The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1915-02-18
FIFTY THOUSAND
ARE PRISONERS
GERMANS ALSO TAKE MUCH
WAR MUNlTIoN FROM RUSS.
THE BATTLE RACED NINE DAYS
Cars Army Driven from Strongly
Intrenched Positions-onIy Rem
nants of Their Divisions Escape
and They Are Pursued.

and They Are Pursued.
Berlin Cby wireless to London)
Feb. 17.-More than fifty thousand
prisoners of war, fifty cannon, some
of heavy caliber, sixty machine guns
and enormous quantities of war ma
terial are the prizes of Field Marsha
Won Hindenburg's drive against ths
Russians in East Prussia.
The ground over which the retreat
ing Russian army passed was covered
with dead and wounded members O
the cars forces. Most of the wound
ed will die as the weather conditions
are the worst up to date. While thu
temperature stays at freezing poin
rains deluge the battle field day ant
night, making operations extremel,
difficult.
Russians Being Pursued.
The official statement declares tina
the Russians are being pursued at al
points.
For nine days the battle ragged
in the Mazurian lake region" the
report says, land has resulted in
Llt Ofti " hSihiIib uClCub VI tIiC
entire Russian tenth army which
is now a disorganized mob.
AT least IL infantry and Z
cavalry divisions of the enemy
were engaged. Not only were
they driven out of their strongly
intrenched positions which they
had constructed at great cost,
but our troops have now forced
them across the frontier and ut
terly defeated them at every
point. ....s.....
Only remnants of their divis-
ions managed to save themselves
by taking refuge in the wooded
heights and dense forests east or
Suwalki and Augustowo where
they are now being pursued.
Their losses have been enor-
nous; ours have been compara-
| lively small.
THE Aaiser was present at the
decisive fighting on the center Of
the line. The victory was OBJ
tanned by our East Prussian
troops who while young for such
work proved their worth and dis
regarding the weather conditions
steadily performed the task set
for them. ~.
Field Marshal Won linden
burg directed the operations with
Generals Won Eichorn and Won
Buelow in direct command of the
| forces"
Germans Outflank Russians.
The unofficial reports declare tina
the Germans successfully outflanke
the Russians who believed they wer
secure in their heavily intrenched pr
! sitions because of the snow.
The German offensive howeve
started on Feb. 6 when the left win
composed entirely of infantry wa
started through the snow at times u
to the waists of the men.
On one of the marches the ira
was baited and then the German ca
airy was sent out. 1t blew up an
destroyed the bridges along the Ru
sian lines of communication.
Just as the attack was to be deli
cred a thaw set in, followed by rail
The main Russian column was pa
TALLY enveloped before the comman
ing general realized what was bei1
done. He then ordered retre
which at times resembled a rout.
The Russian commander-in-chi
narrowly escaped capture and tn
any. portion of the tenth army G
capped is due to the fearful wealth,
conditions.
Victories in Buckowina.
Vienna, by way of Berlin and Lie
don, Feb. lin an official stateme
today the Austrian government clai
sweeping victories in the Bukowi
and the Carpathian battle theatres.
In Poland and Galicia the repc
says that only artillery conflicts a
in progress.
In the Carpathians the lighting CT
tinues without cessation despite {
fact that the ground is covered WI
two feet of snow. Several day a
night attacks are reported to ha
been repulsed with heavy loss and
prisoners captured.
, In Bukowina operations are pr
rossing fayorably. The Austrio.G
man forces closed in on the Russia
on three sides and compelled tn
d to give way at every point.
Fighting From Sea to Aisne.
Paris, Feb. 17.--Sharp fighting
various points along the battle |
from the sea to the Aisne and ,pra
a cally continuous artillery exchan
q have led to the belief that the G
e mans are about to begin another Or
81 at the Belgian British northerly Il
Dt The enemy are keeping up their
s. saults on the british trenches all
II the LaBassee canal and the Up
a The German losses are heavy.
O. British lines have been heavily
re inforced
il