Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-09
RUSSIANS PLANNING
BIG RIGA OFFENSIVE
[Continued From First Pagel


become extremely violent. The weather
is frosty and clear and the country
covered with snow.
The correspondent of the Tagelische
Rundschau says that the Russians at
tempted a surprise attack on Sunday
near the Riga bridgehead. Great
masses of the attackers with white
shirts over their uniforms succeeded
during violent snowstorm in enter
ing the German trenches on a front
of a thousand meters. The corre-
spondent says that evidently an at
tempt was being made to break
through the road between Mitau and
Riga The Germans, seeing the danger,
sent all available reserves into the bat
tie, which reached a pitch of tremen-
dous fury. The two armies fought
with bombs and bayonets until sunset,
when, according to the correspond
ent, the Russians retreated to their
previous positions over snow that had
been Redeemed with blood.
Germans Gain
Field Marshal Won Mackensen's drive
against the Sereth line in southern
Moldavia continues to gain ground and
the Teutonic thrust against the Mol
davian frontier mountains in the flank
ing operation now under way is like
wise showing progress.
s Pushing northward from FokShani,
the fortress position captured yester-
day southwest of the Sereth and near
the center of the line, Won Macken-
sens troops have, driven the Russians
across the Putna and are now ham
mering at new position they have
taken UP there.
Farther southeast, toward the Dan
ube, the Russians are now beginning
to yield again, according to Berlin,
losing another town, whicl. the Austro-
German forces held against counter
attacks delivered last night.
In the Moldavian mountains the ad-
vance was chiefly in the Kasino and
Suchtisa valleys. The progress here
is necessarily slow because of the
rugged terrain and the strong defense
offered by the Russians. The German
report, however. declares that every
day new gains are being scored and
maintained despite all difficulties.
Russians Have Good Defense
One point favoring the Russians in
their defense is the superior communi-
cation routes they now command. Be
hind the advancing Teutons the rail-
way lines have thinned out, but in the
rear of the Russian positions lies q
network of roads over which men and
supplies may be brought to the front.
These are fed both from Kishinev, on
the east .and Czernowitz. on the north.
and an important lateral line, running
through Tecutchiu. northeast of FOX
shani, northwestward through Pantzin
to Ocna, virtually parallels the present
front.
The total of prisoners taken by the
Teutonic armies in the operations of
yesterday and the previous day is now
reported by Berlin as approximately
$500, together with three cannon and
ten machine guns.
No Further Successes
While the Russians are continuing
their offensive in the region between
Dvinsk and Riga along the northern
end of the line in Russia, they are
meeting with no further successes in
the vicinity of the river Aa, where
their recent gains were scored, accord
ing to Berlin. All the attacks made
yesterday were repulsed, but the Rus
slams succeeded in regaining an island
north of Illukst that had been taken
from them last Thursday.
On the Franco-Belgian front there
have been only raiding operations and
artillery duels,