The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-02-24
EFEATOFRUSSIANS
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ammunition oaissons encumbercd the
way. Rifles. blankets. knapsacks
snd other equipment had been thrown
aSay by the fleeing soldiers. Dead
ol.r were eNeryN here along the road
side These things showed the con-
otuons under which the hasfy retreat
had been accomplished.
The nrst phase OF the campaign-
The phase resulting in the destruc-
may be compared TO a gigantic rabbit
drive or surround. In which men were
TIE prey.
While the attention OF the Russians
was concentrated on the Warsaw
line Field Marshal Won Hndeuburg.
quietly assembling an o~verwhelmins
force IN East Prussia, behind the Ma
zurian lakes. suddenly launched n In
two columns against the unsuspecting
General Sievers.
Russians Thrown Back.
One column drove in from the south
and threw back the Russians who for
months had been b~esieging the lake
gateways to East Prussia, and the
other column from the north swung
round in wide circles to the eastward
and 10 the southwark. aiming TO join
hands with the southern German col.
m and cut on the retreat OF b re-
firing Russians.
The two wings of the drive closed
TO the east of Suwalki and Augustowo
only a few hours too late TO catch the
entire army. Most of the units OF the
Russian force however. were bagged.
The delay which enabled the rem
nant TO escape was due 10 nature. The
line OF advance OF the southern col
m lay through the belts OF swamps
which form a natural defense OF the
Russian frontier. n IL almost without
roads and troops attempting TO use
b cross country trails become almost
~hopelessly begged. The correspondent
whom had passed through mires more
han ankle deep. Detachments Of sol
diers assisted in dragging the guns
Onward through the mud. but their
progress was extremely slow.
The Russians were assuming the Of
.'fensive when artillery. which hitherto
had been unable to get up through tho
forests TO the south OF the MaZurian
lakes, arrived just In time and turned
the scale. The troops Of this column
pressed forward along the fairway. on
.ly a dozen miles wide. between the
Mazurian lakes and the Russian from
tier. driving the Russians before them
but they were forced to turn three
times TO beat off the flank attacks
from the south.
Aid Came Too late.
The Russian commander in chief
AAA 1NEHNAaNE y " N0iAAf ~ inc
help OF this army whose plight by now
was recognized. He sent in a column
OF troops from the fortress OF Lomza
and from Kolno and from the fort at
Ossowetz. Each time the German
commander faced n part OF the troops
to the south. defeated the Russian re-
lief columns and then continued his
march.
The retreat of the Russians on this
part OF the field OF operations could
be made In only one direction; namely
the northeast, as the swamp belt pre-
Ven,"d their escape TO the east or
south.
-.e troops from the center and the
northern flank OF the Russian posi-
ton were by this time in full retreat
eastward and southwark under pres
sure from the pursuing German forces
convetrging on the Russian column,
all aiming for the only remaining
.agress from the circle 20 the eastward
OF Suwalki.
The Russians. apparently became
desperately Jammed and on February
10, when the correspondent arrived at
Gra1evo on the heels Of the entering
German troops, the German command
or was almost confident that the bag
would be complete. Then came the
delay in getting the hanking column
across the swamps TO close the hole
IN the ring and General Sievers. with
all his higher officers and the remnant
OF his army, got away.
That the Russian commander was
able. under such roa conditions TO
bring on as much artillery and trans
port as he did is. in the opinion of
German experts. a most laudable
achievement.