Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-02-24
Details Are Given Of Success
ful Surprise Resulting in
Smashing of Cars Forces
in Mazurian Lake Region,
LOSSES APPROXIMATE
100000; 60, 900 PRISONERS
Swamp Region, Containing
Tens of Thousands of.
SIavS, Is Effectively Sur
rounded,

IsY uoRnHe JOURNAL spre,A. ttAstp wissf
Suwalki, Poland, Feb. 20 (via Ber-
lin and London, Feb. 90, i;b0 y. ml--
The German forces under Field Mar
shal Won Hindenburg, hy hard Fight
ing and extraordinary marches, in
flicted a striking defeat on the Rus
slams opposed to them In the recent
battle of the Magurian lakes country
The Russian remnants are a negligl-
BILE quantity In the operations now In
progress.
The Russian killed and wounded in
the four days fighting are estimated
at 10000 men.
over 10000 Russians out of total
OF 100000 engaged are prisoners IN
German hands.
This fighting has been described as
the February campaign in East Prus-
sja and northern Poland and IL Is re-
garded here as second Tannenberg.
losses Sustained Icrrllic.
The Russians opposing tha tenth
army were under command of Cen
eral Sievers. II is true that this COM
mander by a skillful use of the rail-
road at his disposal and by the sac
rifice at times of entire batt8lions in
! order to bring off a few guns. sue
I ceeded in saving greater part of
/ his artillery but no fewer than 10000
I Of his 10000 men are already count
cd among the German prisoners
while his killed and wounded in the
four days battle with which these OPP
erations were inaugurated and the
subsequent running fights are estl-
mated at 10000 men.
-. a lf.4
! could be heard yesterday and today
| the sound Of artillery from swamp
region to the northeast where an iso-
lated Russian division perhaps 10000
men strong, has been completely sur
/ rounded but is still offering resist
anee. Several thousand more RUS
slams probably still remain In small
scattered bands or are wandering
as stragglers within the ring which
I the German troops have now closed
around the woods and swamps be-
! tween Suwalki, Augustowo and the
German frontier but the capture of
! these wanderers is expected here and
/ is regarded as merely an incident In
u campaign TO which this great sue
cess is called only the prelude,
Grodno Fortress Mcnaced.
/ 1t is not believed among German
| military men that General Sievers
! will be able to bring one-fifth Of his
/ troops safely behind the fortress at
/ Grodno-a safety which may not be
| of long duration
The above statement may seem To
/ he exaggerated but correspondent OF
/ the Associated Press, motoring along
/ the line of the Russian retreat over
/ roads deep i'm snow and through a
/ desolate and swampy country, gained
| an impression OF complete defeat and
/ decentralization which scarce can be
| conveyed in words. Abandoned guns
and automobiles, wrecked and over
/ turned wagons, sleds ana ammunition
/ caissons encumbercd the way Rifles,
/ blankets, knapsacks and other equip
ment had been thrown away by the
fleeing soldiers. Dead horses aud an
occasional fallen soldier were every
where along the roadside. These
things showed the conditions under
which the hasty retreat had been ae-
complished.
Il All Houses Destroyed.
[ AT street corners In SuWalkii Au-
| gustowo, Lyck ana other towns are
great heaps Of abandoned rifles ana
bayonets. Large bands of Russian
prisoners. many Of whom surrendered
withoot firing A shot. were encoun-
tered along the wny The Russians in
retreat seem TO have had only time
enouph "a burn The houses on the
/ GERMAN side of tho frontier and de-
! strov Tho livestock which they we're
nnahla ia drive away. Thev did this
ca fbornnphIv thnt in The seventeen
! mile ride from LYck To the frontier
village of prostken, for example, only
~. 9,'i'.,1 ',ou' ~ prostLcn and tho
t,'ia'' ,i,iI.,,,o,. t,a,nnd bnva not been
is.'ai,'5 .susi,''n ~. ,,,s n,et the corre-
-'.,.e.,,a,o,,. has snn,s nd living animal
I os,',,',,t ato',o thoaa ~ tba German columns
e@NsPl o', :" ,ats in the vfllares.