The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-06-08
CAPTURE OF PRzEMYsL
Heavy Artillery the Chief Factor OIL
the Austro-German Victory.

the forts. The Russian siege Of
Przemysi-the largest in modern
warfare-was of POI days duration
Sept. ., 1914, to March %, 19l5-and
ended by the capture OF the Austrian
garrison by the Russians.
The campaign which has ended in
the recapture of this great fortress Of
nineteen modern forts and sixteen
field Notifications, with innumerable
trenches, forms one OF the most re-
markable feats of the war-one OF
the most terrible tragedies OF Rus
sian arms. During the month OF
September and on through the mid
die of March the Russian hosts, hay-
ing taken Lemberg and Jaroslan,
swept on through Galicia. leaving
covering force around PrzemysL
After the fall of Przemysl the Rus
sian line extended from almost with
in striking distance OF Cracow south
to the Dunajec river, and then east
ward along the crests of the Carpath
ians. skirting Bukowina and ending
in Bessarabia-a distance OF over 400
miles. 1t has secured nearly all the
passes up to Uzok, and only waited
| the word of command to put into exc
cution three simultaneous move
ments which had long been contem-
plated by the Grand Duke Nicholas
the Russian commander-in-chiei.
These were the advance OF the east
ern flank under Bulgar General Rad
ko Dimitrieff into Bukowina; the adj
vance of the center under General.
Brusilon through the Carpathians
south on to the plains Of Hungary
and the advance of the western flank
westward into Silesia, leaving Gov
ering force around Cracow. This
great movement was to be carried
out under the command of General
Ivanov
In order that the Austrians retreat
ing from the Carpathians and those
retreating through Bukowina might
be placed between two fires. Radko
Dimitrieff struck first and of all the
movements his alone has been sue
cessful
After the first fall Of Przemysl a
tremendous counter-attack had been
prepared by the military authorities
in Berlin and Vienna. Thousands Of
veteran Germans and Austrians We're
concentrated in Western Galleia par
ticularly wen supported by artillery
OF three sorts-Krupp field guns Of
75.mm. colibre, the Krupp 30cm. NOR
ira, the Krhpp and Maxim machine
guns and the Austrian Skoda howitl
err Of 30.5-cm. caIibre. on new mo-
bile carriage
The moment the Bulgar general Oh
the extreme east began his advance
southwest into Bukowina, Ia the last
days Of April, the Teutonic allies be
gan their movement in Western Gal
icia. This movement found the Rus
slams on the western flank almos
without ammunition AS the Teutou
ic allies advanced further east the
condition of the Russians became OH
yious and their army was quickly
withdrawn from the crests OF The
Carpathians and rolled back south
and east OF Przemysl and in the din
ection Of Lemberg, which is evidently
the next objective Of the victorious
Teutons.
The state of the Russian army was
frequently shown by dispatches from
Vienna, which not only described
bodies OF the enemy varying from
10000 to $4,000 surrendering, but also
added that in many cases the prison.
ers had been taken with ron.shor
slaves in their hands and with poles
10 which bayonets had been attached
BY May 90 the retreating Russian
army formed an arc of over 200 Do
grees around the southern, western
and northern forts OF Przemysl,
An attempt was then made with
varying success, to have the Rus
sian field army protect the forts by
intrenching itself along the enemys
front--but still ammunition was lack
ing The Russians then made hun
dreds of counter-attacks by the bay.
onet or dubbed rifle, but concen-
trated fire by machine guns soon
rendered such tactics useless.
On June l the German and Aus
trian mortars and howitzers were in
position to lombard the five forts
on the north of Przemysl. They first
bombarded them, and then, not wish
ing to destroy the guns in them, they
captured them by assault, and on
June . turned these guns upon the re
naming Notifications on the south,
firing over the city.
The capture of the five northern
ports also brought the besiegers be-
fore tire intermediate girdle of field
Notifications, which the Austraas
had erected during the first siege,
and which The Russians in the last
few weeks had been endeavoring to
strengthen. This girdle. however,
intended to resist field army with
field guns which had merely passed,
but had not put out Of action the biz
outer forts, could have offered bur
brief resistance
There was still a third, or inner