The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-18
TEUTONS GAIN OUTER
DEFENCES AT KOVNO
Austrians Are Now 13 Miles
From Brest-LitOvsk,
Says Vienna.
FLIGHT FROM BIELOSTOCK
Special Cable Despatch 10 TIE srx.

Special Cable Despatch 10 THE srx.
DoHpoN, Aug. 1.-THE great Russian
fortress OF Novo Georgievsk, with It's de-
Tending garrison of from $4,000 to 10o,-
600 men, It's vast stores Of ammunition
and Its splendid equipment OF heavy
guns, seems doomed TO a speedy fail.
The loss in military equipment as we'll
as in men will be m
The situation at kovno. although the
Russians are making a gallant demon
stration there. seems but little brighter.
The Germans have brought up their
heaviest siege guns to this modern fort
fess and have thrown an enormous num-
her OF men into that field. The loss Of
Kovno. IL not Al great In men and
munitions as that OF Nrvo Gsyrgtevsk.
will be even greater In point OF strategic
importance.
Three OF the Novo Georgievsk forts
fell into German hands to-day, according
TO the German General Sfaff. One Of
them was a major fort, the two others
were intermediary f~ortiications. Two
weeks q II was unofficially reported
that three Of the seven Novo Georgievsk
major forts had been captured. To-day's
news would indicate that but three Of
them remain. II this Is true the COM
manding General cannot hope to hold
out much longer. His capitulatipn will
have to be complete. He has no means
Of escape.
kovno Defences Taken.
At Kovno to-day. says the Berlin on
cial statement, the Sroops under Field
Marshal Won Hindenburg took the forts
situated between the Niemen and Gesia.
This means that the southern defences
OF hat fortress have fallen and that the
resistance power of the stronghold as a
whole ls very materially reduced. Es-
pecially car this be understood In view
OF the reported capture of 240 cannon,
which means an loss To the
already greatly depleted supply OF Rus
sian artillery.
Germans Tell Of Gains.
The text of the statement from Ber-
lin follows:
Army group OF Field Marshal Won
Hindenburg: Further battles In the
region Of Kupiski resulted success
fully. and 625 prisoners, including
three officers, as well as three ma
chine I'M fell into our hands. The
troops Of the army OF Gen. Won Eich-
orn. under the leadership of Gen.
Litsmann. took the forts OF kovno
situated between the Niemen and
Gesia, More h $500 Russians were
taken prisoners and more than $40
cannon and numerous other materials
were captured.
The armies Of Gen. Won Scholz and
Gen. von Gallwitz by dint OF continu-
Gus fighting drove their opponents fur
Their back IN an easteriy direction,
and 1850 Russians. including eleven
officers. were taken prisoners. and
n cannon and ten machine guns
were captured.
On the northeastern front of Novo
Georgievsk n large fort and two inter-
mediary Qualifications were taken by
storm. On the other front we sue
cceded almost everywhere in forcing
the enemy further back. We captured
2.400 prisoners. together with nineteen
annon and other materials.
Army groups of Prince Leopold and
Field Marshal Won Mackensen These
army groups are continuing further
their victorious progress.
In their official communication of
Angus. 16 the Russian army authori-
ties asserted that the guards
of the Russians had captured two
lines of German trenches on August
Is on the Zlota Lipa and had ami
.hilated their defenders. Our troops
fighting in this locality know Of only
one operation. 1t was an assault by
a Russian patrol during the night of
August 1913, which failed COM
pletely and resulted In the enemy's
lie wing four killed and two injured
In front Of our positions. No losses
were inflicted on us.
tGesia is "A small town two and a
half miles south of Kovno on the left
bank of the Niemen. which bends
twice sharply to the south n then
runs northward again in the approx
Innate shape OF the letter w just
before kovno is reached.
The loss OF Kovno. IL that fortress is
to be lost, will mean a serious blow to
she entire scheme of the new Russian
defensive line at 1t Is understood here.
kovno was destined to be one of the
strong points in this line and with hat
prospect in view had been doubly for
tiied. Shout 1t fall there will be
nothing for the Russians to do but re-
treat to wilma, ninety miles to the east.
Such a retreat would necessarily weaken
the entire remaining line to the south.
thus imperilllng Grodno, Bielostock and
Brest-Litovsk.