New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-04
Aiming to Capture Out
flanked Armies of Both
mer and Linsingen.
GERMANS STRUGGLE
TO HOLD CITIES
Won Hindenburg Placed in Com
mand of Teuton Battle
Front of 1000 Miles.
IRy Cable 70 The Tribune ]

10y Ntple 10 ine i1ouueJ
London. Aug. 3.-Terrific fighting
continued to-day along almost the
whole of the four hundred miles of
the eastern front where the fate OF
Lemberg and Kovel is being decided.
The Germans, in desperate counter
attacks and fierce hand-to-hand battles
for their trenches, struggled to save
the cities, or at least the rempants Of
the armies which have been defending
them.
The Russians. apparently, are now
aiming not only for the cities. but for
the capture Of the greater part OF the
100000 men under Bothmer and Lin
singer who have been outflanked and
almost cut off from support SO far
there is no evidence Of any German
success, but the insensate fury of their
attacks shows the Importance attached
to stopping the Russian drive.
The desperation Of the Teutonic sit
uation is shown by the announcement
in Berlin and Vienna that General
Won Hindenburg. hero of the Mazurian
Lakes and the most celebrated OF all
the German warriors, has been put IN
command Of the entire thousand-mile
long battle line. The section in the
north over which he has had command
is the only one not now reeling BACK
from the Russian blows, and the TWO
Kaisers hope that his name and e1-
perience will stjffen the beaten armies
Undoubtedly this is primarily an ell
fort to restore some kind OF order out
of the Austrian chaos. But, military
men here point out. he cannot restore
the 100000 Austrians and Germans
killed, wounded or captured in the last
two months. nor the hundreds OF guns
which the Teutons have lost
Cannot Restore Confidence.
Nor can he wholly restore the habit
If victory. the confidence which is the
hest defence of an army, and when
has been utterly taken from the leu
tonic forces in their weeks OF unih-
terrupted defeat
Meanwhile, the Germans continue 70
use every ounce of energy in their ei,
forts TO extricate the troops that NERO
the Stokhod line and Won Botnmers
army on the Strypa. Though the Rus
slams forced the crossing OF the StryPa
at Guleyitchie four days ago and nave
been reported well on their way TO
Koyel. desperate fighting is still gong
on in the neighborhood OF the TOWN.
This is the only real information con
corning this battlefield contained IN
the Russian statements to-day. perm
also tells of minor actions along inc
Kovel-Sarny railway and near brooy.
But vigorous attack by GerH,ahs'
far 10 the north of the Kovel-Lembe berg
F.,d on the Vilna-Minsk railway, is
believed to be the first sign Of plan
bv Hindenburg to attempt TO flvert
forces from the crumbling line by
threat elsewhere. This attack was
Launched along the railway near the
town of Smorgon, and was preceded by
civ GAS attacks. In spite OF careiui
nrenaration the Germans were unaoie
10 Get beyond their own baroed wire
entanelements, and their losses were
terrific.
Russian OtnC1al SldtcHe"''
The official statement from Russian
Headquarters to-day reads:
cor the Stokhod desperate hghting
;s proceeding near the villages OF
Dpbeschovo and Gulevitchie. During
the fighting on the River Sereth, near
Corodiscb. about fourteen miles above
Tarnopol. the gallant regimental COM
nander. Colonel Goronof, was
wounded. -,
"In the Vorobievks region, east OF
Jezierna, nine enemy aeroplanes new
over our encampments. During the
6phting south of the Dniester IN the
d;rection of Stanislay the regimentel
chaplain. Castorski. was wounded.
An earlier statement said;
con the night of August 2 in the
region OF Smorgon the enemy Launched
GAS attacks on both sides of the rail
way. The attack opened at l o'clock
in the morning and the gas was re-
leased six times with Intervals De-
tween the waves. The gas attacks
finished at o'clock in the morning
"The use of gas was discovered IN
good time, with the result that the
Germans who were following the gas
attacks, on attempting TO advance. were
met with rlf1e and machlhe-suH NV
and suffered severe losses.
"The enemy did not even succeed IN
getting outside of his own wire entan-
Clements and he rapidly returned to
his trenches.
German Official Statement.
The German official statement
follows:
Army group of Field Marshal Won
Vindenburg: On the northern sector
Of the front there were no especial IN
cidents. Russian advances on both
sides of Lake Nobel failed. A strong
attack southwest Of Lubieszow broke
down. -,
THE enemy advancing on the koVel-
Sarny railway was driven of by our
FIRE. In the forest near Ostrow, north
of Kiselin, more than 100 prisoners
were captured.
Enemy attacks, apparently planned
on both sides of the railway near
Brodv. developed against Ponikowica
and we're repulsed. Otherwise there
was little fighting activity on the front.
Russian aeroplanes were shot down
near Rozyszcz and east of Torchyn.
"Army group Of General Count Won
Bothmer: Southwest Of Wilesniow
small enemy outposts were cleared.
balkan front:-There is nothing to
report"