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Leopold Freiherr von Hauer

Leopold Freiherr von Hauer was born on 26 January 1854 in Budapest.  At the start of World War I, Hauer was in command of the 9. Cavalry Division until he was replaced by FML Theodor von Leonhardi in September 1915.  In October 1914, FML Hauer was granted his own Cavalry Corps.  He led this force until May 1915, when it was disbanded.  However, GdK Hauer was able to form a new Cavalry Corps.  He commanded this force from September 1915 until October 1917, during which time he saw some of the fiercest fighting (during the first Brussilow Offensive in June 1916, and again in July 1917)  Then, GO Hauer had to disband it once again. The following timeline summarizes his military career:    Mar 1900 Commands Hussar Regiment 16 until Oct 1906      May 1900 Promoted to Oberst    Oct 1906 Commands 13. Cavalry Brigade until Jul 1907    Nov 1906 Promoted to Generalmajor      Jul 1907 Commands 4. Cavalry Brigade until Dec 1910    Nov 1910 Promoted to Feldmarschalleutnant      Dec 1910 Royal Hungarian Honvéd Cavalry Inspector until Aug 1914     Aug 1914 Commands 9. Cavalry Division until Sep 1915    Oct 1914 Commands Hauer Cavalry Corps until May 1915     Nov 1914 Promoted to General der Kavallerie by title      Feb 1915 Promoted to General der Kavallerie      Sep 1915 Commands Hauer Cavalry Corps until Oct 1917     Aug 1917 Promoted to Generaloberst    Oct 1917 Retired Leopold Freiherr von Hauer died on 3 May 1933 in Budapest. GWS, 3/02

Attention: Visit FEEFHS map room for a Map of Galicia including some of the placenames mentioned here.  Also, see the Map of Volhynia including Lutsk and Kowel (on the far left).  Be sure to open in a separate window to toggle between this page and FEEFHS. Orders of Battle:  August 1914 Immediately prior to the invasion of Poland I. Armee, Gen. d. Kav. Viktor Dankl     V. Korps, Feldzeugmeister Paul Puhallo von Brlog       Support: XII. inf. div., Feldmlt. Kestranek        III. kav. div., Feldmlt. von Brudermann        IX. kav. div., Feldmlt. von Hauer Northern Front on 25 December 1914 Army Group Woyrsch, Gen. Remus von Woyrsch Öst. II. Armee, Gen. d. Kav. von Böhm-Ermolli       Gallwitz Korps, Preußisch General der Artillery von Gallwitz            Gruppe Hauer                 3. kav. div., Feldmlt. von Brudermann                 9. kav. div., Feldmlt. von Hauer Christmas 1914 found Hauer’s cavalry division in battle near Tomaszów, southwest of Lódz.  During this time, he was part of Gen. Gallwitz’s Corps, on the northern tier of 2. Army’s sector.  Two Austrian cavalry divisions, called Gruppe Hauer, included the 9. and General Adolf Brudermann’s 3. Cav. Div.  His soldiers had their backs to the river Pilica, and nothing in the way of defenses except common trenches in a flat farming landscape.  This was the best terrain for a cavalry division, but Russian concentrated fire forced Hauer’s troops to fight from the trenches.  Opposing Gruppe Hauer was the Russian III. Caucasian Corps, part of the 4. Army of General Everth.  Hauer’s left was right on the southern edge of Tomaszów, guarding the flank of Gruppe Frommel in the German 9. Army.  This town was the immediate objective of the Russians in the last week of December, but they were repulsed by the Germans and Austrians after a half dozen clashes along the Pilica river, which runs east of Tomaszów.  After this battle, Hauer’s Group was moved along with the rest of the 2. Army to the Carpathians. [rev. 4/04] Orders of Battle, January 1915 Immediately prior to the Battles for the Carpathians (Army Group Woyrsch, Gen. d. Kav. von Woyrsch) Öst. II. Armee, Gen. d. Kav. von Böhm-Ermolli    Öst. XII. