New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-15
Cut Bothmer's Army
in Half on Strypa,
Report Says.
HALICZ WITHIN
RANGE OF GUNS
Letchitsky's Forces Cross
Zlota Lipa and
Forge On.

nr CaNla
London. Aug. 14.-Von Bothmer IS
continuing his fight over the whole
front from the Sereth River to the
Dniester. The armies Of Generals
sakharoff, Letchitsky and Cherbat'
,beT are drawing closer to the re-
tresting Austrians every hour. AL
rsadv they have struck at the Aus
triap tanks along the railroad 10
Potutory and apparently have cut
dseplv into the enemy's forces.
To-day the Russians swept for
ward across the Zlota Lipa at several
noipts, making it a perilous position
for the Austrians to attempt to noid'
and pressed southwest from the
Sereth district and northwest from
tbe stanislau region. Halicz is now
within range of the heavy Russian
guns. and a bombardment Of the
southern gateway to Lemberg is ex-
nected within few hours
Military critics here are already
discussing the possibility Of another
Sedan. It is firmly believed that
neither Won Bothmer nor Pfanzer
can escape from the Russians with
their armies intact, and some OBJ
servers foresee the capture or de-
struction of the main part Of both
forces.
Saw Bothmer Lost $4,000.
Renorts reached London to-day from
pnofscial sources that Won Bothmer pao
already lost half of his army Of l9o,oo'
bv the swift flank advances Of the Rus
slams Immediately after the Strypa hne
was abandoned.
This report receives partial conhrma-
tion in the summary of the prisoners
taken by the Cars troops puDhsheu
today in the "Rech" of Petrograd'
This newspaper estimated that during
last weeks operations in Galicia e5'zoo
men and ! ,72O officers were bagged Dy
the Russians. The estimated booty Oh
the week is also enormous-34Z ma
chine guns having been swept into the
Russian ranks. according to the "Rech.
According to Russian military opin-
ion. Letchitsky's smashing defest Oh
Planners army at Stanislau and Mad
yorna made Won Bothmer's position
hopeless. The latter is believed to have
DELAYED his retirement from the Strypa
line for so long because he depended
upon Phanzer to protect his southern
flank along the Dniester.
The river itself was considered an
effective barrier to Russian advance
from the south and east. But Plan
zer's army, split in two by Letchitsky's
sudden, powerful thrust at Stanislau,
was weakened so that it exposed the
Dniester line and Won Bothmer's right
wing to attacks from the strong forces
Of the Russian general.
Wedge Menaces Teutons.
The larger part Of Planners army
fed toward Halitz to afford Won Both
mer what protection II could. The rest
Of the disorganized Austrian force re-
treated toward Nadvorna to guard the
gates Of Hungary.
But the Russians followed up their
first victories so swiftly that the Aus
trians were quickly driven out of Mad,
vorna and west TO Bystritza. And
then, moving east, southeast and
northeast on Halitz, the Russians
hemmed in Planners forces at that
point and drove such d deep wedge into
ms northern lines that they opened up
the way for flank and rear assaults on
Won bothmer's army.
The Russians now have Strengthened
out their lines in front of Halicz and
are closing in on the city rapidly, IL
was the fall Of Halicz to Brussilof's
army at the beginning of the war that
enabled Ruszky to sweep forward and
capture Lemberg, and observers here
'ook Tor the same sequence Of events.