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Montenegro During World War I (IRL)
'Invasion of Montenegro': Intro & 6:18'Battle of Moikovac''Fight For Montenegro': 2:20'Great War Summary 4': 3:55'The Kaiser's Birthday': 0:406:58 New Military Governor of Austrian-Occupied MontenegroInfantry Equipment of the Kingdom of Montenegro (Wikipedia)YoutubeDay-by-Daylaststandonzombieisland Article (June 13, 2017)Article on Montenegrin/Serbian Mosin-Nagants (& Other Rifles)Forgotten Weapons: Montenegrin Gasser (Youtube)
(Below: Two men on left=Montenegrins; man on right=British)
Strength:
50,000 Men:
-59 Light Infantry Battalions
-16 Independent Scouting Units
-700-man Officer Corps
Equipment Quantities:
Melee Weapons:
44,000 Artillery Short Swords (Russia 1902)
44,000 Model 1866 Gras Sabre 'Bayonets' (France 1899?)
'Thousands'(?) of Sabres and spike bayonets (Russia, France, Ottoman Capture)
Sidearms:
'Tens of Thousands'(?) of 'Gasser Pattern' Revolvers (My own estimate: 40,000+?)
25,000 S&W No. 2 Revolvers (Russia 1895-1902)
40,000 M1891 Mosin-Nagant's (Russia in 1898 & 1905, small numbers also provided at outbreak of WW1)
30,000 Berdan II's (Russia 1895-1902?)
20,000 Model 1873 Werndl Rifles (Austria (Steyr) in 1880's)
20,000 Other Firearms, including M1874 Gras Rifles (Greece 1890's), Wänzl M1867's Rifles (Austria 1870's-1880's?), M1867 Krnka's (Russia 1870's-1880's?) and and assortment of other older models.
Machine Guns:
Dozens(?) of Maxim Machine Guns
Artillery:
70-ish Old Italian-English guns (dozens of models as early as 1850's)
30 Serbian Guns (supplied at outbreak of WW1)
(Artillery and Other Heavy Equipment Was Fairly Limited; Cavalry virtually non-existant)
Bayonets: (Rifle-Mounted spike bayonets for Berdan's/Mosins, supplemented with sword-bayonets)
M1891 Spike Bayonet
Model 1866 Gras Sabre 'Bayonets' (infantry close quarter sword):
Swords: (Primary Hand-to-Hand Melee Weapons; Either locally made/bought/captured)
Artillery Short Sword (infantry close quarter sword):
Kilij (Ottoman Capture/Locally Made): Infantry & Officers Sabre
Gasser M1870/74 & M1880: 11.3x36mmR: Primary Sidearms for All Ranks (Officers purchase their own)
M1870/74 "First Model"
M1880 improved "Second Model
S&W No. 3: .44 Russian: Very Common Sidearm for All Ranks
Mannlicher M1901: 7.65×21mm: (Officers Private Purchase Sidearm)
Rast & Gasser M1898: 8mm Gasser: (Officers Private Purchase Sidearm)
S&W M1899: .38 Special: (Officers Private Purchase Sidearm)
Mosin-Nagant M1891: 7.62x54mmR: Primary Front-Line Modern Rifle
Berdan II: 10.75×58mmR: Primary Reserve Rifle
Werndl–Holub M1873: 11.15×42mmR: Common Reserve Rifle
Gras M1874: 11×59mmR: Reserve Rifle (Acquired from Greece in the 1890's)
Wänzl M1867: 14×33mmR: Limited Reserve Rifle
M1867 Krnka: 15.24x40mmR: Limited Reserve Rifle
Maxim M1906 and M1912: Various Cartridges: (Primary Machine Guns)
M: m:
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Montenegro suffered severely in World War I. Shortly after Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia (28 July 1914), Montenegro lost little time in declaring war on the Central Powers - on Austria-Hungary in the first instance - on 6 August 1914, despite Austrian diplomacy promising to cede Shkoder to Montenegro if it remained neutral.[11] For purposes of coordination in the fight against the enemy army, Serbian General Bozidar Jankovic was named head of High Command of both Serbian and Montenegrin armies. Montenegro received 30 artillery pieces and financial help of 17 million dinars from Serbia. France contributed a colonial detachment of 200 men located in Cetinje at the beginning of war, as well as two radio-stations - located on top of Mount Lovćen and in Podgorica. Until 1915 France supplied Montenegro with necessary war material and food through the port of Bar, which was blockaded by Austrian battleships and submarines. In 1915 Italy took over this role, running supplies unsuccessfully and irregularly across the line Shengjin-Bojana-Lake Skadar, an unsecured route because of constant attacks by Albanian irregulars organised by Austrian agents. Lack of vital materials eventually led Montenegro to surrender.
