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On 1 September 1917, the German Eighth Army under the command of Gen. Oskar von Hutier conducted one of the most successful breakthrough operations of the First World War while crossing a major river about twelve miles to the southeast of Riga, Latvia. The attack began with over 1,100 guns, howitzers, and mortars conducting a very intense and complicated preliminary bombardment that lasted just over five hours, during which over half a million shells were fired at Russian positions. This was followed by three divisions crossing at three different sites on a front nearly six miles wide. Preceded by specialized assault detachments called Sturmtruppen (stormtroopers) and supported by the highly effective artillery bombardment, these divisions were quickly able to overcome the initial Russian defenses. However, this was just the first echelon, and within just forty-eight hours, a total of nine German divisions, divided into three different assault echelons, had crossed the 300- to 400-meter-wide river.