1st Army 9th Army The Romanian Debacle 1917 Campaign Bessarabia Romania rejoins the war aftermath The Veresmart Offensive was a World War I military engagement between Romanian forces on one side and Central Powers forces (Germany and Austria-Hungary) on the other side.

Romanian frustration with having to endure this bombardment boiled over, and on 22 September General Popovici ordered his 13th Division to take the heights at Veresmart (Roșia/Rothberg), east of Nagyszeben.

[1]: 99 The Romanian 13th Division attacked at dawn on 22 September, in order to gain surprise and avoid an artillery battle, for which it had insufficient ammunition.

[2]: 342  Popovici's only real success was attained south of Hortobágyfalva (Cornățel/Harbachdorf), where the Romanians faced the extremely thinly-held positions of the 7th Cavalry Brigade of the 1st Division.

[3] The Romanian attack had driven a wedge between von Schmettow's two cavalry divisions, which — if exploited — could expose the flank of the 9th Army and ruin the plans to take Nagyszeben.

This admission unsettled von Falkenhayn, who contacted the German High Command and asked Erich Ludendorff for help.

[1]: 106–107  Arz intended to use the German 89th Infantry Division to reinforce his center and left flank, hence why he was unwilling to comply.