Austria-Hungarian forces were dispatched in 1914 to prevent a junction of the Serbian and Montenegrin armies. This force, however, was repulsed, and from the top of the strongly fortified Lovćen, the Montenegrins carried on the bombardment of Kotor held by the enemy. The Austro-Hungarian army managed to capture the town of Pljevlja while on the other hand the Montenegrins took Budva, then under Austrian control. The Serbian victory at the Battle of Cer (15–24 August 1914) diverted enemy forces from Sandjak, and Pljevlja came into Montenegrin hands again. On August 10, 1914, the Montenegrin infantry delivered a strong attack against the Austrian garrisons, but they did not succeed in making good the advantage they first gained. They successfully resisted the Austrians in the second invasion of Serbia (September 1914) and almost succeeded in liberating Sarajevo. With the beginning of the third Austro-Hungarian invasion, however, the Montenegrin army had to retire before greatly superior numbers, and Austro-Hungarian, Bulgarian and German armies finally overran Serbia (December 1915). However, the Serbian army survived, and led by King Peter I of Serbia, started retreating across Albania. In order to support the Serbian retreat, the Montenegrin army, led by Janko Vukotic, engaged in the Battle of Mojkovac (6–7 January 1916). Montenegro also suffered a large scale invasion (See Below) and for the remainder of the war remained in the possession of the Central Powers. See Serbian Campaign (World War I) for details. The Austrian officer Viktor Weber Edler von Webenau served as the military governor of Montenegro between 1916 and 1917. Afterwards Heinrich Clam-Martinic filled this position.
Date: January 5-17, 1916
Location: Montenegro
Result: Austria-Hungary occupies Montenegro
Leaders/Commanders:
-King Nicolas I
-General/Sedar(Count) Janko Vukotić
Strength:
-Montenegro=25,000
-Austria-Hungary=80,000
By January 1916, the Serbian had been defeated by an Austrian-Hungarian, German and Bulgarian invasion. The remnants of the Serbian army had withdrawn through Montenegro and Albania, and were being evacuated by allied ships since 12 December, first to Italy and later to Corfu.
The k.u.k. High command in Teschen, decided to use the success in Serbia to knock Montenegro out of the war. The army of Montenegro that had fought alongside their allies in Serbia, had now withdrawn into their own territory, but were still resisting against the Central powers. Furthermore, Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf wanted to take the Italian-held Albanian ports of Durazzo and Valona.
Two Austrian armycorps were formed in December 1915. One in the west under command of Stjepan Sarkotić between Trebinje and Kotor, composed of the XIX. Armeekorps, reinforced with troops from Bosnia-Hercegovina and Dalmatia. They had to attack the main force of the Montenegrin army, gathered around Mount Lovcen, and a second attack was planned from Trebinje towards the east. In the east and north, the VIII. Armeekorps under command of Hermann Kövess von Kövessháza was to bind the Montenegrin troops there present.
Eastern Front:
The VIII. Armeekorps, who pursued the withdrawing Montenegrin Expeditionary army, had two tasks. One the one hand to bind these troops, for this the 62nd and 53rd Infantry Division was used. On the other hand, it had to pass the Montenegrin right wing and converge with the XIX. Korps on Podgorica.
The 62nd and 53rd Infantry Division entered Montenegro on 5 January 1916 from the North-East and advanced along the river towards Pljevlja and Bijelo Polje, where they were stopped by the Montenegrins in the Battle of Mojkovac. At the same time, the 10th and 18th Mountain brigade advanced from Novi Pazar and took on 10 January the city of Berane. The 205th and 9th Mountain brigade advanced westwards from Priština and took Peć and Velika. The 57th Infantery Division advanced from Prizren.
Western Front
Mount Lovcen was the key defensive position of the Montenegrin army, who defended it as a citadel with roughly 2/3 of its forces. The Austrian-Hungarians, under Croatian general Stjepan Sarkotić, gathered large quantities of heavy artillery in Kotor, supported by ships artillery from the Austro-Hungarian Navy.
On 8 January the attack began with a massive artillery bombardment. The Montenegrins lacked everything: guns, ammunition, food and shelter. On 11 January, Mount Lovcen was in Austrian hands. In the meantime, two independent brigades under Feldmarschalleutnant Braun advanced towards Nikšić, covering the left flank and threatening to cut off the Montenegrins from the north-east.
On 13 January 1916, the vanguard of the Austrian army reached the capital Cetinje. Braun had encountered stiff resistance and advanced only 10 km in the direction of Nikšić.
Consequences:
Negotiations on an armistice started on 13 January, after the fall of Cetinje. King Nicholas I of Montenegro first refused the harsh Austrian terms, but fled to Albania and from there to Italy on 19 January. From there he issued an order to Janko Vukotić demanding that the army continued to fight and eventually retreat with the Serbians to Albania and Corfu. But the ministers that had remained in Montenegro issued a proclamation to the Montenegrin armed forces to surrender all weapons.
On 1 March a provisional military government was established under Viktor Weber Edler von Webenau, he was replaced by Heinrich Clam-Martinic on 10 July 1917, who filled this position until the end of the war.
General Stjepan Sarkotić was made a Hungarian baron and officially styled Stefan Baron Sarkotić von Lovćen.
Major General Ignaz Trollmann, commander of the XIX. Corps, was ennobled as baron in 1917 with the style of Freiherr Trollmann von Lovcenberg.
General Kövess was awarded the Silver Merit Medal (Signum Laudis) with war-ribbon on the 12th of January 1916 and promoted to Generaloberst on the 26th of February 1916.
