Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-16

AS FAR as I know there is nothing in the
"A history of war, with the possible eXcep-
tion of our own Battle of the Wilderness,
that can touch this event, and the Virginia
campaign in comparison as to losses, dura-
tion and men engaged was mere skirmish.
Yet a few weeks afterward, other than the
mere fact of 1t having taken place and haV-
ing been won by the Russians, nothing much
is known about 1t.
I am not going to try to describe the
military or strategic aspects of this desperate
conflict, because II one begins on the historl-
cal relations of battles in this war there Is
absolutely no ending. l SHALL however,
sketch briefly the nature of the work that the
Russian soldiers did here; for in no battle
of the whole war, on any front, has the fibre,
determination and courage of troops been
put more thoroughly to the test than in this
very action The German program, as Is
now we'll known, contemplated taking both
Warsaw and Ivangorod and the holding for
the winter of the line between the two
formed by the Nistula. The Russians took
the offensive from Ivangorod, crossed the
river, and after hideous fighting fairly drove
Austrlans and Germans from positions of
great strength around the quaint little Polish
town of kozienice.
From this town for perhaps ten miles west
and I know not how far north and south,
there Is a belt of forest OF fir and spruce.
say forest, but perhaps jungle is better
term; for II is 80 dense with trees and under
brush that one can hardly see 90 feet away.
Near KoEienice the Russian infantry. at
tacking in flank and front, fairly wrested the
enemy's position and drove him back into
this jungle. The front was Itself bristling
with guns. counted in not over mile AZ
gun positions The taking of this line was
in itself a test of the mettle OF the Russian
peasant soldier. Once In the wood the Russian
artillery was limited in its effect upon the
enemy, and in any event the few roads
through the forest and the absence of open
places made its use almost impossible. The
enemy retired a little way into this wilder
ness and fortified The Russians simply sent
their troops in after them.
The Battle of IvangOrod
The fight was now over front of perhaps
20 Kilometres; there was no strategy. 1t
was all very simple. In this belt were Ger
mans and Austrians. They were to be driven
out If IL took a month. Then began the
carnage. Day after day the Russians fed
troops In on their side OF the wood. These
entered were seen for few minutes, then
disappeared In the labyrinth OF trees and
were lost. Companies, bsttalions, regiments
and even brigades were absolutely cut of
from all communication. None knew what
was going on anywhere but q few feet In
front All knew that the only thing required
OF them was to keep advancing. And they
did. Foot by foot. day by day, fighting hand
to hand, taking and retaking position after
position For all of this 10 kilometers OF for
est venture to say there ls hardly an acre
without its trenches, rife-plts. and now
graves. Here one sees where dozen men
had a little fort all their own and fought
furlously with the enemy a few feet away
In similar position.
Day after day II went on and day after
day troops we're fed into the Russian side OF
the wood. and day after day the intermittent
crack OF rlhe hre ana the roar OF artillery
hurling shells into the wood could Be heard
for miles. But the artillery played no very
great part. for the density Of the forest made
II impossible TO set an effective range. Yet
the ore was kept up and the forest Tor miles
locks As though 3 hurricane had swept
through Trees staggering from their shat
tered trunks sad limbs hangins everywhere
show where the shrspnei have been burst
Ing.
Tara b. ysta Ehs ranks aad lines Of the
Aaslflans aezs szlFea baek. hak tas naarsl
shsIE gslzszt 4EeHzHa fasn se - - szas