New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-10
Lose Heavily in AS.
saults on KOvnO,
Says PetrOgrad.
REPORT BUELOW
QUITS MITAU
Unofficial Account Says
Thanking Troops Have
Retreated Is Miles.
FEW PRISONERS TAKEN
FEW PRISONERS TAKEN
Eap at Warsaw Small, and
Archduke Reports Only
5000 Captured.

S,UUU CdptuTcu.
Petrograd, Aug. 9.-The follow
ing official communication was is
sued tonight:
"a German fleet of nine battle
ships and twelve cruisers, with
large number of torpedo boat de-
stroyers, persistently attacked the
entrance to the Gulf of Riga Sun
day, but everywhere was repulsed.
"Our seaplanes, throwing bombs,
contributed to our success. A
cruiser and two torpedo boat des-
troyers of the enemy were damaged
by our mines"
An official explanation of the at
tack of the German fleet on Riga, as
given out tonight, follows:
"The Gulf of Riga would allow
the Germans to give powerful aid to
their army now occupying the west
ern coast of the gulf. With the OBJ
ject of penetrating the gulf, the feet
appeared Sunday off Dirben Chan
mel, which is the only practicable
way for large ships to enter. The
enemy made three attacks with the
object of breaking the mine barrier
protected by our fleet.
"Our seaplanes and warships CO.
operated to repel the enemy. The
Germans did not succeed in passing
our defences. Three of his ships
were damaged by mines near Dirben.
None of our ships was lost"
London, Aug. 9.-Further prog
ress was reported to-day by the
Teutonic armies pursuing the rear
guard which screened the escape Of
the main Russian forces from the
Warsaw salient. This included the
completion of the capture of War
saw and the Vistula line by the oc-
cupation of Praga, the eastern sub
urb of the capital.
Meanwhile the Austrians have
advanced north of Lublin, driving
the Russians across the Vieprz Riv-
er and begun a new battle to clear
the remaining part of East Galicia
of the Russians and have also
spread out between Ivangorod ard
Praga, keeping in touch with the
Russian rearguard, but apparently
not reaching the main forces any
where. A hint of the situation is
given in the unofficial statement
that a Russian force had been split
and the parts forced into flight in
different directions, but that this
was of doubtful value to the Teu-
tons, as the retreating Ivangorod
garrison was expected to fill the
gap.
No word comes from any official
source as to the fighting south Of
Riga, where at last accounts the
Russians had launched a counter
offensive which had saved the city,
thrown the Germans back several
miles and threatened the whole Of
General Won Buelow's left flank.
An unofficial report credited the
Russians with the recapture Of
Mitau, about fifteen miles behind
the high water line of the German
advance.
The German official statement
claims a further advance south
from Lomza, on the Ostrow-Wyz-
kow highway, but as the River BtP
has not yet been reached its menace
is not serious.
The occupation of Praga. reported
by Berlin. brings TO dramatic climax
the first phase of the drive at the
Polish capital and the region OF East
ern Poland. Of which Warsaw is the
dominating centre. Prsga is essen
tally a part OF the capital. with gres.
railway stations on the roads running
TO Petrograd and Moscow. Few de-
tails have been received of Grand Drke
Ncholass final stand at Praga. but the
indications are that the withdrawal OF
the Russians became imperative in or
der to escape from the German lines
gradually drawing together in their
rear.
Warsaw now is the apex Of vast
letter V. the arms of which are the
River Narew on the norta and the Vis-
tula on the south. The German lines
spread along these rivers are contract
ing gradually as the armies in the
north and those IN the south approach
each other. The strip of territory
-