6th of August, 1915 "The Attack of the Dead Men"
"The defense of the Osowiec fortress during the second, 6 1/2 month siege of it":
The 13th company, which constituted the garrison of Zarechny Fort, had already lost 20 people poisoned with gases; The company commander, Second Lieutenant Kotlinsky, was also poisoned by them, but he remained in service. The company's junior officer was volunteer, sapper Second Lieutenant Strzheminsky.
The company , having crossed the bridge and flooring about a kilometer long under the strong artillery fire of the enemy, being poisoned by suffocating gases, attacked along the railroad track. Approaching the line general reserve , Second Lieutenant Kotlinsky personally made a reconnaissance and, having correctly assessed the situation, from a distance of 500 steps led the company to attack the advancing Germans
The Germans opened strong rifle and machine gun fire , but this did not stop the rapid attack. Second Lieutenant Kotlinsky was mortally wounded, transferring command of the company to Second Lieutenant Strzheminsky.
The latter, baring a saber with a cry of "Hurray," rushed at the Germans, dragging a company with him. The attack area was very uncomfortable: the destroyed fortifications were pits in which people fell through; boards and logs sticking out from everywhere, etc. Nevertheless, the valiant company, truly worthy of its late commander, with a swift attack that ended with a bayonet strike knocked out the Germans of their positions, and from the front trenches of the 1st and 2nd sections of the Sosnenskaya position . During the attack, 16 prisoners were taken. Captured by the Germans, our anti-assault guns and machine guns were returned in good condition. Second Lieutenant Strzheminsky was severely poisoned by suffocating gases, but remained in service."
Military Log 226th Infantry Regiment:
The regiment commander ordered the 8th, 13th and 14th companies knocked the Germans out of our trenches….The 13th company under the command of Second Lieutenant Kotlinsky, leaving the fortress and scattering under strong artillery fire, began to advance along the railway to meet the advancing German chains. Approaching 400 steps to the enemy, Second LieutenantKotlinsky, led by his company, launched an attack. With a bayonet strike he knocked down the Germans from their position, causing them to run in disarray … Without stopping, the 13th company continued to pursue the running enemy, knocked him out of the trenches of the 1st and 2nd sections of Sosnensky positions and returning our anti-assault gun and machine-guns captured by the enemy.
At the end of this dashing attack, Second Lieutenant Kotlinsky was mortally wounded and transferred command of the 13th company to Second Lieutenant Strezheminsky (2nd Osovets sapper company), who completed the work so gloriously begun by Second Lieutenant Kotlinsky. "
Second lieutenant of the 2nd Osovets sapper company, cavalier of the Order of St. George IV degree and the "Golden Arms" Vladislav Strzheminsky.
A disabled person of the Great War (lost his arm and leg), Strzheminsky in the interwar period became a well-known Polish painter.
Scheme "Attack of the Dead Men"
The 13th company counterattacked the 18th Landver Regiment, reinforced by the 147th reserve infantry battalion.
Acting commander of the 13th company of the 226th Zemlyansky infantry regiment, 2nd lieutenant of the corps of military topographers Vladimir Kotlinsky (1894-1915), cavalier of the Order of St. George IV art. posthumously.