Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-11
Teutonic Allies Continue to
Press Offensive in the
Polish Theater.
HUGE GUNS HAMMERING
AT FORTRESS OF KOVNO
Benjaminow Occupied by Germans
and Wilma Is Reported Partly
Dismantled.

| BERLIN, August II, via Lon
don, 4:1o p.m.-The German war
Office announced today the occu-
patton of the fortress of Benja-
minow,. which lies to the east OF
Novo Georgievsk, the Russian
stronghold on the Vistula north
west of Warsaw.
Teutons Continue Offensive.
| LONDON, August 11.-As yet there is
| no proof that the Germans have with
| drawn or are preparing to withdraw
| any considerable proportion of their
forces from the eastern front.
| On the contrary, the offensive which
led to the fall of Warsaw has not been
| relaxed, and the position Of the retir-
ing Russians is still perilous.
! Partial dismantling of Wilma prepara-
| tory to evacuation as reported from
Petrograd is somewhat puzzling to
British commentators. inasmuch as the
Russians assert they have repulsed
German attacks around the fortress Of
Kovno, which is sixty miles northwest
of Wilma.
The German attack on the fortress Of
Kovno has been pressed close Reu-
ters correspondent at Petrograd points
out that the village of Piple, on which
the Germans have retained their hold,
notwithstanding the fierce counter-at-
| tacks of the Russians, is only six miles
west of kovno. 1t lies on the west
bank of the Niemen.
Prepare for Evacuation.
Preparations are under way for the
possible evacuation of the fortress. All
| military supplies and government prop
critics have been removed and factories
are being dismantled.
A Zeppelin has appeared for the first
| time over the fortress of Dvinsk, on
| the Dvina, 110 miles southeast of Riga.
The airship circled the ramparts.
The Warsaw correspondent of the
Times. who left the city with the last Of
the Russian troops, has sent to his paper
from Petrograd the following description :
Germany's Greatest Feat.
1.-THE capture of Warsaw undoubtedly
represents the greatest German achieve
ment in the war and it would be stupid
to minimize the character of the cam
paign or the bravery of the German SOL
diers. whose sacrifices placed them in
possession of the goal for which they
suffered approximately 100000 casual
ties in the space Of year. On the
other hand, it would be stupid to ex-
aggregate the Importance of Warsaw
The city was lost, not through the
defective generalship or inferiority of
| the Russian army, but solely through
| the inability of Russia to convert its
! vast resources quickly to the uses of
war The evacuation Of Warsaw was
carried out from beginning to end with
out the slightest confusion, panic, de-
| moralization or encouragement
Retreat an Orderly One.
For two weeks an unending train of
transports passed in orderly procession
out from the city, removing everything
which might be of value to the Ger
mans.
There was no storming of the city,
for the Russians blew up the bridges
at o'clock in the afternoon and the
Germans did not arrive on the Warsaw
side of the river until o'clock. The
Russians played their game virtually
up to the last minute and the last
shrapnel shell. Then they retired in
good order. leaving the Germans to
enter an undefended city
The army throughout acted on a
symmetrical plan, following a time table
in conjunction with all the forces from
Galicia to the Baltic. which enabled
them to remain until the last moment
to take the maximum toll from the
enemy and still escape intact ready to
fight on indefinitely"
Big Guns She'll Kovno.
PETROGRAD, August 10, via London.
August 1.-THE following official re-
| view was issued tonight following the
receipt OF details concerning the as
sault on Kovno, which the Germans
undertook Sunday:
| THE enemy began an attack on the
| front of our works from the village Of
| Piple to the Elisenrhal front. on the River
Iessia. With siege artillery they began
guns up to sixteen inches. The hurricane
Of fire lasted not less than two hours, and
our batteries answered energetically.
| About o'clock in the morning the
assaulting columns, in close formation,
marched against our positions. By a
concentrated fire. the explosions Of mines
and gallant counter-attacks by our troops
the enemy was thrown back along the
! whole of the front. The weakened Ger
mans, who suffered enormous losses, were
hurled back into the neighboring ravines,
| where they apparently began to prepare a
| fresh assault.
Russian Troops Unshaken.
SUNDAY noon the enemy's fire in
creased with terrible intensity. but this
protracted and destructive hurricane
from most powerful guns failed to
shake our troops, who firmly withstood
the hail of projectiles showering upon
them. Our artillery valiantly support.
ed our heroes.
This incessant cannonade lasted all
day. At nightfall the enemy columns,
which had been continuously massing
in front of our positions. again rushed
to the assault, the attacks lasting two
hours. and succeeded in taking part OF
our trenches on the lines of the ad-
vanced position which his fire had
swept. But afterward by the heroic ef-
brought up the Germans were repulsed
with heavy losses.
THE enemy retained only the works
near the village of Piple, which were
won at the cost of enormous efforts
and losses"
How Warsaw Was Taken.
BERLIN, August 10. via London. Au-
gust ia special dispatch from War
saw, dated August 6, describes the Ger
man crossing of the Vistula at War
saw. This was effected within the city
itself, although the buildings on the
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