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. Kövess von Kövesshaza        IX. kav. div., Feldmlt. von Hauer Orders of Battle:  Eastern Front, May 1915 Immediately preceding the Dunajec offensive Armee Woyrsch, preuß. Generaloberst v. Woyrsch Army Group Kövess (XII. Korps), Gen. d. Inf. v. Kövess        9. kav. div., Gen. d. Kav. Frh. v. Hauer                 1. kav. brig., Genmj. Ostermuth                 9. kav. brig., Oberst Frh. v. Sessler                 32. IBrig. (Gruppe) Genmj. Goldbach K.u.K. forces assigned to the German armies, as of September 1915 To the IX. Armee, Gen. Mackensen: IX. kav. div., Gen. d. Kav. von Hauer Orders of Battle:  June 1916 Immediately prior to the successful offensive by General Brussilow Linsingen Group, Gen. d. Inf. von Linsingen IV. Armee, Generaloberst Erzherzog Josef Ferdinand    Hauer kav. Korps, Gen. d. Kav. von Hauer        Polish Legion, Genmj. von Puchalski        XI. Honved kav. div., Genmj. Czito        IX. kav. div., Feldmlt. von Leonhardi Orders of Battle:  July 1916 Immediately following the breakthrough by Brussilow Army Group Linsingen, Gen. d. Inf. von Linsingen IV. Armee, Generaloberst von Tersztyanszky    Hauer kav. Korps, Gen. d. Kav. von Hauer        Polish Legion, Genmj. von Puchalski         XI. Honved kav. div., Genmj. Czito        I. kav. div., Genmj. de Ruiz        IX. kav. div., Feldmlt. von le Gay Orders of Battle:  August 1916 Immediately preceding Roumania's declaration of war against Austria Army Group Linsingen, Gen. d. Inf. von Linsingen IV. Armee, Generaloberst von Tersztyanszky     Hauer kav. Korps, Gen. d. Kav., von Hauer         I. kav. div., Genmj. de Ruiz         IX. kav. div., Gennmj. von le Gay         Bay. kav. div., Genlt. von Hellingrath The Battle of Kowel was a significant turn of fortune for the otherwise brilliant Russian General Brussilov.   In the last week of July, Brussilov's VIII. Army launched an offensive designed to seize the important railhead at Kowel.  This was his way to capitalize on the roaring success of his Lutsk offensive.  Hauer's Cavalry Corps was located on the very northern tier of the offensive's theatre.  Nevertheless, Brussilov did as before, launching theatre-wide attacks to reduce the enemy's ability to transfer reserves to needy sectors.  Hauer's Corps faced the Russian IV. Cavalry Corps, and the first half of the offensive was relatively quiet.  Little activity was reported between Gruppe Gronau north of Siedliszcze or south of the Lodnitza brook, both of which was  on the Stochod river, the natural frontlines.  Gruppe Clausius, south of Hauer, felt a little more sting from the attacks, but Brussilow spent the first weeks testing the lines, confident that the southern flank of the forces guarding Kowel were weaker than the northern ones.  Hauer did not have to face a serious challenge until the last weeks of the offensive in mid-August.  Then, the IV. Cavalry Corps scored a breakthrough on 18 August, and Hauer was forced to request reserves from General Bernhardi's reserves near Kowel.  These arrived on 23 August and stopped the bleeding around the town of Rudka, in the middle of his sector.  The fighting did not produce any results except create a small salient and create a lot of casualties. GWS, 9/03 Orders of Battle:  November 1916 Amidst the successful offensive against Roumania Linsingen Army Group, Gen. d. Inf. von Linsingen IV. K.u.K. Armee, Generaloberst von Tersztyanszky     Hauer kav. Korps, Gen. d. Kav. von Hauer        IX. kav. div., Genmj. von le Gay        I. Deutsch inf. div., Gen. d. Inf. von Jacobi        Bay. kav. div., Genlt. von Hellingrath Orders of Battle:  July 1917 Immediately prior to the Kerensky Offensive Linsingen Army Group, Gen. d. Inf. von Linsingen IV. K.u.K. Armee, Generaloberst von Tersztyanszky     Hauer kav. Korps, Gen. d. Kav. von Hauer        IX. kav. div., Genmj. von le Gay        I. Deutsch Landwehr div., Gen. d. Inf. von Jacobi