The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-28
BIG GAP IS CUT IN
RUSSO-RUMAN|AN FRONT
Won Mackcnsen Takes Slice OF Ten ana
One-Half Miles, Capturing
Rimnicu-Sarat.
BRAUAA SURROUNDED
NOW ON THREE SIDES
Important Advantage Won In Ru-
mania, Still Further Menacing All
Important Sereth Defense Line.

| Smashing gap ten and a half miles
wide into the Russo Rumanian fore
field protecting the Sereth line. Field
Marshal Won Mackensen's Ninth Army.
OF Kronstadt fame, effected the great
| break through" for which the Teu-
| tons have fought in terrific battle
lasting FIVE days.
Rimnicu- Sarat, the vital rail head
northeast of Buzeu, Is in Teuton hands.
| Eraila. the great Danube port forty
Ave miles to the east. surrounded from
three sides. is outfanked and must
! fell automatically as must the Macin
thridgehead. now being battered by
MAckensen's Dobrudja forces. Galau.
| the last remaining source of supply
| for the Rumanians from Bessarabia.
be comes the immediate objective of
| the invaders right wing. while the
center driving north from Rimnicr-
Serat, is aiming at Focsami. The CEN
f., tor 10 now only twenty-five miles fr,r;.
| the Sereth line.
| A total of $500 prisoners has been
taken by the Teutons since December
q, 1900 by the Ninth Army, ard
| 800 by the Danube forces.
Admits Withdrawal
Petrograd admits withdrawal of
the Russo Rumanian lines at two
places. on the Rimnicu-Sarat high
road and in the region of the UPPER
Rimnicu- Sarat River.
In other sectors, the Russian war
| ONCE asserts. the assaults of the in
vsders were beaten back with great
losses" to the attackers. Some ma
chine guns were captured by the Rus
SUNS in counterattacks.
| The Berlin statement is marked by
| all the phrases customarily featuring
| reports of decisive battles
In addition to breaking through
| the Muscovite front on a line of ten
| and half miles, southwest OF
| Rimnicu-Sarat, the invaders effected
| interruptions into the enemy's front"
| further east, where the Danube army
| is pushing northward. In that area,
it is stated, the defenders. after loos-
| ing several strongly fortified positions.
were forced to retreat into positions
| further north.
Tribute is paid by the official report
| to the energetic leadership and the
fullest devotion of the troops" Teu-
| ton air craft co-operated with the ad-
vancing infantry by Smelling the de-
| tenders rear guard communications.
Fighting In VOlhynia-
In the meantime, fighting fiared up
again in Volhynia. where. according
I to the Petrograd report, General Won
Linsingen's troops assumed the often
sive. All attempts to advance, how
| ever. were stifed in the Mouscovite
barrier fire and the Teutons were
| thrown back with serious losses. the
Russian war ONCE claims.
Mackensen's great thrust IN front OF
the Sereth line holds q scerious men
ace to the Russian front in the wooded
Carpathians. If the momentum OF
| the latest "break through" Is as
| strong as Is indicated by the Berlin
| report. and the driving power Of the
| Teuton center is what 1t was in the
| Rumanian battles. tho final attack on
| the Sereth line should come before
| the end OF this week. A piercing OF
| that line would shake the whole Rus
sian front from Galacia down to the
| northern tip OF the Transylvanian
| Alpine ridges.