During the following weeks the troops of the 3rd Austrian Hungarian army occupied the rest of Montenegro and invaded Albania, taking Scutari and finally Durazzo at the end of February. The evacuation of the Serbian army had been completed on 10 February.
Battle of Mojkovac:
Date: 6-7 January 1916
Location: Mojkovac
Result: Tactical Montenegrin victory, 1) Serbian Army allowed more time to escape,
2) Austrians conquered the whole of Montenegro 3 weeks later.
Leaders/Commanders:
M-General/Sedar(Count) Janko Vukotić
M-Krsto Popović
A-Wilhelm von Reiner
A-Hermann Kövess
Strength:
-Montenegro=6,500
-Austria-Hungary=30,000
Casualties:
-Montenegro=2,500
-Austria=?
The Battle of Mojkovac (Serbian: Бој на Мојковцу, Boj na Mojkovcu) was a World War I battle fought between 6 January and 7 January 1916 near Mojkovac, Montenegro, between the armies of Austria-Hungary and Montenegro. It ended with a Montenegrin victory.
Prelude:
In the winter of 1915, the Army of Montenegro had been fighting Austro-Hungary for three months in Serbia. In January 1916 they had to resist the invasion of their own territory. The Montenegrin Army was weakened by the harsh weather and lack of supplies. On 5 January 1916, they received a command to protect the retreat of the Serbian army to Corfu via Albania.
Battle:
The fighting culminated on 6 and 7 January 1916 (on Orthodox Christmas; also known as 'Bloody Christmas'). Led by Serdar (Count) Janko Vukotić with Krsto Zrnov Popović as second in command, the Montenegrin army inflicted heavy casualties on the Austro-Hungarian forces and temporarily halted their advancement.
The Montenegrin army had entrenched themselves around the village of Mojkovac. Austro-Hungarian forces attacked the army's positions early that day along with heavy artillery bombardment on Mojkovac itself. By noon, the Austro-Hungarian attack was repulsed, suffering heavy casualties. Fighting resumed from then on, until the Austro-Hungarian forces left the battlefield, leaving more than 2,000 of their soldiers dead. By the end of the day, Montenegrin forces were able to push back multiple attacks made by Austro-Hungarian forces, taking back control of Mojkovac and its surroundings. Lot of fighting was done hand-to-hand with fixed bayonets and knives, in knee-deep snow.
On 7 January, Austro-Hungarian launched a second attack on Montenegrin positions. The attack again failed, inflicting heavy losses on both sides. Despite having a much stronger, larger, and better-equipped army, Austro-Hungarian forces abandoned their positions in Mojkovac on the 7th and preformed a retreat.
Results:
There is considerable disagreement about the actual conduct of the battle, but the Montenegrins did defeat a numerically superior foe. The battle was intended to give the Serbian Army enough time reach the Albanian mountains in their retreat to Corfu, but in fact most of the Serbian troops had already crossed the mountains and reached the coast and were battling their way south between Scutari (Shkodër) and Durazzo (Durrës).
The Montenegrin army continued to hold the Berane-Andrijevica-Mojkovac-Tara River line until withdrawing on 18 January. The Austrians then continued pushing their offensive south.
In the meantime, the Austro-Hungarians had already Mount Lovcen (11/1), the capital Cetinje (13/1), Peć and Berane (10/1).
Some historians indicate that at the time of the battle King Nicholas was already in surrender negotiations and that several units had already surrendered, but others hold that King Nicholas did not agree to negotiate until 12 January. However, by 25 January the entire army of Montenegro had laid down its weapons.[/size][/box]
Sources: en.Wikipedia.orgMontenegrin Campaign (WW1)Battle of Mojkovac
Janko Vukotić, (18 February 1866 [Čevo, Principality of Montenegro] – 4 February 1927 [Belgrade, Kingdom of Yugoslavia]) was a Serdar, general in the armies of the Principality and Kingdom of Montenegro in the Balkan Wars and World War I.
Life:
Vukotić was born in Čevo, belonging to the Vukotić brotherhood; he was related to Petar and Milena Vukotić. He studied the lower gymnasium at Cetinje, and at the Military Academy in Modena in Italy.
Politics:
Vukotić served as Montenegro's Defence Minister in the periods of 1905-1907, 1911–1912 and 1913–1915, and as the Prime Minister of Montenegro in 1913-1915.
Balkan Wars:
He commanded the Montenegrin Eastern Army during the First Balkan War and the Montenegrin division of the First Serbian Army during the Second Balkan War, in which he distinguished himself at the Battle of Bregalnica.
WW1:
During the First World War, he was the Chief of Staff of the Montenegrin Army and the Commander of the Sandžak Army of Montenegrin forces. He is most famous for winning the Battle of Mojkovac, in which his daughter, the only female participant, Vasilija Vukotić was a courier. He was taken prisoner after the surrender of Montenegro in January 1916, and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner in Hungary.
Later Years:
After the war, he served as a general in the Yugoslav army until his death in 1927. He was buried in Belgrade's New Cemetery.
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