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MEANING
The Attack of the Dead Men is a legendary feat of Russian soldiers during the First World War in 1915 while defending the Osovets fortress. It has gone down in history forever as a symbol of courage and fortitude of the Russian spirit.
The Attack of the Dead Men is a common name for the counterattack of the 13th company of the Zemlyansky Regiment on July 24 ,1915, during repelling a German gas attack.

THE REASON OF THE ATTACK
In fact the Osovets fortress was on extremely important strategic position for the Russian Empire. Impassable marshes were located to the north and south of it, in order to advance in this direction, German troops had to take Osovets at any cost.

OSOVETS FORTRESS
The fortress was founded in 1795 by the forces of the Russian Empire. Today this place is located in Poland, 50 kilometers from the city of Bialystok.
The first battle took place in September 1914, when part of the German army came closely. It was a very prepared and equipped army with bombs,mines,guns and other weapons. They were outnumbered,but despite this, the Russians repulsed the first attack.

THE SECOND ATTACK
On the 3d of February, 1915, the Germans made the next attempt to capture the fortress. It was clear that Osovets, defended by brave soldiers, could not be taken with the help of brute force and artillery guns, the Germans decided to use chemical warfare gases.
30 gas-cylinder batteries were deployed under the fortress, which had been carefully camouflaged before. The gas attack began on the 6th ofAugust , 1915 at 4 o'clock in the morning.All living things were struck in the path of destructive chemicals. The leaves on the trees turned yellow, the grass turned black and lied on the ground. According to eyewitnesses, the territory of the defeat of the Osovets fortress was fatal, as a poisonous wave of gas was 8 km wide and up to 15 m high.

COUNTERATTACK
Having control over his own company, Vladimir Kotlinsky led the surviving fighters of the 8th and 12th companies.It was a terrible sight. Wrapped in dirty rags, with terrible burns on their faces, spitting blood and makinginhuman wheezes,Russian soldiers moved towards the enemy.
The Germans, being confident of complete victory and not expecting to meet an enemy destroyed by poisonous fumes on their way, seeing a real "Attack of the Dead", came to real horror and fear. They immediately began to retreat. Many Germans died in the wire nets because in a panic they crushed and trampled each other.