The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-10-21

General Won Lauenstein was placed IN
command here.
On April % our march into Lithu
ania and Courland began.
General Won Lauenstein initiated the
movement planned by the commander
in-chief in the east by marching in
three columns on Shawl (about half
way between the Prussian border and
Riga. This march was almost directly
north.)
In two days so miles were covered.
On the Goth the cavalry divisions were
approaching Shawl and Kirschany (1S
miles to the west of Shavli). On the
soth Shawl, which the Russians had
set on fire, was occupied. The Sixth
and Third cavalry divisions continued
the movement in the direction of Mitau,
at which the sixth arrived on May (55
miles northeast of Shawl and 30 miles
southwest of Riga).
FORCED TO RETREAT
Here they could no longer break the
enemy's defense, and for the time they
remained southwest of Mitau. Later
on they withdrew behind the Windau.
along the Mitau- Moscheiki railway ESQ
miles to the rear). The Third cavalry
division halted shortly after this and
the Bavarian cavalry division came up
with them. The two divisions then
moved southeast from Shawl via Beis-
sagola on Keirany (25 miles north of
the great Kovno fortress). Here, how
ever, the enemy's defense was stronger.
They, therefore. yielded slowly before
his pressure and retired behind the Du-
biSsa river in the direction of kielmy.
The infantry divisions had also car
ried out some extraordinary forced
marches. The Thirty-siXth reserve di-
vision was pushed forward to the lower
Dubissa to act as cover against at
lacks from Kovno, while the seventy
eight and Sixth reserve divisions had
united near Shawl.
The object of this daring enterprise
had been attained. The Russians were
visibly being reinforced.
(By this movement the Germans had
penetrated 20 miles into Courland and
had cut the railroad between Kovno
and the important port of Libau. They
had also fooled the Russians into bring
ing forces to this line from other points
where they were to be attached later)
There now followed on an extended
front of the Dubissa, from the mouth
of the river up to Kielmy, round Shawl
and to the northwest Ga front of about
100 miles running almost due north
about So miles from the Baltic), a
series of critical engagements which
dragged on through May and June and
proved most exhausting for both lead
ers and men. On our side they were
carried out both defensivly and often
sively, with sgreat numerical inferi-
GRITTY, in order to hold what we had
gained and pin down the enemy.
General Otto Won Below was APP
pointed to this command and the army
was given the name of the "Niemen
army We held the Dubissa line by
hard fighting. Shawl could not be held
permanently. and 1t was only possible
to bring back a part of the plentiful
leather supplies which were of such
great importance to us. AS early as
May we had to abandon the town to
the enemy, and remained due south
of 1t.
LIBAU CAPTURED EASILY
On the evening of May the Third
cavalry brigade took Libau. We were
well aware that the Russian forces
there were of very little value, but we
did not know of the condition of the
Notifications. Libau had been aban-
doned as a military port before the
war. The extensive military harDor
works were evidence of the ambition
of imperial Russia, bent as she was on
extending her power
The town contained some important
Industrial establishments, including
one of the largest barbed wire factories
in Russia.
Lieutenant Colonel Hoffman, sug-
gested that a surprise attack should De
made. and / agreed to this. Our troops
we're not very numerous. The Third
cavalry brigade. under Colonei Won Der
Schulenberg, two or three battalions
and a few batteries belonging to the
reserve divisions already on tht spot,
,raro 70 apnroach the town from the