General Samsonov and the other Russian commanders stood dumbfounded, watching the devastation unfold. The German artillery seemed to strike with unerring precision, ravaging the Russian artillery positions.
Cannons were overturned and destroyed, while artillerymen were torn to pieces in the explosions.
"General, please order the withdrawal of the artillery. Otherwise, we will lose them all," the artillery commander, his eyes red with desperation, pleaded with General Samsonov.
Samsonov nodded. In the Russian army, where literacy rates were low, artillery units were incredibly valuable. Losing them would make it nearly impossible to replenish their ranks. Even though Samsonov was not an artilleryman by training, he understood that the Russian artillery was completely outmatched. The German guns, in both number and performance, utterly dominated. The heavy artillery, in particular, was the main force annihilating the Russian positions, and the Russians had no way to counter them.
The German bombardment lasted less than twenty minutes. It wasn't that they were conserving ammunition, but the Russian artillery had already withdrawn beyond their range, leaving no further targets to strike. Continuing to fire would only be a waste of shells.
"François, our artillery hit them so hard—are you sure we didn't scare the Russians into fleeing? If that happens, our efforts will be in vain," Lieutenant General Mackensen, commander of the 20th Corps, expressed his concern.
"Don't worry, the Russians won't be frightened so easily. Even if they realize the full extent of our strength, they won't give up. This is their only chance. If they miss it, they may never have another. So they will fight to the bitter end, until they've lost everything and all hope is gone," responded Lieutenant General François.
Mackensen nodded in agreement with François' assessment.
For a long time, the existence of East Prussia had posed a serious threat to Russia. Troops dispatched from East Prussia could reach St. Petersburg in a short time. Thus, Russia had always sought to occupy East Prussia and eliminate this danger. This war was their last opportunity to do so. If they let it slip by, Russia would never have another chance. So the Russians would not easily abandon their plans.
On the other side, the Russian 2nd Army had no choice but to face the harsh reality of the Germans' overwhelming power and did not dare to launch another reckless attack.
"Commander, it's evident that the Germans have preserved their strength. Now they are showing all their power at Tannenberg. It will be extremely difficult for us to take Tannenberg," one Russian general said.
"With such formidable German firepower, if we try to take Tannenberg, we will suffer devastating losses and won't be able to advance toward Königsberg," another general added.
"What if we use Cossack cavalry to charge? Can they break through the German lines?" General Samsonov still seemed reluctant to give up.
"Commander, that would be impossible. The Germans have deployed a vast number of machine guns and small-caliber rapid-fire guns along their defensive line. They must have concentrated the entire 8th Army's machine guns here. Otherwise, there couldn't be such dense fire. Under such intense firepower, even the brave Cossack cavalry would only be marching to their deaths," replied a cavalry division commander.
The other cavalry commanders nodded in agreement. They knew charging into such concentrated firepower would be suicidal, and none of them were willing to take such a futile risk.
Samsonov nodded, no longer insisting.
"Order the troops to switch to full defense. Also, report our situation to Warsaw immediately and request further instructions," General Samsonov commanded.
In such circumstances, he was unsure what the next step should be. Continuing the attack would lead to heavy losses without guaranteeing the capture of Tannenberg. But retreating would mean missing a golden opportunity, a thought that filled him with frustration. Ultimately, he had no choice but to leave the decision to General Ivan Zhilinsky, the commander of the Northwestern Front in Warsaw.
In Warsaw, at the headquarters of the Northwestern Front, General Ivan Zhilinsky frowned deeply, as though wrestling with a difficult problem.
After receiving a telegram from General Samsonov, commander of the 2nd Army, Zhilinsky had been sitting in silence for nearly half an hour.
"Damn Germans! They must have been feigning weakness earlier, luring the 2nd Army to Tannenberg, where they now plan to destroy us. Afterward, they'll turn around and deal with the 1st Army. Hmph, quite a clever strategy!" Zhilinsky snorted coldly. But perhaps he hadn't realized that his back was already soaked with sweat.
Zhilinsky knew full well that if the Germans succeeded in their plan, the Russian army wouldn't just fail to defeat the Germans and take East Prussia—they'd be in a perilous situation.
Instinctively, Zhilinsky considered immediately ordering the 2nd Army to retreat. But he quickly dismissed this idea. This was too rare an opportunity. The German forces in the East were at their weakest point in history. Once they redeployed their main forces from the Western Front, Russia would never have another chance like this. The opportunity was too valuable to squander.
After careful consideration, General Zhilinsky made his decision.
"Order the 2nd Army to continue its assault on Tannenberg. Also, send a telegram to the 1st Army, informing them that the German main force has been engaged by the 2nd Army, and they should expedite their advance and take Königsberg as soon as possible. Once they capture it, we will coordinate with the 2nd Army to encircle the German forces," Zhilinsky ordered.
It was clear that Zhilinsky intended to turn the Germans' own plan against them. With the 8th Army's main force concentrated at Tannenberg, it was unlikely they were defending against the 1st Army with their full strength. This allowed the 1st Army to become the main offensive force. If the 1st Army could take Königsberg and then coordinate with the 2nd Army to encircle the German main forces, victory would still be within Russia's grasp.