Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-08-27
FORT K0VNO FALLS
RUSS STRONGHOLD, WHICH PRO-
TECTS SECOND LINE OF DE-
FENSE, ToTTERS.
KAISER'S ARMIES. SMASH ON
Bombs Are Hurled on Wilma and Brest-
Litovsk and Russ Prepare to Flee
Germans Capture Two More Strong
holds at Novogeorgievsk.

London, Aug. 20.-Kovno, the great
Russian fortress protecting the north
ern end of the Russian second line Of
defense through Brest-Litovsk, on
which the Slavs promised to make
their final stand after the fall of War
saw, has been captured by the Ger
mans.
This announcement, made officially
in Berlin on Wednesday. together with
a simultaneous announcement that the
Russian armies lin Poland have retired
to Brest-Litovsk. and bombardment of
that-the greatest of all the Russian
fortifications-is about to begin. indi
Gates that the mastery retreat" of
the Russians in Poland has resulted
merely in their retirement to posi-
ton equally insecure Russias posi-
tion today is by far the most serious
since the start of the war.
The text of the statement issued is
as follows:
Army group of Field Marshal Won
Hindenburg: The fortress of Kovno,
with all its forts and innumerable
than 400 cannon, fell into German pos
session on Wednesday night. The for
tress was taken by storm in face of
the most stubborn resistance on the
part of the enemy.
THE armies of General Won Scholz
and General Won Gallwitz penetrated
farther toward the east. Our foremost
divisions are approaching the Bialy-
| stok-Bielsk railway.
Before Novogeorgievsk two more
forts on the northeastern front were
captured by storm. We took 600
prisoners and 20 cannon
Army group of Field Marshal
Prince Leopold of Bavaria; The left
wing met with renewed strong resist
ance in the Kamionka section on both
sides of Siemiatycze On the Bug and
southeast of Siemiatycze we forced
our way across the Kamionka section.
The enemy was driven back to tname
cut out). Our right wing reached the
southern bank of the Bug.
Army group of Field Marshal Won
Mackensen: This army group has
driven its enemies across the Bug and
into the outer positions of the fortress
of Brest-Litovsk. East of Wlodawa,
our troops penetrated across the rail-
way line of Chelm mBrest-Litoysk, in an
easterly direction"
Kovno fell under the direct com
mand of General Won Hindenburg. The
capture is the first personal triumph
of the "old man of the Mazurian
Lakes" since the great Austro-G German
campaign in the east was inaugural
ed. The six great forts defending the
city from the west and southwest were
simply blown to pieces by the inces-
SAINT pounding of Germany's great AZ
centimeter guns and a host of minor
pieces.
The forts of Kovno have been un-
der direct attack for scarcely a week
demonstrating again the superiority
of modern artillery over fort struc
lures built by man.
The Russian garrison is retreating
over the railway to Wilma.
The fortress of Novogeorgievsk is
about to fall. German troops have
stormed and captured two more of the
forts on the northeastern side of Novo
georgievsk. Six hundred prisoners
and twenty cannon were taken.
Mackensen's troops have crossed
the Bug southwest of Brest-Litovsk
pressed on across the railway con
Meeting Vlodava and Brest-Litovsk anC
are now attempting to surround the
fortress
The whole Russian line extendins
north from Brest-Litovsk to Kovno ii
in retreat. The armies of General vor
Scholtz and General Won Gallwitz are
approaching the railway leading from
the fortified city of Bialystok to Brest
Litovsk, marching against the sectior
of the railway lying between Bialystol
and Bielsk.
German aeroplanes are persistently
bombarding the city of Wilma, abou
fifty miles east of Kovno, says a dis
patch from Petrograd. The possibilit,
of the capture of Wilma by the Ger
, mans is foreseen in Petrograd and op
erations preliminary to it's evacuation
are in progress.
The governor general of Wilma ha
ordered the removal of the equipment
of factories and of banks, with sur
plies of metals, including church bells
leather and everything else that Nigh
be useful to the invaders. Horses an,
other live stock are being taken away
/ Preparations for the evacuation o
| Bialystok continue. The town is i
= darkness at night because of attack
by German air craft.