New-York tribune., 1915-03-25
Furious Counter Attacks
Extend Along Front of
Orzyc and Narew.
OSSOWETZ SIEGE
PROVES FAILURE
Big Guns Do Little Damage to
Fortress Russians, Attacked
from Sea, Retire from Memel.
Try Cable 10 The Tribune !


Petrograd, March 24.-The Germans,
heavily reinforced, are presenting a
series of furious counter-attacks in
Northern Poland on the western bank
of the Narew and the front extending
from the Skwa to the Orzyc that ap-
pear to be developing into a general
engagement. These positions have
been strengthened, to the depletion of
other sections of the German line.
The bombardment of the Ossowetz
fortress has proved a failure. There
were two 42-centimetre howitzers be-
fore the city, and both have be>I taken
home again. One suffered severely
from the Russian fire. Apparently
these weapons are useful only when
fired from platforms prepared long be-
forehand or the uns have been dam
aged by prolonged use.
During the weeks they have been
firing at Ossowstz they have not made
r single hit upon the fortress defences.
Eleven and twelve inch bombs struck
the cascmates often enough, but the
Russians use concrete lavishly, and the
injuries inflicted were only superficial.
The Germans for long period bonn
barded only at extreme range, a fact
which may have had something to do
with the comparative harmlessness of
their fire. Not a single casemate was
pierced through.
Only four of the Germans heavy
batteries now remain before Ossowetz.
The removal began on the 10th. The
Russian fire from the fortress proved
superior to the German. After the dis
covery that the extreme range fire was
doing no harm, the Germans attempted
to move up their heavy batteries to
within two or three miles of Ossowetz.
It was then that the fortress guns got
in their best work upon the German
siege batteries, whose losses in both
men and material were so heavy as to
leave no alternative but to withdraw.
The Germans were even unable TO drive
from their temporary Notifications the
Russian infantry, which was pushed
forward about a mile and half beyond
the fortress defences.
On the Niemen front the Russians
continue steadily to force the Germans
backward toward the now not distant
frontier. In the neighborhoOd of
Mariampol, at point about one march
from the border, the Germans attacked,
D. were with HtdNg
The attack was obviously rear guard
affair, intended mainly to cover the de-
parture of the German supply train,
which was trying to get away along the
only available road which the Rus
slams had left southwestward from
Mariampol through Calvaria, Ship
linshki and Suwalki to Augustowo,
where the German frontier is only a
half dozen miles away.
When the German attack had been
dealt with Russian cavalry, taking ad-
vantage of a blizzard, caught up with
the German supply trains and attacked
them in the darkness, cutting to pieces
their convoy and taking the remainder
prisoners. The number of carts laden
with provisions which the Russian
light horse here captured was very
large, and the difficulty of the retreat
ing Germans will be proportionately
enhanced by their loss.
Memel-from which the Russians
have retired-is reported unofficially to
have been practically razed to the
ground, including, of course, all the de-
fensive works. The Germans used a
part Of their feet against Memel
which is, of course, quite untenable
against a sea attack. 1t is unlikely the
Germans were able to detach land
forces in this direction. having in view
the position of the Russian column on
the railway within few miles of Til
sit.