Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-27
BREST-L|TOVSK
is OCCUPIED BY
TEUTON|C FORCES
Russians Yield Main Fort
ress on Bug River Line
of Defenses.
STOUT RESISTANCE
OFFERED INVADERS
Germans Are in Possession Of
Whole Line of Railway From
Cheln to Bialystok.
NEARING GRoDNo AND OLITA
Italians Claim Further Minor Sucs
CeSSeS on All Their
STOUT RESISTANCE
OFFERED INVADERS
NEARING GRoDNo AND oL1TA
Italians Claim Further Minor Sucs
cesses on All Their
Fronts.

LONDON. August 26.-Brest- -Litovsk,
the main Russian fortress and concen-
tration center of the Bug River line
of defenses. was occupied by the Austro.
German forces to-day. While the Rus
slams offered stout resistance during
the invaders approach. It is apparent
no attempt was made to defend Brest.
Litovsk itself. 1t was evacuated as waa
Ossowetz, in conformity with the Rus
sian intention to take up new positions
farther east
The Germans now are in possession
Of the whole line OF railway from Chelm
to Bialystok The Russians having
already evacuated the latter city, the
lesser fortresses of Grodno and Olita
now are the only strongly defended
positions remaining in the hands OF the
Russians. Both these are being ap.
preached by the Germans. They prob
ably will be given up when they have
fulfilled their purpose Of facilitating
the Russian retreat.
The Russians have not yet entered
the vast Bieloviezh forest, which ex-
tends thirty miles north and south,
and has width Of from seventeen to
thirty miles. The forest is a famous
hunting center and a bison preserve,
South of IT are the Pripet marshes,
which protect the Russian left. and,
with plenty of roads and three or four
railroad lines, it is expected here
Grand Duke Nicholas will make good
his retirement If Grodno and Wilma can
hold out long enough Even if they
should fall. military observers say thu
grand duke would be we'll on his way
to his new positions before the Ger
mans could reach his flank. There
is again talk of Russian preparations
for a stand, but no indication as yet as
to where this attempt is to BE made.
AIRCRAFT AGAIN BREAK
MONoTONY OF WARFARE
Aircraft again have broken the mo-
notony OF the western warfare. Sixty
two French aeroplanes flew over the
DellinGen Iron Works, near Saarlouis,
Rhenish Prussia. dropping $50 bombs.
while British aviator is reported to
have dropped a bomb upon and de-
stroyed German submarine off Ostend.
The German report says four OF tho
French machines in the attack near
Saarlouis were brought down. one OF
them. however. falling behind the
French lines.
The admiralty report OF sinking the
German submarine significantly stated
that it has not been the practice of the
admiralty to publish accounts regard
ing the losses of German submarines,
important though they have been." In
cases where the Germans had no other
source OF Information as to the time
and place at which these losses oc-
CURED. 1t has been reported for months
that large number of German SUBJ
marines. variously stated at from
twenty to forty. have been caught bY
the British navy, but to-day's state3
ment is the only official admission that
there were others than those previousa
ly announced by the admiralty as hav-
ing been destroyed.
The Italians claim further minor sucl
cesses on all their fronts. but these
are consistently denied by Austria OF
the operations on Gallipoli Peninsula,
there is no further news.
Except for tho postronement OF tha
statement of the Greek Premier, NJ.
Venizelos, on the future policy OF
Greece. there is nothing new in the
Balkan situation.
The Russian fortress of Brest-
Litovsk had been considered one OF ths
strongest fortresses in Europe. and was
the southern base of the second Rus
sian line OF defenscs to which the
armies OF Grand Duke Nicholas re-
treated after the fall OF Warsaw The
citadel is situated on the Bug River
and at the junction of several railways
81 miles south OF Grodno and 20 miles
due east OF the Polish capital
The storming Of Brest-Litovsk is
probably the most important military
achievement since the fall of warsaw
three weeks ago to-day. The town,
which had a population OF about $4,000.
was one OF the most important depots
for and the distributing points of.
military supplies near the western from
tiers of Russia proper. The fortress
was rated by military critics as a much
more important strategic point than
was Warsaw
Brest-Litovsk is situated at the june
ton OF the Rug and Mukhovets Rivers,
and the fortress was built at the point
OF confluence. IT lies upon the right
bank OF the Bug, where the river turns
from the north to the northeast. Inter.
secting here are railroads from Odessa,
Kiev. Moscow, Warsaw, Wilma and East
Prussia.
REGARDED As MOST
POWERFUL FORTRESS
Brest-Litovsk. according to informa.
ton complied by the National Geogra,
phic Society. contained one OF the Oldest
important fortresses In Northern Eu.
rope. The older fortlfcations were
erected about one milo east Of Brests
Ltovsk. and had circumference OF
four miles. The feId works were kepY
up-to date and everything possible had