Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1914-12-24
CAPTURE Of LODI
TURNING POINT OF
POLISH CAMPA|G
So Gen. Won hindenburg De-
scribes What Is Regarded as
Bitterest Battle of War.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
LODI, Russian Poland. Dec. u. by
automobile courier to Posen, Prussia,
Dec. 2S, London. Dec, 24.-The cap
ture of Lodz, according to the decla-
ration made today by General Ven
aindenburg, the German commander,
to a correspondent of the Associated
Press, was the turning point of the
campaign in Poland. The Russian
lines in northern Poland rested Oh
this city, for the possession of which
there occurred the most bitter strug-
gle of the entire war on this front.
After the Russians, following a most
obstinate resistance on their part,
were forced to evacuate the town,
general Russian retirement in the dl-
rection of Warsaw became necessary.
Under the guidance of Major Won
Holleben, a cousin of the late Baron
Won Holleben. who was at one time
German ambassador to the United
states. the Associated Press corre-
snondent today visited some of the
battlefields in the vicinity of Lodz
and gained an idea of the nature OF
the operations which led to the cap
ture of the city.
According to the general alignment
of the Austro- German forces they
naieht have been expected to advance
from the west. As matter of fact
the attack was made largely from the
north and northwest. They drove
their columns into the Russians IN
the form of a huge pitchfork, with an
other large force between the tines or
the fork.
sians would be forced to retreat-if
retreat were at all possible in the lace
of the gigantic enveloping moVemen.
by the Gerinans--in the directon OF
their Warsaw base.
The intention was to drive the Rus-
slams into the arms of large Austro-
German forces massed to cut on the T
retreat. hut the timely arrival of Rus
sian reserves from Warsaw resu ted
in the breaking of the easternmost
tine of the fork, relieving the situa-
ton for the Russians.
In one of the operations around
I.odz occurred the celebrated cutting
off" of two German army corps which,
after being entirely surrounded by the
rapid advance of the Warsaw reserves.
turned and cut their way out and
brought with them 1900 of their
wouId-be captors. The scene of this
exploit, which a member of the gen.
eral staff characterized as one of the
most billiant of the war, was Strykow,
fen miles TO the northeast of Lodz.
About the same d. stance west of
I5odz Is located the little church yard
of Beschici, where the Russians, in
one of the final phases of the struggle
for LODI, showed that In spite Ct
their defeats and discoura gements,
they knew how to fight and die. This
church-yard lies on a small eminence
which formed a salient into the Ger
man lines,
Three-sided Attack.
The Germans were able TO make an
attack from three sides with infantry
and artillery. All the Russian trenches
were bombarded by shrapnel from one
direction or another, but the Russians
chung TO their positions obstinately.
W hen the Germans finally captured
the trenches SIS Russian corpses were
found in space about eighty yards
square.
II was resistance of this nature
which the Germans had to overcome
TO capture LodZ, The Russians are
again offering obstinate resistance, as
was learned today from German staff
officers along the Bzura and Rawka
rivors on their positions running north
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