The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-08-18
kOvNO IS TAKEN
fContinued from PAGE One.l

Continued from Page One.l
shall Won Hindenburg, personally took
charge of the army attacking Kovno:
The selection of Germanys national
hero for this task, indicated the i'm
portance attached to it by the German
general staff.
Kovno, capital of the Russian prov
ince of that name, is on the right bank
of the Niemen. 1t is a fortress of the
first class. The civilian population of
the city is more than 5000
Strike From Three Sides
AT the time of the fall of Warsaw,
the Austrian and German forces in
Russia were operating in three large
divisions. From the south, Field Mar
shall Won MackenSen pressed into Po-
land with the troops with which he
had successfully swept through Ga
licia, reca pturing the province from
the Russians. From the west, Prince
Leopold of Bavaria advanced directly
at the Warsaw front From the north
came the forces of Field Marshal Won
Hindenburg. advancing through the
Baltic provinces.
After Warsaw was captured, juno
ton was effected between army groups
of Mackensen and Leopold.
Welding of Teutonic Armies.
The capture of kovno probably will
result in welding the northern and
central Teutonic forces into a consol
idated line from the Baltic provinces
to Galicia. kovno is a unit of a line
of fortresses running from the Me
men south and east. connected by
railroad. On this line are Grodno,
Brest-Litovsk and Rutsk.
Retention of the remaining posi-
tons this front might expose the
Russians to the danger of a thanking
movement. The next line to which
they might be expected to fall back
runs from Wilma. about fifty miles
east of Kovno. through Ida. Baran-
ovitshi and Pinsk. to Rovno. This line
is about 800 miles long.
Germans Rapid Advance.
The rapidity of the German advance
since the fall of Warsaw on August 5
is indicated by the fact that they are
within thirteen miles of Brest-
Kitovsk, which lies about 115 miles
east of he captured Polish capital.
The line to which they may now be
compelled to fall back is about 200
miles east of Warsaw.
Kovno is $50 miles west of Petro-
grad, the possibility of an advance
against which is now being considered
in Russia and England Surrounding
the fortress proper at an average dis
lance of two and one-half miles, is a
girdle of forts, eleven in number. The
town lies for the most part in the
fork formed by the junction of the
Nieman with the Viliya, and is guard
ed by strong defenses.
Allies Gain on Turks.
London, Aug. lS.-( 80 a. m J.
A further advance of 500 yards by the
allied troops on the GallipoH peninsula
is announced in a report from General
Sir Ian Hamilton. the British expedi-
tiona-y commander in chief, given out
here today. The statement follows:
t'Sir Ian Hamilton reports that in
the southern zone the situation was
unchanged during the 18th and 18th
The Turks kept up the usual artillery
fire without much effect.
Tn
flank of the Australian and New Zea-
land army corps position was heavily
attacked during the night of the IA
5th, but all attacks were repulsed. At
made a short advance the after
noon of the 18th, with view to
Strengthening out the line They NOV
ed forward under considerable gun
yards capturing a Turkish trench and
taking two officers and twenty other
prisoners"
Farther Italian Advances.
Rome, Aug 1s-C-ia Paris) Far
Their Italian ad ances through the
bayonet charges which captured
strong line of Austrian en-
trenchments in the Tolmino re-
gion are described in the Of
fetal report issued tonight at army
headquarters. The statement says:
I'm the rugged Ortler range between
the upper valley of the AIDA and the
Adige, one of our detachmeI,ts set out
during the nigh of August 16, from
Capanna, Milano, md divided into
squads Joined by ropes, crossed the
snow capped summit of Turckett Shitz
(10,500 feet high) aid surprised
groups of the enemy. 1t then pro-
ceeded to Hi ter Madatasch SpitZ co.
400 feet high9 occupied by the de-
tachment of the enemy which it at
tackled and dispersed and solidly occu-
pied the summit.
"'In upper Rienz, further progress
by our infantry is reported We occu-
pied Sattleberg. west of Lange~ Alpe-
In the Monte Nero section we cap
tured several of the enemy'S trenches
in the neighborhood of the Visio peak.
Later counter attacks by the enemy
on our Visio positions were vigorously
repulsed.
I'm the Tolmino zone our brilliant
offensive developed against the hills
of Santa Maria and Santa Lucia, COM
manding positions situated to the right
of the Isonzo. After the customary
preparatory Smelling by artillery our
infantry dashed forward with the bay
onet and stormed a line of strong en-
trenchments, extending along the
western slopes of these heights. The
enemy suffered very heavy losses. We
captured seven officers and 5S4 men,
four machine guns and great guam
tity of ammunition
FIVE M0PE cHIpe n0MN