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End of Sarikamish operation of the Russian Caucasus Army during the World War I
January (4) 17, 1915 during the World War I of 1914-1918 was completed the Sarikamish operation - the hostilities near the town of Sarikamish (north-east Turkey), led by the Russian Caucasus Army, commanded by General A. Z. Myshlaevsky against the 3rd Turkish army led by General Enver Pasha.
The main blow against the forces of the Russian army the Turks made in the beginning of December 1914 to the north-west of Sarikamish. The 11th Turkish corps was to paralyse the Sarykamysh detachment, while the 9th and 10th Turkish corps began to detour via Olten (Oltu) and Bardus (Bardiz). Turkish commanders planned
to capture the city by a surprise attack, to encircle and destroy Sarikamish detachment of the Caucasian Army led by General G. E. Berhman, and then capture Kars.
10 (23) December detachment of General Berhman repulsed the frontal attack of the 11th Turkish corps, and the next day General Myshlaevsky along with his Chief of Staff General N. Yudenich arrived from Tiflis to the detachment headquarters. 12 (25) December Turkish troops, making a turning maneuver, occupied Bardus and turned towards Sarikamish.
Commander of the Caucasian front, General Myshlaevsky ordered a general retreat. However, it was too late to retreat, since the 10th Turkish Corps cut the highway off and broke off communication with Tiflis, where the headquarters of the Caucasus Front command was situated. Defenders of the city had to rely only on themselves. Frosty weather had reduced the speed of onset and led to significant non-combat losses in the Turkish army. 16 (29) December, when the reserves arrived, the Russian troops repulsed the enemy and counterattacked: Bardus was repelled, the entire 9th Turkish corps surrounded and captured. Remains of the 10th corps were forced to retreat, and by 4 (17) January the situation at the front was restored.
Enver Pasha's troops had lost in killed, frozen, wounded and captured about 70 thousand people - more than 80% of the manpower; Russian losses amounted to about 20 thousand people. The victory near Sarikamish had stopped the Turkish aggression in the Caucasus, and strengthened the position of the Russian Caucasian Army.
Лит.: Берхман Г. Э. Сарыкамышская операция 12-24 декабря 1914 года (некоторые документы). Париж, 1934; Корсун Н. Г. Сарыкамышская операция. М., 1937; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://militera.lib.ru/h/korsun_n1/index.html; Корсун Н. Г. Сарыкамышская операция на Кавказском фронте мировой войны в 1914-1915 гг. М., 1941; Мартиросян Д. Г. Сарыкамышская операция (12-24 декабря 1914 г.) // Военно-исторические исследования в Поволжье. Вып. 7. Саратов, 2006; Шефов Н. Битвы России. М., 2002.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials: