The Washington herald., 1915-02-24
SEES
fierce BATTLE
Germans Are Trying to Open
Road from Muukacs to-
the Stryj.
FIGHT FOR THREE DAYS
Heavy Losses Suffered on Both Sides.
with Positions of Vantage Being
Transferred Many Times.
FIGHT FOR THREE DAYS

Petrograd, Feb. 23-The correspondent
OF the Bourse Gazette sends particular:
| of the fierce fighting at Kosyuvka
where the Germans for some time pas
| have been making almost daily efforts t.
open up the road from Muukacs to the
Stryj. He says:
During all the five months of inces
| SAINT fighting in Galicia. no battle. in in
tensity and stubbornness, could compare
with this one. The Germans fought with
great determination. For three days
that was no pause in the bomba rdment
The valleys echoed continually with the
roar of the guns Soon there was not
a path of the hill slopes on which dead
Germans were not to be seen. Still. un-
deferred by their tremendous losses the
Germans continued the attack.
The Germans held three positions.
The chief Of these extended in crescent
form in front of the village. A mile in
advance was another position. and third
was constructed in the rear. All had
been well prepared with several tiers of
trenches. Their main batteries were
trained on the Eosyuvka Heights. The
batteries were connected with one another
by subterranean passages. They were all
well masked and were arranged for en-
filading as well as frontal fire.
Forced Germans Back.
LAS the German position was difficult
TO reach by frontal attack. the Russians
carried out a wide enveloping movement
by which they forced the enemy to aban-
don his advanced trenches and fall back
on the main line
Early in the morning the Germans
made a series of desperate attacks on the
heights and, under the support of ire
mendous artillery fire, occupied all the
Russian trenches.
Then the Russians made a counter
attack with the bayonet. A battle
ensued for which no parallel is to be
found in the Galician campaign. Dur
ing the day the heights which were
occupied by the Russians at the be-
ginning of the battle passed repeated
ly from hand to hand. Both sides
fought with the vehemence of in
furiated animals.
But this struggle was merely a
prelude to what took place on the fol-
lowing day when the Germans at
tackled with large forces which they
had assembled during the night.
The Russians profited greatly from
the courage of their corps commander.
who, early in the battle. took up his
position in the line with one of the
infantry filing files and remained
there until the crisis Of the struggle.
all the time directing the operations
of the artillery.
Guns Were Transferred.
According to his instructions. some
of the guns were transferred to a dead
space from which they were able to
open a thanking fire on the advancing
German detachments.
Heavy losses were inflicted on the
enemy. In the bed of the dried up
stream the enemy's infantry trampled
on the still warm bodies of their dead
brothers. Still they moved forward
ceaselessly Snow-covered corpses
everywhere were seen lying in scarlet
patches.
Towards evening the Germans once
succeeded in capturing the heights
where tina Russian position was sit
uated. But with loud shouts Of 'hur-
rah for the Car the indefatigable
Russian troops hurled themselves on
the Germans with the bayonet. After
a desperate hand-to-hand combat they
drove them down the hill again and
only the fall of night put an end to
the furious sanguinary conflict"