Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-06-05
Saturday, June S, 1915.
The Rstakins Of PrzsmysI.

attempting to hold and to take that
strategic point. For 271 days the
fighting has ragged with the place as
the prime objective. 1t is not i'm
probable that the Slavic forces will
again attempt to drive the Teutons
from the fortress. The capture Dy
Germanic forces does not mean that a
decisive battle has been fought or
that Russia will not rush reinforce
ments to that field for the purpose Of
hating or forcing back. the mighty
wedge withdrawn by the Kaiser from
the French border to effect the cap
ture Of Przemysl.
The Russians held Przemysl seventy
days, the last three weeks under
siege. The capitulation Of Przemysl
must be ascribed to the effectiveness
Of the artillery onslaughts. When
the Russians starved out the Austrian
garrison at Przemysl. an operation
which brought them into the fortress
Systematically conserving the lives of
their men, as much as possible. The
method which the Austro- Germans
have been employing recently to ac-
complish the same end has been en-
tirely different. Their expenditure in
men and ammunition has, perhaps,
outdone anything in this war. not
even excepting the German PUSHES for
Calais and the terrible struggle along
the User River, when Przemysl fell
into the hands of the Russians on
March 90, it had undergone a siege
lasting POI days.
The Austrian garrison originally
consisted of 10000 men, Of whom 40,
900 were killed. About 100000 Aus
TRANS surrendered when the fortress
capitulated These included 26O2 Of
ficers and officials, and $4,000 men.
Immediately after the surrender Of
the Austrian garrison the Russians
began a westward rush through Ga
licia, and it was predicted that they
would soon overrun both Silesia and
the plains of Hungary. A terrific
Austro German offensive was inaug-
urated, however, the result of which
was to drive the Russians back to the
San and to enable the Teutonic allies
to encircle Przemysl and attack 1t
from the north and the Asoutheast.
The strength of the Russian garrison
within the fortress has not been
known in London.
For the first time in this war, the
Germans in their latest advance on
Przemysl have adopted a new tactical
formation for attack. The new for
nation is likened by Russian military
experts to the Macedonian phalanx.
= with this difference, that it is COM
posed, not of individuals but of divi-
sions and army crops. This phalanx.
= in the advance from Cracow. moved
along the line of the Iaslo- Rzeszow
A.
included ten full army crops. of which
Ave. forming the main striking head.
were picked troops withdrawn spe-
cially for the purpose from the French
front. The phalanx was superabun-
dainty provided with artillery. includ-
ing a large number Of heavy bat
teries. For example, twenty-four
battalions of the Prussian Guard
Corps had with them forty batteries.
r. half Of which were Of heavy calibre.
This ancient battle formation had
naturally a tremendous driving force,
but it was deprived Of any great
possibilities of tactical movement by
the fact that it was chained to a. line
of railway whereby alone it acould
maintain it's supplies and munitions.
The rate of movement Of the pha-
lanx cannot have exceeded four miles
a day. in the opinion of Russian ex-
perts. But Its momentum was IRE
i sistible, and it was this phalanx for
nation which forced the crossing Of
the San River at Lezachow. assisted
q by an immense flotilla Of aeroplanes.
The Germans. in withdrawing many
Of their best troops from the French
y front, filled the gaps necessarily left
!. there with overpowering technical SUI
reriority. Thus, where the Germans
find themselves opposed by thou
). sand men and two machine guns.
they post hundred men and twenty
manchine guns. confident that by con-
tinuing on the defensive with an ex-
N tended use Of the technical adjuncts
d. Of warfare they can safely withdraw
Z their best troops for temporary SER
!. vice elsewhere.
!. Colonel Colomonoff. the best known
newspaper military expert in Petro-
grad. discusses the French position in
his latest article. Pressure from two
sides. he says. is an elementary prin-
ciple Of coalition warfare. In the
a