The German Narew offensive followed after the victory in the Second battle of Przasnysz. In stubborn battles, the Imperial German army forced the numerically superior forces of the Russian Army to retreat, but could not inflict a decisive defeat on them.
Background
Battle
The goal of the next stage of the German offensive after the victory in the Second battle of Przasnysz was to capture the course of the Narew River from Różan to Pultusk; at the same time, a corps was allocated to each of the fortresses, and the 17th army corps had to cross the river between these points. Strongly fortified positions at Różan and Pultusk, the presence of separate forts built before the war, included in a single defensive system, could not be broken through on the move. Max von Gallwitz considered it necessary to reinforce the 13th Army Corps against Różan with at least one 30.5-cm gun, and sent two 42-cm mortars against Pultusk to the 11th Army Corps.
On July 19, the Germans were preparing for the offensive. At the same time, it turned out that due to the delay of heavy artillery, not all corps were ready to launch an attack at the same time. Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff called for hastening preparations: at the same time, a demand was put forward for a tighter blockade of the fortress of Novogeorgievsk (now Modlin Fortress). On the left flank, the 8th German Army reached the right bank of the Narew River at the mouth of the Rozoga River could act either by crossing the river or advancing on Ostrołęka. The withdrawal of the 1st Army beyond the Narew also led to the withdrawal of the 2nd Army closer to Warsaw. The 12th Siberian Rifle Division and 68th Infantry Divisions were sent to Ostrołęka and Białystok from the 5th Army, which also fought heavy battles, and the 58th Infantry Division from the 8th Army of the Southwestern Front was additionally assigned to the Novogeorgievsk garrison.
On the night of July 20, Alexander Litvinov, making sure that the Max von Gallwitz's army group was pursuing small forces, ordered from 10 o'clock in the morning to go on the offensive: the 1st Cavalry Corps on Dzbądz and Gnojno, going to the rear of the German group at the Różan's fortifications. 4th Army Corps on Maków, 21st Army Corps on Khrzanowo for joint operations with cavalry. The Germans by this time was already 400-800 steps from the Russian trenches. The beginning of the Russian offensive coincided with the attacks of the 13th German Army Corps on the Różan's fortifications, where the Germans managed to capture Hill 132. In the sectors of the 1st Cavalry, 4th and 21st Army Corps, a stubborn battle went on all day. In the morning, the Russian troops managed to successfully cross the Narew River and push back the German's barriers and vanguards, but from the middle of the day the Germans brought the main forces into battle and threw the Russians back behind the Narew. The Gnojno village changed hands four times and was abandoned. At 21.15, on the orders chief of the staff of the North-Western Front Mikhail Alekseyev, the offensive was stopped, the Russian corps returned to their original positions, retaining vanguards and patrols in the points still held behind Mariew (by order of Litvinov). At night, the Germans pushed back the 2nd brigade of the 33rd infantry division to Paulina. With great difficulty manage to stop the breakthrough with counterattacks. On the basis of the false testimony of the prisoner, Litvinov believed that the Germans had brought the entire 25th reserve corps into battle, and was preparing for new German attempts to cross the Narew River near Pultusk.
During July 21, an attack group was assembled in the Gallwitz's army group to attack Pultusk under the command of General of Infantry Otto von Plüskow. Transferring the 38th Infantry Division to the 17th Army Corps covering the operation, he received the 1st Guards and 50th Reserve and 85th Landwehr, 86th and 88th Infantry Divisions and the Pfeil brigade.