The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-03-25
Austrian Army Head
quar- ters Explains
Desperate Situation
of Przemysl Garrison
WHY PROVISIONS
WE'RE EXHAUSTED
Heavy Fighting Between the Austrian
Relief Army and the Russians
About Przemysl Drew on Fortress
for Large Supplies of Rations

General Headquarters of the. Austri-
an Army, Tuesday, March %, Via Ber-
lin, March % and London, 1915 P.
M.-The Austrian garrison of Pre-
mysl subsisted for 134 days on pro-
visions designed to last for eighty
days. How it came about that the
great fortress was supplied with only
this comparatively small amount Of
provisions is an interesting story which
shows how unforeseen events upset the
calculations of the Austrians and
played into the hands of the Russians.
Przemysl originally was provisioned
for the extreme limit which it was
thought a modern fortress technically
was capable of withstanding a modern
besieging army-namely about six
months. At the end of the first stage
of the siege the garrison had consumed
barely one months supplies. Then
came the heavy fighting between the
Austrian relief army and the Russians
about Przemysl.
Supply Trains Fail to Arrive
The Austrian forces whose supply
trains failed to reach them, drew on
the fortress for large supplies of ra-
tions. Furthermore, the great numbers
of wounded in these battles and the
soldiers stricken down by cholera and
other diseases could be sent nowhere
else. When railroad communication at
last was restored in mid-October, the
ef he had tar lty
depleted. The railroad was first used
to forward urgently needed ammuni-
tion. Hence, when the Russian steam
roller was Unexpectedly set in motion
again, driving Field Marshall Won
Hindenburg westward from the neigh
borhood of Warsaw and the Austrians
from Przemysl, provisions has been
coming in for the Galician fortress for
only ten days. This gave the defenders
rations for eighty days. These sup
plies might have sufficed had the Rus
slams resumed their battering tactics,
but they placed their reliance on hun
ger rather than, solid shot to force the
capitulation of Przemysl.
Final Sortie Act of Defiance
| The final sorties of the garrison was
last act of defiance rather than a
serious attempt to break through the
| Russian Line, which was virtually i'm
possible for the hunger-weakened
| forces. There was a bare chance that
they would he able to cut a way through
and effect junction with the Austrian
army in the Carpathians and. when this
| failed General Kusmanek, the Austrian
commander, received instructions to sur
render. When the end camo the last
crumb had ben scraped from the store
houses, and horses as well as other
animals had been slaughtered for food.
Bitter Cold Hastens Doom
Austrian strategists knew from the
outset how long the provisions would
last, and the campaign in the Car
rathians had as one of its aims the re-
lief Of Przemysl. But here again a
caprieious fate intervened. The mildeS,
December known in years in these
mountains was followed by bitter
weather in January and February,
which showed up the Austrian offensive
and left Przemysl to its doom.
The Austrian leaders realize that the
Russian army which captured Przemysl
will now be released for service else
where and think it most probable that
in due time it will appear on the
Carpathians. Nevertheless it is not ex,
pected by Austrian strategists that it
will exercise any considerable influence
over the general fortunes of war.