The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-09-01

"
of the invading force, and as the
Turks are already giving indications
of being pinched for shell, as evil
denced by the Teutons' feverish ac-
tivity to supply them across Rouma-
MIA and Bulgaria, the hope and eX-
pectation is expressed in the London
papers that decisive result may soon
crown the Allies efforts.
That the Turks are worrying may
be indicated by the gains recorded
during the week-the largest of any
week since troops were landed. The
taking of Constantinople will offset
entirely the Teuton victories in Po-
land and will do more to move the
wavering Balkan States than all the
diplomatic intercourse so far indulg-
ed in. These facts do much to eX-
plain Italy's action.
Early in the week came reports of
considerable naval engagement in
the Gulf of Riga. At first it was
claimed that the Russians had sunk
several German battleships and that
British submarine had torpedoed
the German superdreadnought
Moltke. Although the report was Of
fetal, later reports OF the same en-
gagement were characterized by an
indefiniteness that leaves in doubt eX-
actIy what did happen as far as the
naval engagement itself is concerned.
One fact is apparent, however. The
Germans attempted to land under
cover Of the guns of their warships a
large force of troops, evidently in
tended to reinforce the army operat-
ing in Courland. Whether this is an
indication that the Germans in this
section are about to institute more
extensive offensive has not developed.
The Russian shore batteries effec-
lively prevented the landing, so,
whatever the object may have been,
it has been, for the time being at
least, defeated. Subsequent Russian
reports state simply that the German
fleet has left the Gulf of Riga.
On Tuesday the Germans reported
the occupation of Ossowetz. Though
very small place in itself, Osso-
wetz has proved a source of great
strength to the Russians and has
been unaffected by German attacks
for months. Last March the Ger
mans began a bombardment of the
fort, using the forty-two-centimeter
guns which destroyed Liege and Ma
mur, but without apparent effect
Since that time it has been attacked
repeatedly with the same result. Its
importance, as we'll as the reason
why it withstood for such a length
of time the heaviest of the German
artillery may to some extent at least
be seen from the Typographical fea-
lures.
West of Grodno is small cluggish
river called the Bohr. This stream
which empties into the Narew, flows
through great marsh belts which are
crossed by but one railway
from Lych in Germany to Bialystok
in Russian Poland. The only pos
sible crossing of this belt along the
Bobr is over the causeway by the
railroad. Ossowetz is directly OF
this crossing, which it completely
controls. Taking advantage of. its
naturally strong situation, permanent
works were constructed around the
village, which was thus made one Of
the strongest features of the Russian
defensive line.
That it was finally forced does not
mean that its strength was affected
or it's Notifications beaten down b
the German artillery. But it was the
hinge on which the Russian armies tc
the north and south were swung east
ward by the German advance, so thai
another dangerous salient was on the
verge Of creation. 1t was this thai
forced it's evacuation. Its retention
by the Russians was Of no value-lr
fact, was an element of weakness
with the Germans on both sides sc
far to the east.
The German troops that took koV'
no have been steadily advancing east
ward toward Wilma, the Russians re
treating, as claims by Petrograd, te
prevent being outflanked. AS Vol
Hindenburg's ambitious attempt tc
outflank the whole Russian position
by capturing Riga and landing strong
forces there was defeated by the driv'
ing og of the German fleet, it is moi
apparent just wherein lay the danger
to the Russians east of Kovno unles:
it was that their line at this point
was pierced.
Apropos of this, it may be noted
that the piercing or breaking o.
a line is a phrase ofen made us OF
and is a success often noted in the
press. The Russian line has beer
"pierced' according to reports al
least five times in the last month
This is obviously an error, otherwise
the Germons would have achieved
that which they must achieve to VIII
"a definite decision.
Piercing or breaking line in q
military sense means something more
than a mere giving way at point
which permits q small number OF
troops to penetrate. The break, TO DC
effective, must be over wide front
sufficiently wide to permit a large
body of troops to get between the
two wings thus separated. The dan
ger lies solely in the ability of the at
tacking troops, once they have broken
" lOll OP oi1N oShSe-S NoN
wing separtely.
Obviously, therefore, consider.
able number of attacking troops
must be able to find their way into
the breach they have created. South
of Kovno the Russians have aban-
doned their line along the BobT
river both north and south Of Osso-
wetz and are falling back in con-
formity to the movements of their
right and left wings.
The most important event in the
east was the Russian evacuation OF
Brest- -Litoysk almost without fight.
For a week the Teuton armies nave
been at the outskirts of the town and
have bombarded the outer group OF
Notifications, but the main works
were hardly reached. On "Wednesday
the Austrian cavalry, advancing
northeast along the line of the Turya
River, entered Kovel on the Brest-
Litoysk-Rovno Railroad. Earlier IN
the week Bielsk, on the same rail
road. northwest of Brest-Litovsk, had
been occupied by the Germans. Prac-