Omaha daily bee., 1915-06-19
German Official Report Tells of the
Capture of Fortifioations that
Bar Teutons' Way to
Lemberg.
CONTRADICTION BY RUSSIANS
Petrograd Says Large Force Has
Been Gathered There and that
Positions Are Intact.
TEUToN1C LOSSES ENORMOUS

LONDON, June 1S.--Austro-Ger
man forces in Galicia still are ad-
vancing on the schedule made by
General Won Mackensen. Vienna
claims that part OF the heavily fortl-
fled Grodek region, where the Rus
slams have concentrated, has fallen
into the hands of the Teutonic forces.
Petrograd does not admit the loss OF
any part OF this district, but states
that Russian forces have gathered
there for the defense OF Lemberg.
In long review of recent opera
tons on the eastern front the Rus
sian war office admits frequent re-
tirements before superior numbers,
but declares the Russian attacks left
the Austrians and Germans so ex-
hausted that the Russians often wero
able to reassume the offensive.
Tho French are still on the offensive
along a wide front with the Vosges again
figuring In tho official communications.
after n period OF comparative quiet. Two
days OF hard fighting has meant many
small advances for the French, with the
repuiss OF part OF the German counter
attacks
No definite news from tho Dardanelles
front has reached London. but sudden
! drop In tho Russian exchanges indicates
that bankers either have received an in
timation OF an important success In that
region, or that for some other reason
they now take an optimistic view regard
ing the prospects that the passage will
be open 20 the allies.
War OFFICE Reviews Campaign.
| PETROGRAD CVia London). June
ls.-An official review Of some recent oe-
curreuces along the Austrian battle front.
which. among other things, calls atten-
tion 20 the fact that the progress OF the
Austro-oerman forces in Galicia has been
dearly bought. was given out in Petnps
grad today. II reads:
The DEVELOPMENT OF the battle along
the TtsmenitEa-svika front. along which
one Of the six armies attacking our forces
In Galioia Ia operating VIII serve to give
some idea OF the magnitude OF the ac-
tions in this region.
The Significance OF the operations in
the vicinity of stry were found to be an
endeavor 20 turn our front opposed to
tho phalanx under General Won Maoken-
sen. The eventual success OF the enemy
IN the direction OF Stry and Lemberg
would have been of great help TO the of
fensive OF General Maekensen. Failure,
on the other hand, would have meant that
MRckensen's operations were merely a
series OF fruitless frontal attacks.
The above referred to sector on the
7 =. -
OF the principal fighting. even with re-
gard TO tho numbers OF troops engaged
On May Is the enemy, closely following
our troops, retiring from the Carpathians,
met our opposition In tho region to the
east OF Drohobyoz. northwest OF Stry,
and in the vicinity OF Belachow. On the
18th the enemy brought all his forces into
action, but at the end OF two days he
was compelled TO quit this offensive, hav-
ing lost tens OF Thousands of men.
His only success IN eight days fight
ing was the turning OF our right wing
near sonsho. with the threat OF a possi-
BILE outf1Anling movement. During this
week We remained passive. ooufininE our
operations to sxterminating the enemy as
he approached our trenches. The next
four days were devoted by the enemy to
bringing together heavy artillery and
supporting detachments.
Crisis Comes Fifth Day.
May & saw the beginning OF the de-
cisive attack and the crisis came on the
} fifth day OF tho fighting. A powerful
force. composed OF three German di-
; visions. succeeded at the price of in
credible sacrifices. IN carrying stTy. Per-
ceiving the exhaustion OF the Austrians
Continued on Page Two. Column Two