The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-16
1000 RUSSIANS Die
IN 20 MINUTE FIGHT
Germans Near POstawy Halt
Foe Within 100 Feet Of
Victory.
BATTLE FOR TEN DAYS

Cu,r,oo, .Arrii ia Ddi'y Nctcs cor
RESPONDENT with Field Marshal Won Hin
d.uhut - armies near rostawy. under
J.,, ~ April =. sends a graphic account
extraordinary attack OF the Russian
,e.,, northwest of Iostawy. The battle
lasted ten days and wac one OF the most
nary NJ the present campaign. lie
SIS
"pospi,c the artillery. despite the ma
IN M, guns and despite the infantry fire
The appareutly neNhaustibie regiments OF
russians swept OF over the dead, over
the barbed wire bai riers before the Ger
man line. over the first trenches n
routed the German soldiers. who were
half frozen in the mud OF their shattered
shelters. A terrific land to hand con-
ric, followed. Hand g%renades tore down
scores " defenders and assailants' at
lacks. The then fought like maniacs.
with spades. bayonets. knives and
dubbed guns.
But the Russians won at n fearful
price for so slight a gain. They stoppeu
within a hundred feet Of victory. IL
NAV have been lack Of discipline. lack or
officers or lack of reserves: no one knows.
Russian ms Moved Down.
.-rhe Russians seemed helpless in the
German trenches. Instead OF sweeping
on to the second lines they tried TO IN
trench themselves In the wrecked Ger
man first line. Immediately German ar
,,llerv hurled shells of the heaviest
80 49,. slAaA 1tpnQ and tnfR them
MO fragments.
..Then came the reserves and by night
,,,, the Russians mad again been driven
out ...
-Four days later. suddenly. w'thout
warming, n mud colored wave began 10
p,ur forth from the forest. II was q
Inc Of Russians three ranks deep con-
tanning more than 1000 men. behind
this was a second wave like the hrst. and
then a third.
The German artillery tore holes In the
RANKS. which merely closed IN again
marched on. and made an attenpt I,
Are They marched as though on parade
Il, WAS MAGNIFICENT but criminal said
aGerman officer.
Fourth Line Trapped.
"When a fourth line emerged iron, the
woods the German artillery dropped 9
curtain of IRE behind II. and then q
sniar wall of shells ahead OF those II
front They then moved these two walls
closer together with a bail or shrapne
te.aeen them. while at the same time
they gu, loose with the machine guns.
The splendid formation or Russians
framed hetNten the walls of fre. scat
tered heedlesslv in vain. Shells Souge'
I. ,9 holes IN tie dissolvinC ranks. Tn
a. Ms filled with clanor and franti
.nicNs were sometimes heard Above tn
.,c,--tut roar inl cracking Of exploding
" jc tiles.
"re3fcu,1 men sought to dig them
se.l,s INTO the :r"und in the foolish be
q, that thry could And safety ther
a,m TIA. d.luse of shells. Others race
H. ally Tor th. irtr and some escaped i
to- WY a. n ly u miraCe. Still other
lau 'oN,rd tnc German lines only IL Il
GU Own by the German machine gu
+
'lI less than twenty minutes the terri
b. drama WAS over. The attack ha
cot the Russians 1000 lives, and "
- Russian soldier had come with
30 Yards of the German lines. II wa
q terrible harvest of DEATH said the Oft
tor VINO described the battle. 1t was III
l,>' gasp of the Russian offensive at tn
point