Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1915-08-19
Stubborn Battle Precedes Ger.
man victory-Many Russ
Cannon Captured-Occu-
pied Last Night.
ADVANCE IN DARDANELLEs
British Claim to Have Made
Gain of 500 Yards Into
Turkish Territory-1tal-
ians Victorious.


Mackensen ON the south front has driv-
Ell the Russians across the Bug and in-
to the outer positions of the fortress oe
Brest-Litovsk.
On the western front in the Nosges,
German attacks on French positions on
the crest of the Sondernach were re-
pulsed, Paris reports. The official state
ment from Berlin declares that the
French We're driven back at Sonder-
mach, only small and completely de-
molished trench section remaining In
their hands.
The British steamer Bonny. the Span
ish steamer Isidoro. the Norwegian
steamers. Ronulus and Mineral and q
trawler have been sunk. presumably
by German submarines. Only parts OF
the crews of the Bonny and Isidoro are
accounted for. Those OF the other tive
vessels We're saved
Petrograd. (via London). Aug.
19.-German aeroplanes are per
sistently bombarding the city OF
Wilma, about 80 miles east of Kov-
no. The possibility of the cap
ture of wilma by the Germans is
foreseen in Petrograd, and opera
tions preliminary to its evacua-
ton are in progress
Kovno. the strong Russian fortress
on the Nieman at which the armies of
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg have
been pounding heavily since the fall
of Warsaw, has been captured by tho
Germaps.8,s sEssi sss.4Ssgs.ss,s "
-'e fserltn anrounced the taking OF I
srssssss . arsTs with 400 cannon and
quantities of war material. "in spite OF
the most tenacious resistance by the
Russians. German troops took pos
session of the fortress last night.
Military observers are questioning
whether the Russians, with Koyno in
German hands. will be able to hold the
Brest-Litovsk line of defense in the
general direction of which Grande Duke
Nicholas armies have been falling back
since Warsaw was taken. A Teutonic
advance on Petrograd also is being dis
cussed in Russia and England as a
possibility.
London. Aug. 1S.-The fall Of the
Russian fort of Kovno makes the sit
uation in the eastern tlleater of the war
critical. The Russian armies apparent
ly have not been able to reorganiZe sur
ficiently to check the strong Austro-
German advance against the outer de-
fenses to the Petrograd provinces.
The armies of the central powers
show no disposition to relax pressure
on the eastern front. nor are they likely
to do so until they have tried. once more
to separate the Russian northern and
southern armies and capture Brest-
Litovsk.
Gain at DardanelIes.
News from Turkish sources that tho
new landing party on the Gallipoli pc
ninsula near Suvla bay. has been en-
gagged heavily. is confirmed in an Of
fetal report today from Gen. Sir Ian
Hamilton. the British commander at
the Dardanelles front. stating that the
British left had won 500 yards of
ground, including n Turkish trench.
Sir Ian also reported the repulse of de-
tcrmined Turkish attacks against the
Australiasian position.
Little is reported in the diplomatic
situation in the near east. Former
Premier Venizelos. of Greece, who
asked for four days in which to study
conditions before deciding whether to
form a new cabinet, is believed to have
arrived at an understanding with King
Constantine, but it is not considered
probable that the result will be the
early entry of Greco into the war on
the side of the entente allies.
Italian Army Advances.
Italian mountain troops. Rome am
nounces, in squads joined by ropes.
crossed high mountain passes and
climbed and occupied Turolett Spits
and EIintcr Madatsch Spits, each about
10000 feet high. -----,1S-~
Italian advances are claimed lin up
per Rienz in the Monte Nero section
and in the Tolmino zone. In the last
named sections. according to the Of
fetal statement infantry attacks re-
suited in the capture of a line Of strong
entertainments on the Santa Maria and
Santa Lucia heights.
News agency advices from Athens.
through London, state that former
Premier Venizeos has notified King
Constantine of his readiness to form
u new Grecian cabinet.
Military experts have agreed that tho
loss of the fortress of Kovno would be
n serious blow to the Russians. The
critic of the London Times in an article
published this morning says:
If the enemy succeeds in reducing
'kovno and is thereby able to cross the
Nicmen he will be in the rear of the
Russian line north Of the Sventa, and
with the junction of the two wings OF
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg's army
the position of the Russian right flank
will be very difficult"
The official German statement OF
yesterday announced the capture of the
forts on the southwest front of Kovno,
together with $500 prisoners and 240
guns. This was Interpreted as fore
shadowng the fall of the fortress prop
er, but it's accomplishment so speedily
was hardly expected The famous
German general. Field Marshal Won
Hindcnburg, personally took command
of the army attacking Kovno. The Sc
lection of Germany's national hero for
VlilS tttSh 1lltiiCslleu lile llHpOTldIlCe at
tached to it by the German general
staff.
Kovno, capital of the Russian
province OF the same name, is on the
right bank of the Niemen. 1t is fort
ress of the first class. The civilian pops
ulation of the city is more than $4,000.
The capture of Koyno probably will
result in Welding the northern and
central Teutonic forces into a consoli-
6ated lire from the Baltic provinces to
Nh, ,.tN.k 80 III 80
fortresses running from the Niemen
south and east. Ecornected bY railroad.ss