Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-01-05

tooth being thus added to the great
battle-saw in Poland.
The line Of the Second army was
taken from Styrko -AleXandrOwc to
| l<aZimierz, This was pierced by the
! Germans under Won MaCkensen in the
evening of November II along the
kutno road, and on the following
morning the right wing Of the Sec
ond army was folded back upon
Brzezny on the Lodz road On the
10Th the desperate struggle contin-
ued. During the day heavy rein
forCements from the Fifth army ar
rived, and on the goth the Russians
succeeded in developing their full
force General Won Mackensen, how
tver, continued his offensive, sue
ceeding two days later in forcing the
Russians into Lodz and holding the
territory west, north and west of that
city.
Germans We're Exhausted.
Meanwhile the German forces had
been thoroughly exhausted. Not alone
did they fight an enemy numerically
far superior, but that incessant
marches and bad weather had weak
ened them considerably. Fresh troops
had to be brought tG the scene. These
came from the armies which Won
lIindenburg was employing on his
Cul-de-sac maneuvre, the side OF
which was Immediately southeast OF
LODI. 1t would have been easy to
take these troops through Silesia, but
that meant travelling over ~the two
long sides Of an acute angle, while a
march in a northwesterly direction
was no greater than the distance the
troops would have to march after
dot ptIt To n yn
that route was dangerous, as was
amply proven on the following day
The division rushed to the relief OF
the Won Mackensen army had been
facing southeast and to go northwest
meant Il complete face-about with the
enemy I'm the rear. They were none
too strong. moreover and had been
acting on the defensive on the line
Chvnof- Bedkow. The Russians, with
whom they were in contact, were
numerically superior and evidently
under instruction to await develop
ments at the head of the Russian
wedge.
orders to move on Lodz placed the
German troops in predicament. An
evacuation of the position would
cause the Russians TO follow in pur-
suit. and since the lack Of contact
Lodz might lead to most unpleasant
surprises. the undertaking looked ex-
tremely risky. IL was carried out,
however, after three days desperate
lighting, November 23-25. The Ger
mans had hardly faced about when
,he Russians they had held in check
took up a general advance, and be-
fore long the Germans were complete
ly surrounded.
Got Out of Trap.
Ry facing this way and then the
other the German division finally dis
engaged itself, and in addition to In
flicting heavy losses upon the Rus
slams, took 1900 prisoners, rs guns
and some seventy machine guns and
several trains IL is doubtful whether
all military history knows OF another
exploit Of this nature. Thanks TO the
strict censorship OF the German army
not even the name OF the officer who
conducted this brilliant affair is
known. To understand fully what the
German division accomplished one
must consider that It did not leave
single wounded man behind. What
might have been the inglorious end Of
the force was turned into a complete
victory.
within two days the division finally
reached the German general battle
line and, though utterly exhausted.
played a prominent part in the fight
ing which resulted from the efforts
OF the Russians to advance west Of
LODI.
Meanwhile, reinforcements had
been brought to Lodz by the Germans
during the last days of November.
After three days Of severe fighting the
N. al
Der s, TO eyacuate the city. The oc-
cupation by the Germans OF LodZ
ended a phase of operations in Poland
which had cost the Russians no less