875 WIA 59,332 MIA Total 106,472[2] |
| Casualties2: | 14,100 KIA 63,348 WIA 67,200 MIA Total 144,648[3] |
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 (40km (30miles) south-east of Kraków).
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.[4]
As Dimitriev's Russian Third Army advance towards Krakow stalled, Conrad prepared to turn its southern flank. Accordingly, Roth's Austro-Hungarian Fourth Army's XIV Corps, combined with the German 47 Reserve Infantry Division, was ordered to assemble at Chabówka. Simultaneously, Boroević's Austro-Hungarian Third Army was to take Bartfeld and Neu Sandez. By 3 December, Roth was ready to advance towards Limanowa.[5]
After Roth reached Limanowa on 3 December, he sent his three divisions, the 13th Rifle Division, the 3rd infantry Division, and the 8th infantry Division, north towards Neu-Sandez. In response, the Russians sent their IX and XI Corps reserves to bolster their threatened southern flank. In addition, Brusilov's Russian VIII and XXIV Corps were sent to Neu-Sandez. By 5 December, the Austro-Hungarian advance had halted, and the Russian X and XXI Corps were moving from north of the Vistula to Dimitriev's southern flank. In response, Conrad sent the Krakow garrison's Austro-Hungarian 45th Rifle Division east of Limanowa, supported by the 39th Honvéd Infantry division, and command elements of the VI Corps. Dimitriev then ordered his two corps facing Krakow, the Russian IX and XI Corps, to begin a retreat to the east, in an effort to reduce the risk to his southern flank.[5]
On 7 December, the Russian VIII Corps attacked from Neu-Sandez, but Roth's Austro-Hungarians halted their advance in defensive positions prepared earlier. One of the units facing the Russian VIII Corps was Józef Piłsudski's 1st Brigade, Polish Legions. Fighting continued through 10 December, with little movement along a line from Limanowa in the south to Łapanów in the north. By 10 December, the lead elements of Boroević's Austro-Hungarian army, led by Szurmay's 38th Honvéd Infantry Division, had reached Nawojowa, 4miles south of Neu-Sandez. With the arrival of the Austro-Hungarian IX Corps from Bartfeld, the Russian XXIV Corps could no longer support the VIII Corps, and the Russian position in Neu-Sandez became untenable. Ivanov then ordered the Russian VIII Corps to retreat towards Zakliczyn, enabling Szurmay's Austro-Hungarians to capture Neu-Sandez on 12 December.[5]
The Russian threat to Krakow was eliminated and the Russians were pushed back across the Carpathians. The Austrian-Hungary forces claimed the battle as a victory.
Roth was awarded the Knight's Cross to the Military Order of Maria Theresa and given the honorific 'von Limanowa-Łapanów'.[5]
Russian Southwestern Front, Commander-in-chief – Nikolai Ivanov
Commander-in-chief – Conrad von Hötzendorf