WORLD HISTORY AND FACTS

Russia's ill-fated Lake Naroch Offensive took place 107 years ago this week, beginning on 18 March 1916 (5 March O.S.).  Although the Germans had detected the Russian preparations, they were initially surprised by the most intense Russian artillery bombardment of the war to that date.  However, the effects of this were minimized by poor intelligence (the Germans had air superiority), lack of coordination, and the fact that the majority of Russian shells (mostly low to medium caliber) either failed to penetrate the frozen ground or exploded harmlessly in the Belorussian marshes.  When the densely packed waves of Russian infantry moved forward expecting to occupy destroyed German forward positions, they were instead cut to pieces by artillery and machine gun fire. Despite being repulsed with over 15,000 casualties on the first day, the Russian Second Army (reconstituted after having being all but destroyed at the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914) as well as the neighboring Firs...