Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-01-08
tula and on November Is defeated
a strong Russian force neal Lipno.
About 5000 Russians were taken pris-

tula n on 10 Qe1eated
a strong Russian force lea Lipno.
About 5000 Russians were taken pris-
oners. The remainder OF the forces
retreated also towards Plosk. joined
the defeated division from Wlozlawek
and together with some fresh units,
attempted to stem the German adj
vance. The fighting which resulted
was severe, but in the end the Rus
sian forces were driven in the direc-
ton of Plonsk, where they effected
a much needed reorganization. Most
of the artillery and detrain had been
lost to the Germans.
Rennenkampf's plan to force an i'll
vasion of East Prussia seems to have
been abandoned after the experience
two Of his best units had with the
Germans. OF a sudden the First
army ceased it's efforts to break
across the border en- route for Berlin,
and for several days all was quiet.
Meanwhile General Won Mackensen
had established contact with the Rus
sian Second army near Kutno, then
SO pOsitioned that a movement against
it's right flank promised %uccess. With
the Russian offensive against East
Prussia wrecked, and with an advance
threatening the Russian center, the
Russian Fifth army was obliged to
check its advance upon the Cilesian
border and the Cracow district. Many
of it's units were rushed to support
the threatened center or Second army.
This measuare permitted a further de-
velOpment of the flank of tn Second
army. But the Encouragement OF the
Russian forces came a little too late,
it apears. General von Backensen lost
no time in pushing his advance, en-
gagged the Russians on November Is,
neal Kutno, caused them heavy losses
in killed and wounded and took $4,000
prisoners, as we'll as much material.
The Russian Second army continued
its advance, however, General Won
Hindenburg was in the act of COM
pleting his ~cul-de-sac, and the Russian
Second army had a double task to
perform. Not alone was it necessary
to envelop the German northern wedge
but ahe advances of General Won
Mackensen had made a vigorous coun-
ter-offensive necessary. Offensive and
counter-offensive on the part of the
opponents gave the second army a
southwest-northeast line during the
next two days, another tooth being
thus added to the great battle-saW in
Poland.
The line Of the Second army was
then from Styrkow-Alexandrowo to
Kazimierz. This was pierced by the
Germans under Won Mackensen the
evening of November II along the
Kutno road, and on the following
morning the right wing of the Sec
ond army was folded back upon Brze.
biny on the LODI road. On the 10Th
the desperate struggle continued.
the day heavy achievements
from the Fifth army arrived, and on
the Goth the Russians succeeded In
developing their full force. General
Won Mackensen, however, continued
his offensive, succeeding two days
later in forcing the Russians into LODI
and holding their territory west, north
and east of that city.
German Forces Exhausted.
Meanwhile the German forces had
been thoroughly exhausted. Not alone
did they sight an enemy numerically
far superior, but the incessant march
es and bad weather had weakened
hem considerably. Fresh troops had
to be brought to the scene. These
came from the armies which Won
H%indenburg was employing on his cul-
le.sac m]anoeuvre, the site of which
was Immediately southeast of LODI.
It would have been easy to take these
through Silesia, but that meant
travelling over the two dong sides of
IN acute angle, while a march in a
lorthwesterly direction was no. great
n than the distance the troops would
to march after they had been
letrained. But to take that route
vas dangerous, as vas amply proven
IN the following day.
The division rushed to the relief
# the Won Mackensen army had been
acing southeast and to go northwest
meant a complete face-about with the
enemy in the rear. They were none
90 strong, moreover, and had been