Omaha daily bee., 1916-04-15
PINSK BRISTLES
WITH FORTRESSES
Pripet swamp Serves as Effectual
Check 10 German Advance
and Russian Attacks.
POSITIONS ARE IMPROBABLE

Correspondence u the Associated presR
i'tNAK. Hiasia, March 5i-The tthfts
odd biloiueiofs Of The are around Pinsk
have been fortified since The German
army took Ne position here last sepienp
tef as probably ~ other section on ant
fintit. east west o. soifheaAt Tbt
pnfet swamp. which. on account u the
mild winter. has formed . natural barnn
bsiWesn the Chairman and HufAian lines
va checked both The Gcrmnn advance
gnd tho Russian counter attacks Bai
The Germans have realized that single
'nla snap might make the sNamps p1ana
We. and IN foreatail such q thiHg, thos
llstt res0rt0a 10 every known eNpediSbl
70 mako cyofy feol 81 their positions I'M
iIeenabls
Pinsk, 10 ana about which lehman
ienes are isinR, II ~ 0YefRrBWn hnssisn
ilisae ~ E,too inhabitants, itoiated ~ .
tongue Of land projecting eastward into
ihe swamps An Associated Press cor
respondent the first DeSapsper man q
lea pinsb since tn Germans occupied
NJ has idgt returned from . tonf of thf
Jfpsi front, ana although BE hiss pfoyl-
cgsly visited several positions ~ both ne
faeteiB and WasietB lhe9tefs ~ woE The
iorffafiile appearance ~ tie peninsula
NJ pinak" Impressed bin remarkably
nhe eity " naBked oil thr south Wy NJ
ssia running river Pima Beyond th
Disco lies hair q mile ~ swamp Then
comes the river strumen, which 70 thf
westward. turns gradually and joins the
Pine sun further beyond lies mors
tNnmp lands. which extend for several
miles 10 the fnninand md the Russian
position 10 tie norlhwsrd runs me
liver tassolda, thanked on both sides ~
hllss N SWAMP Lands, on either edge n
which lle TIE German and Russian forceb
GoOd Defensive Front
Fortunately Eof The troops wbieh hoid
tie uofihmn peetlon, the only place where
IN offensive can reasonably be eaptcifd
ne swamp land terminates ~ dunes
abief are easily adapted for defetlsiy.
purposes. Along this northern geeiion
regiments 81 cavalry have laboriously
daF themselves into the ground and have
rslfectod means 10 make II impossible
Tor The Russians 70 break through
The defense scheme II series Of
NtuatzpuBkte" ~ supporting points Al
onf place the supporting point IN villa
eompoteiy surrounded by tfenebee, shell
i6rs and acknowledgements A. anoihHr II Il
. soft of fort built into the eortb. viii
subiefraDeaD passages protected by sand
bags. earth and wood and hinged about
win hundreds Of thousands of runnlns
feet ~ b0rbed wire Each HUppofiinK
point IL not over 60 yards distant FROM
feps other, ana they are connected BY
wire entangieinenis from 100 70 10 feet n
width
TIE cavalry regiments that are guard.
ing tie northern section are among ths
dnest ~ the German army Their Of
f6ers include aoms Of the greatest mobiles
~ The empire. whose names are known
IN over the world For almost fis
months now they have lain 10 thelr psi
ton. living alternately IN UNDERGROUND
tfetera and IN the great villa that stands
on an elevation plainly IN View Of the
Russian positions
"iiow n II. asked the correspondent
81 Count f.. cousin Of famous Ger
man naval commander and chief Of the
brigade, that the Russians do not shool
your Vllln 10 pleeosY The nearest Rus
Fisn artillery position isn't more than sll
hilomeiefs away"
Mutual, unspoken Agreement.
The count laughed. There seems u
be an nnwflttetn and nnspoken agree.
ment that we won't touch Russian head
quarters n they leave ours alone, The,
have ample evidence Of the accuracy o
our guns and know that we would de
molibh their villa n We wanted TO-"
Thanks 20 The fact that there II NJ
almost unlimited quantity Of wood OF
hand Tor pinsk In peace times ia on
~ the timber eenters Of Russia. tn
Germans have been able TO build gu
aafosh The swamps and IN this way q
eaiabliah farsfiung outposta on oyerl
hvmmocl o. ground that ia large enough
10 bear blooshouse
parallclius the strumen hair a mile 4
he south n marrow, muddy dixie or dan
that wss built aome time ago by III,
t'qSHiant, partly TO check the awami
NaiefH and partly ~ a prospective rail
road bed This dam extends to within
o feM kilometars Of the Russian ouipos
Positions a. Liubanrkawo aud Gornoye
viii the help OF wooden HtaRlnEa thai
eflaaefona The swamp Ia almost every d
feetion, The Germans have free and cas-,
access 10 this dilse. and have erected ol
IL a aattan - ttaaktstta..s. "a ..,.........s 49,
positions which arc yerliahle arsonala
Each IL equipped with machine guns, ans
from zach esiends again on The stasinEs
fiinNHys 20 "llnffhposten listening nen
ifg positions
70 neaf together are the hlockhonne,
llal care has 70 bc exercised mt ii
sseer one with The artillery Of the other
10 prevent such an occurrence area
painted Mans have been crested IN from
II sarll hlnckhuuse. Indicating how fal
e fiahi or left the machine guns NJ an,
one fort mas swing without hTinElne
nelkhhpfing fort under GERMAN fire.
AlmnHi due south OF the farthest sual
NinsA houaf, which Ia said 10 he the mos
tasieflg position whleh ihe Germans nna
hshi ere nc Russian Positions. al 1
Hlsisnfs N ataHi ~ iaetsfs netaesf
iAe tee lie = series u has piles ~ siaeks
rlfA nt lnns hsfurt Gee WaT
naF rifles lmeastaat,
thsvas lht swamp effgetHHilA prevents
sfe Hllaek ~ maioF natuss, ana b.
tslss lhr mtR e. both sliss sfow rssi
lHsa ltpm Inactivity, thsss haf pilss tAf,
al la plaf an interesting Y unint
tatlsnl pesllAen "a uF warfare Al pinah
F'ah limf that frosif hisht Wlften
~ ths swamp pit beth naaalsn AZ.
ilflmaR senifies maze Coz ths pllsa =
tet N ~ sffett % gAnff eff = ihth
Haa an ihs uns haaA ana ~ ,aks -